“When I moved to Japan, I had zero help—just me, Google Translate, and a string of bad decisions. Everything was harder than it needed to be. This site exists so you don’t have to learn the hard way. No fluff, no sugarcoating—just real advice to help you avoid the stress and mistakes I made. “ MK (USA)

"I didn't realize that I needed an active driver's permit to obtain a Japanese driver's license. Initially, I had no intention of driving in Japan. However, when our father-in-law gave up his car due to age and transferred ownership to us, I decided to get a Japanese driver's license.

When I checked my U.S. driver's permit, to my surprise, I found that it would expire in three months. While I can take the written test (online) in one month, if I’m unable to book a driving test within a month or so after passing the written test, my permit will expire, and I’ll have to start the process all over again.

To make things worse, the local driver's license center staff told me that the waiting time for a driving test appointment could be 1–2 months... Gaaaa... 😩

I wish I had known this sooner."

— Bill (USA)

"In the U.S., we can throw anything away anytime.
Now in Japan, managing garbage is a challenge!

I got a brochure from the local city office detailing when, what, and how we can dispose of garbage. Burnable trash on Monday, plastic on Tuesday, bottles and batteries on Thursday... etc., etc.

I miss the U.S. garbage system, although this must be better for recycling and the environment..."

— KC (USA)