Tutorials about life in Japan. Originally made for friends/family, but free for anyone to reference and use. Please do not copy/redistribute my tutorials.
Hi there! There is a concert that I want to go to so I am planning to join the FC lottery. I have a friend living in Japan and she told me she can help me with the address and SMS verification. I created an account on ticket-pia and MOALA with her phone number but I am worried about one thing. Do I have to enter the venue with my friend's phone? I want to know if a Japanese phone that is assigned to the same Japanese number/SIM card is absolutely needed to activate my e-ticket. Thank you!!
Oh MOALA is great because it's not SIM card locked so you can just login to your account with email/pw like normal. At the present, MOALA is the only ticketing app I know that isn't tied to your phone but that could definitely change in the future. For now, it's safe!
Hi, your guides for using ticket PIA are very helpful! Couldn't find the info anywhere else online. Anyways, I'd like to know more about the ticket PIA lottery payment process in case you select '7-eleven', wondering if you know what that looks like?
Sorry for late reply! So when you select 7/11 then you will get notified if you win that you need to pay within the time frame given. For 7/11 usually it's a QR code that you show the cashier!
Here is a tutorial on how to arrange for JP post to pick up your packages. This only works for EMS packages overseas or domestic Japanese packages. If you are shipping airmail/epacket/surface, this service is unavailable.
Reqiuirements: Legal residence in Japan (address and phone number), package you want to ship, label created, yuubin account
Related tutorials
Make a JP Post account to create labels
How to make a JP post label
How to make a Yuubin account
Go to the Yuubin website and click the tiny button at the top.
https://mgr.post.japanpost.jp/C20P02Action.do?ssoparam=1&termtype=2
2. Login with your Yuubin ID (NOT your JP post account, this is a separate account).
3. You will be brought back to the same page, but this time the top options will be a little different. Click "今すぐ集荷依頼をする".
4. Confirm your pick up address and click "次へ"
5. Choose your desired date, time, type of parcel, and packing options as shown in the images. If you have not generated the label, the post can bring one, however keep in mind that the post does not know what they are doing and may not bring the required materials to ship to your country so I recommend making the label on your own with my tutorials.
** The post can provide packaging materials, but I highly recommend to pack the parcel at home because the post does not have good materials for international shipping and they may not bring sufficient amount.**
6. Confirm the pick up information on screen is correct and press "登録" and the process is complete!
This is separate from a post account, I know wild, but if you want to arrange post office pick up you will need to sign up.
Reqiuirements: Legal residence in Japan (address and phone number), package you want to ship, label created
Related tutorials
Make a JP Post account to create labels
How to make a JP post label
Head to this page: https://login.post.japanpost.jp/aew/page/portalVerify and click "new member registration" (written in English) near the bottom.
2. On this page, on the very top right there is a button that says "English", click that to switch to English. If you do not see the button, you can click this link to see the English page.
3. Input your email address and desired password. You will need to input your email and password twice so make sure both fields match! Click "next" when you are done.
4. Input your personal information as follows. You may write it in English or Japanese.
For the address break it up as follows. For example if you live in "123-456 Tokyo-to Minato-ku Taito 3-2 Cool Apartment #404"
Zip code: 123-456
Prefecture: Tokyo-to
City/Ward: Minato-ku
Address 1: Taito
Address 2: 3-2
Building name and apartment number: Cool Apartment #404
After you do that, click "next".
5. Next confirm the information and click one of the two "Agree to the terms and register temporarily".
6. You will get a message saying to confirm your email. The email address the registration email was sent to will be shown on this screen so check your email!
7. Check your email. An email was sent from JP post to the registered email. The subject line will be "【ゆうびんID】仮登録完了のお知らせ（【Yubin ID】 Temporary Registration Notification)"
Click the link in the email to finish your registeration
Hi i have a question regarding buying via ticket pia. The ticket sale is on the 18th so i want to register on the site in advanced. However, i cannot continue my registration because when i try to call the number given to me. I am not living in japan so my number is foreign. When i try to call it, a japanese recorded voice says it cannot be completed and to try again.. is there no workaround here? Would a tenso phone number work?
Oh yes they require phone number verification now. Unfortunately for that you need a valid Japanese phone number, a foreign phone will not work nor will a Tenso phone number. You need a friend or family member to be able to verify the number on the site.
I just wanna say thank you so much for your mercari tutorial, I speak some Japanese but was so shy on how to interact with customers when selling my things, your guide saved me from panicking about saying/doing something wrong. My eternal gratitude to you!! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
Hiii thank you for your kind words! I am happy to have helped!
hey! idk if ur still answering but i wanted to ask about how to buy and use digital tickets via eplus?! i’m planning to go to a skz concert but the page says they’re only accepting e-tickets via smartphone? i’ve never done this before so i’m a little lost…
Hiii sorry for late reply! And you can use a digital ticket with your smartphone! Typically you need to download a certain app or just have a smartphone with internet connection to access the website. I have yet to find a situation where there is IP or region locking, you should be fine!
For this tutorial I will be explaining how to ship things internationally. You will need a JP Post website account, of course, and the package to be shipped.
Required information
JP Post website account
Recipient's address AND phone number
Package you want mailed should be packed
Weight of the package you want to mail
List of items in the package
Head to the JP Post website and login. Enter your email and password and press "Log in".
2. On the menu screen, select "Create New labels".
3. This screen will show you the registered sender's addresses. For the sake of this tutorial let's say we don't have a sender's address so click "Enter the sender's address".
3a. Input the sender's address as marked on the form. This should be your address or a trusted friend's. Keep in mind if your package is unable to be delivered, it will be returned to this sender's address.
Once the address is entered, press "next".
3b. Check the information and press "Register".
4. Once that is done, you will be back on the sender's screen. Click the circle next to the address you want to set as the sender's address and click "Next".
5. Select a recipient's address. For the sake of this tutorial we are going to input a new recipient. Press "Add a recipient's address".
5a. This process is nearly identical to the sender's address. Keep in mind this is an international address so make sure the name, street/house number, AND phone number are correct.
** If you are shipping to a place that shares a name with another place, it may be good to also write the country on the package. Japan Post is notoriously stupid and countries with similar names like Australia and Austria often get mixed up.
5b. Check the information and press "Register".
6. You will see the recipient address page once again, select the address you just input. If you cannot find the name on the list, you can search it in the "key word" search bar. Keep in mind the search query MUST be identical to how you input it. "james t kirk" is not the same as "James T. Kirk" so watch out!
7. Select the type of mail you want to ship.
** Notice: check which countries accept which types of mail in a new tab. You can check the list here: https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/overview_en.html
Once you have confirmed what shipping methods are accepted at the destination country, you can return to the JP Post label website tab.
Brief explanation of mail (All of these have tracking numbers)
EMS (Goods): The most expensive shipping method. Only use this for expensive items/large or heavy items OR if you are shipping to the USA. This method is fully insured, however many countries have high taxes on this shipping method and it is more likely to be stopped by customs.
Postal Parcel (3 options, Air, SAL, Surface): For large/heavy items, also fully insured. Keep in mind Postal parcel Surface can take up to 3 months to arrive at the destination! This is the slowest shipping option, but is often the only choice if you have a big package.
International ePacket (Air): 5-10 business days. Not insured, but most countries have low taxes for this shipping method and for many countries it is the fastest. This is only for smaller items though and items under 2kg.
International ePacket Light (SAL): Same restrictions as ePacket, but this one is slightly cheaper and takes longer to arrive. Not insured, only small items under 2kgs.
ePacket and ePacket light size restrictions: The size for ePackets are as follows.
Once you have selected the shipping method, click "Next".
8. Enter the contents.
Keep the contents name general. "Ensemble Stars manga" can be declared as "Book". "A3 Key holder" can be declared as "Acrylic key holder".
If you are declaring "Toy" or "Plastic toy" you MUST include the words "No Battery" and "No Glue". I do not know why they make you say no glue, but just ride with it.
If you are shipping R-18/Adult content to conservative countries like South Korea or the middle east, make sure to use discrete packaging and declare the items as "book" DO NOT write "Adult books" or Founders forbid "P0rn" do not say that at all.
Once you have input the item name, value (this affects the insurance value!), and quantity, press "Add".
9. Once you have all the items listed, click the "confirmation of dangerous goods" check box and then click "Next".
10. Input the item weight and if you want to claim any excess insurance.
** Insurance is only for EMS AND Post Parcel, if you have selected any other shipping method this will not be available.
For the shipping invoice, I highly suggest you select "Print 1 invoice".
If you are shipping EMS to Germany or France, select "3" for the number of invoices to print.
11. Once you have input all that data, press "Next".
12. On this page you will get a normal terms and conditions.
** There will be a notice about "exclusive pouches". You do not need to worry about this as the post will provide them for you.
Click "Print after agreeing with the notes".
13. You will be brought to a page with the tracking number and the label. You can copy and paste the tracking number for your records/recipient and make sure to save the label to your computer so you can print it.
Once you save the label to your computer you can close the window.
How to make an account with JP Post international mail
This is a tutorial on how to make an account with JP Post. You will need this in order to ship things internationally. You will need a Japanese address for this and obviously you should be living in Japan.
Head to this website. Make sure the language is set to "English" and click "Individual Customer".
https://www.int-mypage.post.japanpost.jp/mypage/M010000.do
2. Fill in the information in the form. Once you have done that click "agree to terms of use".
You will get an email from JP post saying the account has successfully been made! That's it!
This is a very specific tutorial, but it explains how to use the Ticket Pia digital ticket system called "Cloak". This is only for after you have successfully bought tickets!
Go to the official Cloak Ticket Pia website https://cloak.pia.jp/ and click the orange button that says "Cloakにログインする".
2. Input your email and password onto the page. If you had already logged into Ticket Pia on your device you will only have to input your password.
Once you input those things, click "ログイン".
3. Click the concert/event that you want to claim a ticket for. All of the tickets you own should be displayed in this list.
4. On the right hand side, click the "電子チケットで引き取る", if you want a paper ticket you can select the button below that, but I recommend electronic ticket.
5. You will see a list of what type of tickets you have for the event. Click the check mark box next to the ticket you want to claim and then click "MOALAで引き取る"
6. Your full name, katakana, and phone number will be displayed. Keep in mind some events check ID, so it is important that your name on the ticket matches your legal name on you ID. Most events accept passports, resident's cards, driver's licenses, etc. Any photo ID issued by the government (no school ID or employee IDs).
Once you have confirmed that, press the "この内容で引き取り" button.
7. Finished! On the page you will be given an URL for your ticket. Keep in mind the ticket QR code will not be displayed until the event. The URL that shows up on screen can only be accessed via a smartphone so you need to make sure you have a smartphone with data when you go to your event! You will also receive this URL in your email that is connected with the ticket pia account.
Hi, i saw your guide on how to enter ticket lotteries in ticket pia and it was super helpful! I managed to win a ticket thanks to that! but now I have a problem.
It's said that the card is automatically charged when I win, but even after picking up the ticket last Sunday my card still hasn't been charged and I'm getting worried. What should I do?
Oh you picked up your ticket? It could just be an error, maybe check your card/bank again? I have never heard of this happening, I would honestly just wait and check your bank. Also ensure that your card allows international transactions. If your card was not charged properly, the ticketing website should contact you about it.
Hello! So I found your very informative posts about Mercari and I just wanted to ask something. I want to ask a seller some questions. And I don't live in Japan so I am not able to create a Mercari account. But I wanted to ask if you know of any services/ people with a mercari account who are willing to forward my question to the seller? I don't mind paying them extra for that at all.
omg I am so sorry for this late reply!
There are some proxy services that will buy things on mercari for you. I know there is White Rabbit Express and Buyee that will communicate with the seller for you and forward any items to you overseas!
Hello! May I ask how to comment on Mercari? The description says to comment to negotiate the price but I can't find any comment/message icon. (Also, do you know if its possible to see others comment?) Thank you in advance.
Yea you can leave a comment at the bottom of the listing and view comments from others. Keep in mind sometimes sellers will delete comments if they are no longer relevant to the listing.
You do need to have an account on Mercari in order to comment, so many sure to set that up and you are good to go. Just scroll down the listing and you will see a comment box. Keep in mind you are unable to edit/delete your comment once you have made it so make sure everything is good before hitting send!
Just like in most other counties, Japan has a pension system that everyone is required to pay into. If you are a student or unemployed, you are eligible for a discount or even for the fee to be waived all together. It depends on your situation, but for most people they need to pay a fee every month.
Requirements: Legal residency in Japan (non-tourist visa).
Overview
If you are living in Japan as a long-term resident (not on a tourist or working holiday visa), you must pay into the Japanese pension system. You can get information from your local city/ward office.
If you do not pay your pension on time you could be hit with late fees and if you are on any type of working visa (not a spouse or permanent resident) you could have issues when renewing or keeping your visa.
Necessary Vocabulary
年金 (Nenkin): Pension
上期 (Kamiki): First 6 months of the fiscal year
下期 (Shimoki): Last 6 months of the fiscal year
前納 (Zennou): Lump Sum advanced payment
月分 (Getsubun): # Month Amount
納付期限 (Noufuki kigen): Deadline for payment
Payment Method
The fiscal year in Japan starts in April and ends in March. Pension letters are sent out around the beginning of April to your house. If you have not received any notice from your local city office you can go there yourself and ask about the pension.
Payments can be made at any time via bank, bank ATM, or convenient stores. Unfortunately, there is no discount whether you pay monthly or annually so choose the payment method that works best for you. You are free to pay the bills whenever you want, just make sure it is before the deadline!
In the mail you will get the following papers;
Monthly pay slips (12 total)
6 month pay slips (2 total)
Lump sum advanced pay slip (1 total)
Automatic bank transfer application (1 slip)
Monthly Pay Slips
The first option of payment methods is a monthly pay slip. You can bring these slips to your local convenient store or bank and pay the amount in cash. Make sure to pay each bill before the end of the month!
Each pay slip has a red number on it that denotes the month it is for. So 3 will correspond with March, 4 with April, and so on.
6 Month Pay Slips
The next option of payment is to pay every 6 months. These bills are going to be higher than the monthly slips, but you only need to pay them twice a year! Just like the monthly slips, you can bring these to your local bank or convenience store and pay in cash.
Remember the bill with the “上” kanji is the beginning of the year and the “下” is the end of the year.
Lump Sum Advanced Payment
This bill is the highest of all of them, but you only have to worry about 1 payment for the whole year.
Automatic Bank Transfer Application
If you would like to avoid the hassle of pay slips all together you may fill out an application to have the pension taken out of your account automatically. This does require a Japanese bank account so if you do not have a bank account you should use the pay slips.
Personal information (blue boxes)
Top right: Fill out today’s date in Japanese imperial year (ex: 令和2 3 月 31日)
電話番号 (Phone Number): Your Japanese phone number
氏名 (Name): Fill out your legal name as it appears on your ID or passport. if you have a non-Japanese name, you should write your name in English alphabet (not Katakana)
Bank Account, JP Post Yuucho bank only (Yellow Boxes)
First Row: Bank account number (as written in your bank book, if you do not know how to read a bank book, I have a guide here)
Second Row: Name on the account, write the katakana above and then write the English alphabet in the big box
** If you are using a non-yuucho bank, please fill out the information above the yellow highlighted section with your bank account number, type, and address.
Payment Frequency (Green boxes)
You can choose how often you want money to be withdrawn from your account. Keep in mind this will be automatically withdrawn so you must have money in your account at the time of withdrawal so choose wisely!
Monthly, withdrawals at the end of each month
Every 6 months
Every year (first payment withdrawn at the end of this April and automatic payments will repeat at the same time next year and the following years)
Every 2 years (same as the first, only payments with be withdrawn automatically every 2 years)
Warning for people who choose options 2 - 4!!!
If you do not submit your application before the end of April, withdrawals will be done monthly until April of the following year.
Also, if for any reason your bank account does not have enough funds, payments will automatically be switched to monthly payments.
Ex: You selected Option #2, payment every 6 months.
The second half of the year payment occurs in September 2021 and you do not have enough funds in your account. Only the amount due in September will be deducted from your account OR added on to October if there is still not enough funds. From September onward regardless of the payment frequency you chose, because you failed to have enough funds in your account in September, withdrawals will happen monthly until April 2022 (start of the new fiscal year).
I made a tutorial a while back about how to buy things on Mercari, but here is version 2! A little more simplified with some additions!
Version 1 (good to read for an intro!)
**I am only talking about buying items on Mercari, not selling!
Requirements: Basic Japanese knowledge, Japanese address, Japanese phone number.
Sections of this tutorial
01. Basic flow of Mercari
02. Unspoken rules and etiquette
03. Key words and phrases to use as a buyer
04. Key words and phrases to look for from sellers
05. Anatomy of a Mercari listing
06. Finishing the order/giving feedback
01. So the basic flow of buying on Mercari is…
Find item you like
press “buy”
pay with your preferred method (credit card, convenience store, etc.)
Wait for the seller to ship the item
Receive the item and give the seller a review
02. Unspoken rules/etiquette
Always check if you can “buy immediately” or if the seller wants you to comment
Always read the seller’s profile
Always give a “よかった (good)” review UNLESS a serious issues comes up (ex. seller sends you a bootleg, fails to provide accurate details, etc.)
Never buy an item with an image that says “専用 (reserved for..)” unless it is in your name
Never leave messages without a reply for longer than 24 hours
03. Key words and phrases to use as a buyer
General phrases
Use this phrase when you are writing a comment on a listing. It is not mandatory, but it does soften your request and is considered polite.
はじめまして、コメント失礼します。
Nice to meet you, please excuse the comment.
Use this phrase to thank the seller.
無事に届きました、ありがとうございます！
The item arrived safely, thank you so much!
Phrases to use when asking permission to buy an item
1. Use this phrase when you would like to buy an item.
こちらの商品を購入したいのでだいじょうぶでしょうか?
I would like to buy this item, is that alright?
2. Use this phrase when you want to buy an item and would like to purchase it through the listing you are posting on (more on this later).
購入希望です！このまま購入してもいいですか？
I want to buy this! Can I buy it through this listing?
04. Key words and phrases to look for from sellers
Japanese shorthand symbols/words and their meaning
◎ = Yes
△ = Maybe
X = No
可 = Yes
不可 = No
いたしません = No
大歓迎 = Big yes
Phrases to look for in seller listings
1. This means purchasing an item without leaving a comment.
即購入
Immediate purchase
Example usage: “即購入大歓迎 (Feel free to buy immediately)”
2. This is used when a seller makes a new listing for a specific buyer. If you are not the buyer in the title, do not purchase this item.
(name)様専用
Reserved for (name)
Example usage: “Azul様専用 (reserved for Azul)”
3. This means purchasing separately and is often used on listings that show multiple items in the photo.
バラ売り
Purchasing individual pieces separately
Example usage: “バラ売り不可 (Can not split)”
4. This means discount or haggling, often sellers will offer discounts if you buy multiple items from them
値引き
Discount
Example usage: “値引きいたしません (Cannot discount)”
05. Anatomy of a mercari listing
出品者: Seller name: Name of the seller, you can click this to view their profile
カテゴリー: Category of the item (toy, hobby, clothing, etc.)
ブランド: Brand (Gucci, LV, etc.)
出品の状態: Condition of the item (more on that down below)
配送料の負担: Who pays shipping (着払い(購入者負担) Buyer pays OR 送料込み(出品者負担) Seller pays)
配送の方法: Shipping method
配送元地域: Shipping from (usually will list a prefecture within Japan)
発送日の目安: Waiting time from purchase to shipment (usually it will be a range such as 1-2 days, 4-7 days, etc. THIS IS JUST AN ESTIMATE)
¥ ### : Price of the item
購入画面に進み: Continue to purchase menu/buy the item immediately
Condition ratings
新品、未使用: New, unsued
未使用に近い: Close to new
目立った傷や汚れなし: No visible dirt or scratches
やや傷や汚れあり: Some dirt/scratches (seller will usually have photos of any damages)
傷や汚れあり: With damages
全体的に状態が悪い: Poor condition
06. Finishing the order/giving feedback
Once you receive the item, you must give feedback to the seller. You can send the seller a message or just leave them a review. Some sellers prefer to be quiet, but from my experience sellers are generally happy when you send a message to thank them.
Hi, I'm really sorry when I sent the message, I thought it'll go under this thread, it's about PIA system, I was struggling with their system, and now, I'm left with the "verification" part, I intend to call the number given, (it changes every few minutes) to get my account verified, next, that'll be the credit card, do they accept non-Japanese credit card? sorry to bother you again.
Hey, sorry for posting this here, I can’t seem to send directly to your blog.
Yes, you need to call the number to verify your account. There is no definitive answer on whether or not Ticket Pia accepts non-Japanese cards, so it is worth a shot. However, Ticket Pia and most other Japanese sites will not provide any help/details if you cannot use your foreign card on their website.
Hello! I really appreciate your reply. Thank you! But I already figured it out myself while answering the form. I just tried changing the language and region of my phone and it worked like magic! There's a difference with the date format between English and Japanese that's why it happened.
ohhh okay that is good it all worked out!
Posting this publically for whoever has a similar issue when signing up for the Visa Pre-paid card. The issue was that when they wrote their birthday, it would somehow auto-correct to a different format when they went to the confirmation page so they couldn’t proceed.
