Tag - lifelines

 
Menu
Search
 
May 10, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

LIFELINES

COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 10, 2012
Can I sue a former employer for not paying toward my pension?
John has a question about the Japanese pension system. He writes: "I am a permanent, legal Japan resident, and worked full time for a foreign company in Tokyo for six years. I am now retired and the Japan pension office advised that this company did not enroll me in any government pension plan during...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 3, 2012
Less-than-fluent foreigners may have trouble giving blood
Julian recently visited a Red Cross blood donation center in Kagoshima to donate blood, but was refused because he can't speak Japanese. They also told him he couldn't donate blood even if he brought along a native speaker.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 27, 2012
Suginami Ward 'informers' just doing their job
Several residents of Tokyo's Suginami Ward contacted us in response to C.W.'s experience, which appeared in our March 6 column, "Immigration 'informers' call on foreigners in Suginami Ward."
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 13, 2012
Import tax: a complex, seemingly arbitrary minefield
Paula writes: "What are the rules regarding taxes placed on imported purchases — for example, a pair of boots? I live in Kobe and had to pay taxes of ¥5,400 for a ¥9,000 purchase. I paid more than half the cost of what I bought in taxes."
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 6, 2012
Immigration 'informers' call on foreigners in Suginami Ward
C.W., who lives in Tokyo's Suginami Ward, recently received a notice about the upcoming resident law changes and was informed that an "officer" would visit him and other foreign residents in the area. He is concerned about the intent of these changes and wondering why "officers" are only visiting the...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 21, 2012
Ill-prepared schools put returner, family in tough spot
In response to our recent two-part series on education ("Rejoining school system in Japan after time away can be tough" and "Acceptance — social and otherwise — a crucial issue for Japan returnee kids," Jan. 10 and 17), Rosie decided to share the story of her daughter's difficulties entering...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 14, 2012
Firms have few grounds to refuse staff paid leave
Reader KA writes: "In a recent Lifelines column ("All employees in Japan are entitled to paid leave, period," Dec. 13) it was stated that all employees have the legal right to take paid vacation providing they meet certain basic criteria. Whilst that is legally correct, employers can often prevent paid...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 31, 2012
Facing up to alcoholism in foreign land can help or hinder recovery
A reader has a query about alcoholism in Japan: "How is it generally perceived and what kind of help is available for foreign alcoholics who speak little to no Japanese?"
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 24, 2012
Tepco pole position may scupper land buy
Mr. A writes: "We are seriously considering buying a property (house and land) in a residential neighborhood. On a corner of and inside the property, Tepco installed a light pole several years ago, apparently under an agreement with the current owner. It is believed that a nominal payment from Tepco...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 17, 2012
Acceptance — social and otherwise — a crucial issue for Japan returnee kids
Last week we addressed academic issues and the timing of school enrollment in response to Floyd's question regarding his son reentering the Japanese education system after living abroad for several years. In this week's column we look at potential social issues, being accepted to a good high school,...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 10, 2012
Rejoining school system in Japan after time away can be tough
Floyd hopes to move back to Japan but is worried about his 11-year-old son fitting into the Japanese school system and being accepted at a good high school:
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 20, 2011
Replacing your alien card; blasts from the past
Anita recently lost her alien registration card and is planning to leave on New Year's Day for an overseas trip, so she needs a replacement right away:
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 13, 2011
All employees in Japan are entitled to paid leave, period
Reader A is employed by an agency and has been dispatched to a food processing company. The agency explained to A that she was not entitled to paid leave. However, other people directly employed by the food processing company enjoy 10 to 15 days paid holiday, and A has recently learned that those dispatched...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 6, 2011
Buck stops with landlord of moldy apartment
Reader G.R. writes: "My apartment has a serious mold problem. The bathtub is built in such a way that there is a space between the tub and the wall and water can easily get underneath and does not drain well.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 22, 2011
More on carrying your gaijin card, and where to find Indian temples
In our Oct. 25 column,
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 15, 2011
Writing a will can take the uncertainty out of inheritance
Reader BM is worried about the inheritance of his house:
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 25, 2011
To carry or not to carry your 'gaijin card' upon re-entry?
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,"...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 18, 2011
How to avoid the trouble of paying double on return to Oz
Gina, an Australian citizen and permanent resident of Japan, is considering heading back to her homeland:
COMMUNITY / LIFELINES
Oct 4, 2011
Unfair dismissal: the legal options
Reader MB was recently fired from a private language school he'd been working at for five years.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 27, 2011
Can the government change my name? asks 'Madame Spouse'
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 "epouse," despite the fact this isn't...
Tokuryū, a new crime menace in Japan, emerges from the shadows
The National Police Agency coined the term "tokuryū" to classify individuals involved in dark part time jobs and quasi-gangsters, using the words "tokumei" (anonymous) and "ryūdo" (fluid) to reflect their characteristics.
Nearly 6 million elderly people in Japan will have dementia by 2040
The latest figure is significantly less than a previous projection released in 2015 that said more than 8 million people would have dementia by 2040.
Thanks, tourists. Views of Mount Fuji are now blocked.
Tourists pose in front of a convenience store with Mount Fuji on Friday in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. Local residents are upset over littering, overcrowding and the inconvenience caused by the visitors.
Is Modi’s party heading for a stunning election loss?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign tactics have escalated, including anti-Muslim rhetoric and fearmongering, reflecting his ruling party's desperation.
Man arrested over fatal stabbing of young woman in Shinjuku
A 51-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of stabbing a young woman to death in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
Stormy seas ahead as Beijing and Manila trade barbs over secret deal
Philippine Marines wave to Philippine Navy personnel and the media during a resupply mission at their military outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre, a warship run aground in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, in the South China Sea, in March 2014.
Unlike 10 years ago, Japan's new security bill sparks little debate
The Lower House starts discussing a security clearance bill on April 19 in Tokyo.
After blockbuster boxing victory, what next for ‘Monster’ Inoue?
Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Luis Nery in their IBF-WBA-WBC-WBO super bantamweight title boxing match at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
Xi bristles as Macron and von der Leyen urge China to do more on Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen walk after their meeting in Paris on Monday.
How a Japanese scientist is turning the climate crisis into music
A screencap of a performance of Hiroto Nagai's “String Quartet No. 1 ‘Polar Energy Budget’” by the PRT Quartet

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces
By Stephen Mansfield

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there
Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER