Tag - lifelines

 
 

LIFELINES

Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 21, 2018
What Trump's tax reforms mean for Americans in Japan
Changes under the U.S. Republican administration are likely to affect the bottom line for individuals and companies here alike.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 7, 2018
Bringing the great outdoors to Japan's underserved children
Almost 39,000 children are under government supervision in Japan, and 85 percent are institutionalized in various homes around the nation, according to Human Rights Watch. Last August, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare made good on its 2016 revisions to the Child Welfare Act by announcing a new plan of "family-based care," but in the meantime, a local nonprofit organization is working hard to bring the outside world to these institutionalized children: the world of nature.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 24, 2018
Can I sue in Japan to get back the money I spent on my former fiancee?
Does a reader who spent $20,000 on his fiancee have legal grounds to sue her now she has called the whole thing off? Well, that depends.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 21, 2018
Teething troubles in tapping into Japan pensions from abroad
While the easing of eligibility rules is welcome news, reading about it is one thing and actually tapping into the system is another.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jan 14, 2018
Beware the patter about purchasing property to rent out around Tokyo
At seminars targeting expat investors, don't expect to hear the whole story about Japan's rental market.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 3, 2017
How do you find a missing spouse in Japan?
A reader writes: "I live in Japan with my son. His father left us nine years ago. After a couple of months, he contacted me, though he has never contacted us since then. I have never heard any news from him. I tried also to send a letter to his parents with a picture of my son attached, but I received no reply from them. I'm so desperate to know what happened to him and even whether he is still alive or not."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 29, 2017
Students benefit from homestays without going overseas
Traveling overseas for a homestay to brush up their English or try life in another culture has become almost de rigueur for Japanese students, with many going as teenagers through their schools or as a private arrangement. However, the costs involved mean such an experience is often beyond the reach of students from impoverished backgrounds, such as those from single-parent households or children's homes.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 5, 2017
Know the fees you may have to pay when you leave rented digs in Japan
A reader asks about a payment demand from the manager of an apartment in Tokyo that the reader vacated in a hurry.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 25, 2017
PanCAN Japan makes strides against pancreatic cancer
PanCAn Japan supports research projects and advocates for new medical techniques to improve both treatment for pancreatic cancer patients and early detection of the disease.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 15, 2017
Shine On! works its animal magic on kids facing tough times
Shine On! Kids offers support and encouragement to very ill children and their families around Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 11, 2017
For those living with cancer, a place to talk in Tokyo that's neither home nor hospital
Maggie's Tokyo opened its doors in October last year, offering a space for cancer patients and their family members and friends to talk.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 17, 2017
Finally, non-Japanese residents can draw pensions after 10 years of paying in
Foreign residents can now receive a Japanese old-age pension if they have paid in for a total of at least 10 years, rather than 25 years, as was the case.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Aug 20, 2017
On inheritance tax, net banking and retiring in Japan
This week, Lifelines plays catch-up with some useful tips that have come in from readers over the past few months. However, we start off with a follow-up question from reader S.S. in response to last month's column on recent changes in Japan's inheritance tax laws (bit.ly/jtinheritax) It seems S.S. spends part of the year in Japan and the rest of the time abroad. He writes:
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 23, 2017
Gift and inheritance tax reforms leave more of Japan's foreign residents liable
A reader writes to Lifelines about Japan's recently introduced inheritance tax law, which he calls 'one of the most punitive in the world.'
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 16, 2017
House sitting in Japan — still mostly an expatriate affair
A reader writes in about the possibility of coming to Japan as a house sitter.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 9, 2017
Thank you, Jean Pearce, for helping us get things done in Japan
If the U.S. had Ann Landers and Dear Abby, and Britain had Marge Proops, then Japan had Jean Pearce — someone who transcended the title of 'columnist' and became a media icon for generations of readers.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 18, 2017
Explicit porn pamphlets on display for all to see in Japan's hotels
This week's topic comes courtesy of M.J., who contacted Lifelines after her uncomfortable experience at a Tokyo hotel with her family.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 14, 2017
Dividing assets: a thorny issue in divorce cases, whether international or domestic
A reader wrote to Lifelines recently about the subject of dividing property upon divorce.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 21, 2017
Don't bank on Japan's lenders making it easy to relocate abroad
A reader shares her experiences with internet banking upon leaving Japan on a temporary basis.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 14, 2017
Unions can offer a hand in dealing with recalcitrant employers
This week's query comes from A.R., who is having some problems with a less-than-cooperative former employer

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores