Books
Pension and Health Insurance in Japan
2026–2027 Edition: what to pay, what you get, and what to do if you cannot pay
Japan's pension and health insurance explained for people who were not raised in the system: which plan you are in, what the payments are for, what you can get back, and what to do when money is tight. With notes for employers.
Coming soon
Buying, Owning and Selling a Car in Japan
Garage certificate (shako shomei), name transfer, kei cars and leaving Japan
The paperwork that comes with a car in Japan, in the order you will meet it. The Japanese form labels are kept so you can fill in the real forms.
How to Get a Secondhand Dealer License (Kobutsusho) in Japan
Application, the 13 categories, the transaction record book and tax returns
For people who want to buy used goods and resell them — online or in a shop — and need the police license to do it.
Japanese Driving License for Foreign Residents
How to convert your foreign license: booking, documents, cost and the test course
The foreign license conversion (gaimen kirikae) from first phone call to the day at the test center.
Japan Driving Test: 150 Practice Questions
For the knowledge test of the foreign license conversion
Three full practice tests with the answers and the reason behind each one.
Foreign License Conversion in Japan: A Practical Handbook
The full reference for the conversion
The detailed handbook: the rules behind each step, the points system and what to do with your license when you leave Japan.
How we write these guides
- Japanese names are kept. Forms, offices and key terms appear in Japanese next to the English, so you can match them with the real paperwork.
- Checked against official sources. Laws on e-Gov law search and pages of the offices in charge, such as the National Police Agency, the Japan Pension Service and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
- Dated. Rules change. Every book shows the date its contents were checked.
- Who to ask. When the answer depends on your own case, the books tell you which office to ask.
About
Life in Japan Guide is a small publisher of practical guides for foreign residents of Japan. News about new books is posted on our Facebook page.
These books and this site give general information. They are not legal, tax or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the office in charge or a qualified professional.