of Banks & Mobile Phone Contracts: A follow-up

Following these posts that I've put up prior to my departure to Japan,

of Banks & Mobile Phone Contracts

Landline & Mobile Phone Services

FINALLY! a bank with NO service charge for cash withdrawal 24/7

I've now subscribed to Softbank mobile and opened an account with Shinsei Bank. There were several stuff that I've experienced that I could not find anywhere during my research. The guidelines provided by my prospective employer seemed to be a tad back-dated as well.

Alien Registration Card ( 外国人登録証明書) & National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) : A follow-up

ONCE you've prepared the necessary documents (refer to Alien??あたし？！) head down to the City Hall, submit these documents and you'll be told to fill up some forms.

They then process a document which will be stapled in your passport next to your Japan Visa that looks something like this.

お待たせしました！！

GREETINGS from Osaka!... More accurately, greetings from my humble room in Amagasaki-shi!

Howz everyone doing?

I realised my last post was in February when I was still in Singapore. Since that post, I was just busy packing, finalising accommodation via emails, finalising flight details, managed to sell my drum set 2 days before I flew off, and to meet-up with friends every day until the day I left.

The electronic drum set I had since early 2008. It's an empty spot now and my parents are happy that there's more space in the flat since I sold my drums.

How to pay bills

I FOUND it extremely amusing when I read one of the documents from the organisation on modes of bill payments. I thought the method to pay bills and fines is similar almost everywhere in this world. You either send by cheque, pay at the ATMs, banks, online payment, post offices or convenience stores... and in some countries, the AXS machine.

But the information I received went a few steps further. Lemme break it down for the heck of it and since I've already gone this far in documenting almost everything one has gotta do when one decides to uproot to Japan.

Getting Around Kansai

HOW do you know which travel smart card works for you?

1) Check your routes 2) Check with a native

Internet Service Set-up

DEPENDING on which type of housing you choose, internet connection may already be included in your housing package. Please check with your landlord/housing agent.

 

Landline & Mobile Phone Services

THERE are 3 main mobile carriers in Japan: NTT Docomo , Softbank, and AU by KDDI. All offer some phones with some degree of English ability.

Alien?? あたし？！

WE all know by now that non-natives are referred to as Aliens upon entering the country. As a form of identification while residing in Japan, all foreign residents are required to register their residence in addition to an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at their local municipal office aka ward / city office (区役所 / 市役所 / 町村役場).

Going home for the holidays?

AFTER all the hard work in getting the Visa and then to further set in stone the validity of your Visa by obtaining a Landing Permit when you arrive Japan, you're thinking that you might wanna head home for the holidays.