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"Doing Business in India"
Avneet Jolly and Anupam Prakash
Avneet Jolly and Anupam Prakash
ASIA: "Asia Pacific economic outlook - February 2010" report
ASIA: "Asia Pacific economic outlook - February 2010" report. 9-page report by Deloitte India.
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ASIA: "Asia Pacific economic outlook - February 2010" report. 9-page report by Deloitte India.
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eJournals
Destination Profile: Japan
Expats are starting to return to the island after 2011 earthquake, tsunami.
On March 11, 2011, Japan’s strongest-ever earthquake occurred off the coast of the northeast part of Honshu Island, some 140 miles from Tokyo. This in turn caused a massive tsunami that flooded the coastline, killing nearly 20,000 people. The earthquake also damaged reactors in the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (one of more than 50 in Japan), causing radiation to leak.
This disaster, the worst to hit the country since World War II, caused an estimated $220 billion in damage. It added immense new pressure to the Japanese economy, which has been in the doldrums for more than a decade. Experts are still assessing the damage at the power plant. However, as of November, the U.S. Department of State announced: “While the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains serious and dynamic, the health and safety risks to land areas which are outside a 50-mile radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are low and do not pose significant risks to U.S. citizens.”
The disaster’s effect on the relocation business has been surprisingly small, says expat Steve Burson, a New Zealander who has lived in Japan for 16 years and is president of the Nagoya-based Relo Japan, part of the H&R Group.
“We had been bracing ourselves for a much worse result, but in fact [we] had a better summer [in 2011] compared to 2010,” he said. “March and April were, of course, not good. However, after May, most of the people who left started to come back.”
He noted that there has been a clear shift away from families and toward more singles and couples taking positions. “The concerns for one’s children have obviously kept the families away, although this has happened more markedly amongst Europeans than the American community,” he said.
“For Tokyo and Japan’s other main business centers, it is basically back to normal business, so I don’t feel the event itself will have so much effect on our business going forward,” Burson said. “In fact we had a very encouraging start to 2011, and the last few months have also been strong. There are obviously many other factors that could affect things, but in general I feel that Japan has hit bottom and now things are slowly improving.”
A Life-Changing Assignment
Assignees heading to Japan can anticipate an experience that will influence them for years to come. It’s a strikingly vibrant and culturally rich country with one foot set in the distant past and the other in fast-forward motion toward the future. Even in the 1880s, the legendary British traveler Isabella Bird wrote, “Japan offers as much novelty perhaps as an excursion to another planet.”
For many expats, it is this unique complexity that can make an assignment in Japan a thrilling—and even a life-changing—experience. For an incoming expat, Japan has a long list of decidedly commendable qualities. Japanese society, aside from being materially affluent (in polls, 90 percent of Japanese consider themselves middle-class), is also arguably the world’s most civil and polite. Small children are doted on even by strangers, and the elderly are genuinely treasured (Children’s Day and Respect for the Aged Day are both national public holidays). The crime rate is well below the U.S. average and violent crime is so rare that it’s virtually nonexistent. Gun control is extremely strict; essentially only police and military are allowed to own handguns. You will have to look hard to find graffiti or litter anywhere.
Educational standards are among the world’s highest, with national literacy rates at 99 percent. Health standards also are exceptionally high with world-class doctors, medical facilities, and pharmacies. Average life expectancy in Japan is 82.2 years.
Japan’s celebrated cuisine may well have something to do with this. Not only is it delicious, it is also highly nutritious, with an emphasis on fresh fish, plus lots of vegetables and fruits. Only 3 percent of Japanese are deemed obese.
Diverse Geography
While the common image of urban Japan—mega-cities sprawling in all directions—is accurate (nearly 80 percent of Japan’s people live in urban areas), it’s also true that there are vast areas of rugged forest-covered mountains. In winter, people head out of the cities to ski resorts in the Japanese Alps, while in summer they flock to the sandy beaches of Japan’s southern islands, where many of the country’s most charming natural hot spring spas are located. Japan is a strikingly beautiful country, with the spring and autumn months especially spectacular.
Most expats live in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which includes the satellite city of Yokohama. Others live further south in Nagoya, or the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area, and still others are based in the southern cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima or the northern city of Sapporo. This does not include the approximately 40,000 American military personnel and their families who live on various U.S. bases.
The notion that Japan is a small country is incorrect. If you placed a map of the four main islands of the Japanese archipelago—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikuku, and Kyushu—over the East Coast of the United States, the northernmost island of Hokkaido would be in Maine and the southernmost islands would extend well into the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, the main island of Honshu—home to the capital of Tokyo, with its 36.5 million people—is the seventh-largest island in the world. Total population is 127 million, more than the combined populations of Britain and France.
Cultural Considerations
An assignment in Japan presents unique cultural challenges in daily living—in everything from accommodations and transportation to language.
There are some key differences between life in Japan and in North America, or in Canada or Australia. Japan’s population is nearly 99 percent ethnic Japanese, and so their society is nowhere near as diverse as that of America’s or Europe’s. Like Americans, relatively few Japanese speak a second language fluently, and the Japanese language itself is difficult to learn. Traditional Japanese society can be very regimented, and the obligations of the group—your family, your work colleagues, your neighbors—are considered equally important (if not more so) than your rights as an individual. Bureaucracy for things large and small can be a head-banging experience for new arrivals. Patience and a sense of humor go a long way in Japan.
Accommodations
Most Japanese live in high-rise, high-density apartments with kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms that would be considered quite small by Westerners’ standards. For this reason, expats should consider carefully what bulky personal effects and furniture they ship to Japan. In most cases, furniture that is close to a year old can be imported to Japan duty-free.
Fully furnished apartments are extremely popular for expats, especially for their first year. Public areas of the building, including the lobby, stairways, and recreation areas, will be well maintained and spotless. Although they are aimed at the top end of the market (monthly rents in a nice section of Tokyo can run $7,500), they are easy to find and the real estate companies that handle these are used to dealing with the special needs of expat tenants.
Housing regulations and requirements are strict and usually include presenting copies of the prospective tenant’s passport, alien registration card (front and back), and a company letter of employment with salary information. Electricity, plumbing, phone, and Internet connection are world-class (but not included in the rent). Electricity is 100 volts, with Japanese electrical plugs having two, non-polarized pins.
Transportation
Relatively few people in urban areas own cars. Reasons for this are many. Traffic is often horrendous and operating costs are high; gas is more than $4.25 per gallon, and rent for a monthly parking space can range from $300 to nearly $1,000. But public transportation is excellent, especially in cities. Many Japanese make daily commutes to and from work via the country’s trains, which are the most modern in the world. In fact, trains are such an integral aspect of Japanese life that railway stations are major social hubs, boasting attached department stores, medical clinics, restaurants, pubs, and even hotels. For this reason, apartments located near large stations are popular places to live and command premium rents.
For short distances in cities, Japanese taxis are wonderful. Fully metered and spotlessly clean, the drivers often wear ties and some even sport white gloves; what’s more, they will automatically open and close your door. Few drivers speak English, however, so it’s best to have your destination written in Japanese. Fares are calculated by a combination of distance and time, with a 20 percent surcharge during late-night hours. Drivers are impeccably honest, and tipping is not expected.
While it can be problematic to drive a car in Japan, it’s not impossible. Japanese drive on the left-hand side of the road as in the UK, and the steering wheel is located on the right. All major road signs are in both Japanese and English.
For a short time—usually 90 days—newly arrived expats can use an international driver’s license, but afterward, a Japanese license is required. All the usual exams apply, including hearing and vision, as well as a written exam (in English) and sometimes a road test.
Business Practices
The standard Japanese workweek is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though many Japanese white-collar workers will stay on for several hours longer. Employment laws in Japan, which are enshrined in the Japanese constitution, are closely comparable to those in the U.S. because the United States wrote the Japanese constitution after World War II.
The just-arrived expat should be aware of some standard procedures and habits to avoid cultural gaffes. Bowing is routine when Japanese meet each other, but handshakes at business meetings are also the norm. Japan is still quite a formal country in business settings and “casual Friday” has no meaning there. For business meetings during office hours, it’s always best to dress in formal business attire. Japanese are also punctual people, so never be late. Everyone carries business cards at all times, often with one side in English and the flip side in Japanese. Some people even have their photos on the cards. Having your own cards made with Japanese translations is easy to do, and many hotel business centers can get them to you within a day or two.
At large Japanese companies with international clients, many staffers on the Japanese side will speak reasonable English, but a translator will frequently still be used because Japanese are not always confident in their English language skills. At initial meetings, it is often wise for expats to bring their own interpreter to show that they are serious about doing business. At the first meeting, small gifts are often exchanged, frequently a bottle of wine from the expat’s country or a cask of sake from the host. The packaging should be of good quality. When speaking, junior staffers always give way to senior staffers, and it is not a good idea to interrupt someone when they are speaking.
In dealing with Japanese partners, it’s important to understand that in Japanese culture, great efforts are made not to upset or offend others. In business, this trait can be confusing. A foreigner making a presentation will often hear his Japanese host saying, “Yes,” “Yes,” and “Yes.” It might merely mean: “Yes, I can see the effort you have put into your product. And yes we are pleased to see it. And yes it is certainly worthy of consideration.” None of these mean that a sale has actually been made.
Medical Questions
Japan has an excellent national medical health system, but it is only available to foreigners who have long-term visas. Private doctors have excellent standards but those who are specifically English-speaking are both rare and expensive. The vast majority of expats are covered by their employer’s insurance policy; for those who are not, Japanese caregivers expect full payment at the time of treatment. Credit cards are accepted. Two months of personal prescription drugs can be imported to Japan without duty. Afterward, the vast majority of drugs sold internationally are available in Japan.
Money Matters
It is easy for expats to open a bank account in Japan. Aside from an alien registration card and passport, all that is needed is proof of a fixed address in Japan. Most employers in Japan will recommend a specific bank where they deposit their staff salaries. Phone and utility bills can also be paid automatically via bank account. Normally, no minimum balance is required, and transferring money from overseas is routine. Leading Western credit cards, such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club International, and Discover, are widely accepted in Japan. Personal checks are almost unknown, as most people prefer cash or credit cards. ATM facilities can be found in most large post offices, and provide yen at an exchange rate equal to or better than a bank’s.
Immigration/Visa Requirements
While most counties have only a handful of visa types—mainly tourist, student, diplomatic, and general employment—Japan’s immigration law stipulates 27 different visas. These include specific visas for artists and academics, journalists, investment bankers, managers, legal staff, medical workers, internal company transfers, scientists, technicians, and religious leaders. For this reason, when visa applications are made at Japanese embassies in your home country, specific documentation must be presented that confirms the applicant’s specific skill set.
Visas are also offered for spouses and the children of expats who are granted work-based resident visas. Some visas have no time limit, but most employment visas (and their associated spouse/family visas) range from one to three years. These can be renewed.
If your employment visa has been approved by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your own country, your dealings with the Japanese Immigration Department at your port of arrival in Japan will be smooth and painless. It is important to have a fully valid passport, ideally with more than one year before expiration, because once the passport expires, the attached visas are no longer valid.
As part of its anti-terrorism program since 2007, Japan requires all visitors and resident foreigners to be fingerprinted and photographed on arrival in Japan, as well as each time they re-enter the country. Foreign residents who are also frequent travelers can pre-register and go through a fast-track line.
Working Spouses?
Considering that prices in Japan can make one’s eyes water (according to The Economist, Tokyo was the most expensive city in the world in 2011), many non-sponsored spouses wonder about the possibility of employment. With the country’s current weakened economy and unemployment levels at 5 percent in recent years, there is not a surplus of jobs—and most of these require Japanese-speaking skills. However, if a person has unique or special white-collar skills, finding work as an expat spouse is a possibility, particularly in the educational field, and especially with a TESL certificate.
Schooling
For American expats with children, the American School in Japan has operated since 1902 and offers classes from pre-school to grade 12. Though students come from 40 countries, all classes are conducted in English, and the curriculum and standards are based on those in the U.S. It has two campuses in Tokyo and more than 1,400 students. Annual tuition for students from kindergarten to grade 12 is approximately $28,000.
Other international schools in the Tokyo area include the British School, the Canadian International School, the German School in Yokohama (a southern suburb of Tokyo), and the Tokyo Korean School. In addition, there are a number of independent international schools, as well as religious-affiliated schools such as the Montessori School of Tokyo.
Taking Pets
About 40 percent of Japanese people own pets, with dogs being the most popular. Laws are strict about imports, so plan well ahead. Prior to landing, dogs must be fitted with a microchip for identification. A rabies vaccination that is no more than a year old is required before arrival in Japan, and the Japanese Animal Quarantine Service must be notified at least six weeks in advance. If all paperwork is completed correctly, there is only a 12-hour quarantine period at port of arrival. Failure to meet all the requirements can lead to a multi-month quarantine, which is very expensive. Be aware, also, that many apartment buildings in Japan do not allow dogs.
Religion
Japan enjoys complete religious freedom. The majority of Japanese, though, are not formally religious. They do, however, take part in some Shinto and Buddhist services, such as weddings and funerals; and the Japanese calendar is packed with many festivals that combine either Shinto or Buddhist rites. These are largely cultural or historical events where the emphasis is placed largely on fun, and expats are most welcome to join in. Though not formal holidays, New Year’s Day (January 1) and Christmas are popular in Japan.
Unexpected Japan
Whenever the topic of Japanese sports is mentioned, the immediate image that comes to mind is that of judo, karate, or sumo wrestling. All were invented in Japan and are quite popular. However, what few people outside Japan know is that baseball is also wildly popular, so much so that many Japanese even consider baseball to be Japan’s national sport. The game has been played here for more than 140 years. In addition to amateur and high school teams, Japan also has its own professional baseball teams that play at the country’s dozen big-league stadiums. Excellent Japanese beer and traditional snacks (including bento box lunches) are served here. But for expats seeking comfort food, some stadiums also offer such fast-food favorites as Domino’s pizza and Baskin-Robbins ice cream.
And yes, just before the action starts, the Japanese umpire will shout, “Prei Booru!”
Steven Knipp is a Hong Kong-based freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in such publications as Time, Newsweek, the International Herald-Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and the Far East Economic Review. This is his first article for Mobility.
Source: Mobility Magazine - GAI
backASIAtalk May, 2012
Destination Profile: Japan
Expats are starting to return to the island after 2011 earthquake, tsunami.
On March 11, 2011, Japan’s strongest-ever earthquake occurred off the coast of the northeast part of Honshu Island, some 140 miles from Tokyo. This in turn caused a massive tsunami that flooded the coastline, killing nearly 20,000 people. The earthquake also damaged reactors in the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (one of more than 50 in Japan), causing radiation to leak.
This disaster, the worst to hit the country since World War II, caused an estimated $220 billion in damage. It added immense new pressure to the Japanese economy, which has been in the doldrums for more than a decade. Experts are still assessing the damage at the power plant. However, as of November, the U.S. Department of State announced: “While the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains serious and dynamic, the health and safety risks to land areas which are outside a 50-mile radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are low and do not pose significant risks to U.S. citizens.”
The disaster’s effect on the relocation business has been surprisingly small, says expat Steve Burson, a New Zealander who has lived in Japan for 16 years and is president of the Nagoya-based Relo Japan, part of the H&R Group.
“We had been bracing ourselves for a much worse result, but in fact [we] had a better summer [in 2011] compared to 2010,” he said. “March and April were, of course, not good. However, after May, most of the people who left started to come back.”
He noted that there has been a clear shift away from families and toward more singles and couples taking positions. “The concerns for one’s children have obviously kept the families away, although this has happened more markedly amongst Europeans than the American community,” he said.
“For Tokyo and Japan’s other main business centers, it is basically back to normal business, so I don’t feel the event itself will have so much effect on our business going forward,” Burson said. “In fact we had a very encouraging start to 2011, and the last few months have also been strong. There are obviously many other factors that could affect things, but in general I feel that Japan has hit bottom and now things are slowly improving.”
A Life-Changing Assignment
Assignees heading to Japan can anticipate an experience that will influence them for years to come. It’s a strikingly vibrant and culturally rich country with one foot set in the distant past and the other in fast-forward motion toward the future. Even in the 1880s, the legendary British traveler Isabella Bird wrote, “Japan offers as much novelty perhaps as an excursion to another planet.”
For many expats, it is this unique complexity that can make an assignment in Japan a thrilling—and even a life-changing—experience. For an incoming expat, Japan has a long list of decidedly commendable qualities. Japanese society, aside from being materially affluent (in polls, 90 percent of Japanese consider themselves middle-class), is also arguably the world’s most civil and polite. Small children are doted on even by strangers, and the elderly are genuinely treasured (Children’s Day and Respect for the Aged Day are both national public holidays). The crime rate is well below the U.S. average and violent crime is so rare that it’s virtually nonexistent. Gun control is extremely strict; essentially only police and military are allowed to own handguns. You will have to look hard to find graffiti or litter anywhere.
Educational standards are among the world’s highest, with national literacy rates at 99 percent. Health standards also are exceptionally high with world-class doctors, medical facilities, and pharmacies. Average life expectancy in Japan is 82.2 years.
Japan’s celebrated cuisine may well have something to do with this. Not only is it delicious, it is also highly nutritious, with an emphasis on fresh fish, plus lots of vegetables and fruits. Only 3 percent of Japanese are deemed obese.
Diverse Geography
While the common image of urban Japan—mega-cities sprawling in all directions—is accurate (nearly 80 percent of Japan’s people live in urban areas), it’s also true that there are vast areas of rugged forest-covered mountains. In winter, people head out of the cities to ski resorts in the Japanese Alps, while in summer they flock to the sandy beaches of Japan’s southern islands, where many of the country’s most charming natural hot spring spas are located. Japan is a strikingly beautiful country, with the spring and autumn months especially spectacular.
Most expats live in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which includes the satellite city of Yokohama. Others live further south in Nagoya, or the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area, and still others are based in the southern cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima or the northern city of Sapporo. This does not include the approximately 40,000 American military personnel and their families who live on various U.S. bases.
The notion that Japan is a small country is incorrect. If you placed a map of the four main islands of the Japanese archipelago—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikuku, and Kyushu—over the East Coast of the United States, the northernmost island of Hokkaido would be in Maine and the southernmost islands would extend well into the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, the main island of Honshu—home to the capital of Tokyo, with its 36.5 million people—is the seventh-largest island in the world. Total population is 127 million, more than the combined populations of Britain and France.
Cultural Considerations
An assignment in Japan presents unique cultural challenges in daily living—in everything from accommodations and transportation to language.
There are some key differences between life in Japan and in North America, or in Canada or Australia. Japan’s population is nearly 99 percent ethnic Japanese, and so their society is nowhere near as diverse as that of America’s or Europe’s. Like Americans, relatively few Japanese speak a second language fluently, and the Japanese language itself is difficult to learn. Traditional Japanese society can be very regimented, and the obligations of the group—your family, your work colleagues, your neighbors—are considered equally important (if not more so) than your rights as an individual. Bureaucracy for things large and small can be a head-banging experience for new arrivals. Patience and a sense of humor go a long way in Japan.
Accommodations
Most Japanese live in high-rise, high-density apartments with kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms that would be considered quite small by Westerners’ standards. For this reason, expats should consider carefully what bulky personal effects and furniture they ship to Japan. In most cases, furniture that is close to a year old can be imported to Japan duty-free.
Fully furnished apartments are extremely popular for expats, especially for their first year. Public areas of the building, including the lobby, stairways, and recreation areas, will be well maintained and spotless. Although they are aimed at the top end of the market (monthly rents in a nice section of Tokyo can run $7,500), they are easy to find and the real estate companies that handle these are used to dealing with the special needs of expat tenants.
Housing regulations and requirements are strict and usually include presenting copies of the prospective tenant’s passport, alien registration card (front and back), and a company letter of employment with salary information. Electricity, plumbing, phone, and Internet connection are world-class (but not included in the rent). Electricity is 100 volts, with Japanese electrical plugs having two, non-polarized pins.
Transportation
Relatively few people in urban areas own cars. Reasons for this are many. Traffic is often horrendous and operating costs are high; gas is more than $4.25 per gallon, and rent for a monthly parking space can range from $300 to nearly $1,000. But public transportation is excellent, especially in cities. Many Japanese make daily commutes to and from work via the country’s trains, which are the most modern in the world. In fact, trains are such an integral aspect of Japanese life that railway stations are major social hubs, boasting attached department stores, medical clinics, restaurants, pubs, and even hotels. For this reason, apartments located near large stations are popular places to live and command premium rents.
For short distances in cities, Japanese taxis are wonderful. Fully metered and spotlessly clean, the drivers often wear ties and some even sport white gloves; what’s more, they will automatically open and close your door. Few drivers speak English, however, so it’s best to have your destination written in Japanese. Fares are calculated by a combination of distance and time, with a 20 percent surcharge during late-night hours. Drivers are impeccably honest, and tipping is not expected.
While it can be problematic to drive a car in Japan, it’s not impossible. Japanese drive on the left-hand side of the road as in the UK, and the steering wheel is located on the right. All major road signs are in both Japanese and English.
For a short time—usually 90 days—newly arrived expats can use an international driver’s license, but afterward, a Japanese license is required. All the usual exams apply, including hearing and vision, as well as a written exam (in English) and sometimes a road test.
Business Practices
The standard Japanese workweek is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though many Japanese white-collar workers will stay on for several hours longer. Employment laws in Japan, which are enshrined in the Japanese constitution, are closely comparable to those in the U.S. because the United States wrote the Japanese constitution after World War II.
The just-arrived expat should be aware of some standard procedures and habits to avoid cultural gaffes. Bowing is routine when Japanese meet each other, but handshakes at business meetings are also the norm. Japan is still quite a formal country in business settings and “casual Friday” has no meaning there. For business meetings during office hours, it’s always best to dress in formal business attire. Japanese are also punctual people, so never be late. Everyone carries business cards at all times, often with one side in English and the flip side in Japanese. Some people even have their photos on the cards. Having your own cards made with Japanese translations is easy to do, and many hotel business centers can get them to you within a day or two.
At large Japanese companies with international clients, many staffers on the Japanese side will speak reasonable English, but a translator will frequently still be used because Japanese are not always confident in their English language skills. At initial meetings, it is often wise for expats to bring their own interpreter to show that they are serious about doing business. At the first meeting, small gifts are often exchanged, frequently a bottle of wine from the expat’s country or a cask of sake from the host. The packaging should be of good quality. When speaking, junior staffers always give way to senior staffers, and it is not a good idea to interrupt someone when they are speaking.
In dealing with Japanese partners, it’s important to understand that in Japanese culture, great efforts are made not to upset or offend others. In business, this trait can be confusing. A foreigner making a presentation will often hear his Japanese host saying, “Yes,” “Yes,” and “Yes.” It might merely mean: “Yes, I can see the effort you have put into your product. And yes we are pleased to see it. And yes it is certainly worthy of consideration.” None of these mean that a sale has actually been made.
Medical Questions
Japan has an excellent national medical health system, but it is only available to foreigners who have long-term visas. Private doctors have excellent standards but those who are specifically English-speaking are both rare and expensive. The vast majority of expats are covered by their employer’s insurance policy; for those who are not, Japanese caregivers expect full payment at the time of treatment. Credit cards are accepted. Two months of personal prescription drugs can be imported to Japan without duty. Afterward, the vast majority of drugs sold internationally are available in Japan.
Money Matters
It is easy for expats to open a bank account in Japan. Aside from an alien registration card and passport, all that is needed is proof of a fixed address in Japan. Most employers in Japan will recommend a specific bank where they deposit their staff salaries. Phone and utility bills can also be paid automatically via bank account. Normally, no minimum balance is required, and transferring money from overseas is routine. Leading Western credit cards, such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club International, and Discover, are widely accepted in Japan. Personal checks are almost unknown, as most people prefer cash or credit cards. ATM facilities can be found in most large post offices, and provide yen at an exchange rate equal to or better than a bank’s.
Immigration/Visa Requirements
While most counties have only a handful of visa types—mainly tourist, student, diplomatic, and general employment—Japan’s immigration law stipulates 27 different visas. These include specific visas for artists and academics, journalists, investment bankers, managers, legal staff, medical workers, internal company transfers, scientists, technicians, and religious leaders. For this reason, when visa applications are made at Japanese embassies in your home country, specific documentation must be presented that confirms the applicant’s specific skill set.
Visas are also offered for spouses and the children of expats who are granted work-based resident visas. Some visas have no time limit, but most employment visas (and their associated spouse/family visas) range from one to three years. These can be renewed.
If your employment visa has been approved by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your own country, your dealings with the Japanese Immigration Department at your port of arrival in Japan will be smooth and painless. It is important to have a fully valid passport, ideally with more than one year before expiration, because once the passport expires, the attached visas are no longer valid.
As part of its anti-terrorism program since 2007, Japan requires all visitors and resident foreigners to be fingerprinted and photographed on arrival in Japan, as well as each time they re-enter the country. Foreign residents who are also frequent travelers can pre-register and go through a fast-track line.
Working Spouses?
Considering that prices in Japan can make one’s eyes water (according to The Economist, Tokyo was the most expensive city in the world in 2011), many non-sponsored spouses wonder about the possibility of employment. With the country’s current weakened economy and unemployment levels at 5 percent in recent years, there is not a surplus of jobs—and most of these require Japanese-speaking skills. However, if a person has unique or special white-collar skills, finding work as an expat spouse is a possibility, particularly in the educational field, and especially with a TESL certificate.
Schooling
For American expats with children, the American School in Japan has operated since 1902 and offers classes from pre-school to grade 12. Though students come from 40 countries, all classes are conducted in English, and the curriculum and standards are based on those in the U.S. It has two campuses in Tokyo and more than 1,400 students. Annual tuition for students from kindergarten to grade 12 is approximately $28,000.
Other international schools in the Tokyo area include the British School, the Canadian International School, the German School in Yokohama (a southern suburb of Tokyo), and the Tokyo Korean School. In addition, there are a number of independent international schools, as well as religious-affiliated schools such as the Montessori School of Tokyo.
Taking Pets
About 40 percent of Japanese people own pets, with dogs being the most popular. Laws are strict about imports, so plan well ahead. Prior to landing, dogs must be fitted with a microchip for identification. A rabies vaccination that is no more than a year old is required before arrival in Japan, and the Japanese Animal Quarantine Service must be notified at least six weeks in advance. If all paperwork is completed correctly, there is only a 12-hour quarantine period at port of arrival. Failure to meet all the requirements can lead to a multi-month quarantine, which is very expensive. Be aware, also, that many apartment buildings in Japan do not allow dogs.
Religion
Japan enjoys complete religious freedom. The majority of Japanese, though, are not formally religious. They do, however, take part in some Shinto and Buddhist services, such as weddings and funerals; and the Japanese calendar is packed with many festivals that combine either Shinto or Buddhist rites. These are largely cultural or historical events where the emphasis is placed largely on fun, and expats are most welcome to join in. Though not formal holidays, New Year’s Day (January 1) and Christmas are popular in Japan.
Unexpected Japan
Whenever the topic of Japanese sports is mentioned, the immediate image that comes to mind is that of judo, karate, or sumo wrestling. All were invented in Japan and are quite popular. However, what few people outside Japan know is that baseball is also wildly popular, so much so that many Japanese even consider baseball to be Japan’s national sport. The game has been played here for more than 140 years. In addition to amateur and high school teams, Japan also has its own professional baseball teams that play at the country’s dozen big-league stadiums. Excellent Japanese beer and traditional snacks (including bento box lunches) are served here. But for expats seeking comfort food, some stadiums also offer such fast-food favorites as Domino’s pizza and Baskin-Robbins ice cream.
And yes, just before the action starts, the Japanese umpire will shout, “Prei Booru!”
Steven Knipp is a Hong Kong-based freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in such publications as Time, Newsweek, the International Herald-Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and the Far East Economic Review. This is his first article for Mobility.
Source: Mobility Magazine - GAI
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Other articles from the same issue (May, 2012).
China in the Driver’s Seat
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India: Automobile sector-focussed policies on the anvil
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Asean Automotive Monthly: Executive Summary (March, 2012)
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India Automotive Monthly: Executive Summary (March, 2012)
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China Automotive Monthly: Executive Summary (March, 2012)
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India: Automobiles industry (April 2012)
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Car sales set to double in China by 2020
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Malaysia: MAA says new rules already impact sales of new vehicles
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China-EV.org Blog: Toyota EV guru Bill Reinert not keen on pure electric; China government would agree for now
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Asia Pacific Economic Outlook — April 2012
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2012 India attractiveness survey
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How to tap a market like India
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Manpower Employment Outlook Survey reveals Indian employers expect vigorous hiring pace to continue in the second quarter
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Asian Firms Offer More Variable Pay than Western Firms
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Comparative Employment Risks in the BRIC Countries
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Asian education systems lacking “practice orientation”
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Changes Affecting the U.S. Visa Application Process in Japan
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Destination Profile: Japan
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Employers Beware: The Changing Landscape of Assignments to Hong Kong
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Vietnam: Guidelines on the Recruitment of and Management Over Expatriates
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Japan's Special Economic Zones Offer Opportunity for Overseas Companies
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India: Electronics policy to be approved soon: Sibal
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Singapore: Skill shortage remains a problem
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The RMB is coming. Is your company prepared?
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China Expands Use of RMB as Cross-border Settlement Currency
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Study indicates India's urbanisation trend intact
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Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade to Facilitate U.S. Imports
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All about the fives: China’s transportation plans
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India accounts for half of global IT-BPO outsourcing
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Asia update: global headlines
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