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🇯🇵 Japan · City guide

Moving to Tokyo: Language & First Steps

The world's largest metro area; your residence card and ward-office (yakusho) registration come first.

Living in Tokyo

The world's largest metro area; your residence card and ward-office (kuyakusho) registration come first, and many services still lean on Japanese. Newcomers land in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Setagaya or Meguro; guarantors and key money can complicate renting.

To settle into Tokyo you'll need Japanese — and the practical kind: your residence card (zairyū card) and address registration at the city or ward office (yakusho) within 14 days, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to do first and the phrases to learn.

Sources: Language Lab's Japanese curriculum & culture notes; city/official processes vary — confirm with Tokyo's local authority. · Join the beta →

What to do in your first week in Tokyo?

1. Register your address / residency — your residence card (zairyū card) and address registration at the city or ward office (yakusho) within 14 days.
2. Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
3. Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
4. Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
5. Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.

Japanese phrasebooks for Tokyo

For the full country picture, see our guide to moving to Japan.