The Visa was tough, but not as rough as actually moving to Japan and getting settled! Check out our post about finding an apartment, setting up utilities and making friends in Japan.
Timing is key, making sure you have a guarantor lined up and you’re saving money should be first, followed by long lead items (documents from the Department of State and an FBI background check). Use the included graphic for an (somewhat) easy visual representation.
A list of every document we submitted (and how to get them!) for our Long-Term Resident Visa.
While not impossible, getting the Long-Term Resident Visa (定住者 – Teijyuusha) isn’t easy. To qualify for this visa with ancestry, you need to be (at most) third-generation Japanese. You also need to fly to Japan to apply for your Certificate of Eligibility and be ready for some hard work and anxiety!
We’re finally settled in our two-bedroom apartment in Nakano-ku, Tokyo. Here’s a publicly-shared Google calendar that shows our extra bedroom’s availability. If we’ve crossed paths in life and you need a place to stay in Tokyo, please email us. If the room is available, it’s yours!
Follow us, a Japanese couple from Hawaii, as we document our move to Tokyo! Hopefully, through this experience, we’ll learn about our family’s history and what being Japanese is really all about.
