Moving to Japan: Money Steps for Your First Year
From registering your address to your first payslip and the resident tax that arrives in your second year.
1. In your first 14 days
Register your address at the city office, and join health insurance and the pension if your employer does not enroll you. Everything else, from your My Number to your bank account, follows from this.
2. Before your first payday
Health insurance, pension, employment insurance and income tax come out of your salary from the first month. Check what you will actually receive and what each line on the payslip means.
3. Plan for your second year
Resident tax is charged on last year's income, so it usually starts in June of your second year and lowers your take-home pay. Budget for it now.
4. Start saving tax-free
NISA lets investments grow tax-free and can be sold at any time. iDeCo saves more tax but locks the money until age 60, which matters if you might leave Japan.