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Whether you’re a short-term visitor in Japan under a Working Holiday visa or an adventurous tourist seeking to explore the Land of the Rising Sun, getting medical treatment can be scary if you have no health insurance in Japan. After all, getting injured or catching a stomach bug and fever is the last thing we want while traveling. What happens when you need help and health care in a country with a different healthcare system, language, and culture?

Japan is a country with a reputation for being expensive. And while that may be true in some respects, it’s certainly not true when it comes to healthcare. In Japan, you can get high-quality medical care at a reasonable price (maybe even a fraction of the cost of what you would pay in some developed countries like the USA).

From advice on hospitals and clinics with English-speaking staff to how to get a healthcare reimbursement, in this blog post, we’ll provide insight into affordable options for those looking for medical care in Japan. Get ready for your health-related journey around one of the world’s most unique countries.

Jump to:

How to Get Medical Care Without Health Insurance in Japan
Keeping Your Medical Care Receipts in Japan
English Speaking Resources and Foreigner-Friendly Medical Centers
How to Get a Refund for Your Medical Expenses in Japan

How to Get Medical Care Without Health Insurance in Japan

Getting medical care in Japan is actually pretty easy, even if you don’t have health insurance. Here are a few options for getting the care you need:

Going to a Clinic in Japan as a Foreigner — Without Health Insurance

We will cover ways to find clinics a little later on. But in general, any clinic will do, and emergency services are also available in some places. If you find yourself needing emergency care, you should call a hospital before going because each place has its own way of operating its ER.

At some places, walk-ins are allowed, while other places will not let you in if you haven’t called in advance. Also, during normal operating hours, not all hospitals will take you in without a referral. That’s why clinics are your best bet. However, you can google places and see what their policy is.

Further, you could also try visiting a clinic or hospital that offers “international patient services.” These places are typically located near tourist areas. They will have staff who speak English and are familiar with foreign visitors’ needs. The downside of this option is that it can be more expensive than going to a regular clinic or hospital. But if you don’t have insurance and don’t speak Japanese, this might be your best bet.

When you walk into the place of your choice, tell the receptionist that you don’t have health insurance and that you would like to see a doctor. The receptionist will then give you a form to fill out. If you don’t speak Japanese, ask for an English version of the form, ask for assistance with Japanese, or use the camera of Google Translate to translate the form on the spot.

Seeing Your Doctor in Japan

After turning in the form, you’ll wait to be seen by the doctor. You may have to explain your symptoms, but you can write them out in a translation app on your phone and hold it up to the doctor. They will understand.

The doctor will prescribe whatever medication and service they feel you need. If you need any tests done (blood work, X-rays, etc.), the doctor will order them and tell you when to come back for the results. The results may even be ready on the same day.

Paying Your Medical Bill in Japan Without Health Insurance in Japan

When you’re finished with your appointment, go to the cashier and pay your bill. The amount you’ll pay depends on the type of consultation and any tests or procedures that were done. Also, you may receive your medicine from the same place or be instructed to go to a nearby pharmacy to fill your prescription.

To give you some idea of the expenses you may be looking at, here are some prices I paid out of pocket when I went to clinics recently without insurance: 13,000 yen (COVID test, flu test and consultation with the doctor); 15,000 yen (chest X-ray and consultation with a doctor); 46,000 yen (bloodwork, CT scan, consultation with a doctor and medicine); 5,000 yen (a prescription medicine).

Keeping Your Medical Care Receipts in Japan

They’ll give you a receipt which you can use to apply for a refund either in your home country or here, in Japan, if you’re a resident.

Alternatively, you can find a free or low-cost clinic. There are many NGOs and other organizations that offer free or low-cost medical care to residents of Japan, regardless of their income or employment status. These clinics typically offer basic primary care services such as check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings. To find a clinic near you, try searching online or asking at the local city hall/municipal office— shiyakusho in Japanese — or community center.

A quick word of advice for those who do have insurance in Japan: Use the Japan National Health Insurance system by ensuring you present your health insurance card if you have one! If you live in Japan and are employed by a Japanese company, you are required to enroll in the national health insurance program. This program covers 70% of your medical expenses (80% if you are over 65 years old).

Even if you don’t have insurance, you can still use this system by paying the monthly premium plus a 20% co-pay for each visit. The premium varies depending on where you live in Japan, but it is usually around 5,000 yen per month (about $50). To get this type of independent health insurance, you’ll need to visit your local municipal office and go through the sign-up process. Usually, you can be enrolled and receive your health insurance card in one visit on the same day.

English Speaking Resources and Foreigner-Friendly Medical Centers

Hotlines in Various Prefectures

I called all of these hotlines, and as of February 2022, they are all still functioning in numbers. Besides the Fever Hotline, these numbers aren’t just for if you need medical attention, but also for a broad range of inquiries or concerns you might have. They can provide assistance in English.

Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Information Center Himawari (03-5285-8181)
Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Thai.

Saitama Prefecture (048-833-3296)
Languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Nepalese.

Mie Prefecture (080-3300-8077)
Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Indonesian, and Thai.

Gunma Prefecture (027-289-8275)
Languages: English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Osaka Prefecture (06-6941-2297)
Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Indonesian, and Nepalese

Kyoto Prefecture (075-343-9666)
Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Hyogo Prefecture (078-382-2052)
Languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Here is one more hotline and a list of clinics and hospitals that I personally used when I was sick recently:

Fever Gaijin Hotline (03-5320-4592)

I used this hotline for the Tokyo area, but they might be able to help you if you live in another area, too. They can research and provide a list of the closest clinics, what services they provide, or their operating hours.

Head here for a list of clinics and hospitals around Tokyo.

Foreign-Friendly Clinics and Hospitals in the Tokyo area

St. Lukes International Hospital

I went to this hospital when I had pneumonia, and I can confirm they are friendly to foreigners. Although I spoke Japanese, the doctors seemed to speak English well enough to understand what was wrong and give me the care I need. The first thing almost everyone asked me was if Japanese was okay for me or not. If you call ahead and say you need English support, they will put an interpreter on the phone for you. Emergency services are also provided on the weekdays outside of normal work hours and on the weekends. You don’t need to call in advance to be seen.

Website: https://hospital.luke.ac.jp/eng/
Phone (03-3541-5151)

The National Center for Global Health and Medicine

Website: https://www.hosp.ncgm.go.jp/en/index.html
Phone (03-3202-7181). This is the main number in Japanese, and you need push “9” to connect with the operator. For a direct English service, phone 03-6228-0749.

International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital

Wesite: https://mita.iuhw.ac.jp/english/
Phone (03-3451-8121)

Hidemaru Emergency Clinic

I went to this clinic, and I’m not sure how much English the staff can speak, but the doctor I saw explained some complex concepts of my condition in basic English. Also, all of the staff were exceedingly nice, which led me to believe they will treat anyone who walks in with the kindness and respect one needs and deserves when sick. It would be best to call ahead or make a reservation online if you know you’re going to go. You may be able to get a same-day appointment as the clinic is open until 10 pm every day except Fridays.

Website: hidemaru-clinic.com
Phone (03-3493-9901)

Nishiazabu International Clinic

Another recommendation by our team, Nishiazabu International Clinic is particularly popular among English-speaking foreigners— both long-term residents and tourists. From personal experience, you’ll have no problem conversing in full English as the doctors and staff are fluent (they also have Chinese staff). They have a pediatrics, urology, internal medicine, and vaccination department, and they accept National Health Insurance. Fun fact: the clinic is close to our sister school, Coto Club!

Website: https://nic-med.com/english.html
Phone (03-3493-9901)

Akasaka International Clinic (US/JP Licensed Female Bilingual Doctor Internal Medicine/Psychiatry)

Website: https://www.akasakainterclinic.com/english
Phone (03-6277-6337)

How to Get a Refund for Your Medical Expenses in Japan

If you do have health insurance in Japan (not the national health insurance we talked about) and you’re a tourist, there’s a good chance it will not cover all of your medical expenses while you’re visiting Japan. That’s because most foreign insurance companies only provide “secondary coverage” for policyholders who are living abroad. This means that they will only reimburse expenses after your primary insurer (i.e., your Japanese health insurance company) has paid its share.

If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair! There are ways to get a refund for your out-of-pocket medical expenses.

“Third-party billing” is one option if you’re a tourist. This involves having your doctor or hospital send the bill directly to your home country’s embassy or consulate in Japan. They will then forward the bill to your insurance company for reimbursement.

“Direct billing” is a second option for tourists that may be available at some clinics and hospitals. With this method, the provider will bill your insurance company directly and receive payment from them directly—leaving you off the hook entirely!

“Reimbursement” is yet another possibility for tourists and for those living in Japan—although it may not be available at all clinics and hospitals. With this method, you pay the bill upfront and then get reimbursed later on down the road. For tourists, that means submitting the receipt to your insurance company after you’ve returned home. It’s a bit different for foreigners living in Japan.

For residents of Japan, there is generally a one-month time limit from the time you visit a clinic until the time you can claim your reimbursement. A scenario for having to be reimbursed would be if you somehow find yourself sick and temporarily without insurance (such as between two jobs), but you knew you’d be receiving your new healthcare card soon.

Upon receiving your healthcare card, you would take that and your receipt(s) back to the clinics or hospitals where you sought treatment. They would then process your reimbursement and give you back 70% of what you paid. In most cases, they will give it back to you in cash on the same day and within a few minutes!

Awesome! If you paid by credit or debit card, some places will refund it back to the card instead of giving you cash.

As I mentioned in an earlier section of this article, if you won’t be getting employee health insurance anytime soon, you can always go to your municipal office and get enrolled in individual healthcare, get a health insurance card the same day, and get reimbursed most of what you paid out of pocket.

Conclusion

Getting sick while living abroad can be scary—but it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of options for getting medical care without health insurance in Japan. And if all else fails, there are still ways to get a refund for your out-of-pocket expenses. Now there’s no excuse not to go see a doctor when you’re feeling under the weather while you’re in Japan. Hopefully, the article has helped you put your worries aside and enjoy your time visiting or living in one of the safest countries in the world.

If you want to take Japanese language lessons on your holiday, check out the courses at Coto Academy! We offer fun, flexible, and short-term classes for learners of all levels. Head to this page to view our booking calendar. Good luck!

What happens if you don't have health insurance in Japan?

If you want to visit a doctor or a hospital during your time here and you don’t have your health insurance card, you may be charged full price for the services and medication received at the time of your visit.

Can I still visit a clinic or hospial in Japan when I have a travel health insurance?

If you do have travel health insurance in Japan and you’re a tourist, there’s a good chance it will not cover all of your medical expenses while you’re visiting Japan. That’s because most foreign insurance companies only provide “secondary coverage” for policyholders who are living abroad

How much do medical bill costs without health insurance in Japan?

In general, you can pay around 20–50,000 yen for healthcare in Japan if ou have no insurance. 3,000 yen (COVID test, flu test and consultation with the doctor); 15,000 yen (chest X-ray and consultation with a doctor); 46,000 yen (bloodwork, CT scan, consultation with a doctor and medicine); 5,000 yen (a prescription medicine).

Are international clinics in Tokyo more expensive that normal clinics?

You could also try visiting a clinic or hospital that offers “international patient services.” These places are typically located near tourist areas. They will have staff who speak English and are familiar with foreign visitors’ needs. The downside of this option is that it can be more expensive than going to a regular clinic or hospital. But if you don’t have insurance and don’t speak Japanese, this might be your best bet.

What happens if I get sick in Japan?

At some places, walk-ins are allowed, while other places will not let you in if you haven’t called in advance. Also, during normal operating hours, not all hospitals will take you in without a referral. If you got into an accident or need emergency care, go to an emergency hospital, call an ambulance or call 119.

The language used in a classroom setting will differ depending on whether you are a student or teacher, and whether you are talking to other students or teachers. To sort this all out, let’s first go over the basics. What do I call my teacher? How do I ask questions during the class? How do I reply during the roll call? By going through the common vocabulary and phrases first, you will be able to then modify and arrange them to communicate smoothly with your peers and teachers.

Whether you’re studying in a Japanese language school as a foreign student, taking Japanese group lessons online or in-person, or teaching in a Japanese school, we will help nail down key Japanese vocabulary and phrases for the classroom.

Japanese (romaji)	Kanji	English
jugyou	授業	lesson
kyoushitsu	教室	classroom
sensei	先生	teacher
gakusei	学生	student
gakuseki bangou	学籍番号	student number
seito	生徒	student (junior high to high school)
Kougi	講義	lecture
zagaku	座学	classroom learning
kougishitsu	講義室	lecture hall
kyouin	教員	teacher, instructor
kyoushi	教師	lecturer
junkyouju	准教授	associate professor
kyouju	教授	professor
kadai	課題	assignment
shukudai	宿題	homework

Before we go into the common Japanese phrases used in a class, let’s take a look at what class and classroom are in Japanese. You may be familiar with jugyou (授業), kyoushitsu (教室), sensei (先生), and gakusei (学生), the general terms for the lesson, classroom, teacher, and student in Japanese, but other terms may be used depending on the circumstance.

Jugyou (授業) is an umbrella term for the lesson and refers to any format of the lesson where students learn from teachers. It is commonly used in high school and below, as well as language schools, but can be used for any lesson in an educational institution. Kougi (講義), which is the term for a lecture in Japanese, is a specific type of jugyou where teachers talk in front of a group of students at their desks. It is commonly used in universities or other tertiary educational institutions, This can also be referred to as zagaku (座学), which basically means education received while sitting at a desk.

Kyoushitsu (教室) is the general term for classrooms and is the most common one used in any setting. However, those in universities or other tertiary education may also hear the term kougishitsu (講義室), meaning lecture hall.

Sensei (先生) is the most common way to refer to any teacher of any kind, in schools, other academic institutions, and even extracurricular activities. Until high school, the terms kyouin (教員) and kyoushi (教師), which both mean teacher, are commonly used to refer to a teaching position or title. On the other hand, teachers in universities will have different titles depending on their rank, such as koushi (講師), junkyouju (准教授), and kyouju (教授), which mean lecturer, associate professor, and professor respectively. In all cases, sensei (先生) is still the most common and appropriate way to refer to educators, but knowing the different classifications will come in handy especially if you are a university student or are teaching in Japan.

Students are generally referred to as one of the following: gakusei (学生) or seito (生徒). In legal terms, the former is used for students receiving higher education such as in universities or vocational schools, whereas the latter is used for junior high to high school students. The two are used interchangeably in daily conversation, however, there is a tendency to use gakusei (学生) when talking about students generally, and seito (生徒) when talking about students of a specific institution or under a specific teacher.

Japanese Expressions for Greeting in a Class

Japanese (romaji)	Kanji	English
ohayou gozaimasu	おはようございます	Good morning
konnichiwa	こんにちは	Good afternoon
konbanwa	こんばんは	Good evening
yoroshikuonegaiitashimasu	よろしくお願いします	“Treat me well today”
arigatou gozaimashita	ありがとうございました	Thank you
goseichou arigatougozaimashita	ご清聴ありがとうございました	Thank you for your attention
otsukare sama deshita	お疲れ様でした	Thank you for your hard work

As with all other interactions, classes start and end with greetings. Students may greet each other formally in keigo (敬語) or informally in tameguchi (タメ口), but interactions between students and teachers are almost always in keigo (敬語).

At the start of the class, the sensei (先生) usually greets students using the greeting appropriate for the time of the day, with either ohayougozaimasu (おはようございます): good morning, konnichiwa (こんにちは): hello, or konbanwa (こんばんは): good evening. Some may even follow this with yoroshikuonegaishimasu (よろしくお願いします), which is loosely translated to ‘please treat me favorably’ in English. Check out our guide on basic Japanese greetings and phrases.

The class usually ends with arigatougozaimashita (ありがとうございました) to thank the students, and sometimes with otsukare sama deshita (お疲れ様でした) to acknowledge the students’ hard work during the class. Some teachers may also use goseichou arigatougozaimashita (ご清聴ありがとうございました), which takes a step further to thank students for listening quietly. This phrase is often used after presentations by students as well.

Japanese Phrases in Classroom for Taking Attendance

Japanese (romaji)	Kanji	English
shusseki	出席	attendance
kesseki	欠席	absence
tenko	点呼	roll call
kounin kesseki	公認欠席	excused absence
mudan kesseki	無断欠席	unexcused absence

Attendance is shusseki (出席) in Japanese, with its kanji meaning to be in your seat. Therefore the Japanese for absence is kesseki (欠席), to be absent from your seat. Depending on the school, teachers may take attendance through roll calls, paper slips, or online.

A roll call, called tenko (点呼) in Japanese, but typically, the teacher will usually proceed in the following way:

出席を取ります。Aさん。
Shusseki o torimasu. A-san.
I will be taking roll call (attendance). A-san.

If Person A is present, they would simply respond by saying yes with hai (はい). This will repeat until everyone is called. If you will be absent, it’s best to notify the teacher or staff by email beforehand for it to be an excused absence or kounin kesseki (公認欠席). Unexcused absences, or mudan kesseki (無断欠席), are commonly frowned upon and may even lead to consequences. Here is an example of how to notify your absence through email.

EMAIL for absence not attending class in japanese

件名：本日の（授業名）を欠席します（名前）
kenmei : honjitsu no (jugyoumei) o kesseki shimasu (namae)
Subject : I will be absent from today’s (class name) (name)

〇〇先生
〇〇sensei
〇〇 teacher

お世話になっております。
osewa ni natte orimasu.
*Loosely translated to Thank you for your assistance.

(名前と学籍番号）と申します。
(namae to gakuseki bangou) to moushimasu.
I am (name and student number)

昨日から熱があるので、本日の（授業名）は欠席させていただきたいと思います。
kinou kara netsu ga aru node, honjitsu no (jugyoumei) wa kesseki sasete itadakitai to omoimasu.
I’ve had a fever since yesterday, so I would like to be absent from today’s class.

本日の課題を後日取りにうかがってもよろしいでしょうか。
honjitsu no kadai o gojitsu torini ukagattemo yoroshiideshouka.
May I pick up my assignment for today’s class at a later date?

よろしくお願いします。
yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
*Loosely translated to thank you in advance.

（名前と学籍番号）
(namae to gakuseki bangou)
(name and student number)

Interestingly, there is a term for faking someone’s attendance in Japanese, called daihen (代返). It comes from 代わりに返事する (kawarini henji suru), meaning to respond in place of someone else during roll call. This is strongly prohibited in all schools, so be careful not to do this!

Japanese Phrases in Classroom: Listening to Instructions

Apart from sitting and listening to your teacher’s jugyou (授業), you may have other tasks to complete such as answering questions or solving a quiz, reading something for the class, or having class discussions. In these cases, you will most likely hear the command for the task in a Verb ~て + ください (verb ~te + kudasai) form.

For example:

答えてください
kotaete kudasai
Please answer.

解答してください
kaitoushite kudasai.
Please answer. (Used in written form)

話し合ってください
hanashiatte kudasai.
Please discuss.

読んでください
yonde kudasai.
Please read.

手を挙げて
Te o agete.
Please raise your hand.

Your teacher usually instructs the last example in the class. If you want to say or ask anything, we should avoid disrupting the flow of the lesson. Raising your hand allows the teacher to decide if it’s the best time to address your concern in the class at the moment.

Take a look at this blog post to learn other ways kudasai (ください) is used, and this blog post for how to conjugate verbs into the ~te (~て) form.

How to Ask Questions in a Class in Japanese

Some teachers prefer students to ask questions during class, but others may prefer for students to ask all their questions at the end of the lesson. If you have a question during class, raise your hand and ask your question! Teachers may also ask:

ここまで何か質問はありますか？
kokomade nanika shitsumon wa arimasuka?
Are there any questions so far?

Outside of class, students can find the opportunity to talk to the teacher in the time between classes called jugyou no aima (授業の合間), or during office hours, or ofisu awaa (オフィスアワー). When you go up to the teacher, here are some examples of how you can start the conversation:

〇〇先生、今お時間よろしいでしょうか？
〇〇sensei, ima ojikan yoroshii deshouka?
Teacher 〇〇, may I have a moment?

本日の授業について質問があります。
honjitsu no jugyou ni tsuite shitsumon ga arimasu.
I have a question about today’s class.

Japanese Phrases in Classroom: Homework and Assignments in Japanese

Although many may dread the idea of homework, it’s a must-know when learning Japanese in the classroom. Assignments including homework are called kadai (課題), which can also mean ‘issue that needs to be solved’. The word to use for homework specifically is shukudai (宿題), with its kanji referring literally to work that is completed at home.

Teachers will also provide students with information about submission or teishutsu (提出), including the due date, which is kigen (期限) or shimekiri (締め切り).

Let’s put all the vocabulary together in some example sentences:

宿題を出します。
shukudai o dashimasu.
I will be giving out homework.

これについてのレポートを来週までの課題にします。
kore ni tsuite no repooto o raishuu madeno kadai ni shimasu.
The assignment until next week will be a report about this topic.

ちゃんと期限までに終わらせて提出してください。
chanto kigen made ni owarasete teishutsu shite kudasai.
Make sure to finish and submit it before the due date.

この課題の締め切りは来週の火曜日です。
kono kadai no shimekiri wa raishuu no kayoubi desu.
The due date for this assignment is next Tuesday.

Conclusion

Whether you are taking a Japanese class or you want to teach at a Japanese local school and/or study with native students, knowing Japanese classroom phrases and vocabulary ahead will make your school life easier. On top of the basic terminology of lesson, classroom, teacher, and student, learning other common phrases will allow you to understand and communicate better with the rest of the class. Feel free to refer back to this guide for a free email sample for being absent from class, or vocabulary needed to remind your classmates about the due date of your assignment!

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language, why not join a Japanese class at Coto Academy? We offer online and in-person courses, with a variety of free lessons designed to help you improve your Japanese speaking skill.

Head to our contact page for a free level check and consultation!

About 5 months ago, I ended a three-year period as an English teacher in the countryside of Japan. Before my contract ended, I had secured a job at a small recruiting firm in Tokyo. I successfully completed my teaching contract, resigned on a good note and relocated to Tokyo to start a new chapter of my life. The career switch was not easy, but it was worth it. I wanted to share with others how I made this change in hopes that it will be easier for them. So this article is an attempt at a comprehensive guide on how to make a career switch from English teaching to recruiting in Japan.

Jump to:

Be Sure to Have Your Reasons Clear
What is Recruitment and How is It Different From English Teaching?
What’s the Process of Applying for Recruitment Jobs?
The Interview Process
Example Interview Questions and Answers:
General Tips for Applying for New Jobs
Conclusion

Be Sure to Have Your Reasons Clear When You Switch From English Teaching to Recruiting in Japan

If you are a foreigner living in Japan, it could be easy to view employment or career changes lightly if your time in Japan is limited by your visa. On top of that, English teachers are a dime a dozen and it’s not hard to move from one English teaching job to the next. But recruiting jobs can be a bit harder to secure without prior experience and the application process from job search to employment offer can be long.

Further, recruitment is a more stressful job than teaching English in my opinion. At the heart of it, it’s a sales job where KPIs (key performance indicators) are measured. You could potentially be let go from a company if you’re not reaching performance targets, but it’s very difficult to be fired from an English teaching job (even if your teaching is not up to snuff). I believe almost anyone can become good at recruitment given the time and training, but if you feel sales isn’t your thing, recruitment may not be right for you.

Anyone can become good at recruitment given the time and training, but if you feel sales isn’t your thing, recruitment may not be right for you.

I say all of this to say that you need to have some grit and determination to move into from English teaching to the recruitment world. It’s the business world where money talks and things happen quickly. From the lengthy application process to securing a recruiting job, and from seeing that job through until you begin to reap the benefits of your hard work could be a long time. Some recruiters will tell you it takes around three years to really begin seeing the fruits of your labor. If you don’t have or want to dedicate that amount of time to the new job, staying in education might be best for you.

Further, recruiting is not a 9-5 job. Sometimes you have to work overtime or meet with clients at unconventional hours if they can’t meet during work hours. Ask yourself why you really want to move into recruitment and if those reasons are enough to sustain and motivate you for a while. If you can make it past the probationary period of 3-6 months in a recruiting position, you will really be able to gauge if recruiting is suitable for you and if you can stay for the next few years.

ENGLISH TEACHING TO RECRUITMENT IN JAPAN

What is Recruitment and How is It Different From English Teaching?

Recruiters can also be called consultants, recruiting consultants, talent acquisition specialists, or a combination of any of these words. As I mentioned earlier, recruiting is a sales job when it really comes down to it. On one side of the transaction, you have the client (employer), and on the other side you have the candidate (a potential employee). A recruiter stands as the middleman or matchmaker, and they try to place candidates with clients.

What’s interesting about recruiting as compared to other types of sales jobs is that you actually have to sell bi-directionally—you’re trying to make the job opportunity and the client company look good to the candidate while trying to make the candidate look good to the client. The recruitment process goes something like this: you find candidates on sites like LinkedIn or in your company’s database and reach out to try and set up a meeting. You meet with the candidate to learn about them, then decide to officially introduce positions you have that you think to suit them. Try to persuade them to apply (“sell” the job).

Recruitment companies are paid a service fee by clients when they make a placement with them. So essentially, big corporations are paying for job-hunting and professional services for candidates.

If they’re interested, you then “introduce” them to the client by sending their resume over. The client will then let you know whether or not they’re interested in interviewing the candidate, and this is where the real fun starts. You arrange a date and time for the first interview, and you see your candidate through to wherever they make it in the application process. This could be a final offer, or not even to the second interview.

Candidates do not have to pay anything for recruitment services. Recruitment companies are paid a service fee by clients when they make a placement with them. So essentially, big corporations are paying for job-hunting and professional services for candidates.

Recruitment differs from English teaching in a lot of ways. English teaching is not a “business” job, and it’s not sales-related. KPIs (key performance indicators) and quarterly revenue targets are openly measured and discussed in recruitment whereas they are not a thing in the teaching world.

The constant stress of hitting monetary or numerical “targets” doesn’t exist in English teaching and could make for a difficult environment for those who can’t work well under pressure in recruitment. In recruitment, you’re meeting with a lot of new people on a weekly and monthly basis. You may have your own portfolio of candidates and clients to manage. One wrongly worded email or ill-timed phone call can cause a deal to fall through.

Recruitment requires more organization, attention to detail, time management and social adeptness than English teaching. But it’s also these very aspects that make recruitment exciting for a lot of people.

So in my opinion, recruitment requires more organization, attention to detail, time management and social adeptness than English teaching. But it’s also these very aspects that make recruitment exciting for a lot of people.

Finally, one last difference is the money-earning potential. In English teaching, your base salary is usually all you receive. But some companies do offer a bonus, which is great. In recruitment, you are paid a base salary generally not too much higher than that of English teachers, but you make a commission for every placement you make. This commission money can really add up and make you thousands of dollars more in addition to your yearly salary.

What’s the Process of Applying for Recruitment Jobs in Japan?

First, you must find jobs to apply for. Job boards like Gaijin Pots are a good place to start (check out bilingual job boards in Japan we recommend) and where I found my first recruiting job. If you happen to know anyone in recruiting, pick their brains about the application process, which companies are good to work for, and even if their company is hiring! They may be in a position to introduce your resume to HR directly and put in a good word for you.

Even if you don’t know anyone in recruiting, begin telling others that you are looking to move into that, post about it on your social media, try to find information online, and eventually, you might form a connection with someone who can help you.

If you don’t happen to have anyone to talk to about recruiting, that’s okay and not at all necessary for you to secure a position.

Once you have found a job on a job board, try to research the company to see what you can find. This could help you determine if the environment and culture are right for you. Hopefully, you find a company that’s good for you on your first try.

If you lack options because you can’t find many job postings, just apply to what you can and see what happens. I have learned that if you’re determined to do recruitment, it might be worth it to just secure a job somewhere and then use that experience as a stepping stone to a better company later on. It’s easier to find more recruiting positions once you’re actually in recruitment because you start to make connections rather quickly and you can sell your experience In interviews.

The Interview Process for Recruitment in Japan

Once you’ve submitted your application to a few positions, hopefully, you get invited to interview. You may have to do three interviews in total, but every company has its own process. Further, most of the process will be conducted online as business started being conducted virtually during the pandemic.

However, you may be asked to visit the company’s office for one of your interviews. Definitely go if you can, as it’s good for the client to see you and beneficial for you to also see the work environment and feel the atmosphere.

Assuming you successfully navigate all of the interviews, you will be made an offer and given about a week to accept or decline it. If you don’t make it to the final offer stage with one company, keep your head up and keep applying! Overcoming rejection is a huge part of the recruitment and arguably life in general. Don’t give up.

Example Interview Questions and Answers:

Q: Why are you interested in recruiting?

Answer 1: There’s a lot of growth potential in the recruitment industry as countries have opened back up and companies are hiring. In particular, now that tourists are allowed to re-enter Japan, many of them are skilled professionals looking for good jobs. I would love to help people successfully switch careers or land their dream job.

Answer 2: I’m a hungry individual who is motivated to make more money to create a better life for myself.

Answer 3: I’m interested in having a career in HR or Talent Acquisition in the future, and I feel recruitment is a great place to start.

Q: Why do you think you’d be good at recruiting?

Answer: I am intrinsically motivated and good at overcoming rejection. I understand that a lot of the job of recruiting is overcoming “no’s”, being creative, persuasive and honest. I have those qualities.

Q: Describe yourself in a few words.

Answer: (Develop your own answer).

Q: Do you like sales or the idea of it?

Answer: Yes…(develop your own answer).

Other interview tips:

Always have a success story and a failure story in your back pocket.
Always have some questions to ask the interviewer(s) to show you are invested in the job, company and application process. Here are some examples:
- What’s the onboarding or training process like for new hires?
- What are some concrete expectations you have for new employees within their first 3-6 months?
- Are there any team-building events or activities organized by the company?
- How do you show you value your employees, their well-being and good performance?

General Tips for Applying for New Jobs in Japan

Use sites like japan-guide.com and Reddit to find useful information about a company, industry or position and even interview tips!

2. Use Glassdoor to find reviews from current and past employees. This could help you determine if the company is right for you. But beware — if a company has a lot of 5-star reviews, they may be pushing current employees to write them (or they might actually be a great company, you just have to discern as best as possible).

3. Use LinkedIn to find people who work at that company. If you’re not too afraid, you could even message them to ask about the company and work environment. In my experience, people don’t mind being approached this way as long as you’re polite.

4. Find YouTube videos about interview questions (especially in Japanese) and have your answers prepared/well-organized, but not necessarily rehearsed if that makes sense.

5. In interviews with Japanese companies, one of the most important things they’re checking for is how long you’ll be able to work for the company. They don’t want a “job-hopper”. Therefore, if you’re applying for a job you really want or need in Japan, emphasize that you intend to be in Japan and stay with the company for a while. If you’re asked about how your family feels about you living abroad (assuming you’re not married and don’t have children), say your family is happy and proud that you are successfully navigating life in a foreign country.

Conclusion on Career Switch from English Teaching to Recruiting

Making a career switch is never easy, but it’s achievable with determination and preparation. English teaching and recruitment are completely different worlds, but each is exciting and rewarding in its own way. Hopefully, this article provides insight and information to help you decide if recruiting is right for you, how to begin applying and how to do well in your interviews. It takes courage to work in a new industry, but the skills you gain, the connections you foster, and the money you make can be very satisfying and push you to grow in new ways. No matter what you choose, best of luck!

Recruiters are one of the jobs that require less Japanese language skills. However, if you want to learn Japanese to communicate with your clients, take a look at the practical courses offered at Coto Academy.

In this guest post, Tyson Batino, host of the Scaling Japan podcast, weighs in on his opinions on investment opportunities in the Japanese market for foreign residents and non-residents of Japan.

2022 and 2023 may result in being the best time to invest in Japan for the next two decades. The exchange rate as of July 2022 is around 133 to 138 Japanese yen to the US dollar — and the lowest since the Asian financial crisis in 1998. In addition to the low exchange rate, many Japanese cities have made major strides in making it easier to start a company. They are even providing tax benefits, loans and subsidies to help foreigners who want to set up a company or branch in their cities. These cities are aggressively looking for new companies, so if you have considered investing or doing business in Japan, now is the time to explore your options.

The Japan Investment Landscape in 2022 and 2023

For most of 2022, the Japanese government has been very strict on the allowance of new foreign entrants. However, as of June 2022, the Japanese government has loosened border restrictions for foreign nationals through their Entrants, Returnees, Follow-up System (ERFS) program. This change has led to an increase in the number of workers, business travelers and new investors and startups entering Japan. It’s likely that this will continue to grow once Japan opens its borders to all tourists, which is expected to happen in late 2022.

Despite the increased amounts of opportunities for business and investments in July 2022, the yen has dropped from a high of 113 to the dollar to 135 to the dollar — a decrease of 17% in value. Due to COVID, many of the businesses that catered to foreign residents and travelers have significantly decreased.

The combination of the devaluing of the yen, a decrease in competition for services, and the increase in business and investment opportunities for foreigners creates a unique timing for outside investors who want to invest in Japan long-term.

Startup Cities in Japan

Starting in December 2015, cities like Fukuoka (roughly 1.5 million population) started offering startup visas to entrepreneurs who wanted to launch their companies in Japan. Since then cities like Kobe, Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Aichi prefecture (among many others) have come up with many initiatives to make it easier to get a visa to Japan and start your company.

In recent years, Kobe city and Aichi prefecture have even partnered up with the world-famous startup accelerator and venture capitalist firm 500 global to create an accelerator program for foreign and Japanese entrepreneurs.

What types of support do they actually provide to entrepreneurs?

Fukuoka city offers quite a few financial support like a 500,000 yen subsidy for hiring a person from Fukuoka, a subsidy for covering your rent for a quarter of the year, a reduction in your corporate taxes and even up to a 35,000,000 yen loan at a very low-interest rate of around 1.3%. Starting in late 2022, Sapporo city will start providing a grant of up to 2.5 million yen to startups that meet certain criteria.

Most cities will offer incorporation and banking support and free consultations with labor and visa experts. They will also offer assistance by introducing you to other government agencies, corporations, and partners who can help you jumpstart your business in their city. The cities mentioned here have web pages in English and all have staff that can provide support in English: Kobe, Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Aichi prefecture.

Most startup centers will also help foreign companies who want to enter the Japanese market and conduct a proof of concept/test launch before diving fully into the Japanese market. They reduce your market entry risk by introducing potential partnerships with local governments and corporations that would normally not give any new entrant the time of day.

The Japanese national government is also offering some big subsidies to financial tech (fintech) companies and even 2 trillion yen to the green innovation fund through NEDO, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, which will support for-profit companies that help Japan achieve ambitious 2030 green goals. You can learn about loans, subsidies, and more about government support from this interview with Miho Tanaka, who is currently supporting Sapporo city’s startup initiatives.

Would they support my company?

These cities support entrepreneurs, but depending on your company and service, the range of support differs. Someone wanting to start a restaurant, language school or traditional business may be eligible to get assistance on registering as a company, and a business manager visa (the one where you need around $50,000 US dollars in your business bank account). However, to qualify for the startup visa, subsidies, and partnership support, these cities are looking to support “innovative” and “high technology” services and products.

The people in the startup support departments are really friendly and when in doubt, I would recommend just saying hello and asking them directly to see if you qualify. Additionally, the city would have to approve your business plan before offering you a startup visa and the staff can answer the question if you have a good chance or not to get a startup visa. The length of the initial visa can last up to one year and you can find more information at the Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry here.

Real Estate Investment in Japan

There are more real estate investment opportunities than meets the eye when it comes to Japan. You can invest in something traditional like a home, apartment building, apartment complex, or office building. You can also purchase abandoned homes for cheap or go upscale with rentals in popular winter destinations like Niseko and summer destinations like Okinawa. However, the current trend in July 2022 is people buying homes and institutional investors buying office property in big cities like Sapporo, a population of nearly 2 million people, because they are betting on the city to boom in the upcoming years.

A good place to learn about real estate in Japan is through the Japan Real Estate channel on YouTube. The number of subscribers and viewers may seem low, but this channel is a hotbed of accurate, but more importantly, date information on the real estate market in Japan. There are many articles on real estate in Japan, but they cannot compete with the focus on current trends that can be found on this YouTube channel. When looking for a high-scale real estate purchase, just do a simple google search for Niseko and Okinawa properties and you will find an abundance of places that have condominiums, land plots, and houses for sale. For information on cheap abandoned homes and properties, this article is a good introduction but if you are really serious about this you may need a Japanese friend’s help to navigate the abandoned house database websites in Japanese.

Invest in Franchises in Japan

With the rapid increase of tourism in Japan comes an increase in the number of investors. This also led to a spike in investment types and businesses to support investors. One such type is businesses that help foreign investors buy into Japanese franchises: Franchise Japan and Nippon Bridge. These companies help investors not only evaluate franchises in Japan but also provide relocation assistance and visa advice. Their database of franchises is much smaller than the over 1,000 franchises in Japan. However, the people running these businesses know Japan well and can answer many of your questions and avoid surprises.

The benefit of buying a franchise is you have a proven model for the Japanese market that matches Japanese preferences and tests. This is helpful because a common reason many foreign businesses or entrepreneurs fail is that they do not adapt to the local preferences and needs in time. You can get started for around $100,000 in initial capital to start a restaurant, after-school tutoring, or second-hand luxury goods store and up to $500,000 and more for something capital intensive like a gym franchise.

Invest in Your Japanese learning

Real estate investment, franchises, and starting a company in Japan are all risky investments. However, there is one type of investment in Japan that is low-cost and can provide major benefits if you are going long-term on your investment in Japan. That investment is to learn Japanese.

Learning Japanese can provide you with a huge advantage in successfully doing other types of investments and lower your risk for failure. When doing things in English you are dependent on other people. The amount of people, programs, and customers who can support you is much more limited. Being able to network, interact with Japanese people and staff and get a second opinion from non-English speaking experts in Japan will help lower the risk of your investments.

The Japanese language is something that will be a bit challenging at first but is an investment that can still continue to grow if the investments are not successful. Coto Academy has excellent teachers and lessons that can take you from beginner to advanced. We also offer programs to improve your business Japanese and understanding of Japanese culture. If you are interested in learning with us, contact us here.

Tyson Batino is the founder of One Coin English, Japan Switch, and Scaling Your Company. He now helps startups and business owners to grow their businesses in Japan. He also hosts the Scaling Japan podcast which focuses on ways businesses can scale their company in Japan through sales, investment, marketing, and more.

Feature image taken from Canva under Free Media License Agreement.

Thanks to its growing popularity, you can watch a lot of great anime on Netflix — even if you’re not in Japan. The streaming platform has a huge library of more than 200 TV shows and movies. Some of them are the latest titles, too — like the newest season of Attack on Titan or Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Anime is a great tool for learners who want to study Japanese informally. These films let you hear natural conversations between native Japanese and common phrases. Still, if you’ve got an account — who doesn’t? — it can be hard to sift through everything to find gold. Luckily, we’ve done the sifting for you.

From all-time classics to new adaptations, we have picked some of the best anime you need to watch on Netflix.

Disclaimer: Some anime TV shows and films on Netflix might not be available in your country/region.

Jump to:

Action and Adventure Anime on Netflix
Romance and Slice-of-Life Anime on Netflix
Comedy or Coming-of-Age Anime on Netflix
Family-friendly Anime Shows on Netflix

Action and Adventure Anime on Netflix

We’re grouping anime shows on Netflix based on their genre. While a lot of shows have a mix of them, like comedy-action and mystery-horror, we try to label them based on their most defining genre.

This section covers anime shows that lean towards shonen (young male audience) and seinen (adult male audience). There may be more mature elements involved: grey morality, gore and dark themes.

Attack on Titan

You can’t start becoming an anime fan without knowing about Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese). Based on the bestselling manga series by Hajime Isayama, the series follows Eren Yeager, who lives in a civilization surrounded by three walls.

These walls protect the people from the Titans: humanoid giants who attack and eat humans. After his mother is eaten by a titan, Eren swears revenge on the titans and enlists in the military alongside his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert.

As the series progresses, they learn more about the origin of the titans as well as the people outside Paradis.

The anime was produced by Studio Wit for the first 3 seasons. The fourth and final season was produced by MAPPA, who you may know for Yuri!!! on Ice, Zombieland Saga and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Coto recommends: 100 Japanese Anime Vocabulary Words You Can (Or Can’t) Use

Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer or Kimetsu no Yaiba is the story of Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado. Taking place in the Taisho era Japan, a demon named Muzan has been injecting others with his blood, turning them into demons.

Demons are superhuman and feed off human blood. To combat them, a ‘Demon Slayer Corps’ has been established, and they wage a secret war against demons. Tanjiro returns home one day to find his family killed and his sister, Nezuko, turned into a demon.

qHe is discovered by a demon slayer, who takes him in and trains him. Tanjiro now aims to avenge his family and cure his sister, who is surprisingly human for a demon.

The anime was made by Ufotable, who you may know from Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen follows an abnormally strong young boy. Yuji Itadori, who hangs out with his school’s occult club, who have found a cursed artifact. On his grandfather’s deathbed, he hopes that Itadori will “help people” so that when he dies he will be surrounded by others, unlike his grandfather.

These words resonate with him when he is informed by Megumi Fushiguro that the cursed artifact is dangerous, and the occult club’s plan to unseal it could prove fatal. In a last-ditch effort to defeat a demon drawn to the artifact, Itadori eats it and becomes possessed by a demon.

Itadori is able to control the possession, much to the shock of Megumi, and his teacher Satoru Gojo proposes that instead of being exorcized, they train Itadori. This way he can eat more of the cursed artifact so they can exorcize all of them at once.

Now, Itadori must undergo training to be able to suppress his curse, to fulfill his grandfather’s wish of helping others.

The anime is done by Studio MAPPA.

Cowboy Bebop

In this classic sci-fi anime, you follow the crew of the spaceship Bebop, bounty hunters who capture criminals and bring them in for rewards from the Inter Solar System Police. The crew is made up of Spike Spiegel, a former hitman, and Jet Black, a former ISSP officer.

They are also joined by Faye Valentine, a con artist, Edward, a child hacker and Ein, a dog with human-like intelligence.

The studio responsible for Cowboy Bebop is Sunrise, which is now known as Bandai Namco Filmworks. You may know their other works Gundam, Code Geass and Gintama.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Humanity is facing a threat in the form of “Angels”, monstrous beings that invade the city of Tokyo-3. To combat them, humanity rests their hope in NERV, a mysterious organization led by Gendou Ikari.

They operate giant robots dubbed “Evangelions”, equipped with advanced weaponry and protective barriers known as Absolute Terror Fields.

Gendou calls his estranged son, Shinji, to return to Tokyo-3 as Shinji is the only child capable of piloting Evangelion Unit-01, a robot that synchronizes with his biometrics. Shinji must now defend Tokyo-3, oblivious to the plans of his father.

Was produced by Studio Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko Production. You may know Gainax for FLCL, Gurren Lagann and Panty & Stocking.

The Great Pretender

Great Pretender follows Makoto Edamura, the self-proclaimed best con artist in Japan. He has been led into a life of crime due to unfortunate circumstances, and now spends his time scamming and stealing from others.

This all changes when he is tricked by another con-man, Laurent Thierry, and ends up in Los Angeles. To regain his honor, he challenges Laurent to a competition of scamming, with LA’s biggest mafia boss as their target.

The Great Pretender was produced by Studio Wit, who you may know for Attack on Titan, Ranking of Kings and Vinland Saga.

Trigun

In another classic anime, Trigun you follow “Vash the Stampede”, a man with a 60 billion bounty on his head and the nickname “The Humanoid Typhoon”. He earned that nickname after accidentally destroying a city with his supernatural powers, which contrasts with the pacifism he displays when he is attacked.

Unfortunately, he cannot remember the incident due to amnesia, only remembering fragments from that time as well as his own childhood.

He is followed by two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, who follow him around trying to reduce the damages caused by his presence. Slowly learn about Vash’s past as well as the past of the planet they are on, Gunsmoke.

Trigun was adapted from a manga by Yasuhiro Nightow. It was animated by studio Madhouse, who you may know for Monster, Hajime no Ippo and Hunter x Hunter.

YuYu Hakusho

YuYu Hakusho is a classic shonen anime that tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi. While attempting to save a child’s life, he is struck by a car and killed.

After being tested by Koenma, son of Enma, the ruler of the underworld, he is returned to life and given the title of “Underworld Detective”. Now, he must investigate supernatural cases involving demons and ghosts in the underworld.

Along the way, he meets and teams up with Kazuma Kuwabara, Youko Kurama and Hiei.

YuYu Hakusho is adapted from a manga by Yoshihiro Togashi. The anime was produced by Studio Pierrot, who you may know for Naruto, Bleach and Great Teacher Onizuka.

Drifting Dragons

Drifting Dragons follows the Quin Zaza and its crew. The Quin Zaza is an airship that specializes in one thing: hunting dragons. Dragons are their source of income, they can be made into medicine, oil and most notably, food.

However, they can be dangerous, and the crew must be very careful when hunting, lest they meet an unfortunate end.

Drifting Dragons is adapted from a manga by Taku Kuwabara. The anime was produced by Polygon Pictures, who you may know for Ajin: Demi-Human. Notably, Polygon Pictures is a studio that specializes in CG animation, and Drifting Dragons is no exception.

Steins Gate (Steins;Gate)

Steins Gate follows self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe, and his friends Mayuri Shiina and Itaru Hashida. The three of them work on a “phone microwave”, which has the stunning ability to morph bananas into a green gel.

That’s all it can do, or so they think. After an incident spurs Okabe into sending a text message, he discovers that the message arrived before he sent it. The “phone microwave” was capable of sending messages to the past, changing the course of history.

Steins Gate is adapted from a visual novel developed by 5pb. And Nitroplus. The anime was produced by White Fox, who you may know for Girl’s Last Tour, Re:Zero and Goblin Slayer.

Kemono Jihen

Kemono Jihen starts with Kohachi Inugami, a detective from Tokyo, visiting a village in the countryside. He’s there to investigate some animal bodies that had been rotting away after a single night.

While on the case, he meets a strange boy who works in the field every day instead of going to school. That boy is Kabane Kusaka, nicknamed “Dorotabo” after a yokai that lives in the mud.

He helps Inugami discover the source of the killings, and the two of them discover the supernatural origin of the killings and Kusaka.

Kemono Jihen is based on a manga by Sho Aimoto. It was adapted by Ajia-do Animation Works.

Romance and Slice-of-Life Anime on Netflix

If you’re looking for something light and fun, consider romance and slice-of-life anime shows on Netflix. We’re putting both shonen and shoujo (young girl audience) into one basket.

We recommend starting out with these two genres or anime shows for children if you want to use anime for Japanese learning. Characters here use casual Japanese and simpler sentences, which mimic real-life conversations between natives.

Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden is a young war veteran. Postwar, she joins the Auto Memory Dolls, a group of people who write letters on behalf of those who cannot.

Already emotionally detached, Violet needs to understand the emotions of her customers. Her ultimate purpose is to understand the last words spoken by her guardian, Major Gilbert: “I love you.”

The anime was produced by Kyoto Animation which was also responsible for Nichijou, Sound! Euphonium and Hyouka.

Blue Period

Blue Period follows Yatora Yaguchi, a smart, talented student who feels empty inside. He spends his time hanging out with his delinquent friends, unsure of what he wants in life. This changes when he comes across a painting by one of his classmates in art class, and becomes inspired to try art himself.

From there, he developed a passion for art, joining his school’s art club and aiming to get into Tokyo University of the Arts.

This coming-of-age story is adapted from a manga by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, and was animated by Seven Arcs.

Horimiya

Hori Kyoko is a bright, popular high school girl, in stark contrast to Miyamura Izumi, a gloomy loner. At home, to take care of her younger brother, Souta, she gives little thought to appearances and is extremely plain.

This is a side to her she doesn’t want anyone to find out about, and she takes great care to hide this from her classmates. All this changes when she runs into a tattooed, piercing-wearing individual who recognizes her – none other than Miyamura.

The two agree to keep each other’s secret, and thus their relationship begins. The series is adapted from a manga by Hiroki Adachi, better known by their pseudonym Hero.

The anime is done by CloverWorks.

Spice and Wolf

Spice and Wolf tells the story of Kraft Lawrence, a 25-year-old traveling merchant. While stopped at the town of Pasloe, he comes across Holo, the town’s goddess of the harvest.

As the town has aged, the people have begun to move away from needing her protection, and she has felt hurt and unneeded. As such, she wants to return to her homeland in the north called Yoitsu.

Lawrence recognizes her unusual ability to evaluate a person’s character and accepts her offer. Now armed with a wise negotiator, he inches forward to his dream of starting his own shop.

Spice and Wolf is adapted from a light novel by Isuna Hasekura. The anime was written by Naruhisa Arakawa and directed by Takeo Takahashi.

Carole & Tuesday

In the future, on a terraformed Mars, Tuesday Simmons runs away from her life as the daughter of a politician to pursue her dream of being a musician.

She runs to Alba City, where she meets Carole Stanley, an orphan from the earth and a fellow musician wannabe. The two of them team up and make music under the name Carole & Tuesday.

Carole & Tuesday was animated by Studio Bones.

Comedy or Coming-of-Age Anime on Netflix

Haikyuu

When Hinata Shouyou watched a national volleyball match, he quickly fall in love with the sport. Despite his short height, he grow determined to become a volleyball player and join his star player’s previous volleyball club.

Little Witch Academia

Atsuko Kagari, better known as Akko, is a young Japanese girl aiming to be a witch. She wants to be just like her hero, Shiny Chariot, a famous witch but struggles due to her lack of magical talent. Luckily for her, she uncovers the Shiny Rod, a lost magical wand used by the Chariot that possesses incredible power.

Now she is enrolled at Luna Nova Magical Academy alongside her roommates Sucy Manbavaran and Lotte Jansson. Follow her as she tries to return Chariot’s wand and learn how to be a witch.

Little Witch Academia was created by Yoh Yoshinori and was animated by Studio TRIGGER. You may know them from Kill La Kill, Gurren Lagann or BNA: Brand New Animal.

Aggretsuko

Aggretsuko (Aggressive Retsuko) is a comedy anime about 25-year-old red panda Retsuko. She works in a Japanese trading firm and faces many of the issues faced by Japanese her age in the job economy.

To vent her frustrations with her co-workers and superiors, she goes to karaoke every night and sings death metal. She tries to stay positive while being weighed down by many events, like her relationship with her co-workers and the safety in her job.

The anime is based on an Original Net Animation (ONA) by Rarecho, and was produced by Fanworks studio and Netflix themselves.

Mob Psycho 100

In the world of Mob Psycho 100, there exist espers, people with psychic powers capable of incredible feats. Our main character, Shigeyo Kageyama, nicknamed ‘Mob’, is one such esper. He possesses incredible psychic power, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on his plain appearance.

He is unemotional too, for good reason. If he gets too emotional, he could lose control of his powers and hurt someone. To learn to control his powers, he studies under Reigen Arataka, a self-proclaimed spirit medium. Follow him as he tries to live an ordinary life!

Mob Psycho 100 is adapted from a manga written and illustrated by ONE, the author of One Punch Man. The anime is made by Studio Bones, who you may know for Fullmetal Alchemist, Bungou Stray Dogs and My Hero Academia.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Haruhi Suzumiya is an eccentric high school girl that is constantly on the lookout for supernatural phenomena. She drags along her classmate, Kyon, and creates a club known as the “SOS Brigade”.

They recruit 3 members, Yuki Nagoto, Mikuru Asahina and Itsuki Koizumi. They are revealed to Kyon as the type of supernatural beings Haruhi is looking for, sent by their respective organizations. Unbeknownst to Haruhi, she possesses reality-warping powers!

The 3 are there to prevent her from unleashing or realizing she even has those powers. They work together with Kyon to entertain Haruhi, lest she gets bored and imagines a new world, which could potentially destroy the current world.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is adapted from a light novel series by Nagaru Tanigawa. The anime was done by Kyoto Animation.

Beastars

Beastars takes place in a world much like ours, only that everyone is an anthropomorphic animal. As animals, everyone still maintains their instincts and desires, which has led to tension between herbivores and carnivores.

The main character, Legoshi, is a wolf. Despite being a carnivore, he is quiet and shy. As a part of his school’s drama club, he acts as a stagehand, supporting the actors of the club. The star actor is Louis, a deer in a complicated relationship with Haru, a dwarf rabbit.

Legoshi meets Haru and develops an interest in her. After an alpaca gets murdered, herbivore and carnivore relations become strained and Legoshi starts to understand what it means to be a carnivore.

Beastars was adapted from a manga by Paru Itagaki, the daughter of Keisuke Itagaki (Author of Grappler Baki). The animation studio behind this show is studio Orange, which did Land of the Lustrous.

Gokushufudou (The Way of the Househusband)

What it’s about: Once a legendary and feared yakuza member, Tatsu is now a stay-at-home husband living with his wife. Despite trying to become a great househusband, his controversial past and appearance often give the wrong impression.

Family-friendly Anime Shows on Netflix

Some anime on Netflix that are listed above may not be suitable for a younger audience, so we thought we’d make a smaller list of shows that are more appropriate for children. Still, we encourage supervising adults to be very careful about letting them see it.

Spy x Family

This is a most recently adapted anime TV show. Spy x Family follows a top spy, “Twilight”, who’s on a mission to spy on a reclusive man, Donovan Desmond. To inflitrate and get close to him, Twilight pretends to start a family with Yor Briar and Anya. Little does he know, Yor Briar is an assassin — and only Anya, a telepath, knows the truth about both of them.

Spy x Family has all ingredients for a fun, action-comedy anime. You see all three misfits — a telepath, an assassin, a spy — try to cover each other’s true identities.

Along the way, they slowly form a genuine relationship. The anime is produced by Studio Wit and CloverWorks. You may know CloverWorks for My Dress-Up Darling, Wonder Egg Priority and The Promised Neverland.

Laid-back Camp

Laidback Camp (or Yuru Camp) centers on Rin Shima. Her idea of a vacation involves camping alone, at the base of Mount Fuji. She does everything by herself, gathering firewood, and pitching tents, and she enjoys the solitude.

This changes when one of her camping trips is interrupted by another person, Nadeshiko Kagamihara. On the way up Mount Fuji, she had fallen asleep and lost her way. This forced her to get help from the closest person nearby, Rin.

The two girls end up spending time together, eating ramen and talking by the campfire. Nadeshiko eventually gets picked up by her sister, and the two of them wonder if they could camp together again.

Yuru Camp is adapted from a manga by Afro. The studio behind the anime is C-Station.

A Place Further Than The Universe

A place further than the universe follows four girls traveling to Antarctica. These four girls are Mari Tamaki, Shirase Kobuchizawa, Hinata Miyake and Yuzuki Shiraishi.

Mari wants to make the most of her youth, and decides to do so by following Shirase to Antarctica. Shirase wants to go to Antarctica to find her mother, who had disappeared three years ago.

The anime is an original work by Jukki Hanada produced by Studio Madhouse.

Conclusion

And that’s the list! We couldn’t cover all 200 shows on Netflix, but we hope you can find something on this list you’ll love!

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Beans, ogres and sushi. These words shouldn’t make sense together, but to describe Setsubun, you will need all three. Although it might sound baffling, there’s a thousand-year-old tradition behind it. It’ll make sense — we promise.

The word Setsubun takes up the kanji 節 (setsu, meaning season) and 分 (bun, meaning division). Together, they literally mean ‘seasonal division’.

Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring (according to the old Japanese lunar calendar) when people chase away demons to welcome a new season. It usually falls around February 2, 3 or 4.

So while most part of the world is going crazy over Valentine’s Day, cherry blossoms or Easter, you’ll find Japanese families throwing scattering beans around their house and decorating their entrances with fish heads and holly tree leaves.

Although it’s not an official New Year (it’s not even a national holiday), most Japanese people still follow the rituals.

Similar to the lunar new year, a lot of the Setsubun’s cultural practices are aimed to cleanse the previous year, drive out the bad fortunes.

Above all, it’s a fun way for children to channel their tantrums by throwing beans at their dad.

Jump to:

Making Sense of Setsubun
Setsubun and Mamemaki: Out With The Devil, In With The Fortune
Warding Off Evil: Iwashi and Holly Branch
Setsubun and Ehomaki: Eating The Fortune
What to Eat on Setsubun
Variations of Setsubun
Setsubun Festivals to See in Tokyo

Making Sense of Setsubun

Before it became part of Japanese tradition, Setsubun was originally a Chinese custom called “tsuina”. In China and Japan, people believe misfortunes are caused by demons, or 鬼 (oni).

When seasons change, the people are at their most vulnerable to bad things and diseases, so the practice of purging your house of these demons began. In the eighth centur (around the Heian Period), it was adopted in Japan, together with Buddhism.

Traditionally, Setsubun is celebrated in individual households. People would start throwing beans to kick out the demons to avoid famines, diseases or disasters.

The tradition eventually branches out based on regions and families, too, but you can always observe them at shrines and temples.

Setsubun marks the day before the beginning of a new season. Technically, that means there are four Setsubun celebrations in a year, but in post-Edo times, the day turned associated with the beginning of spring.

For 2022, Setsubun falls on February 3.

setsubun tradition ehomaki makizushi coto academy

Setsubun and Mamemaki: Out With The Devil, In With The Fortune

Setsubun is widely known for one thing: bean-throwing, or mamemaki (豆撒き). The idea here is to throw those beans at wicked demons to purge.

As preparation, Japanese people will roast “lucky” soybeans, known as fukumame (福豆), in a wooden box called asakemasu. It’s the same box that is used to serve sake and nihonshu (Japanese rice wine).

The soybeans are then thrown out to the front door — or sometimes, to a real demon.

A family member, usually the father, will dress up as an oni costume or mask, and the children will throw the beans at him while chanting “鬼は外! 福は内! (Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!)” The meaning? “Devils out! Fortune in!”

Some families do it differently, Sometimes, it’s the head of the household — and not the children — to throw the beans outside; the kids will don paper masks and run away from the bean thrower. Some people who want to stick to the convention will pick men or women whose Chinese zodiac matches that year’s Setsubun.

For some households, they’ll chant along “Gomottomo, gomottomo” (“That’s right, that’s right!). Some regions will use peanuts instead of soybeans, too. Either way, it’s a fun family event.

They only need to stick to one rule: they can only throw the beans, and not pull or push the demons.

After the ‘demon’ gets expelled, the demon player will be re-invited into the house as a god bringing good luck. The whole family gathers together to eat the roasted soybeans that are the same number of their age. They can eat one more bean for more protection.

If you can’t don’t want to eat the beans, you can also brew them in hot water to make fukucha (福茶), which means “lucky tea”. You can reroast it or add salted kelp and pickled palms to make the broth salty.

So what magical power do these soybeans have?

Here’s the thing: homophones play a central part in Chinese and Japanese superstitions. Japanese bitter oranged, called daidai (橙) is part of osechi (traditional tiered box eaten during New Year’s) because it sounds the same as daidai (代々), which means “from generation to generation”.

The number ‘4’ is considered bad luck because it’s a homophone for death (“shi”).

Likewise, beans, or mame (豆) is a symbol of good luck because it is a homophone for another word, mame (魔滅), which means “destroying evil”.

In the Chinese tradition, soybeans were considered the five most important crops, and they were thought to contain the spirits of all the crops combined. If you need to put two and two together, the kanji for soybean, daizu (大豆) literally means “the big bean”.

Some sources also say that soybeans’ firm characteristic is similar to an oni. To roast the bean and make it edible is to ‘conquere’ the evil spirits. Throwing the beans means throwing out evil spirits, and eat them means digesting the demons.

These days, Setsubun isn’t just a family-sized event. Because it’s not a public holiday, most family members will either be at school or work.

In Japanese schools, the teachers (or even the principal) might dress up as the oni while the students throw roasted beans. In bigger cities like Tokyo, temples and priests can perform mamemaki, too.

Warding Off Evil: Iwashi and Holly Branch

Besides soybeans, people can ward off evil using iwashi (sardines). With a holly branch, which is considered a sacred plant, you pierce the fish through its eyeballs to not-so-subtly symbolize piercing an oni’s eyes.

The sardine heads are then grilled and displayed at the entrance of the house, knotted together and adorned with holly leaves. Because sardines contain a lot of oil, they emit more smoke, which in turn makes the ward more effective.

Some families will hang the fish on the undersides (like porches) of their traditional houses because that location is believed to be vulnerable to demons.

Setsubun and Ehomaki: Eating The Fortune

In the recent decade, ehomaki (恵方巻), which means “lucky direction roll” has become a popular dish to eat during Setsubun nights. ehomaki is an uncut makizushi roll filled with seven ingredients, with the number ‘7’ indicating luck. The ingredients are usually vinegared rice, simmered shiitake mushroom, cucumber, tamagoyaki (egg roll) and eel.

There’s a special way to eat ehomaki, though. You will need to hold the sushi roll while facing the new year’s lucky compass, which is decided through the zodiac symbol, and eat it in silence.

Take a look at the table below for the ehomaki direction for the upcoming years.

Year	Direction
February 3, 2022	North-north-west
February 3, 2023	South-south-east
February 3, 2024	East-north-east
February 2, 2025	West-south-west
February 3, 2026	South-south-east

The tradition originates from Osaka Prefecture, but the store and konbini (convenience store) companies saw it as an opportunity to fill the marketing lull before Valentine’s Day rush, it gained huge popularity.

Eventually, ehomaki became part of setsubun. You can pre-order them at your local Family Mart or Seven-Eleven.

Like what you’re reading and want to explore more Japanese culture? Check out our top picks for you:

Obon: A Japanese Tradition Honoring The Ancestors’ Spirits
New Year’s Day (元日): A Time for Tradition
Culture Day: The Holiday that Commemorates Peace

What to Eat on Setsubun

1. Setsubun Iwashi (節分いわし)

The other bulk of the fish that’s not used to fend off the demon? In some households, it’s eaten as part of the Setsubun meal. After removing the internal organs, you coat the body with salt for around 30 minutes to get rid of excess water and condense the fish umami.

2. Peanuts (ピーナッツ)

Particularly in the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Miyazaki, many families swap soybeans with peanuts (or 落花生, pronounced rakkasei))because it’s considered more hygienic. Most of us won’t pick up soybeans from the ground and eat them, but the extra coating of peanut thick, hard shells gives an ease of mind.

3. Setsubun Soba (節分そば)

Soba is a traditional staple, eaten during celebrations and cultural events. The same can be said about Setsubun. Although not probably popular in Tokyo (or the Kanto area), it’s a custom in Nagano Prefecture and Izumo.

4. Shougazake (生姜酒)

Shougazake is a type of sake brewed in ginger, typically drunk on the night of Setsubun.

Variations of Setsubun

The Setsubun tradition trickled down for centuries, from one region to another. Across Japan, you’ll find variations of Setsubun rituals, chants and other practices.

In Kyoto, which is the center of Japan’s geisha culture, geisha apprentices will perform a dance and throw roasted soybeans. Other areas will throw small envelopes with money, candies and gold or silver-foiled soybeans.

Instead of throwing the soybeans, the head of the household — the father, because Japan mostly adopts a patriarchal system — will instead pray with the beans wrapped in his hand. Some families will offer the beans at the kamidana (miniature household altars). After that, they’ll toss it out the door.

There are a few varieties on the chants, too. In Aizuwakamatsu — a town in Fukushima — you will find people shouting, “Oni no medama buttsubuse (鬼の目玉ぶっつぶせ)!” which means “Blind the demon’s eyes.”

In Sensouji temple, you’ll hear “Long life, fortune in!” instead of “Demons out, fortune in!” because they don’t believe in the presence of demons in front of their goddess.

Setsubun Festivals in Tokyo

With Setsubun becoming more of a fun event, the beliefs diluted, but the tradition stays. Now, you can observe this bean-scattering ceremony across major demographic points in Japan — the most being in Tokyo. Shrines and temples will host Setsubun, joined by celebrities.

Besides beans, don’t be surprised to see priests throwing out money, chocolate or other prizes to the crowd. If you’re in and around Tokyo on February 3, make sure to check out the closest Setsubun festival.

Due to the uncertain (and ongoing) situation with COVID-19, events may be subject to change. We recommend visiting the event’s website for the latest updates.

Sensoji Temple at Asakusa

At Sensoji, Tokyo’s most popular Buddhist temple, chants are done differently. No demons can be present in front of the shrine’s, Kannon — goddess of mercy. Instead of the usual “Demons out, fortune in,” you’ll hear prayer on eternal good luck: “Senshuubanzei fukuhauchi (千秋万歳福は内)”, which can be interpreted to “Long life, fortune in!”

After the bean-tossing ritual, you can see Sensoji’s other famous ritual: “Seven Deities of Good Fortune Dance”. Just don’t be surprised if you recognize a public figure cruising around the stage and throwing the beans, too.

Location: 2 -3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Zojoji-temple at Shibkoen

The temple will perform the Setsubun nuo-folk ceremony. You can enjoy the bean-tossing session held on the stage while watching children wearing colorful handmade kamishimo (traditional samurai kimono), men and women will also parade around the venue.

Location: 4-7-35 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Time: 12:20 pm
Website: www.zojoji.or.jp/event

Toranomon Kotohiragu Shrine

The Setsubun ceremony will begin around 12:30 pm. A priest will sprinkle the “fortune beans” around the shrine, and visitors are welcome to watch.

Location: 1-2-7 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Time: 12:30 pm
Website: www.kotohira.or.jp/event

Atago Shrine

The shrine will perform a ritual to exterminate evil and invite good fortune. If you want to attend, you will need to contact the shrine’s administration office directly.

Location: 1-5-3 Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Time: 12:30 pm
Website: www.atago-jinja.com/event

Tokyo Tower

Although not a shrine or temple, Tokyo Tower still welcomes visitors in their annual Setsubun event. Go up the main deck of the second floor to see the priests from Zojoji Temple giving the beans at oni. Due to COVID-19 measures, they will not throw the beans. Instead, they will distribute them directly at the venue.

Time: 10: 45-11: 00
Location: 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Website: www.tokyotower.co.jp/en

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Similar to the language, how Japanese people celebrate New Year is different — although not entirely. There’s the usual fireworks, close-knit dinners and snuggles. But heavy in culture and hundreds of years of tradition, you’ll find families and friends making their first shrine visit of the year, buying lucky bags called fukubukuro and sending New Year’s postcards called nengajo.

Unlike China and Korea, which still follow the old lunar calendar, Japan sets the new year according to the modern calendar. The celebration is considered to be a more important event than Christmas and as such, many companies and public facilities have about a week-long holiday from the end of the year to around January 1 to January 3. Here, we’re taking you seven ways people celebrate New Year in Japan.

Planning to spend the 2022 New Year at home? We’ve got the right expression for you: 寝正月 (neshougatsu), which translates to “sleeping New Year”.

Oosoji (**大掃除): A Very Big Cleaning**

To prepare and welcome the new year, Japanese people clean up their homes and offices. The word literally means “big cleaning”, and the practice symbolizes making way to a fresh start. Of course, how people interpret the term “cleaning” is up to them. For the most part, it’s top-to-bottom cleaning, which is another word for scrubbing, sweeping and mopping the house until it’s spotless.

Japanese people will also donate old things and replace them with newer ones. Oosoji is usually done near New Year’s Eve.

Osechi Ryouri (おせち料理) Preparations

things Japanese People Do To Celebrate The 2022 New Year in Japan osechi ryori

The osechi ryouri is the name for a specialty dish the Japanese eat to celebrate the New Year. Osechi closely resembles your everyday bento, and it is served stacked in three to four tiers. The dishes included will vary depending on the region.

When it started off during the Heian period as an offering to the gods, the food was kept relatively simple — boiled vegetables in soy sauce and vinegar. Over time, the lineup turned more elaborate and expensive. Now, each selection has special associations. The Japanese bitter orange, for example, symbolizes a wish for children, while konbu signifies joy as it sounds similar to the Japanese word for it (yorokobu).

Originally, most people would spend two or three days cooking the dishes at home. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for Japanese to order them from supermarkets and fancy shops.

Oomisoka (大みそか)

things Japanese People Do To Celebrate The 2022 New Year in Japan osechi ryori omisoka

One custom, originated from the Edo era, consists of eating soba on New Year’s Eve. The long thin noodles represent long life. These noodles are also easy to cut, which represents cutting away the bad luck of the previous year.

Check out our other blog posts on Japanese New Year:

Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘): New Year’s Eve Bells

*“Bell in the Temple” by joka2000 is licensed under CC BY 2.0*

On New Year’s Eve, around 11pm, Buddhist temples all over Japan will ring the bells for a total of 108 times. This represents the removal of the 108 worldly desires. When the last struck is done, you’ll be cleansed of your problems from last year.

When the bell is finally struck for the 108th time, it is believed that you’ll be cleansed of your problems and worries from last year. Some temples allow visitors to ring the bell, although this might be subject to additional fee and ticket purchases. If you live in Tokyo, head to the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa orZenpukuji Temple in Azabu-juban to be mesmerized by this tradition.

Ganjitsu (元日): First Day of January

On the first morning of the year, Japanese families eat rice cake soup and the osechi dishes they’ve prepared (or ordered). The New Year wishes cards posted from November to the end of December called nengajou (年賀状) will be distributed to all homes.

Hatsumode (初詣): First Shrine Visit

7 Things Japanese People Do To Celebrate The 2022 New Year in Japan

Another custom is the first visit to a shrine or temple. People pray for safety and peace over the coming year. The most famous temples in Japan are terribly crowded and it’s not rare to wait for a few hours before being able to pray. Each year, about 2,5 to 3 millions visitors will come to pray in the Meiji shrine and in the famous Asakusa Sensouji temple.

A popular way to welcome the New Year is for families to watch the first sunrise of the New Year (はつひので or hatsuhinode). Typically, they can also make the first temple or shrine visit of the year (hatsumode) on the same day, too.

Fukubukuro (福袋): Lucky Bag

things Japanese People Do To Celebrate The 2022 New Year in Japan osechi ryori fukufukuro

True to its name (“fuku” meaning luck and “fukuro” meaning bag), it all comes down to intuition when it comes to this Japanese New Year custom. Merchants will fill the lucky bag with random contents and sell them at a great discount — sometimes for half the original price — and, without having any idea what’s inside it, you’ll buy them.

Price ranges from 10,000 to 100,000. Although it seems pricey, remember that the value of the lucky bag’s goods is often worth twice as much. In fact, in electronic stores, you’ll find customers waiting in line to get their hands on one of them.

In Japan, the lucky bags are a serious institution and you’ll get real bargains. If you cannot chose brands, you’ll still get at least an idea of what could be inside. Prices range from 10,000 yens to 100,000 if you’re tempting your luck in an electronic store! The value of the lucky bag’s goods is often worth twice as much. Many customers will wait in mine to get their hands on a lucky bag.

Have you ever wondered what the term “omiyage” in Japan actually means?

Most of you would know the term “souvenir” in English. It’s usually a physical item you buy from overseas to be kept as memories of a particular place or event. Souvenirs bought are typically kept for you or given to others as a gift.

However, did you know that “omiyage” (おみやげ) in Japanese is a somewhat different thing? Although it translates to souvenirs, it does not actually refer to things you buy for yourself as mementos from overseas. In this case, omiyage actually refers to the act of giving gifts that you buy to your friends, families, relatives and coworkers. These gifts are often snack-related, such as cookies, biscuits, sweets, cake or mochi.

In Japan, for example, as a way to thank your colleagues for supporting your work during your paid leave, you’d bring an omiyage to the office. It is an important and widely practiced tradition for people who visit overseas to return with omiyage from that particular place of visit. For example, if you visit London as a Japanese, more or likely you would bring back a gift related to London such as locally produced chocolate, chips or biscuits.

Omiyage shops are widely available in most tourist places of every country. This is where you’ll find large varieties of local items such as snacks, ornaments or toys.

Origin of Omiyage in Japan

Although the origin of the term “Omiyage” is unclear, it was said that the beginning of the custom began in association with the long pilgrimages on foot to the Shinto Shrine. Whenever the pilgrims traveled, they would bring back evidence of their pilgrimage to their families. This usually came in the form of charms, rice wine cups or other religiously significant items.

It was thought back then that bringing back gifts would grant them protection. The protection would also be transferred to whoever received the items that were brought back from the sacred trip. This was the beginning of the culture of “omiyage”.

Meaning of Omiyage when broken down :

Omiyage (おみやげ) or (お土産) – Act of giving of gifts to friends, families & relatives.

土 – “earth” or “local” (pronounced tsuchi つち )

産 – “product” or “delivery” (pronounced san さん)

お – Polite & honorific, a prefix used in formal Japanese.

Japanese Omiyage Gift Ideas (Best 5 Confectionery Options)

Japanese omiyage can be found almost everywhere, although it is more of what you want to present as gifts. You will be easily able to find omiyage in department stores, 100-yen stores, train stations, and tourist attractions. Picking out an omiyage often has its own rules as well.

For example, you would purchase something that is nicely wrapped and represents the region you visited and is usually food-related. Remember the thing we said about giving omiyage to your colleagues? This is the reason why you’ll see a lot of omiyage individually wrapped.

Each region — or prefecture in Japan — has its specialty. In Tokyo, for example, there’s the iconic Tokyo Banana. In Hokkaido, you’ll find a lot of sweet snacks with Yubari melon flavor and Shiroi Koibito.

Want to know more about the prefectures? We’ve made individual blog posts about prefectures in Japan, including features on Kanagawa, Osaka and Tochigi.

1. Tokyo Banana

Tokyo Banana is the ultimate Japanese confectionery that you can gift as an omiyage. Known for its delicious cream-filled sponge cakes and cute banana-looking design, it is easily available in all airports and major cities in Japan. It has a wide range of flavors, from its original banana flavor to coffee milk flavor. Some flavors are only available in certain cities. It is also beautifully wrapped in an eye-catching yellow gift box that features Tokyo Banana’s familiar logo.

2. Kit Kat

The world of Kit Kat in Japan is never-ending. From original flavors to rare region-specific flavors (who knew sake Kit Kat is a thing?), Kit kat is one of the best gifts to gift as an omiyage. With over 300 flavors, the most popular Japanese flavored Kit Kat are probably matcha and strawberry cheesecake. Kit Kat also offers limited flavors for each region of Japan.

3. Pocky

Falling on November 11 every year, “Pocky Day” is well known by kids all around Japan. This is because the long sticks of pocky look like the number 1. 11/11 also signifies 4 pocky sticks. This delicious snack is long sticks of biscuits usually covered in different flavors of chocolate and is one of the most popular Japanese childhood snacks in Asia. There is even a Pocky Factory located in, Saitama, Kitamoto city that offers a free factory tour.

4. Mochi

Mochi is an old traditional Japanese confectionery that features a soft, sticky dough pounded from sweet rice and often filled with different types of fillings. The original mochi usually has red bean paste fillings. The style and flavor of mochi vary greatly among the different cities of Japan. Specially flavored mochi are also made to match the particular season. Mochi of all types can be easily found in most major train stations, department stores and tourist attractions.

5. Shiroi Koibito

Hokkaido is well known for its Shiroi Koibito cookies. The “white lover” cookies has white chocolate sandwiched between two slices of its signature vanilla flavored biscuits that just simply melt in your mouth. Each cookie is individually wrapped in an attractive presentation wrapper featuring an image of Mount Rishiri, one of Japan’s most beautiful mountains. Hence, making it one of the best gifts you can give to someone.

Japanese Omiyage Gift Ideas (Besides Confectionery)

Although Japanese omiyage gifts are usually confectionery-related products, omiyage can also be just about anything. As long as the gift is special and represents the place visited, there can be a lot of gift ideas to choose from. If you are not familiar with what to buy, you can ask the locals what would be the best omiyage item to buy.

1. Japanese Traditional Crafts

Japanese traditional crafts are one of the best omiyage gift ideas you can decide on. Known for its beauty and well-respected culture, Japanese traditional crafts are rich in history and of good quality. There is a wide range of Japanese traditional crafts you can choose from as gifts such as origami paper, ceramics, traditional dolls, yukata, Japanese fans, lanterns!

One typical traditional Japanese gift most tourists get is the “Omamori“. It is a beautiful amulet that is meant for protection from all kinds of harm and is easily available for purchase at temples across Japan. They are used to wishing for health, longevity, relationships and love, safe birth and more. This charm often makes great lucky gifts for those back home.

2. Cosmetics

With Japan being known for its advances in technology, Japanese cosmetics have been gaining much popularity all around the world. Popular cosmetics options that you can purchase as omiyage are eye shadow, lipsticks, lip tints, foundation or skincare. Many inexpensive cosmetic brands like CANMAKE, Kate and CEZANNE offer trendy and useful make-up and skincare items. Drugstores like Matsumoto Kiyoshi or discount chain store Don Quijote are usually the best places to buy affordable cosmetics.

3. Accessories

These can make one of the greatest gifts to give. Items such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, hairpieces have been becoming increasingly popular lately and Japan is also well-known for its beautiful accessories. These accessories need not be expensive but rather nicely wrapped as a gift is more than enough.

4. Stationery

Known as the world of stationery, stationery shopping in Japan can often take up a whole day. There are multistory shops and shopping centers dedicated to selling all kinds of stationery. Many of these most are which you never knew you or your friend needed. If you are looking for more mature stationery options, you can try Itoya, Loft and Tokyu Hands where they have countless of leather-bound diaries, planners and notebooks that are stocked on their shelves

Muji is well known for their quality (albeit minimalistic) stationaries. For children-friendly options, you can visit Disney Store in Tokyo. The Pokemon Store is also another themed store that you can consider visiting with large collections of Pikachu-themed pens, notebooks or bags.

Where to get Omiyage in Tokyo

With Tokyo being the heart of Japan and welcoming over 337 million tourists (dipped since COVID-19) each year, here is a list of the best places in Tokyo you can find omiyage that will make the perfect gifts as a little taste of your Japan experience.

1. Tokyo Station

Besides airports, Train Stations are usually a jackpot to purchase omiyage. Being the largest train station in Tokyo and serving over 450,000 passengers a day across its 28 platforms, Tokyo Train Station itself is home to many shops that sell different kinds of omiyage. Just like any other major train station in Japan, Tokyo Train Station is linked by underground networks that merge with next-door shopping centers and commercial spaces.

Click here to download the e-map of Tokyo Train Station so you can plan your visit in advance.

People often spent a considerable amount of time choosing what omiyage purchase, so you can shop in the train station while waiting for your train to come. In fact, there is a new specialty store that sells cheese confectionery in Tokyo Station, called “Now On Cheese” that might interest you.

2. Harajuku

Harajuku is possibly the most visited area in Tokyo by tourists where it is known for its bright colors and trendy shops, making it the perfect place to purchase omiyage in Tokyo. It is also home to many popular tourist attractions such as the iconic Meiji Jingu Shrine, Yoyogi Park, and the Ota Memorial Museum of Art. All these places offer shops that sell wide varieties of Japanese omiyage that you can bring home.

You can check out the Oriental Bazaar on your visit to Harajuku. The Oriental Bazaar is a huge shopping center dedicated to selling all kinds of Japanese omiyage related to authentic Japanese culture. You can easily find kimonos, ceramics, fans or accessories to purchase as gifts.

3. Nakamise Street, Asakusa

If you already visited the Sensoji Temple, then visiting Nakamise Street should be your next itinerary. Located just next to Sensoji Temple, which is one of the most visited temples in Japan, Nakamise Street is filled with lots of Japanese omiyage gift shops. You will easily see many different shops selling Japanese snacks, traditional gifts, and accessories. All are perfect Japanese omiyage gifts. You can also venture into any of the covered shopping streets branching out from the main Nakamise street for more shopping options.

4. 100 Yen shops

100-yen shops like DAISO, CanDo, Seria should definitely be on the list for those looking to buy omiyage in Japan. These places are stocked with all kinds of omiyage at affordable prices and decent quality. They have items like fans, chopsticks, stationery, stickers, children’s toys and cute ceramic pottery that would make good omiyage gifts.

DAISO is the most popular 100 yen shop in Japan for both Japanese and tourists alike. The shop has tons of authentic and unique Japanese-themed products, which are perfect for souvenirs.

Omiyage in Japan Giving Etiquette

Omiyage in Japan is not just as simple as giving souvenirs. In fact, there are some basic rules you should learn and follow when wanting to give omiyage to your friends and families. Here are a couple of tips you can follow :

Make sure your gifts are nicely wrapped

In Japan, wrapping is often as important as the gift itself. This is because the wrapping you use showcases your sincerity for the gift. You want the wrapping to be attractive and presentable such as being placed in a special paper bag from the store where you bought it from. Often when you are buying your omiyage is a Japanese shop, the retail workers will wrap your gifts for free.

It is also important to keep in mind the colors that you should use as wrapping. You should avoid colors like red and black as they mean bad luck. Colors like green and purple are good choices to use as wrapping paper.

Do not offer individual gifts

You should avoid giving individual gifts at the office so as not to offend anyone. Individual gifts should be given privately instead. If you are giving gifts that have already been individually wrapped, you should instead place all the gifts on the communal table to allow everyone to see and choose from.

Avoid inauspicious numbers

Besides colors, there are certain numbers you should avoid as well. In Japanese, giving four or nine of anything is considered unlucky. This is because Four (四) and death (死) are both pronounced as shi while the number nine in Japanese is read as ku (九). Ku can be written as 苦 which means suffering and pain.

Presenting the gift well

You should present the gift using two hands (Not one!) to show respect. When presenting your gift, you should also not talk about how much the recipient is going to love it. In fact, people in Japan actually do the opposite by apologizing for the omiyage they are about to give. Just remember that giving of omiyage is a show of respect, appreciation and good intentions to your friends and families when presenting the gift.

Here are some things you can say when giving omiyage so that you do not sound arrogant or disrespectful.

“I hope you like it”

“It was said that it was a very popular gift in the area.”

“It isn’t much, but…”

Japanese Omiyage FAQs

What is Japanese omiyage?

“Omiyage” (おみやげ) in Japanese is a somewhat different thing than just souvenirs. Although it translates to souvenirs, it does not actually refer to things you buy for yourself as mementos from overseas. In this case, omiyage actually refers to the act of giving gifts that you buy to your friends, families, relatives and coworkers. These gifts are often snack-related, such as cookies, biscuits, sweets, cake or mochi.

What omiyage should you give in Japan?

How do you give omiyage?

What is omiyage etiquette?

Learn Japanese with Coto. Take a Free Level Assessment and Consultation

While a lot of pandemic-related jargon has turned into common buzzwords, it’s still important for anyone to learn Japanese COVID-19 vocabulary.

By December 2021, there are 500 confirmed infections with the Omicron virus. Local governments has since planned to speed up booster shot campaigns in an attempt to curb out the spread of the new coronavirus variant. Booster vaccines will use Pfizer were supplied by the central government in November and December last year.

As of October 1, the Japanese government has fully lifted its COVID-19 state of emergency following a substantial decrease in newly infected cases nationwide. The country is looking to loosen border enforcement in hopes to resume international travel and business operations.

Meanwhile, plans to ease cross-border restrictions have been suspended. On November 29, 2021, Japan has strengthened its border measures to prevent the Omicron spread, with quarantine requirements re-extended back to 14 days.

For those living in Japan or planning to enter the country, check out some of essential coronavirus-related vocabulary.

What we know about Japan’s COVID-19 travel restrictions so far

Coronavirus-related measures are subject to change due to the constant updating of information. It is essential that you always check for updates and the latest guidance from the official government website.

For details about the test certificate requirements, please see the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Issued vaccination passports in Japan

In July, Japan’s local wards have begun accepting applications for COVID-19 vaccine certificates (also referred to as “vaccination passports”) for Japanese residents. The passport enables people to cut down their lengthy quarantine days. Depending on the destination, they can even travel without any quarantine requirements.

Only people who are fully vaccinated may apply for vaccine passports. Certificates are processed for free by your local municipal office

Currently, the issued vaccination certificate is only available in paper format. The Japanese government is planning to introduce a digital application system and online vaccine passports by the end of this year.

As of October 2021, 46 countries and regions have agreed to relax entry measures for vaccine passport holders traveling from Japan. To find out which countries accept vaccination certificates, visit the website of the Ministry and Foreign Affairs.

Where and how to apply vaccination passports in Japan

You can receive for COVID-19 vaccine passport by submitting an application via post, in-person or online (depending on your local wards). The vaccine passport application form can be downloaded from the official website.

Any of the methods made by your local ward will still require the following documents:

vaccine passport application form
proof of vaccination
copy of your passport
copy of your vaccination coupon

Scroll down for vaccine-related Japanese vocabulary.

COVID-19 measures for cross-border travel to Japan

While ease in entry restrictions begin to take into effect, the Japanese government is still taking measures for inbound travelers. Regardless of your vaccination history, status and nationality, you will need to do the following.

Submission of negative PCR test certificate 72 hours before scheduled departure time
Individual written pledge
Submission of questionnare
Submission of coronavirus vaccine certificate (if available)

Quarantine measures in Japan

Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow up on updates on border enforcement.

Essential COVID-19 vocabulary in Japanese

Once you’ve passed the borders (congratulations!), you’ll be exposed to a series of now-common coronavirus terms and phrases. You’ll be hearing them everywhere, from train announcements to local news. No matter your Japanese level, it’s worth checking these terms before heading deep into the country.

English	Japanese	Romaji
Omicron strain	オミクロン株	Omikuron kabu
Sympton	症状	Shoujou
Asymptomatic person	無症状者	Mushoujousha
Novel coronavirus	新型コロナウイルス	Shingata korona uirusu
Infected person	感染者	Kansensha
Infection spread	感染拡大	Kansen kakudai
Infection prevention	感染予防	Kansen yobou
Social distancing	社会距離戦略	Shakai kyori senryaku
Social distancing	ソーシャルディスタンス	Sosharu disutansu
Wear a mask	マスク着用	masuku chakuyo
Close-contact person	濃厚接触者	Noko sesshokusha
Immunity	免疫	Meneki
Mild case	軽症	Keisho
Serious case	重症	Jyusho

Japanese COVID-19 vocabulary for PCR tests and questionnaires

Regardless if you’re on a short business trip from overseas or coming into Japan as an international student, you may be asked to take the PCR test (検査) and fill out an inspection questionnaire. Here are some trickier words you’ll likely encounter at the airport.

English	Japanese	Romaji
PCR Test	PCR検査	PCR kensa
Inspection Certificate	検査証明	Kensa shomei
Test result date	結果判明日	Kekka hanmei-bi
Testing method	検査法	Kensa-ho
Nucleic acid amplification test	核酸増幅検査	Kakusan zofuku kensa
Next-generation sequence	次世代シーケンス法	Jisedai shikensu-ho
Quantitative antigen test	抗原定量検査	Kogen teiryo kensa
Collected sample	採取検体	Saishu kentai
Nasopharyngeal (nose) swab	鼻咽頭ぬぐい液	Hana into nugui-eki
Oropharyngeal (throat) swab	咽頭ぬぐい液の混合	Into nugui-eki no kongo
Saliva	唾液	Daeki
Result	結果	Kekka
Tested positive	陽性	Yousei
Tested negative	陰性	Insei
Test result date	結果判明日	Kekka hanmei-bi
Date and time of sample collection	検体採取日時	Kentai saishu nichiji
Name of medical institution	医療機関名	Iryo kikan-mei
Doctor’s name/signature	医師名	Ishimei
Antigen*	抗原検査	Kogen kensa
Rapid antigen*	迅速抗原検査	Jinsoku kogen kensa
Antibody*	抗体検査	Kotai kensa

*Not valid tests in Japan

Other Japanese words to keep in mind when filling out forms

English	Japanese	Romaji
Full name	氏名	Shimei
Nationality	国籍	Kokuseki
Passport number	パスポート番号	Pasupoto bango
Date of birth	生年月日	Seinengappi
Sex	性別	Seibetsu
Date of issue	交付年月日	Kofu nengappi
Address	住所	Jusho
Remarks	備考	Biko

Click here to download an example of the certificate of testing for COVID-19.

Important Japanese words related to travel restrictions and COVID-19 measures

English	Japanese	Romaji
Quarantine	検疫	Keneki
Travel history	渡航歴	Tokoreki
Travel ban	渡航禁止	Toko kinshi
No entry	入国不可	Nyukoku fuka
Home confinement/Stay at home	自宅待機	Jitaku taiki
Entry ban	入国拒否	Nyukoku kyohi
Entry restrictions	入国制限	Nyukoku seigen
Overseas travel	海外渡航	Kaigai toko

Japanese COVID-19 vocabulary on vaccines and vaccination passports

Whether it’s issued in or outside Japan, you may hear some of these vaccine-related Japanese words. Current Japanese vaccine certificates are provided in both English and Japanese — but what happens if an immigration officer directly asked for your ワクチン接種証明?

English	Japanese	Romaji
Booster shots	追加接種	Tsuika sesshu
Vaccination	ワクチン接種	Wakuchin sesshu
Occupational vaccine	職域接種	Shokuiki sesshu
Vaccination ticket	接種券	Sesshu-ken
Vaccination certificate	ワクチン接種証明	Wakuchin sesshu shoumei
Pharmaceutical company	製薬会社	Seiyakukaisha
Medical certificate	診断書	Shindansho
Application	申請	Shinsei
Vaccination record	ワクチン接種記録書	Wakuchin sesshu kiroku-sho
First dose	1回目接種	Ikkaime sesshu
Second dose	2回目接種	Nikaime sesshu
Vaccine type	ワクチン種類	Wakuchin shurui
Manufacturer	メーカー	Meka
Product name	製品名	Seihinmei
Lot/serial number	製造番号	Seizo bango
Country of vaccination	接種国	Sesshu-koku
Certificate issuance authority	証明書発行社	Shomeisho hakkosha
Certificate ID	証明書ID	Shomeisho ID
Certificate issue date	証明証発行年月日	Shomeisho hakko nengappi

To find out which countries accept vaccination certificates, visit the website of the Ministry and Foreign Affairs.

Download COVID-19-Vocabulary-SheetDownload

Want to test your skill? Take our quick five-minute quiz and find out if you’ve mastered these vocabularies!

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How is the Job Hunting Process in Japan?

Over the last few years, the number of international students who want to work in Japan after graduation has steadily increased, and many organizations want to hire students with international experience as well. In order to successfully get a job in Japan, we recommend to first learn a business level of Japanese.

The vast majority of Jobs in Japan require daily interoffice communication in Japaese – and that would require someone to be able to comfortably pass the n2 level of the JLPT Exam.

The hiring process itself is Japanese intensive – depending on what sort of role you will be interviewing for.

You will need to write an Entry Sheet (ES) – similar to a cover letter, this requires a high level of Japanese writing skills. There are also Interviews/ Group Discussion, requiring excellent Japanese speaking skills.

There are exceptions to this – if you are going into an industry in Japan that does not require Japanese, such as software engineering or recruiting. But depending on the company culture – most Japanese companies do require a business level of Japanese from foreign employees.

And if not required – it gives you a significant advantage in your application process.

For fresh grad recruitment – Japanese companies have a rigid and structured process.

Most companies follow the same recruiting schedule – an annual periodic recruitment of new graduates.

This hiring process is very similar to a career fair or mass job interview.

Japanese universities send out graduates in March and accept new students in April.

Accordingly, those who graduated will join their company and start working on the 1st of April every year.

If you expect to graduate in March 2022 or September 2021, check this recruitment calender practiced by most Japanese companies.

This recruitment calendar shows the job hunting schedule – starting from March 2022, so if you are a fresh grad, you still have time to study JLPT and get N1 or N2.

https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/job/employment/general-info/schedule.html

What is the JLPT?

JLPT stands for Japanese Language Proficiency Test, also known as 日本語能力試験. As the name suggests, the exam measures and certifies the Japanese proficiency of non-native Japanese speakers and is used by universities and employees inside and outside Japan. It is normally carried out twice a year in Japan and is also available in certain other countries. JLPT Exams are often taken by Japanese learners planning a future in Japan!

What are the different levels of the JLPT?

The JLPT is divided into 5 different levels: N1, N2, N3, N4, and N5, with N1 being the most advanced level and N5 being the most basic.

The N4 and N5 test you on basic Japanese that you can often learn in a classroom environment
The N3 acts as a bridge between N4/N5 and N2/N1
The N2 and N1 test you on a wider spectrum of Japanese knowledge used in various situations in everyday life

What JLPT level is required for job hunting in Japan?

If you want to work in Japan, most Japanese companies require JLPT N2 as a minimum level of your Japanese. With the idea that your Japanese will consistently improve once you are hired. Some companies may even require N1.

Regardless of the requirement on the job posting – most companies in Japan have the expectation that you are conversationally fluent and capable of communicating with your colleagues about the work that you are doing, for work that is directly related to creating written documents in Japanese, the standard will be higher.

Keep in mind that many Japanese companies are not familiar with the JLPT – and they may simply look at the defined levels and construct their job posting based on the guidance provided by the Japan Foundation.

So this could result in a mismatch between the advertisement and their real expectation. They may say N3 is okay, but then when they interview you, they would have a higher expectation for your communication ability.

So the short answer here is that there is no specific JLPT level that will open doors for you – but if you can communicate fluently in Japanese with your colleagues and your bosses, then you should be okay.

Jobs you can consider applying after acquiring N2

Teachers
Translators (Japanese to English)
Administrative Assistants
Tourism and Hospitality related service work
Sales Support Services
Flight Attendants
Part-time work at Convenience Stores or Groceries, Restaurants

Jobs you can consider applying after acquiring N1

Most jobs are a viable option
Prerequisite for Medical Practitioners or Doctors
Dentist
Nurse
Pharmacist
Public Health Nurse
Midwife
Radiology Technologist
Clinical engineer
Prosthetist
Emergency Medical Technician
Speech Therapist
Veterinarian
Dental Hygienist
Dental Technician
Clinical Laboratory Technician
Physical Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Orthoptist

JLPT in December 2021

Test Date: December 5 (Sun) 12:30 – 15:45

Application Period: August 26 (Thu) – September 16 (Thu) 17:00

Application Method: You must apply from the MyJLPT “JLPT Application” screen after registering with MyJLPT on the JLPT website of Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JESS).

Test Fee: 6,500 yen (consumption tax included)

Payment Methods: Credit card, bank wire transfer (pay-easy), payment at a convenience store

Once registered, you will receive a test voucher around Friday, November 19 indicating your test location and more details about the JLPT Exam.

For more information, visit the JLPT Official Website.

Lessons Offered at Coto Academy

Coto Acadmey offers both offline and online classes that help you improve your Japanese speaking and conversation ability – as well as Grammar, Kanji, and anything else. You can choose classes by topic.

Offline Courses (Tokyo and Yokohama)

JLPT Prep Courses: These prep courses are designed to prepare you for everything you encounter on the JLPT. With a mix of in-house materials, and hand selected materials trusted by our instructors, these classes will help you to pass the exam, and open more opportunities for your life in Japan.
Private Japanese Lessons: Learn Japanese at your own pace in a way that works for you. Our flexible private lessons are matched to our students’ Japanese study experience, comprehension, and needs.

Online Courses

Online JLPT Prep Lectures: Pass the JLPT and improve your career prospects. Our online JLPT prep lectures cover all of the essential Grammars and Vocabularies from the JLPT N1, N2, N3, N4 levels. The seminar-style lectures have students work individually with the lesson material while listening to the lecture on the screen.
Online Private Japanese Lessons: You can now learn Japanese online anywhere in the world with Coto Online Private Lessons. We offer 2 ways to learn privately: Speaking Sessions (You can practice speaking Japanese with a native speaker. Learning Sessions (You can learn Japanese with a professional teacher.)
Online Group Japanese Lessons: Do you want to learn Japanese online in a small group? We offer easy-to-join online group courses that are separated by topic and level. Pick a topic that interests you and learn how to communicate in Japanese.

How to Get Medical Care Without Health Insurance in Japan

Going to a Clinic in Japan as a Foreigner — Without Health Insurance

Seeing Your Doctor in Japan

Paying Your Medical Bill in Japan Without Health Insurance in Japan

Keeping Your Medical Care Receipts in Japan

English Speaking Resources and Foreigner-Friendly Medical Centers

Hotlines in Various Prefectures

Foreign-Friendly Clinics and Hospitals in the Tokyo area

St. Lukes International Hospital

The National Center for Global Health and Medicine

International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital

Hidemaru Emergency Clinic

Akasaka International Clinic (US/JP Licensed Female Bilingual Doctor Internal Medicine/Psychiatry)

How to Get a Refund for Your Medical Expenses in Japan

Conclusion

What happens if you don't have health insurance in Japan?

Can I still visit a clinic or hospial in Japan when I have a travel health insurance?

How much do medical bill costs without health insurance in Japan?

Are international clinics in Tokyo more expensive that normal clinics?

What happens if I get sick in Japan?

Essential Japanese Vocabulary Related to School: Classroom, Teacher, and Student in Japanese

Japanese Expressions for Greeting in a Class

Japanese Phrases in Classroom for Taking Attendance

Japanese Phrases in Classroom: Listening to Instructions

How to Ask Questions in a Class in Japanese

Japanese Phrases in Classroom: Homework and Assignments in Japanese

Conclusion

Be Sure to Have Your Reasons Clear When You Switch From English Teaching to Recruiting in Japan

What is Recruitment and How is It Different From English Teaching?

What’s the Process of Applying for Recruitment Jobs in Japan?

The Interview Process for Recruitment in Japan

Example Interview Questions and Answers:

General Tips for Applying for New Jobs in Japan

Conclusion on Career Switch from English Teaching to Recruiting

The Japan Investment Landscape in 2022 and 2023

Startup Cities in Japan

What types of support do they actually provide to entrepreneurs?

Would they support my company?

Real Estate Investment in Japan

Invest in Franchises in Japan

Invest in Your Japanese learning

Action and Adventure Anime on Netflix

Attack on Titan

Demon Slayer

Jujutsu Kaisen

Cowboy Bebop

Neon Genesis Evangelion

The Great Pretender

Trigun

YuYu Hakusho

Drifting Dragons

Steins Gate (Steins;Gate)

Kemono Jihen

Romance and Slice-of-Life Anime on Netflix

Violet Evergarden

Blue Period

Horimiya

Spice and Wolf

Carole & Tuesday

Comedy or Coming-of-Age Anime on Netflix

Haikyuu

Little Witch Academia

Aggretsuko

Mob Psycho 100

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Beastars

Gokushufudou (The Way of the Househusband)

Family-friendly Anime Shows on Netflix

Spy x Family

Laid-back Camp

A Place Further Than The Universe

Conclusion

Not sure about your Japanese level? Take our free Japanese language assessment test

Making Sense of Setsubun

Setsubun and Mamemaki: Out With The Devil, In With The Fortune

So what magical power do these soybeans have?

Warding Off Evil: Iwashi and Holly Branch

Setsubun and Ehomaki: Eating The Fortune

What to Eat on Setsubun

1. Setsubun Iwashi (節分いわし)

Oosoji (**大掃除): A Very Big Cleaning**