First Week in Japan: A Practical Arrival Checklist
A step-by-step checklist for resident registration, health insurance, mobile setup, banking, and transit cards.
The first week works best when the address record comes before everything else. A residence card without a registered address is accepted at the airport, but banks, phone carriers, schools, employers, and municipal counters usually need the address on the card or a resident record. Plan the week around the 14-day municipal deadline, not around whichever shop is easiest to visit first.
Day 1: arrival, cash, and the first route
At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, and New Chitose, mid- to long-term entrants normally receive a residence card at immigration. The address field is blank at this point. Keep the card, passport, visa documents, COE copy, school or employer contact, and temporary lodging address in one folder; you may need them again within 48 hours.
Carry enough yen for transport and the first 2 or 3 days. Narita Express to Tokyo Station is about 60 minutes, Keisei Skyliner to Ueno about 41 minutes, Haneda to Shinagawa on Keikyu about 14 minutes, and Kansai Airport to Osaka on JR Kansai Airport Rapid about 65 minutes. If you have 2 suitcases, an airport delivery service can be easier than testing a rush-hour transfer on day 1.
Days 2 to 3: secure the address
Resident registration cannot be finished until you have a real address. A hotel can work for a short stay, but many new residents move from a weekly apartment or dormitory into a rental contract after the first viewing round. For a private rental, expect screening by a guarantor company, fire insurance, key exchange fee, agent fee, deposit, and first rent; a ¥80,000 apartment can require roughly ¥400,000 to ¥650,000 at move-in.
Before signing, confirm whether the building allows the exact resident record wording you need, whether the mailbox name must match your romanized name, and whether utilities are separate. Save the lease, guarantor-company papers, move-in date, room number, and management-company phone number. Those details return at the ward office, bank, mobile shop, and sometimes the school office.
Days 4 to 5: ward office in one visit
After moving into the municipality, file the moving-in notification within 14 days. Bring the residence card and passport; if the municipality asks for lease or dormitory proof, show the address document. Staff will write the address on the back of the residence card. Do not fill it in yourself.
Handle National Health Insurance and National Pension during the same visit if your status requires it. The resident record can usually be issued the same day for about ¥300 per copy, and it is often needed for banking or a phone contract. My Number notice usually arrives later by post, so make sure the nameplate and mailbox can receive official mail.
Days 5 to 7: bank, phone, transport, utilities
Banking is easier after resident registration. Japan Post Bank is often the practical first stop; a cash card may arrive by mail after 1 or 2 weeks. Some major banks may apply stricter rules for people who have been in Japan less than 6 months unless an employer or school is involved. Bring residence card, passport, resident record, phone number if available, and personal seal if the branch still asks for one.
Phone contracts need identity, address, and payment. Major carriers may cost around ¥6,000 to ¥8,000 per month for large-data plans; online brands and MVNO plans can be closer to ¥800 to ¥3,000 depending on data. For electricity, water, gas, and internet, note that gas may require an in-person opening appointment and home internet construction can take 1 to 4 weeks.
For transport, add Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, or another IC card once your route stabilizes. A commuter pass makes sense only after the school or office route is fixed; buying it too early can lock you into the wrong transfer.
Records to keep
Keep a photo and PDF folder for residence card front and back, resident record, NHI papers, pension papers, My Number notice, lease, utility start dates, bank application receipt, phone contract, and transit pass receipt. If a counter gives you a receipt number, save it with the date and counter name.
When anything changes, update the records separately. Moving house does not automatically update the bank, carrier, school, employer, immigration record, pension notice address, and tax notice address. The first week is less about finishing everything forever and more about creating records that can survive the next move.
Useful terms
- residence card: 在留カード
- moving-in notification: 転入届
- resident record: 住民票
- National Health Insurance: 国民健康保険
- My Number: マイナンバー