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How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

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Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#101

Post by triceratops »

Ylpertnodi wrote: post #56
cedws wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I visited Tokyo from London recently and found it to be much cheaper. A decent meal is half, or less than half of what you would pay here, not to mention healthier. Another comment mentioned taxis are expensive, but I found the opposite, my journey was cheaper than it would have been in London, and the drivers are much more professional. As for apartments, you can live much cheaper and more centrally (~£1500 is the m…

Serious question, and not being flippant: crine in .jp vs .uk? Noticeable?

Japan is absurdly safe and law-abiding, even by developed country standards.

They're 12th on this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intention...

The top 10 are mostly microstates or Pacific Island nations.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#103

Post by bamboozled »

lIl-IIIl wrote: post #20
d13 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one will ever know or care if you’re working remotely while in Japan on a tourist visa. Just AirBnB and get ordinary travel insurance. For a paltry 6 months this nomad visa seems like a massive amount of paperwork for no benefit.

Apparently they do, from the article quoting the US Embassy: Japanese Immigration officials are aware of the pattern of people staying for 80-90 days as “tourists,” spending a few days in Korea, Guam or some other nearby area and then seeking to re-enter Japan for another 90 days. Persons with such a travel pattern can expect to face questions at Japanese Immigration and may be denied entry with the suspicion that th…

Imagine if they just had a sane immigration policy instead ?

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#105

Post by CharlieDigital »

shintoist wrote: post #90
synergy20 wrote: post #87

with US passport I can stay in Japan for 90 days without a visa, if I want to work occasionally remotely for jobs at US part time, do I still need go through all the paperwork to get a Nomad visa? what's the purpose of Nomad visa when everyone has a laptop and can work remotely if they want to?

If you read the article the author does quote the US embassy in Japan strictly advising against this and that you risk arrest and deportation, that immigration officials do crack down on digital nomads, especially re-entering Japan to renew 90 day tourist visas to work. A lot of countries have laws against working remotely without a visa, although apart from the US few actively enforce them.

Seems like the restriction would only make sense in the context of working for a Japanese company. Similar to US visas for visitors where the traveler cannot visit the US for work purposes with a US-based employer.

Otherwise, opening a work laptop and answering some work emails for your foreign employer would be risky.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#106

Post by andy_ppp »

When the girlfriend was living in Japan I stayed for 89 days and then went to Taiwan (amazing country, highly recommended) and came back for another 87 days and nobody cared. I guess if you did this a lot it would be an issue but you’re reasonably fine to do it once I think. I was not working but I did have “free” accommodation in the smallest apartment I’ve ever been in so I’d be more concerned about this if I was actually breaking the rules and didn’t have a reason to be there.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#107

Post by jonatron »

andy_ppp wrote: post #106

When the girlfriend was living in Japan I stayed for 89 days and then went to Taiwan (amazing country, highly recommended) and came back for another 87 days and nobody cared. I guess if you did this a lot it would be an issue but you’re reasonably fine to do it once I think. I was not working but I did have “free” accommodation in the smallest apartment I’ve ever been in so I’d be more concerned about this if I was a…

"You are only allowed to stay as a "Temporary Visitor" for a total of 180 days during a 12-month period." Similarly, the EU has a 90/180 day rule, so it doesn't work long term.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#108

Post by estebank »

n_ary wrote: post #92
internet101010 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While this is purely anecdotal, the friends I have that ended up bailing earlier than planned got really annoyed by nonsensical things like ATMs having operating hours and having to use a fax machine to do something. They probably weren't the main problem but more straw that broke the camel's back.

Not sure if you are aware, but you described Germany as well. ;)

Well, I do describe Japan as "Kawaii Germany".

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#109

Post by wodenokoto »

notpushkin wrote: post #24
DeathArrow wrote: post #18

Isn't Japan an expensive country?

It is a mixed bag: apartments can be pretty expensive, especially in Greater Tokyo area. Food is pretty cheap IMO. Taxis are prohibitively expensive, but railroad system is really really good and compensates for that pretty well. But people don’t go to Japan because it’s cheap – it’s just a really nice place to live for some.

I don't know what you are comparing against, but taxis are not expensive, though I wouldn't call them cheap either.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#110

Post by hotspot_one »

grecy wrote: post #59

> My first thought was to work remotely and use the 90 days permitted by the tourist visa. Yet working in Japan on this visa is a gray zone at best and a practice I would stay away from. In fact, the US Embassy in Japan strictly advises against this I’ve always wondered why countries care about this. If I’m employed in my home country, earning money there and paying taxes, what difference does it make if I happen to…

> If I’m employed in my home country, earning money there and paying taxes, what difference does it make if I happen to sit in another country?

Why does "home country" have tax priority over "sitting in" country? How does that make sense vs having the taxes paid in "sitting in" country instead of "home country"?

with perhaps the strongest argument being jurisdiction. What gives "home country" the legal right to claim taxes on income earned in "sitting country"?

and that's where things get complicated. In order to pay taxes in "sitting country" you need a "sitting tax ID number" and other admin, also if the taxes involve wage withholding, who does the withholding and ensures compliance, etc, etc.

How does this align, in the US, with state-level taxes? If you were born in MN and moved to FL, do you pay MN or FL state income taxes (noting that FL does not have state income tax)?

Is "home country" the state with the home office of the company which employs you, or the state you live in? Should employees of a California company pay California state income tax even when working remote from Texas (another no income tax state)? Or the classic Washington/Oregon divide?

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