The first two days in Tokyo, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Tokyo
How long you are staying
Must do
Issued at immigration at the main airports. Check the name, status and period of stay before leaving the counter, and carry it at all times: it is a legal requirement.
A prepaid data eSIM bought before you fly bridges the first weeks; a contract with a voice number usually waits until you have an address and a bank account.
Within 14 days of moving in, with your residence card and passport. Enrol in health insurance and the pension at the same visit if your employer does not, and ask for two or three copies of your resident record.
Should do
119 for an ambulance or fire, 110 for the police. The Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, answers in English around the clock.
#7119 is Tokyo's medical advice line for deciding whether you need an ambulance or a hospital. Himawari, 03-5285-8181, finds clinics with English-speaking staff.
Burnable, non-burnable, plastics, cans and bottles each go out on set mornings, sorted, in the right bags. Your ward publishes the calendar in English.
Most employers pay for a teikiken between home and the office, bought for a fixed route. Check the rules before choosing a flat, and buy it at a station machine or in the Suica app.
Trains stop around midnight and taxis home across the city cost ¥5,000 or more. Note the last departure from the stations you will use.
Your notice arrives by post after registration. The card takes about a month, and it is now your health insurance card at most clinics.
With your residence card, resident record and a Japanese phone number. Japan Post Bank and the online banks are usually the most willing. Some banks wait six months before allowing transfers abroad.
Nice to do
Onigiri, sandos and hot food at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart or Lawson are a genuine pleasure, not a compromise. The ATMs and bill-payment counters are useful too.
Most embassies run an alert service for nationals in Japan. In earthquake or typhoon season it is how they reach you.
Each ward sets its own rubbish categories and days, and some sell designated bags. Pick up the English leaflet when you register.
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