This time, I would like to share my first experience going to Japan and living in Tsukuba City. I arrived in Japan at the end of January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. At that time, I came with a Researcher Visa, planning to change my status to a Student Visa before April.
Everything seemed smooth when I landed at Narita Airport, but I was surprised when the immigration process was completed, and I did not receive a Residence Card. It turned out that I was not eligible to receive a Residence Card because my Certificate of Eligibility (COE) was valid for less than 3 months. After immigration, I immediately took a bus to Tsukuba from Narita Airport.
The absence of a Residence Card became a major obstacle once I arrived in Tsukuba. Without a Residence Card, I couldn’t open a bank account, rent a place to stay, or even register for a Japanese phone number. Therefore, I recommend that anyone planning to stay in Japan for more than 3 months should ensure their COE is valid for more than 3 months to avoid issues like this. In my next post, I will explain why I came with a Researcher Visa first.
Luckily, I had already planned to share a place with my senior, so housing was not a big issue. However, I still couldn’t open a bank account or get a Japanese phone number during that period. After waiting until April, I finally received my Residence Card. The first step I took was going to the city hall to register my address, arrange health insurance, and open a bank account.
As for the phone number, I delayed it for several months as I planned to buy a new phone. Until June, I was still using roaming services with an XL card from Indonesia. I will discuss the details of the city hall process, including opening a bank account and purchasing a Japanese phone number, in my upcoming posts.
