Housing, money, getting around and settling in.
Tokyo can feel expensive, but everyday life here is full of quiet ways to spend less — cheap set meals, half-price stickers in the evening, 100-yen shops, budget phone plans, and free parks and views. Here's a friendly starter map.
A warm, practical orientation to everyday Japanese workplace norms — punctuality, hierarchy and keigo, group harmony and nemawashi, exchanging meishi, nomikai, the hanko, and attitudes to leave and overtime. Plus where to turn, free and in your language, if a real work problem comes up.
A warm orientation for LGBTQ+ newcomers to Tokyo: community and Pride events, the Shinjuku Ni-chome neighbourhood, counselling and helplines, and the same-sex partnership certificate that a growing number of wards now offer.
Tokyo is more accessible than it first looks. Here is how to use barrier-free stations, ask staff for boarding help, find multipurpose toilets, get the free Help Mark, and plan accessible routes.
Giving a little time is one of the warmest ways to feel at home in Tokyo — and you don't need fluent Japanese to start. Here's how to find local volunteer centers, food banks, cleanups, and disaster-relief roles near you.
Invited to a Japanese wedding or funeral and worried about getting it wrong? The customs are very learnable. Here's how the money gift, the envelope, the dress, and the ceremony work — and how much flexibility you actually have as a newcomer.
A friendly newcomer's guide to gift-giving in Japan: omiyage, temiyage, the summer and winter gift seasons, wrapping, and how to give and receive graciously.
A friendly overview for foreigners who already hold a licence: do you even need a car in Tokyo, and if you do, the parking certificate, insurance, the shaken inspection, toll and parking costs, and kei cars as a cheaper option.
A friendly orientation to childcare and education for foreign families in Tokyo: licensed daycare, kindergarten, free public schools, and international options. We point you to the right official door.
Expecting in Tokyo and not sure where to start? Here's a calm overview of how the system supports you — the Mother & Child Health Handbook, subsidised checkups, and the paperwork that comes with a new baby — and who to ask for the details.
Dental care in Japan is widely available, mostly covered by national health insurance, and easier to use than it first looks. Here's how to find a dentist, what to bring, and what a visit is usually like.
Every spring, Tokyo's cedar and cypress pollen sets off sneezing, itchy eyes and stuffy noses for nearly half the city. Here's what kafunsho is, when it peaks, and the everyday things that make it bearable.
Moving to a new country is exciting, but it can also bring culture shock, loneliness and stress. That is normal, and you do not have to carry it alone. Here is where to find warm, confidential support in English, and how mental-health care works in Japan.
How newcomers can find a mosque, church, synagogue, temple, or faith community in Tokyo, often in their own language and a warm welcome too.
From izakaya and standing bars to karaoke and late-night eats — a newcomer's guide to enjoying Tokyo after dark, catching the last train, and steering clear of street touts and overcharging bars.
You do not need an expensive language school to start. Tokyo's wards and volunteer groups run welcoming Japanese classes that are free or cost only a few hundred yen — here is how to find one near you and ease in without pressure.
How to cool and heat your Tokyo apartment with the aircon you already have, plus supplementary heaters, fighting condensation and mold, and the safety rules that really matter.
A few smartphone apps quietly run daily life in Tokyo, from messaging friends to catching the right train and paying at the konbini. A warm, practical guide to the ones worth installing first.
Where to shop for a taste of home, stock up on halal groceries, and eat vegetarian or vegan in Tokyo — with import supermarkets, mosque-linked shops, and practical phrases for hidden dashi.
Tokyo is famously safe, and lost wallets and phones really do come back. Here is how to use the koban, where to report a lost item, and the scams worth knowing about.
A friendly guide to working or studying outside your home in Tokyo: cafes with wifi and power, coworking day passes, quiet libraries, and 24-hour net cafes for when you need a private booth in a pinch.
From spring cherry blossoms to summer matsuri and fireworks, autumn leaves and winter illuminations — here's the shape of Tokyo's year, what to expect at a festival, and how to find this year's schedule.
Tokyo looks expensive, but a lot of the best of it is free. A newcomer's guide to big parks, free city views, picnics and hanami, and the simple etiquette that keeps everyone welcome.
Your ward runs some of the best-value spaces in the city — libraries you can join for free with just an ID, plus community centres with cheap rooms and classes. Here's how to use them.
You don't need much Japanese to leave a Tokyo chair happy. Here's the difference between a barbershop and a salon, how the 10-minute cut chains work, how to book online, and a few phrases (plus a photo) to get exactly what you want.
A newcomer's guide to staying fit in Tokyo, from cheap ward sports centres and public pools to private gym chains, plus pool rules and the famous Imperial Palace running loop.
Moving to Tokyo can feel lonely at first. Here are warm, low-pressure ways to meet people and feel at home — from your ward's international association to language exchanges, hobby circles, volunteering and your own neighbourhood.
A warm, practical orientation to life with a cat or dog in Tokyo: finding pet-friendly rentals, the dog registration and rabies rules, finding a vet, everyday etiquette, and shops vs. shelter adoption.
Where to buy furniture and homeware in Tokyo, new and secondhand, plus delivery, assembly, and how to throw out big items later.
A friendly walkthrough of moving out of a rental in Tokyo: giving notice, the move-out inspection, how your deposit works, cancelling utilities, oversized-garbage pickup, and forwarding your mail.
Soaking in a Tokyo public bath (sento) or hot spring (onsen) is one of the simplest joys of life here. The rules can feel intimidating at first, but they are few and kind. Here is how to bathe with confidence.
How to find clinics and hospitals in Tokyo where you can be seen in English or another language: the city's Himawari service, JNTO's medical guide, the AMDA center, and embassy doctor lists.
A newcomer-friendly map of how to send money abroad from Japan — traditional bank wires versus app-based specialist services like Wise, Revolut and Japan-based providers such as SBI Remit. What you generally need, and how to compare the real cost.
No dryer at home, a futon that needs washing, or a broken machine? Tokyo's coin laundries (コインランドリー) are everywhere, mostly open 24 hours, and easier to use than they look. Here's how they work, what to expect, and the etiquette that keeps everyone happy.
Japan has 16 national holidays plus three big seasonal breaks — New Year, Golden Week, and Obon. Here is what closes, what stays open, and how to plan around the crowds.
Tokyo's trains are famous, but sometimes you want a taxi or a bike. Both are easy once you know the small local quirks, like the door that opens by itself and the rule that you ride on the left.
Tokyo walls are thin and life is close together, but a handful of simple habits keep things easy. Here is a warm, practical guide to noise, shared spaces, balconies, smoking, and the local neighbourhood association.
A newcomer's orientation to how pharmacies work in Japan: drugstores for everyday medicine, dispensing pharmacies for prescriptions, the medicine notebook, and what to know before you bring medicine in.
How mail and home delivery work in Japan: Japan Post and Yu-Pack, takkyubin from Yamato and Sagawa, and the all-important missed-delivery slip and how to arrange redelivery.
A friendly walkthrough of setting up your three utilities after a move in Tokyo. Electricity and water are quick online or phone calls; gas usually needs an in-person opening appointment, so book it early.
The two numbers to memorize, what to say when you call, and the multilingual hotlines that get you help in English when you need it most.
Getting online at a new place in Tokyo can feel slow at first — home fiber often needs construction and landlord sign-off, and that can take a few weeks. Here's the lay of the land so you can stay connected from day one and pick what fits.
How to handle ticket machines, izakaya cover charges, sushi, no tipping, calling staff, and asking about allergies when eating out in Tokyo.
Tokyo's trains get all the attention, but city buses fill in the gaps the rail map misses. Here is how to pay, where to board, and when a bus beats the train.
Tokyo has four distinct seasons, a June rainy season, hot humid summers, typhoons in autumn, and mild winters. Here's what to expect, what to wear, and how to check official forecasts and warnings.
How everyday shopping works in Tokyo — supermarkets, drugstores, 100-yen shops and depachika food halls, plus the paid plastic bag, self-checkout, point cards, and why tax-free is for visitors, not residents.
Tokyo is going cashless fast, but cash still matters. A friendly orientation to IC cards, PayPay, credit cards and konbini ATMs, and when to keep yen in your pocket.
Japan sorts its trash more carefully than almost anywhere — but the rules are learnable once you know the shape of them. Here's how sorting works and how to find your own ward's exact schedule.
A plain-language orientation to renting a private apartment in Tokyo — the typical upfront costs (deposit, key money, agent fee, guarantor), the agent-to-contract flow, and foreigner-friendly tips. Always read your contract and ask your agent.
How banking in Japan generally works for foreign residents — the main types of banks, what to expect at the counter, your cash card and passbook, ATMs and fees, and sending money by furikomi transfer.
A friendly, step-by-step orientation to visiting a clinic in Tokyo as a foreign resident — what to bring, how reception, the consultation and the pharmacy flow work, and a few phrases to get you through. This is general orientation, not medical advice.
Japan's convenience stores (konbini) are tiny one-stop shops open 24/7. Here's how to pay bills, use an ATM with a foreign card, print documents, send parcels, and more.
Japan sits on some of the most active fault lines on Earth, and Tokyo will feel quakes — but preparation turns fear into a routine. Here's what to do when the ground moves, how to build a basic go-bag, and the official apps that warn you in your own language.
Tokyo's rail network looks overwhelming at first, but with one IC card and one good app it becomes the easiest way to get around. Here's how to tap, transfer, and ride like a local.
