It is possible to get by in Japan without any knowledge of Japanese, as signs, (information) booklets etc. in major cities are usually available in English. However, any situations where you require more information or a consultation might pose a problem, as doctors, bank staff, train conductors, police officers and…
Japanese people take illness very seriously and are much more willing to take a trip to the doctors over something as common as a cold or flu compared to other countries. They are also very cautious about contagious illnesses and viruses, which is why you will see many Japanese people…
Whether you’ll be bringing over your family when you move to Japan or you’re just planning to hire Japanese local staff for your business, it can be beneficial to learn a thing or two about Japan’s education system and the standard of education they receive. The Japanese school year runs…
The following numbers are emergency codes and are should not be used for inquiries. It is also possible to call any of these numbers from a public phone for free. All you have to do is pick up the receiver, press the red SOS button, then dial the relevant emergency…
An interview with Chris Kirkland, co-founder of Tokyo Cheapo – ‘the ultimate guide to Tokyo’ – https://tokyocheapo.com. We have some inspiring success stories of non-Japanese businesses and want to share their experiences with you. Tokyo Cheapo is a guide to Tokyo, covering everything from where to get your hair cut…
There are two elements to a business’s finances: the start-up fund (i.e. capital) and purpose (profit). If you are starting up a shop on the street, you will need to have enough start-up capital to cover both the deposit for the commercial lease and to be able to pay staff.…
As accounting standards in the world is converging, Japanese generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are in the direction of harmonising with the other OECD countries, especially with IFRS. Japanese GAAP is written more prescribed by rules and the main difference is about fair value accounting, where the IFRS requires most…
After mastering the basic skills of using mathematical functions and functionalities of worksheets, the following functions are useful to know:- Round: Use =round(Cell number, 2) as GBP and USD has pence and cent units and =round(Cell Number,0) as JPY does not have the sub-category. Use =round(cell number,-2) When you would…
The UK-based Legatum Institute ranked Japan as the 22nd most prosperous country in the world in 2015. The most prosperous country according to their report is Sweden, followed by Denmark in 2nd and Switzerland in 3rd. The UK is ranked 6th, the USA is 11th, Canada 15th, Germany 17th, France…
Japanese Slang / Youth Talk Japanese Slang English Standard Japanese Comments Bari Very Much Sugoku Probably comes from the immitative of sound of thunder or exhaust of a car – “Bari Bari” Emoi Touching Gutto Kuru Coming from English word Emotional then combined with Japanese aesthetics of Wabi Sabi, “my…
Our tips: English Japanese Memo Accelerated Depreciation 一括償却 The tax treatment to receive the lump sum deduction rather than the gradual one. Basic Deduction 基礎控除 The personal allowance works as the deduction from taxable income, if the income is less than 24 mil yen then 0.48 mil yen . Corporation…
The cynical may say there is nothing new under the sun, that anybody can have good business ideas, or that there are more important things to a business such as creating a sustainable system, getting funds or developing skills. Regardless of what they say, good ideas can open up doors,…
It is difficult for foreigners who is not a resident in Japan to open a corporate bank account as many Japanese banks require at least 6 months of residency or having a residency register (Jyuminhyo). It is recommended to have a Japanese resident to become an initial minority shareholder or…
Where to go? A guide to Japan’s top 3 cities
How to make the most out of your life in Japan
Everything you need to know to start your business
Your one-stop business guide to Japan