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RetireJapan
@retirejapan.com
Personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan. Helping people learn and improve their financial situation since 2013. More at RetireJapan.com
Treetop obstacle courses, ziplines, a Xmas special, and all our usual links for your last week of work before the winter break 😀

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🎅 🍰 🍗
December 22, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Tracking your financial progress can be a huge source of motivation when you are trying to save and invest for the future.

I've been writing these public reports since 2016. Here is the latest one 😀

TLDR: it was a good year financially.
December 19, 2025 at 12:31 AM
If you live in Japan, you should be ready for disasters.

Don't worry about them TOO much, but do take time to make basic preparations

You'll be so glad you did when the day comes

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🚒
December 15, 2025 at 12:12 AM
What are you feeding your brain? The standard informational diet might be bad for your mental health.

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 😇
December 8, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Join our Substack to easily get The Monday Read each week (and occasional blog posts on Fridays) 😀

retirejapan.substack.com
RetireJapan | Ben Tanaka | Substack
Personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan. Click to read RetireJapan, by Ben Tanaka, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
retirejapan.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Handling the internet addiction, proposed visa fees in Japan, generative AI results, forum topics, all our usual links and more 😁

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🉐
December 1, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Are the good times over for UK citizens living abroad? Maybe.

All the details of changes coming in 2026 in our new blog post.
November 28, 2025 at 1:42 AM
The Monday Read: a snowy getaway, financial planner qualifications, cast iron frying pans, surprise visa fee raises, and all our regular links and stories.

Just what you need on a holiday Monday 😄

RetireJapan: personal finance for people living in Japan 🎌
November 24, 2025 at 1:27 AM
A fun little exercise for savers and investors: what is your FI percentage?

Getting to about 10% will change your life.
November 21, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Going back to work, RetireJapan TV, a new YT series, my new favourite mouse, and all the usual links and content 😎

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🎌
November 17, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Japan gets tough (eventually)

All visa renewals and changes will now require proof of paying tax and social insurance.

But is this 'unfair'?
November 14, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Winter is coming, electricity providers, people who shouldn't use iDeCo, and all our usual links and content ⛄️

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🗻
November 10, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Becoming a Japanese citizen is much more popular than I imagined 🎎

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🗾
November 3, 2025 at 12:08 AM
New video for members on YouTube out now (everyone else gets it this afternoon 😁 )

How to Naturalize in Japan: Starting the Process at the Hōmukyoku
October 31, 2025 at 12:20 AM
The financial planner qualification in Japan is really popular because it's one of the easiest 国家資格 to pass, but is it useful for people who are interested in personal finance?

Find out here 😀

retirejapan.substack.com/p/fp-test-so...
FP Test: Something for Everyone?
Taking the financial planner qualifications in Japan
retirejapan.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Sometimes interactions don't go the way you think they will in Japan 😬
October 24, 2025 at 3:34 AM
This was an excellent rumination on what is happening in Osaka at the intersection of tourism, minpaku business, demographics, and immigration

www.samholden.jp/p/osaka-airb...
Osaka Airbnb-ification
Post-growth gentrification in the expo city
www.samholden.jp
October 22, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Is Japan retired? Zairyu cards are mutating. And much much more...

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🍤
October 20, 2025 at 12:16 AM
New video out now!

How to get to a really high saving rate in Japan (but do you even need to?)
October 13, 2025 at 9:59 AM
A packed Monday Read for you today 😎

RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🎌
October 13, 2025 at 12:54 AM
If you're fortunate enough to have more than you need, how do you decide how much to spend in retirement?

I've been thinking about this recently.

RetireJapan -> fix your finances, fix your life 👺
October 10, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Where do you get inspriration from?

The most important factor in achieving a goal is propably motivation: if motivation is strong enough it massively increases your chance of success

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 🐍
October 6, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Is this the secret to financial sucess in Japan?

"the ancient Japanese art of..."

This one simple hack multiplied our net worth by 2.5x in eight years 😉
October 3, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Lots of content for you today 😀

Two videos! Craig Mod! Census! Real estate! Links!

The Monday Read from RetireJapan: personal finance, investing, retirement, and life in Japan 💹
September 29, 2025 at 12:39 AM
New video out now 😎
September 26, 2025 at 7:20 AM