How-tos | LIFELINES Nov 15, 2011

Writing a will can take the uncertainty out of inheritance

by Ashley Thompson

Reader BM is worried about the inheritance of his house: “I am half-owner of my house and my two children own the other half. If I die, my half will be divided between my kids and my (second) wife. Thus, my kids will own ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Oct 25, 2011

To carry or not to carry your 'gaijin card' upon re-entry?

by Ashley Thompson

In our August 23 column (www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20110823at.html), we looked at whether foreign residents should carry their alien registration card on them when re-entering Japan. The official answer from the Immigration Bureau is that their officials will ask to see your ARC, or “gaijin card,” in ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Oct 18, 2011

How to avoid the trouble of paying double on return to Oz

by Ashley Thompson

Gina, an Australian citizen and permanent resident of Japan, is considering heading back to her homeland: “I am 51 and thinking of returning to Australia to live permanently (and work) in a couple of years. By that time I will have paid into the ...

Community | LIFELINES Oct 4, 2011

Unfair dismissal: the legal options

by Masako Suzuki

Reader MB was recently fired from a private language school he’d been working at for five years. “No reason was given when this was made known to me — I was, however, asked to teach the remaining four to six weeks of the current ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Sep 27, 2011

Can the government change my name? asks 'Madame Spouse'

by Ashley Thompson

French citizen DTMV is concerned about the name listed on her alien registration card, which includes her maiden name, married name, two first names, and “epouse” (listed before her married name), which means “spouse” in French. As such, she is often referred to as ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Sep 13, 2011

3/11: no excuse for skipping your re-entry visa

by Ashley Thompson

Shortly after the March 11 disasters, Hans left Japan without a re-entry permit. He came back on a tourist visa and is wondering if he can easily regain his previous visa status: “I am a German national and have been married to my Japanese ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Aug 23, 2011

Legal help for those on a limited budget

by Ashley Thompson

Reader GR is seeking legal assistance: “I recently moved out of a house that I rented for about five years. A few weeks later the owner sent me a message asking for ¥450,000 on top of the ¥70,000 he had for the deposit. This ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Aug 9, 2011

Scant legal justification for unpaid overtime

by Yuichi Kawamoto and Charles Alvarez

John has a question about unpaid overtime: “I’ve been working in Japan for the past few years and lately, because of the slow pace of business, our company has let go of some of our staff. As a result, we have to split the ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Jul 12, 2011

Bye-bye to the gaijin card, welcome to the Juki Net in '12

by Ashley Thompson and Angela Jeffs

Reader JG is concerned about the changes to the Immigration Law that were passed in 2009 and are scheduled for implementation in July 2012. According to the Immigration Bureau, the Ministry of Justice and immigration lawyers, the new law will bring about a few ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Jun 28, 2011

Permanent residency, legal query, a lost friend

by Ashley Thompson

Mike has a question about applying for his permanent resident visa: “I submitted my papers last February and passed all the requirements. My problem is that I want to visit my country for one month. Is that OK? “I plan to take one month ...

How-tos | LIFELINES Jun 21, 2011

Permanent residents, mind the 'gap years' in your pension payments

by Ashley Thompson

In response to our previous pension articles, “Japan pension answers often case-specific” (April 19) and “Pension ‘gap years’ and missed payments” (May 10), we’ve received several reader inquiries and comments regarding kara kikan, or “gap years.” Kara kikan is a period of time during ...