H&R Group Newsletter

The relocation process requires varying degrees of personal information; from immigration documents to housing contracts … as a result, we are understandably a bit paranoid about the way in which this information is sent, stored, and eventually deleted. […]

Beginning on March 2018, IIJMIO, one of the largest MNVO SIM operators in Japan, started screening credit cards linked to IIJMIO accounts once a month to ensure that payment methods are up to date and to reduce cases of expired cards being registered. 

One unfortunate result of this new policy is that some foreign-issued cards are being flagged and are becoming unusable even though they were initially approved at contract start. […]

Fuji Rock is Japan’s biggest music festival and definitely one of the biggest and best in the world. Every year since it’s inception in 1998 has seen tens of thousands of concertgoers check out some of the world’s hottest music acts over the span of three days it takes place in the summer. […]

When planning a trip to Japan, a few temples and shrines need to be on your list. Found across the country in large numbers in most cities and present even in the smallest towns, temples and shrines are two of the most popular types of tourist spots. It is important to remember that these are […]

Lease Japan offers high quality car insurance in Japan with English service from knowledgeable, bilingual staff.

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With Japan’s birthrate in rapid decline the government of Japan has stepped in to offer a monthly allowance per child as a way of reducing the economic burden placed on families raising young children and encouraging the growth of families. This article relates to the renewing of this child allowance, which must be done annually. […]

Caution is required when bringing any kind of medicine into Japan. Many products that are commonly available over the counter elsewhere in the world are not approved for sale in Japan (examples include medicines that contain Pseudoephedrine […]

Though Kanagawa Prefecture is often dismissed as ‘that bit next to Tokyo’, you shouldn’t let its relatively small stature when compared to its glamorous neighbor fool you; from bright city lights, beautiful nature and a long, celebrated history, there is a whole lot to see and do in Kanagawa. […]

Back in the days of flip phones, Japan what noted for having some seriously nice phones that could do almost anything our smartphones can do now. We were sending email, downloading music, watching TV and paying for train rides on them while the rest of the world […]

We’ve braved yet another cold winter, sat out under the pink trees during hanami season, and seen it warm up steadily with our minds starting to look towards the barbecues, beach trips and bon ordori festivals of summer. But we have to get through three or so weeks of rainy season […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of new and used cars for sale and lease. With Lease Japan you can have your car for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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A good many visitors to Japan have been known to utter out loud, “there sure are a lot of trains in Japan!” …And they wouldn’t be wrong! We happen to have the world’s highest per capita train ridership and are home to […]

Japanese beer is usually thought of as just the ‘big three’: Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo. While these are great when ice cold on a scorching day, they aren’t exactly the most interesting of brews. However, right now there is something of a craft beer revolution going on. […]

See rentals available in Tokyo's best areas for expats by Japan Home Search

• Moto Azabu Neighborhood

• Minami Azabu Neighborhood

• Roppongi Neighborhood

• Akasaka Neighborhood

• Minami Aoyama Neighborhood

One of the joys of living in a different country is absorbing its culture and aesthetics. One of the best way of doing that is by filling your home with fashionable goods and furnishings that reflects both your personal taste and that of your adopted country. […]

The Japanese have something of a love/hate relationship with the summer months. As soon as the mercury climbs above 25 degrees, women break out the parasols, curtains are pulled tight to keep out sunlight, and everyone’s vocabulary is limited to a single word: atsui (hot!). […]

The sumo season centers around six fifteen-day major competitions, or ‘honbasho’, throughout the year, with three events held in Tokyo in January, May and September, one in March in Osaka, one in Fukuoka in November, and July sees the Nagoya Basho. […]

Lease Japan offers high quality car insurance in Japan with English service from knowledgeable, bilingual staff.

Online Insurance Estimate Form

With the rainy season fast approaching and the humidity ramping up like an overly-confident Evil Knievel, June is perhaps one of the least favored months in Japan. However, with that said, this combination of conditions is precisely what is required for one of the more beautiful […]

The annual Thai Festival in is an extremely popular early summer event in Nagoya.  Held at Hisayaodori Park, rain or shine, you can enjoy a wide selection of Thai Food and Drink from the many vendors.  Most of the Thai Restaurants in Nagoya participate, and the food is excellent. […]

See rentals available in Nagoya's best areas for expats via Japan Home Search

• Yagoto Neighborhood

• Hoshigaoaka/Chikusa Neighborhood

• Issha/Hongo Neighborhood 

Americans could be forgiven for thinking that chicken wings come from Buffalo, and Brits may think of them as that bit of the Sunday roast that no one really wants, but there are few foods quite so close to the heart of the people of Nagoya as the humble chicken wing. […]

Atsuta Jingu, ranks in importance second only to the Great Shrine of Ise in Mie, which is the center of the Shinto religion in Japan, and draws over 9 million visitors a year to its gates.   The  shrine, located in Atsuta Ward of Nagoya City, dates back nearly 2,000 years, and is dedicated to the […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of furniture and appliances for rent and sale. Furnish your home tastefully for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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If you’ve recently moved to Japan, you might be thinking about learning the language to help you communicate with the locals and understand the culture. […]

Ise Ebi Matsuri (Lobster Festival)

For much of the world, there is little more decadent than dining out on lobster. However, here in Japan, lobster – while still relatively pricey compared to most seafood – is by no means the preserve of the uber-rich, and nor is the festival that celebrates it each year. […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of new and used cars for sale and lease. With Lease Japan you can have your car for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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Kobe is not short of green spaces offering residents and tourists the chance to get out and soak up the great outdoors. Whether you’re a sports enthusiast looking for somewhere to play or just after a nice setting for an ambient stroll, the city has a good mix  […]

Kobe isn’t just famous for their beef, their desserts are also equally popular to tourists and locals alike. After an amazing meal, lounge and relax in Kobe's sweet shops and sample their picture perfect and mouth watering desserts […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of furniture and appliances for rent and sale. Furnish your home tastefully for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

See Furniture and Appliances

One of the countries that’s so well known for their seafood and how they’ve gloriously incorporated it in their culture is Japan. Their sushi is a worldwide favorite and a must have in all Japanese restaurants in the world. […]

I always recommend venturing out of the city if you can. Rural Hiroshima Prefecture is a knockout, and this is a wonderful time of year. The spring foliage still shows its fresh, pale green on the hills, and the worst of the summer heat is weeks away. Most of the towns in the Hiroshima countryside […]

I’ve already tried to lure you out to Mibu’s rice fields this June. At the risk of being too insistent on the charms of the countryside, let me also suggest that it’s time for a visit to Miyoshi. Miyoshi is a wonderful little city, the largest town in Hiroshima prefecture that isn’t on the Seto Inland […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of new and used cars for sale and lease. With Lease Japan you can have your car for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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For four hundred years, Hiroshima’s Toukasan festival has marked the arrival of summer for locals. Stretching over three days on the first weekend in June, the festival is officially in honor of Touka Daimyoujin, a deity enshrined at Enryu-ji, a temple one block north of Peace Boulevard on Chuo-dori. Also known simply as Toukasan, the […]