Try to sell the whisky or drink it? What would you do? The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🥃

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan. Our weekly newsletter with links, news, stories, and more 😀

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 👺

Another big disaster will strike Japan -are you ready? 🌋📢☢️📉🧻🧯🗾 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😀

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😀 This week we have all the usual links and resources, including the government's new idea to require N2 Japanese for some visas.

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😀 A weekly email with links, stories, resources, and more. retirejapan.substack.com/p/the-monday...

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😊 Ever wondered what it's like to ride in an ambulance here? I did too, until last Thursday that is...

The Monday Read: Surprise Ambulance Ride www.retirejapan.com/blog/the-mon...

Did you miss us? (don't answer that) RetireJapan TV is back tonight from 20:00 on your favourite platform (YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn). We'll be talking about how to survive 2026, my latest naturalisation update, all our usual nonsense, and much much more 😀

I went to the immigration office last week. I had not missed it. The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😊

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: news and updates every week 😊

Lots of content this week, and an apology! The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😁

Japan has very few illegal immigrants (currently estimated to be around 71,000, ie 0.05% of the population and falling since the peak in the 1990s) but since last year the Japanese government has put a large amount of attention and effort on 'foreigner problems.

PR fees from 2026 So it seems like the government is going to increase the cost of getting permanent residency, not to 100,000 yen as many people feared, but to 200,000 yen.

Two reasons NOT to buy a home in Japan: antisocial neighbours and disasters... The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🚒

Japan does small independent restaurants (with a limited menu) really, really well. The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😋

Local authorities across Japan are giving out points to help with the cost of living crisis and encourage people to spend money in their local community. It's basically free money, but you need to have a My Number card and download a local government app to get them.

A trip to Appi, last call for our online course, and all the usual links. Enjoy with a coffee as a mid-morning break 😁 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🏔️

The first Monday Read of the year. How was your shrine visit this year? After avoiding being eaten by bears, mine went surprisingly well. A good omen? We'll see 😉

The final Monday Read of the year 😀 RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan. See you again in the year of the horse 🐴

The best posts and videos from 2025. RetireJapan's annual roundup post. Which were your favourites?

Treetop obstacle courses, ziplines, a Xmas special, and all our usual links for your last week of work before the winter break 😀 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🎅 🍰 🍗

Tracking your financial progress can be a huge source of motivation when you are trying to save and invest for the future. I've been writing these public reports since 2016. Here is the latest one 😀 TLDR: it was a good year financially.

If you live in Japan, you should be ready for disasters. Don't worry about them TOO much, but do take time to make basic preparations You'll be so glad you did when the day comes The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🚒

What are you feeding your brain? The standard informational diet might be bad for your mental health. The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😇

Join our Substack to easily get The Monday Read each week (and occasional blog posts on Fridays) 😀 retirejapan.substack.com

Handling the internet addiction, proposed visa fees in Japan, generative AI results, forum topics, all our usual links and more 😁 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🉐

Are the good times over for UK citizens living abroad? Maybe. All the details of changes coming in 2026 in our new blog post.

The Monday Read: a snowy getaway, financial planner qualifications, cast iron frying pans, surprise visa fee raises, and all our regular links and stories. Just what you need on a holiday Monday 😄 RetireJapan: personal finance for people living in Japan 🎌

A fun little exercise for savers and investors: what is your FI percentage? Getting to about 10% will change your life.

Going back to work, RetireJapan TV, a new YT series, my new favourite mouse, and all the usual links and content 😎 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🎌

Japan gets tough (eventually) All visa renewals and changes will now require proof of paying tax and social insurance. But is this 'unfair'?

Winter is coming, electricity providers, people who shouldn't use iDeCo, and all our usual links and content ⛄️ The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🗻

Becoming a Japanese citizen is much more popular than I imagined 🎎 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🗾

New video for members on YouTube out now (everyone else gets it this afternoon 😁 ) How to Naturalize in Japan: Starting the Process at the Hōmukyoku

The financial planner qualification in Japan is really popular because it's one of the easiest 国家資格 to pass, but is it useful for people who are interested in personal finance? Find out here 😀 retirejapan.substack.com/p/fp-test-so...

Sometimes interactions don't go the way you think they will in Japan 😬

This was an excellent rumination on what is happening in Osaka at the intersection of tourism, minpaku business, demographics, and immigration www.samholden.jp/p/osaka-airb...

Is Japan retired? Zairyu cards are mutating. And much much more... The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🍤

New video out now! How to get to a really high saving rate in Japan (but do you even need to?)

A packed Monday Read for you today 😎 RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🎌

If you're fortunate enough to have more than you need, how do you decide how much to spend in retirement? I've been thinking about this recently. RetireJapan -> fix your finances, fix your life 👺

Where do you get inspriration from? The most important factor in achieving a goal is propably motivation: if motivation is strong enough it massively increases your chance of success The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🐍

Is this the secret to financial sucess in Japan? "the ancient Japanese art of..." This one simple hack multiplied our net worth by 2.5x in eight years 😉

Lots of content for you today 😀 Two videos! Craig Mod! Census! Real estate! Links! The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 💹

New video out now 😎

Shopping around for doctors in Japan is underrated 🥼 The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japa 💹

Did you get your census envelope yet? If not, someone will be ringing your doorbell soon. But what is the census, and why is it important that you fill it out?

Not as sexy as investing perhaps, but making sure your affairs are in order will make a huge difference to your family... Fortunately we now have a decent resource for English speakers in Japan. The author of the new International Residents' Ending Note explains:

Not as sexy as investing perhaps, but making sure your affairs are in order will make a huge difference to your family... Fortunately we now have a decent resource for English speakers in Japan. The author of the new International Residents' Ending Note explains: