So I got my Gaijin Card…now what?
Hello again!
A BIG thanks to everyone who emailed and commented on the first mini-series video. It seems like a lot of you are enjoying the content so I’m back with part 2!
I just recently got my Gaijin Card so I thought I would step through what I’ve done since getting my hands on that important piece of plastic. In this episode, I will talk a little bit about opening a bank account in Japan and getting a cell phone.
I’ve received tons of great suggestions on future topics and will try to hit on as many of them as possible here in the upcoming weeks! Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming!
Oh, and please be sure to check out our official facebook page that we just opened yesterday! Aaron and I figured this would be a great way to help our community meet each other and grow stronger. For now, we’ll be uploading videos from our Happy Hour Japan archives but stay tuned because we also hope to add some new, fun content on our facebook page in the not-to-distant future!
Hope to see you there!
Kanpai,
Kevin
Looks like I’m the first to comment! Great video, Kevin! Super useful for those of us who may move to Japan some day. The location was great as well… nice to see some scenery
Great video and website.
Thanks for the Awesome Video it was very in-depth and well put together. Thanks to your videos im going to have more confidence when my time comes to go to japan i learned a lot thanks again. (^_^)V
Hey, this is my first comment here! (even though I was even on your video!) I was born and raised in Japan, so it’s kinda difficult for me to think of what are important things to start a life in Japan as a gaijin, so I think Kevin’s video is really informative and I like it!! I miss “Aaron x Kevin” video format though…Can I be on episode again?
P.S.
I like your jacket, very pimping.
Nice to see you out and about in cold Japan, Kevin!
Looking good man, nice jacket, too!
It`s super that you found a good park nearby! As you said, difficult to find large parks in some urban areas of Japan, especially ones that are interesting and well kept.
Will be interesting to see your continued podcasts from there as the seasons progress.
Also great that you guys got on FaceBook, now! Great connections and communications!
Keep up the fine efforts!
Happy Holidays!
Taro
Hey there!
Well Kevin since you offered that you would try to meet those of your fans that happened to be in Japan during your stay, I’m going to be there from End of January to somewhere to the middle of February, I’m taking a sabbatical bevore headding to University so I haven’t a date of return fixed yet.
I’d be really gratefull if we could meet cause even if I’ve watched all your vids and try to learn Japanese on my own I think I’ll get a cultural shock once I’m there^^
P.S. I’m from Germany, you’ve got a very international audience
Nice video.
In my area, I find that 40+ people use mostly Docomo, 20-40 people use Softbank and under 20 years old use Au. I also don’t know anyone who uses Willcom except for a data connection. Recently I see more and more iPhones.
I live in Shizuoka.
LOVING the videos from japan, Kevin! Keep them coming!
All the cell phone and bank information is indispensable for me, as someone planning to live in japan for some time.
I would like to see more information coming from your day to day life:)
Where’d you get your couch? Love it!
i love the website so far. the videos are great keep them coming! even not speaking it, give us some stats on how they live in japan in ur videos would help!
also kevin you’re pretty hot, if i ever come to japan i’m looking you up!
As an American born and raised nor have I been in anyother country, I was wondering if in Japan there was a card almost like a US citzen certificate, or visa, or something on that line that allowed you to live there for the rest of your life and also to travel in and out of Japan?
On a second not :), i too love the videos from Japan because it makes me feel as if im actually there! And the info about Japan amazing please keep it coming for all future japanese citzens like me! Hontouni Arigatou gozai masu
Having gone to Japan through an exchange program, my experience with my gaijin card, phone, and bank account were all somewhat different. Within the first week of arriving in Japan I already had a bank account without having my gaijin card yet. I think it actually took around a month to get the card because they had so many students to process. On the actual bank forms (at Sumitomo Mitsui), they were very strict about mistakes. If you made one tiny mistake they had you do the whole thing again. However, we did not need a hanko to sign anything. Instead, they told us to simply sign our names in the circle with our pin number and remember exactly how we wrote it. The phone was slightly more difficult for me. Most people I knew used Soft Bank, at least for non-contract phones. You could also buy minutes at the local convini. My major problem wasn’t that I didn’t have my gaijin card yet (I think some of my friends got phones within days of arrival and they didn’t have cards either), but that I was too young. Apparently you have to be 20 in order to get a phone without a parent’s consent, even for a pre-payed phone. I was only 19, thus a friend bought me a phone instead. I think pre-payed phones cost about $75, but that might have included $20 or so of minutes.
I just wanted to drop you a line. I have an account with Shinsei bank. You don’t need a hanko for that as they will accept Western Style signatures. Plus Shinsei don’t give you a bank book, you only get a keycard with their accounts.