Japan (JP)
Japan is one of the world's most captivating destinations for expats — a country where ancient temple culture and ultra-modern technology coexist seamlessly.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Japan.
🛒 Supermarkets
Japan's largest supermarket chain. Aeon Mall locations are anchor supermarkets with everything from groceries to clothing. Wide selection, bilingual signage in expat-heavy areas, English-speaking staff in some stores.
Large format supermarket common in Tokyo and eastern Japan. Strong fresh produce and bento sections.
Discount supermarket; majority sold by Walmart to KKR and other investors in 2021 (Walmart retains a minority stake). Very competitive prices on everyday groceries. Strong private-label range.
Professional/bulk discount supermarket. Excellent for large quantities, imported goods, and frozen items at very low prices. Popular with expats for finding international ingredients at reasonable cost.
Popular urban supermarket chain, especially common in Osaka and Tokyo. Good selection of fresh fish and Japanese produce.
Bulk/restaurant supply supermarket open to the public. Great prices on meat, frozen foods, and large quantities.
Upscale supermarket with excellent imported goods, international cheeses, wines, and organic produce. Expensive but worth it for homesick expats.
Premium import-focused supermarkets popular with the expat community in Tokyo. Imported Western foods, organic options, English staff.
Opening Hours
Most supermarkets are open daily 9am–10pm or even 24 hours. Convenience stores (コンビニ / konbini) — 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson — are open 24 hours, 365 days a year, and sell hot food, ready meals, ATM services, bill payment, and ticket printing. Department store food halls (デパ地下 / depachika) typically 10am–8pm. Shopping malls typically 10am–9pm. Restaurants: lunch 11am–2pm, dinner 5pm–11pm. Note: Many ramen shops and izakayas stay open until 2–3am in cities.
Sunday Rules
Unlike Germany, Japan has no Sunday trading restrictions. Supermarkets, shops, restaurants, and most businesses operate normally seven days a week. Sunday is actually a busy shopping day in Japan. Some government offices and ward offices are closed Sundays, as are banks (ATMs remain open). Shrines and temples are open every day.
Recycling
Japan has one of the world's most complex waste sorting systems. Rules vary by ward/municipality — your ward office will give you a printed schedule and guide (sometimes in multiple languages). Burning unsorted rubbish is illegal and neighbourhoods police this closely. You MUST use designated garbage bags sold at convenience stores (some municipalities have branded bags). Rubbish can only be put out on designated collection days and times (usually before 8am). Oversized items (粗大ごみ) require purchasing a disposal ticket at a convenience store and arranging collection.
Dining Out
Japan's restaurant culture is extraordinary at every price point. Gyudon (beef bowl) from ¥400, ramen ¥800–1,200, teishoku (set lunch) ¥700–1,200, sushi conveyor ¥1,200–2,000. Lunch sets are excellent value — many restaurants offer a significantly discounted set (ランチセット) only at lunchtime. Water and tea are always free. Many restaurants use plastic food displays in the window or vending machine ticket systems (食券機 / shokken-ki) — insert money, get a ticket for your meal, hand it to staff. Vegetarian and vegan options are improving but limited — fish-based dashi stock is used in many "vegetarian" dishes.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: TEPCO (Tokyo), Kansai Electric (Osaka/Kyoto), Chubu Electric (Nagoya). Monthly cost: ¥5,000–15,000 depending on usage and season. Gas: Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas. Monthly: ¥3,000–8,000. Water: local municipal utilities, ¥2,000–4,000/month. Bills arrive monthly by post. Pay at konbini, bank, or set up direct debit (口座振替 / kozafurikae). Some landlords include utilities in rent. Note: Japan uses 100V electricity (not 110V or 220V) — foreign electronics may need adapters.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Konbini (convenience stores) are central to daily life — use them for meals, ATMs, bill payment, parcel delivery, printing, tickets, and emergency shopping at any hour.
- → The ofuro (お風呂) bathing culture is important — many Japanese shower before getting into the bath and use the bath water for soaking only, not washing.
- → Neighbourhood associations (自治会 / jichikai or 町内会 / chōnaikai) manage local recycling, emergencies, and community events. Joining is optional but strongly recommended.
- → Hanko (判子/印鑑) — personal name stamps — are used widely for signing documents at banks, ward offices, and rental contracts. Get a registered hanko (実印 / jitsuin) early.
- → Japan Post (日本郵便) delivers to even the most rural addresses. Yamato Transport (クロネコヤマト) and Sagawa (佐川急便) are the major private courier services with excellent reliability and convenient redelivery options.
- → Vending machines (自動販売機 / jidōhanbaiki) are everywhere — cold and hot drinks, snacks, even full meals. They accept cash and IC cards.
Quiet Hours
Japan has no single national quiet hours law, but residential noise ordinances (生活騒音 / seikatsu sōon) exist in every municipality. Most residential areas have an implicit understanding of quiet from 10pm to 7am. Apartment lease agreements often specify quiet hours. In traditional neighbourhoods, midday noise on weekdays may also be restricted.
Most residential areas; typically in lease agreements
Power tools, construction, and major renovation work; check with your building manager
Power tools, construction: typically 7am–8pm weekdays, 8am–6pm weekends in Tokyo
- •Playing music or TV loudly late at night in thin-walled apartment buildings (mansions)
- •Running washing machines or dishwashers after 10pm
- •Loud parties — your neighbours WILL call the police (110)
- •Moving furniture or stamping on floors — Japanese floors transmit sound easily
Noise complaints go to the building manager first, then the police (110). Repeated violations can result in lease termination. In severe cases, fines under local noise ordinances apply.
Postal Services
Japan Post (日本郵便) provides postal and parcel services nationwide. Post offices also offer banking services (ゆうちょ銀行 / Japan Post Bank), life insurance, and accept bill payments.
PUDOs (parcel pickup stations) and locker services at convenience stores (Lawson, FamilyMart, 7-Eleven). Amazon Hub lockers at many locations. Most couriers offer redelivery scheduling by phone, web, or QR code on the missed-delivery slip.
Post offices provide identity verification services. Some banks require in-person verification at a post office (本人確認).
Kakitome (書留 / registered mail) is available at post offices for ¥430 additional. Essential for sending important documents — tracked and requires signature. Use for visa applications, legal documents, and important official correspondence.
Tenkyo Service (転居届 / change of address notification) is free at post offices and online. Mail forwarding lasts 1 year. File within 15 days of moving.
- →Use the address format: postal code, prefecture, city/ward, then street address. The Japanese system goes largest to smallest — opposite of the Western format.
- →You can pick up parcels at convenience stores — available for 7 days before return.
- →Post offices double as government service centres — you can get official documents certified, access Japan Post Bank, and pay taxes there.