Carlie: Hey there, it’s Carlie with the Expat Focus podcast. Did you know that fried chicken is a Christmas tradition in Japan? And that the festive season is more about romance and gift giving between couples than arranging presents for the kids? Former expat and current Japanese tour company founder Nicki has lots of … Read more
Immigration to Japan has risen consistently since 2012, with 2.73 million foreign nationals registered in the country in 2018 and 1.66 million foreign workers as of 2019. In March 2020, the Global Financial Centres Index ranked the country’s capital, Tokyo, as a rising global financial centre, which put it in third place behind New York … Read more
The quality of healthcare in Japan, both in the private and the public sector, is of a high standard. The public sector can in some ways be seen a victim of its own success. The treatment is very good, but because it is perceived to be so, and also because it is relatively inexpensive (especially … Read more
The Japanese are among the healthiest people on the planet, due partly, it is thought, to their healthy diet and assiduousness in seeing a doctor on a regular basis. It is also often attributed to their excellent national health service. If you are an expat with a chronic illness, you should not find it too … Read more
Japan is an increasingly popular destination for a variety of sports. Its mountainous regions are great for skiing, and the fact that the country is an island means that water sports are on offer in many coastal resorts. You can also engage in more traditional Japanese sports, such as martial arts, if you so wish. … Read more
If you are an expat living in Japan and looking to have a baby, then it’s worth considering what kind of maternity care is available. The good news is that both public and private healthcare in the country is excellent.Unfortunately, although public health insurance is compulsory if you are working in Japan, it does not … Read more
If you are living and working in Japan, you will need to sign up with the national health insurance system. This is compulsory and will allow you to access public healthcare. Health insurance in Japan is based on a two-tier system of public and private health insurance.The national scheme is divided into two parts: Employees’ … Read more
Although the public healthcare system in Japan is generally considered to be of a very high quality, and most of the Japanese population are covered by national health insurance, mental health care in the country is often considered to be lagging behind that of the West.Mental illness still carries a stigma, particularly when experienced by … Read more
