Making a Will in Japan
The notary public option A few months ago, I made a shocking discovery: there was a good chance that when I died, all my assets would go to the Japanese government and my family would get nothing. (don’t panic, this is extremely unlikely to apply to you) The reason for this is my very particular […]
The Monday Read: Life is Good
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. It’s been a busy week, but life is good. Getting out of the heat of summer has made everything better. I am more productive, have more energy, sleep better… Incredible how much difference it […]
I can’t afford to [do the thing]
Can you really not afford that thing, or is it just not that much of a priority?
The Monday Read: the pleasure of cool evenings
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. What an underrated pleasure it is to sleep with the windows open at night. We were finally able to turn the AC off this week (but I still have a fan on low at […]
Bribing the Money God
There is a shrine on a small island off the coast of Miyagi. The shrine is over a thousand years old. Legend says that people who participate in the ceremony three years in a row will never want for money again…
The Monday Read: Autumn Breeze
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. Finally I can feel the hint of autumn in the air. It is no longer unpleasantly hot at night, and I have spent the last couple of days working without AC. Praise be! This […]
Medical Insurance in Japan
I more or less broke even on a recent hospital stay Anyone living in Japan is required to join the national health insurance (健康保険). This covers your medical expenses at clinics and hospitals. Most people are required to pay 30% of the costs themselves (some people pay 20% or even 10%), but there is a […]
The Monday Read: Computer Disposal
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. Had a really fun catch up session with graduates of our Your First Ten Million Yen course last weekend. We’ve run two cohorts so far, so it was great to hear everyone’s success stories […]
Guest Post: What happens to iDeCo if you die?
iDeCo and other DC pension accounts are NOT treated like other assets when someone dies. Read about designating a beneficiary and making sure your assets are covered.
The Monday Read: Post 900
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. This is our 900th post on this blog. Yikes! The first post went live on December 4th, 2013. I don’t think anyone read it at the time 😉 Any ideas to celebrate the 1000 […]