Japan Corner

Japan: Net Income Calculator and Taxes

When you apply for a job in Japan or change jobs here, like anywhere else, the employer will offer you a gross salary package. However, though the gross salary package can give you a feel-good factor, would that be enough for your financial planning? Wouldn’t you wonder how much your net income or take-home salary will be? To help you

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Buying a House in Japan Vs. Renting

This article is for ex-pats who are debating with themselves about buying a house in Japan. Many foreigners who plan to stay for thelong term in Japan wonder if they should buy ahouse or apartment or rent a place. I myself spent over a decade as an ex-pat living in rented apartments before finally buying a house in Japan. The

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Group Harmony vs. Individual Competition: Japan’s Cultural Balance

If you are familiar with Japan and someone asks if Japanese society is individualistic or collectivistic, the immediate answer would be “collectivistic.” And you would not be far from the truth. Yes, Japanese society is known for group harmony and collectivism, which are the foundation stones of its cultural values, where individuals prioritize the collective good over personal ambition. However,

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Kanji for ‘Up’ or ‘Above’: 上

The Japanese Kanji for ‘Up’ or ‘Above’ is 上. Various contexts for the usage of 上: The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciations of the Kanji 上 are ‘nobu‘ (のぼ), as in words ‘noboru‘ (のぼる) and ‘noboseru‘ (のぼせる), ‘kami‘ (かみ), ‘uwa‘ (うわ), ‘ue‘ (うえ), ‘a‘ (あ) as in ‘a-geru’ (あ-げる), and a-garu (あ-がる). The on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciations of 上 are ‘jo‘

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Kanji for ‘Circle’, and ‘Yen’: 円

The Japanese Kanji for ‘Circle‘ is 円. Please note that 円 is also the Kanji for ‘Yen‘. The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 円 is “maru-i” (まる-い), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 円 is “en” (エン). The Kanji 円 appears in 703 Japanese names. However, in names, it is pronounced as ‘Tsubura‘ (つぶら), ‘Nobu‘ (のぶ), ‘Madoka‘

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Kanji for “Enter”, “Insert”, or “Put in”: 入

The Japanese Kanji 入 means “Enter (to enter),” “Putting in,” and “Insert.” Various contexts for the usage of 入: The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciations of the Kanji 入 are hai-ru (はい-る), or ‘i‘ (い) as in the words “ireru” (い-れる) and “iru” (い-る), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 入 is “nyu” (ニュウ). The Kanji 入 appears in 1284

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Kanji for “Gold” and “Money”: 金 (kin / kane)

The Japanese Kanji for “Gold” is 金. Moreover, because of the historical and practical associations between the precious metal (Gold) and monetary systems, the Kanji 金 also means “money.” However, the primary meaning of 金 is “metal” in general though it denotes the metal gold more specifically. The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciations of the Kanji 金 are “kane” (かね) and

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Kanji for “all,” “whole,” “entire,” “complete”: 全

The Japanese Kanji 全 means “all,” “whole,” “entire,” or “complete.” The Kanji 全 is used in the following contexts: The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciations of the Kanji 全 are “matta-ku” (まった-く) and “sube-te” (すべ-て), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 全 is “zen“ (ゼン). The Kanji 全 commonly appears in Japanese names and is used in 457 names. However,

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