Many youth exchange programs bring foreign teenagers to Japan, and the country also has a number of very active university exchange programs. 

You can contact your local Japanese embassy or home university's exchange program department for information on how to proceed. Before contacting the authorities, read this short article and see which scholarship is within your reach.

​April marks the start of the year for schools and many companies in Japan — a month when many newcomers from overseas arrive in the country, just in time for the cherry blossom season.

If you are one of these new arrivals, a lot will be fresh and unfamiliar, and that, unfortunately, applies to the problems you may face as well as the positive aspects of your new life here.

​Even long-term residents are not immune to complications related to their visa status, work, money, family and so on. 
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​To rent an apartment in Japan, would-be tenants visit real estate agents located in every neighborhood and browse through copies of apartments for rent. Apartments are usually rented through real estate agents rather than landlords. 

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Real estate agents usually have the layout of the apartment for rent and the costs to rent this apartment. Real estate offices can be recognized by listings of available apartments in their show windows. They also advertise on signs in the neighborhood and in various publications.
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​The Japanese Ministry of Justice has decided that it is going to amend the rules for becoming a permanent resident in Japan to allow foreigners to apply for permanent residence after as little as one year in Japan. These rules will become effective as of the end of March 2017.
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Are you living with a chronic illness and dreaming of moving to Japan?

​Or maybe you have a job lined up and are concerned about regularly shipping your medication from overseas? Perhaps the medication availability in Japan isn’t a problem, but the cost is burning a hole in your wallet.

If you’re nodding "yes", we have good news: The Japanese government and municipalities provide subsidies for over 100 diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis B and C, and epilepsy, to name a few.
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