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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

#161

Post by carlosjobim »

rty32 wrote: post #158
carlosjobim wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AirBnB plays a very minor role in this. Yes, they make short-term rentals possible for landlords who are too dumb and lazy to be able to do it otherwise. There were other simliar platforms before AirBnB, there will be others after them.

That's why the original post says "like Airbnb", and laws like those in NYC ban all of them.

What does that have to do with my comment? The blame is squarely on the landlords, blaming AirBnB or other similar websites is just because people can't deal with the fact that the persons harming them are nearby. So they need an outside force to put the blame on.

Good on NYC to ban short term rentals of residential properties. Short term visitors should stay in buildings especially made for that purpose, such as hotels.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#162

Post by chrisfosterelli »

triceratops wrote: post #152
wdrw wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But in scenario (B) you're spending money in Japan, basically you're directly injecting US money (your US salary) into the Japanese economy. Don't see why it's "amazing" for the US and not for Japan.

> Don't see why it's "amazing" for the US Because you're paying US income taxes while consuming next to no US government services or infrastructure. > But in scenario (B) you're spending money in Japan Anyone who lives and works in Japan spends money in Japan. What's great about that? Most of those people also pay taxes. > basically you're directly injecting US money (your US salary) into the Japanese economy Japan m…

I think you both are right in a way and what is maybe relevant is the duration.

If someone lives full time permanently in another country working remotely, they probably are already actually a tax resident of that country and would typically pay tax to that country.

What the country doesn't want is someone traveling and in the country for a few months and then taking a local job that could have been taken by a citizen while also not being a tax resident, which is what the work restrictions on visas are intended to prevent.

But if someone is traveling and in the country for a few months, and works remotely while there, it really makes little difference to the country compared to another tourist other than the fact that the visitor now has access to more funds to be spending in their country while there; but visas don't support this well.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#164

Post by shiroiushi »

gwervc wrote: post #54
shiroiushi wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, you need more than a residence card to get a bank account here: you also need a certificate of employment from your employer.

No you just need your residence card, fill a form, sign (no hanko required) and you can open a bank account at the Post Bank. At least that's how it went 10 years ago as a student. It's easier to open an account as a foreigner there than opening an account as a citizen in France... (no appointment bullshit, no proof of residency asked)

>No you just need your residence card...

>no appointment bullshit, no proof of residency asked)

Your residence card IS your proof of residency in Japan, hence the name. It even has your most up-to-date residence printed on the back.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#165

Post by shiroiushi »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #151
Foobar8568 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3 rooms, in Tokyo, for a month, is bloody cheap unless I miss something.

Pretty much all non-luxury housing in Tokyo is built to a much lower standard than equivalent housing built in say Canada or the US in the same time period. Much thinner wall insulation, single glazed windows (until recently), much smaller elevators in high rises, etc… So on a quality and square footage adjusted basis it’s still quite expensive.

Not really: the difference is that "lower standard" housing of the same age simply doesn't exist in the US. You want a small, 20-30 year old apartment in a decent building with small elevators and everything is maintained well and isn't broken, and you don't want roommates, and at an affordable price for you on your non-tech job paycheck? You can't have that in a decent American city; it doesn't exist. It's either some very expensive "luxury" apartment (where stuff is still broken, but hey, it has granite countertops and new appliances that'll break down in a year!) where you'll need roommates, or some nasty shithole (where you'll probably still need a rooomate).

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#166

Post by shiroiushi »

themaninthedark wrote: post #139
shiroiushi wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, and it generally has better amenities than a hotel too: a kitchen (though tiny), fridge, microwave, stove (no oven though), clothes washer, maybe a vacuum, etc. Also importantly, a mailbox, so you can receive deliveries (and in newer places, there's an automated delivery box system).

They have ovens...just super tiny and meant for fish only https://www.yamada-denkiweb.com/category/202/006/001/

Those are "grills". If you want to bake stuff, you can get real ovens, but they're fairly small, and not built into the apartment, and usually combined with a microwave oven. Any decent appliance store sells them for around 30,000 yen. You're not going to cook a turkey in it, but if you want to bake a small cake it's perfect.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#167

Post by MichaelZuo »

shiroiushi wrote: post #165
MichaelZuo wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty much all non-luxury housing in Tokyo is built to a much lower standard than equivalent housing built in say Canada or the US in the same time period. Much thinner wall insulation, single glazed windows (until recently), much smaller elevators in high rises, etc… So on a quality and square footage adjusted basis it’s still quite expensive.

Not really: the difference is that "lower standard" housing of the same age simply doesn't exist in the US. You want a small, 20-30 year old apartment in a decent building with small elevators and everything is maintained well and isn't broken, and you don't want roommates, and at an affordable price for you on your non-tech job paycheck? You can't have that in a decent American city; it doesn't exist. It's either so…

There are no middle class to upper middle class condominiums in the urban areas of any US city?

Families settling down in a decent 3 or 4 bedroom condo is rarer in the US than Canada, but it can’t possibly be zero.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#168

Post by shiroiushi »

tayo42 wrote: post #95
shiroiushi wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, and it generally has better amenities than a hotel too: a kitchen (though tiny), fridge, microwave, stove (no oven though), clothes washer, maybe a vacuum, etc. Also importantly, a mailbox, so you can receive deliveries (and in newer places, there's an automated delivery box system).

> stove (no oven though) Maybe I'm misremembering but I thought that was typical for Japanese homes?

Yes, unlike Americans who apparently absolutely need to bake a whole turkey on a regular basis, Japanese don't normally bake stuff at home, so Japanese homes (at least in the big cities) don't normally come with built-in ovens. There's no space in Tokyo apartments for the comically-large ovens that are common in America, and the cuisine people make here doesn't normally need one, just a stovetop. For baked goods, people usually just buy them at the grocery store or bakery or other specialty shop.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#169

Post by shiroiushi »

carlosjobim wrote: post #161
rty32 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why the original post says "like Airbnb", and laws like those in NYC ban all of them.

What does that have to do with my comment? The blame is squarely on the landlords, blaming AirBnB or other similar websites is just because people can't deal with the fact that the persons harming them are nearby. So they need an outside force to put the blame on. Good on NYC to ban short term rentals of residential properties. Short term visitors should stay in buildings especially made for that purpose, such as hot…

Except there's not enough hotels in NYC for tourists, because the city is paying them to house homeless people. If you want to stay in NYC for an affordable price (as a non-American), then you have to stay in an AirBNB outside the city and take a train in every day.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#170

Post by shiroiushi »

internet101010 wrote: post #78
Klonoar wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eh, I ran a business in Japan and have had that visa. I still tell most people who just want to dip their feet in that the digital nomad visa is totally fine and a good way to go. That stability and perception only matters if you _truly_ want to live here, and quite a number of people spend ~3 months here [1] and realize that it's got issues past the honeymoon period (like anywhere else). There's also no reason you c…

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.

>got really annoyed by nonsensical things like ATMs having operating hours and having to use a fax machine to do something.

The ATM operating hours are silly, but 1) you don't need cash that much here anyway, and 2) any decent bank has an ATM with reasonable hours. What are they doing trying to get cash at midnight?

Fax machines are a myth today. I've lived here for several years and have never used one for anything. How long ago was this, over a decade ago? Businesses still use them for some dumb reasons, but regular people don't. People don't even have landlines any more, and usually not even printers at home (you can print stuff at your local konbini).

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