Residents in Japan

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/newfakestarrysky on 2023-08-10 02:26:54.

tl;dr: Forced name reading doesn't match passport spelling? You may be out of luck.

Starting from 2024, Japanese citizens will be required to register an official syllabary reading (furigana) to their family registry, e.g. 光 = ヒカル = Hikaru.

The reading registry will supposedly be mandatory and must be done within one year of the law coming into effect. In fact, city halls are already asking current registry changes to include furigana on any registry updates, as I recently found out.

The problem is that Japan also doesn't allow for alphabet-based passport name changes unless the actual kanji itself changes. Why? Because "you'll become a different person." Is it politically motivated conservatism in a country where gender identity is only just now being "contemplated"? Is it due to outdated systems that can't handle simple name updates? Is it severe brain damage all the way to the top? The possibilities are endless!

So, if you have a passport registered as "Hikaru" but decide to register your reading as "Hikari" on the registry for personal reasons, it creates a huge catch 22 in their plans to slowly incorporate official readings into everything, as your passport name needs to match the name on your registry.

Being the curious little goblin that I am, I called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to gather insight into their plans to tackle this issue and received the following answers:

Answer 1: "Who knows."

Answer 2: "I guess they can't travel easily anymore."

Answer 3: "They should consider changing everything else in their life to match their passport."

Japan frequently raises the bar for bureaucratic lunacy. Plenty of other countries allow for name changes on passports if presented proof of the name being registered elsewhere, so imagine my surprise when the government's response for such an extremely likely hypothetical is nothing more than ¯_(ツ)_/¯.

So, my question for is: are there any governments as utterly incompetent than my own? In a country of extreme patriotic pride, are they really going to prioritize the Latin alphabet over their own writing system?

It's hard to imagine why they won't let people change their Latin alphabet readings by simply applying for a new passport and paying the fee.

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/BreadfruitSeabiscuit on 2023-08-10 01:49:04.

Need some help. Will we run into issues getting back into Japan as long-term residents without the re-entry slip stapled into the passport when leaving Japan?

We have a new passport, the zairyu card and photocopy of the long term resident visa, but the old passport that contained it has still not been returned to us by US passport services (and we’re concerned they may have lost it).

Background: Back in the beginning of April, we came back to the US for a few months and were warned that we should get our daughter’s passport renewed ASAP due to the massive processing backlogs hitting the US. We booked the earliest appt we could (in early May), paid for expedited processing, and finally received the new passport in mid July. The US Passport services would not offer us any help on determining the status of the old passport until we entered 14 days before our flight. They then told us they did not know where it was but would send a note to the agency responsible for processing supporting documentation. Not very promising.

We tried calling the Japan visa hotline, who told us we needed the re-entry slip but we need to contact our nearest japan consulate for assistance. I then called the consulate who told us they could not help us and we should instead email the visa matters alias. We then emailed, which got routed back to the consulate who responded by telling us we would need to contact the immigration office in Tokyo to request a letter verifying that my daughter is indeed a resident of Japan.

At this point, I’m starting to despair that I’m just caught in a bureaucratic loop. This can’t be that uncommon given how casual the US passport agency is about having no idea where the old passport is, right?

Has anyone ever been in this situation? If so, how did you get back in? As I mentioned at the start of this loooong post, we do have the new passport, the zairyu card, and a photocopy of the long term resident visa that was in the old passport.

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/AutoModerator on 2023-08-09 23:01:10.

It's the weekly complaint thread! Time to get anything off your chest that's been bugging you or pissing you off.

Remain civil and be nice to other commenters (even try to help).

• No politics
• No complaints about users of JapanLife

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/FA_Nibbler on 2023-08-09 19:16:05.

TLDR: fell with the bike, got a flesh wound on my hand, 3 hospitals did not care to help and send us away. After 3 hours with an open wound and driving with our own car to the next city, I got help and hand got fixed.

Advice: always call 119 don't try to find help by your own, especially when Doctors are about to close.

I had today a frustrating experience with the hospitals. What happened: I was on my way to bike to the train station as always and it was rainy. In front of my house I fell with my bike, everything went so fast. I think my tires went on the edge of the guiding lines for the blind and both tires just went sideways. I caught myself with one foot fell and rolled myself forward with one hand and landed on my back. I jumped up in a second, Everything okay I thought, until I saw that I cut my hand maybe on the curb or stone and the blood was just running out of an open wound on my palm. Anyways, I went back home to talk to my wife and maybe find a doctor. We called the nearest hospital and they said they can't help me since they just take care of emergencies. But also did not care to help where we can go. (I felt like an emergency since after 20 minutes the hand was still bleeding even after strong compression)

We searched then the next nearest clinic what was 5 minutes by walk and we went there just to get turned down on the reception again, they told us they can't help. But they gave us another adress for a doctor.

We walk back home and jumped in our car, to drive to the doctor. When we arrived they told us they can't help because they will close in 10 minutes... At this point I got frustrated

Back to the first one, without calling them just showing up and hope they can just fix the stupid flesh wound...

The reception remembered us and did not took us any serious and was laughing at us. and said we should wait in the entrance, after 15 minutes a nurse showed up and checked my hand and said I need stitches but they don't do it here because this is not an emergency. I was covered in blood and they did not even care to give me a clean tissue

After my wife start crying because she was so angry she demanded that they give us a place where we can get help. They gave us an adress what was a 30 minute car drive away.

In the end this hospital was finally helping me, fixed my hand and gave me some pain killers. And the doctor was really nice. He finally told us that if we have this case, we just need to call 119 and they will organize where to go. I just wonder why nobody else was able to tell us that. Just to mention, getting a syringe in your open hand sucks a lot.

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/freewiller_red on 2023-08-09 17:54:04.

I've moved from one ward to another ward recently. I am planning on making the trips to both ward offices next week (no, 14 days isn't over yet) but I would like to buy a cycle tomorrow, and my residence card still has my old address. Will there by any issues? Would I have to register my cycle again with the new address after going to the ward office and update it?

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/redbeans58 on 2023-08-09 14:51:31.

It will be my first time to visit the dentist. Is the payment for cleaning covered by my health insurance or just reduced? If reduced, how many percent?

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/CarefulBobcat2784 on 2023-08-09 12:27:38.

I have no idea why they keep visiting. They do not leave any note in the mailbox. Perhaps a noise complaint? But I am a reserved and quiet guy who sleeps by 10 pm and leaves the apartment by 730 am. My Japanese is not very good. Should I visit the police station to enquire or is it not necessary?

Location: one of the eastern Tokyo wards.

Thanks

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/Unchigadechatta on 2023-08-09 08:52:45.

I want to do some voluntary work somewhere on the weekends so that I can interact with the locals and also help out a charity or something similar. Anyone ever done volunteer work here? I live in Nagoya.

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/HitMeWithYourBestBot on 2023-08-09 08:32:13.

I feel like the first culture shock of being here is the safety aspect. I've left things in my bicycle basket and found them there after a grocery run.

But it's starting to feel like, as an expat, men are trying to push the narrative that it's SO safe and we can disregard ALL safety precautions. Not just foreign men, but local men too.

Someone in a neighbouring town tried to push me to stay the night at their place (separate room, of cooourse) because I can't just visit the town for one day. Another guy in my town flat out said he wanted to see what my apartment looked like and how I'd decorated it as a foreigner. A few have asked me to visit them in their cities for a night out, and it's all feeling strategically icky. Like even if we were just going to hook up, I'd vet you first? Why do you want me isolated, in a foreign country, in a completely unfamiliar town, completely reliant on you?

Is this a common thing or am I just matching with the worst of the bunch?

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/zhuzhu09 on 2023-08-09 04:11:22.

I often read a lot of absolutely horrible/ridiculous stories about working here. I guess cause we tend to share more negative than positive experiences. I myself sometimes lean towards focusing more on negative aspects.

Which is why I’d like to ask what are the things that you LIKE about your job/working here?

If I were to list a few points, they’d be:

1. convenient location in Tokyo - not a typical office district, with lots of things to do and places to have lunch during breaks
2. being allowed to listen to music, podcasts, watch movies on the background while working
3. minimal interaction with people
4. although we have little common topics, I actually feel like my (all Japanese) co-workers are nice people that I can rely on
5. I work exclusively on paper and do not use any tech, meaning no need to stare at computer screen for 8 hours straight
6. and lastly freedom in terms of working hours. I can’t be grateful enough that I can just come and leave whenever I want as long as I get the job done

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/Exialt on 2023-08-09 03:42:57.

I'll start off saying that I am a foreigner, working in a large Japanese corporation.

I'm the first and only foreigner in my department, and people have been withholding with approaching me in the beginning.

Except for 1 lady who has invited me to lunch and has honestly opened the social door for me, introducing me to other colleagues and organizing lunches with everyone.

Now, i am very good friends with her but due to the intense office atmosphere, we only talk about once a week, go for lunch one in 2 weeks etc.

Yesterday, she told me on chat that another colleague (lady) is spreading rumors she's a gaijin hunter(外人好き女)

This is making me me livid as this is absolutely not the case and she's a saint of a person who has helped me out so many times. I'm not sure how to handle or if I should be doing something.

Anyone had something similar?

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/lokipasteleiro on 2023-08-09 03:17:33.

Greetings! I'm an international student living in Tokyo and I always have curiosity about Hokkaido and even thinking about moving to Hakodate or Sapporo since the rent there is way cheaper than Tokyo. How is lifestyle in Hokkaido?

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The original was posted on /r/japanlife by /u/LowerSurplus on 2023-08-09 01:48:43.

I freelance translated full-time for about 10 years but transitioned to another career a little over a year ago. I've kept translating for my old company part-time just for some extra cash but recently they told me that if I want to keep working, I'll have to take a 1/3 pay cut, saying AI tools were driving down prices.

For those of you still in it, how are you coping? Are the new tools allowing you to work faster so you can maintain income or even improve? Are you worried, optimistic, business as usual?