# US Citizen looking at moving to Tokyo no need to work for awhile. Needs Advice



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So I am a US Citizen looking at moving Overseas this Summer. I have around 100 Thousand USD coming in large installments over a year or so not to mention other small compensation after that.

Planning on entering Tokyo this upcoming Summer of 13 with a little over 30 thousand USD in the bank.

Right now I am looking at both moving to a Serviced Apartment in Shibuya and Shinjuku I would like your opinions on what areas in Tokyo you think are nicest. Considering I am an artist I will have alot of free time on my hands and would like to meet people (Preferably women) or gentlemen who can help me get more connected in the city  

So I am thinking I should migrate towards the more populated lively areas of Tokyo and those areas came to mind. If any of you have personal experience I would really appreciate advice experiences and advantages/disadvantages of specific wards. 

Also given my educational background even though I have a resume own my own business I find it highly unlikely that I will be able to get any sort of Visa outside of a tourist considering I don't have a highschool diploma. Which is fine for the short term given the money I am making.

I however want to stay in the country as long as I can and immerse myself in the culture. I believe the limit for a US Citizen is 90 days without a Visa. 

I am wondering how complicated Visa Runs may become if I decide to go to another country either overnight or even a month at a time in between the 90 day windows. Perhaps even traveling to Shanghai or back to the United States for short periods of time. 

If any of you have better less complicated and more affordable ideas to easily and reliably stay for 90 days at a time I would appreciate it alot. 

Right now I see that as my only option and I am not sure if I will eventually be turned away when reentering Japan and if so how long it might take before my consecutive reentries become a problem. 

Any advice on how to better plan my move would be appreciated.


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## larabell

As far as I know, there is no legal limit on the number of times you can enter Japan as a tourist, though I have heard reports from people doing "visa runs" that the immigration process gets harder after a few repeat visits because the officials assume you must be working over here in order to support yourself. I would think that you could carry proof that you have independent means of support and that you don't need to work. If you leave for a month each time, you're less likely to run into any hassle than if your trips are just overnight (the Immigration guys are aware of the common ploy of working in Japan on a series of tourist visas so your goal would be to convince them that you really aren't working).

Now... if you're an artist and your money mainly comes from your art and you're continuing to produce art while in Japan, they might be able to claim that you're actually working. It might be harder to prove that you're not producing income while you're living over here if you're a freelancer.

Why not check into an artist visa? You didn't provide many details about what you do and where your income is coming from (and you may not want to post such details on a public forum) but if your money comes mainly from your art and you make enough to support yourself, you might be able to sponsor yourself as a freelance artist and qualify for a visa that way. Since there is so little official info about what it takes to qualify for the various types of visa and the likelihood that you'll find anyone on this forum who has self-sponsored as a freelancer is pretty slim, you really should drop by your local Japanese Embassy and see what options are available. Either that or talk to one of the many visa specialists that you can easily find with a web search.

If you own your own business you might qualify for an Investor/Business Manager visa but unless you're going to be employed by a Japanese company or start a branch over here that might not be workable. Certain visa types (like artist, entertainer, journalist, investor, or some technical fields) don't require a degree if you have sufficient experience in your field. Again, the official rules aren't written anywhere so you should talk to someone at the Embassy. Or just submit the application and see what happens.

Another option, especially since you're awash with time and money and intend to pick up some culture anyway, would be to sign up for some kind of training like Ikebana, Aikido, or even Japanese language classes and come over on a cultural visa. I've seen web sites for schools that sponsor visas. The only catch is that you'll have to remain "in school" in order to remain in Japan but you might be able to find a program that lets you attend only a couple times a week.

As for places to live... Unless you're actually looking to live in a crowded, noisy place, I'm not sure I would recommend either Shibuya or Shinjuku (or Roppongi, for that matter). It obviously depends on exactly where these apartments are located -- living in Shibuya doesn't necessarily have to mean being right in the middle of everything. But there are advantages to being just a bit outside the mainstream.

The public transit system here is both extensive and reliable. You could live somewhere outside the city center and still get to the more "lively" areas with little trouble. Of the places you mentioned, I'd prefer Shinjuku over Shibuya but if you're relatively young you might like Shibuya better. I prefer Nakano-ku which is just to the West of Shinjuku. If I'm in Shinjuku and miss the last train at night, I can walk home in 45 minutes. Yet I don't get any of the noise or traffic and rents here are much less than they would be right in Shinjuku.

The general Azabu area is also really nice but fairly expensive. The advantage of being in that area (which includes Nishi-Azabu, Azabu-juban, and Hiroo) is the large number of non-Japanese residents in that area. That's not only good for making friends, it also means a better chance of finding expat-friendly businesses in the area (for example, there's a supermarket in Hiroo that carries goods from overseas and has English-speaking staff). Of course, you don't have to live right in the center of town to find such places. There are a couple of English-language magazines that will help you (search for "Metropolis Magazine" for an example).

BTW, a nice area close to the Hiroo/Azabu area but not exactly in the center of town is Naka-Meguro. A bit more expensive than Nakano-ku but close enough to the Shibuya and Ebisu areas to be able to walk home on occasion.

You might want to look into a short-term apartment (something like Sakura House) as your first place. Then you could do your own in-depth research in various areas to see which one most strikes your fancy. No matter where you live, it's going to feel different enough that the subtlety of various areas might not be obvious at first but once you start to settle in and find your way around, some areas will just feel more comfortable. I don't think it's possible to get that feeling just from recommendations. It would be better to just plan on moving at least once a few months after you get here.


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## 333

I really don't want to go into major details with the government on how I make my money. I can't prove I am making cash off my work directly and claiming that may subject me to more taxes on the money itself. I would be fine joining a language school to better learn Japanese though although I am interested about how much that would cost me and if they accept highschool dropouts. 

As far as location goes that may be a decent idea. My budget is hopefully for rent nothing over 3k a month but I still want a place that is in a nice enough area to bring back dates after entertaining and getting to know Tokyos Finest  I just turned twenty six and can live where I want and it seems like a much more adventurous dating scene than the US  I am curious if paying a year up front on rent is also a really bad idea or if it may give me more leeway on a long stay.

I obviously want a furnished place that's clean and will be considered acceptable by any local women I may eventually start dating. I am not sure if Tokyo girls are huge gold diggers and status junkies like Shanghai girls have a reputation for. I plan on going to clubs like Womb getting tables there and bars starting out given I know hardly any Japanese and the appeal of living near Shibuya Crossing is oddly there but I am afraid may wear off if the noise is an issue. Being in a Neon filled District like I grew up fantasizing about or near the Cherry Blossom park sounds fun though  anyways I am wondering what's Sakura Place cost for it's nicest Studios?


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