The unlock sequence for Japan's bureaucratic chicken-and-egg problem. Do these 5 steps in order. Don't skip ahead.
nihongo-hub.com · Free for personal use · June 2026
The 5-Step Unlock Sequence
Every step depends on the previous one. Follow this order to avoid wasting days.
1
Airport → Collect Residence Card (在留カード)
Issued at immigration at major airports. Address field is blank — that's normal. This is your master key.
Without this: nothing else works.
↓
2
City Hall → Register Address + Health Insurance + Pension
Do all three in one visit. Deadline: 14 days from move-in date. Bring Residence Card + Passport + Lease.
After this: your card has your address stamped on it.
↓
3
Get a SIM Card (Japanese phone number)
IIJmio / Rakuten Mobile / Mineo. Needs: Residence Card with address. Phone number unlocks bank verification.
↓
4
Japan Post Bank → Open Account (ゆうちょ銀行)
Available at every post office. Most foreigner-accessible. Needs: Residence Card + Passport.
↓
5
Utilities → Gas, Water, Electricity
Gas requires in-person technician visit — call within day 1 or 2. Water and electricity can be set up online.
COMPLETE FIRST TWO WEEKS CHECKLIST
Collect Residence Card at airport immigration
Major airports only: Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, New Chitose, Hiroshima, Fukuoka
Go to city hall within 14 days — register address (転入届)
At city hall: enroll in National Health Insurance (国民健康保険)
At city hall: enroll in National Pension (国民年金)
At city hall: pick up garbage sorting calendar (ゴミ収集カレンダー)
Get SIM card with Japanese phone number
Open Japan Post Bank account (ゆうちょ銀行) at a post office
Call gas company to schedule in-person activation
Set up water and electricity (usually online or by phone)
Register bicycle with police if purchased (防犯登録, ~¥600)
Sign up for city emergency / disaster alerts
Locate nearest evacuation point on city map
5 Phrases That Unlock City Hall
1 — FINDING THE RIGHT WINDOW外国人登録の窓口はどこですか？Gaikokujin tōroku no madoguchi wa doko desu ka?Where is the counter for foreign resident registration?
2 — ADDRESS REGISTRATION転入届を出したいのですが。Tenyūtodoke o dashitai no desu ga.I'd like to file my move-in registration.
3 — HEALTH INSURANCE国民健康保険に加入したいのですが。Kokumin kenkō hoken ni kanyū shitai no desu ga.I'd like to enroll in National Health Insurance.
4 — PENSION国民年金の手続きもお願いします。Kokumin nenkin no tetsuzuki mo onegai shimasu.Please also help me with National Pension enrollment.
5 — WHEN LOST / CONFUSED日本語がわかりません。英語の案内はありますか？Nihongo ga wakarimasen. Eigo no annai wa arimasu ka?I don't understand Japanese. Is there English guidance available?
Need the full guide?
This free kit covers your first two weeks. The complete 3-volume set covers everything else — apartment hunting scripts, 70+ medical phrases, resident tax timeline, and pension withdrawal guide.
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nihongo-hub.com · Free for personal use · June 2026
General information only — not immigration or legal advice. Verify at isa.go.jp and relevant official sources.