Loading...

May 25, 2021

Investing While in Japan

I wanted to know if any of you are currently investing while in Japan and how you are doing it. I am curious for two reasons: Retirement Short Term investment If you are investing, are you doing it through Japan or through your home country. I plan on staying in Japan, but for lack of understanding, I am thinking if I should start a 401K in America instead. Any advice is appreciated.

Living
0 5
Report as spam
ReishiiTravels

ReishiiTravels

Teacher, Traveler, Dancer -
Currently living in Gifu -
I love Japan, dance, cats, food, and fashion!

Follow

5 Answers

  • City-Cost

    City-Cost

    on May 26

    We'll drop this thread from last year in here as it may also help in providing some answers to this question. Hope it helps! "Do you want to invest money while living in Japan?" - Aug. 2020 https://www.city-cost.com/qa/MJDYG-living_money

    1
  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on May 27

    I've been late to the party with investing, but I'm doing it via a US-based company since we're most likely to return there after our time in Japan. I'm personally not confident enough to invest here in Japan (too much of a language barrier for me!), and also because I'm not staying in Japan forever.

    1
  • helloalissa

    helloalissa

    on May 27

    I've been investing the maximum ($6000) into a Roth IRA in the US every year. If it's through an online brokerage account, you can hold it as a long term investment, like a "lifecycle" ETF for low maintenance. That way it will earn more dividends and interest than just cash. For Japanese investments, I've been leaning more towards buying land and building a house to retire in. This is overwhelming but much more interesting to me than stock investing. Plus, it's so cheap here compared with the US right now.

    1
  • Bella

    Bella

    on Jun 1

    I haven't invested, but I plan to do it in my home country because I know the rules there more than Japan. I feel like if ever I invest in Japan and there are some anomalies or problems I will have difficulty dealing with them, ie. language barrier. However, I do have a pension plan in my home country.

    0
  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Dec 21

    An update on this, I ended up starting an account through https://www.acorns.com/. It's pretty easy and for anyone with kids you can also set up their "Early Invest" accounts to get them started early. Only works for US Citizens or Permanent Residents (I have PR there, my husband/kids are citizens).

    0

Awaiting More Answers

2 Answers

How do you celebrate Culture Day?

What do you do each year on Culture Day? Do you have an annual custom or do you go somewhere or do something new each year? Or do you just spend time at home and/or with family?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Nov 3

8 Answers

Do you still have a landline?

In the wake of worldwide electricity and Internet problems, I found myself sharing my landline number with friends today! I am just curious; do you still have a landline in 2026? And any thoughts about it - if you got rid of your landline, do you regret it? Does your area use VoIP, making it pointless anyway?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Oct 23

7 Answers

Anime Pilgrimage Spots in Japan?

Tomorrow, October 22nd, is Anime Day in Japan and I will be writing a few posts about it. Probably, including one about the pilgrimage spots in Saitama (photo of a Lucky Star spot). But what about in your prefecture, what famous real-life locations are there that inspired anime settings? Shout out to TonetoEdo who asked a similar question about movie locations earlier in the year. I wasn't much good at answering that, but - despite not being an anime fan - I know more about the anime spots than the movie spots!

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Oct 21

7 Answers

Do you have a very good breakfast!?

Today is "Very Good Breakfast Day" in Japan. Do you eat breakfast every day? Japanese or Western? The day also encourages families to eat together, which unfortunately just isn't practical in my home due to all 6 of us having very different schedules. Do you get to eat breakfast with someone or do you eat alone?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Oct 11

10 Answers

What Traditional Japanese Culture Would You Like to Learn?

I'd love to be part of a club where I could learn some traditional plant growing, harvesting, and cooking. Learning Japanese calligraphy (shodo) and previously flower arranging (Ikebana) is great too. I've always thought it would be awesome to learn bamboo crafts, more than a short experience making a small already prepared basket. I'm wondering what you'd be interested to learn that is in danger of disappearing if young people (including foreign residents) don't learn it. There are small local efforts to teach students how to grow and harvest rice for a seasonal example. It's a tiny experience that could influence the future supply of an important staple food. I've never had the chance but that would be great and potentially helpful to local farmers.

helloalissa

helloalissa

on Oct 8

10 Answers

What do you most associate with Shizuoka?

Today, is also Shizuoka Citizen's Day, so - the same as Fukushima - what first comes to mind / do you most associate with Shizuoka Prefecture?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Aug 21

10 Answers

Car Essentials for a Road Trip?

I feel like this may have been asked before, but I can't find it through a search. Or maybe I thought of asking it and never did! Either way, tell us what things you like to have in your car when you are going on a road trip?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Aug 21

6 Answers

What do you MOST associate with Fukushima Prefecture?

Given that today is Fukushima Prefecture Citizen's Day; what is the FIRST thing that comes to mind when you hear Fukushima? And / or what do you most associate with the prefecture?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Aug 21

6 Answers

Summer Festival Changes - Yay or Nay?

Earlier I wrote about how my neighborhood's "summer" festival has been moved to autumn. I also wrote a separate post about a summer festival in Kasukabe that has been moved indoors. I know there is a bittersweetness about these changes, but some would argue that something needs to change in the face of rising temperatures. So, I am curious, what would you vote for: 1) Leaving Summer Festivals exactly as they are - same date, same set up etc. 2) Shifting the time of day the festival is on, say for example, from afternoon until after dark 3) Moving the festival from summer to another season or at least to earlier in summer, such as June 4) Moving summer festivals indoors - not really possible for the larger festivals especially those with large floats etc. but maybe they could shift some elements indoors

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Aug 3

7 Answers

Which movie will you see this summer?

I am not a movie-goer at all, but every year I bring the kids to see a film (and they often go with their friends too) during the summer holidays. There seems to be a good choice this year, including Toy Story 5, the Chiikawa movie, the real live action adaption of Moana and the usual annual Crayon Shinchan movie among others. Which movie are you planning to see this summer? Or have you already been to see one (or more)? If so, which one?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Jul 30

5 Answers

What are our consumer rights in Japan?

Do you know your consumer rights in Japan? And if so, would you be willing to share anything about them? For example, what is the policy on returns? I am very familiar with my consumer rights in my home country, and they are very widely publicized back home, but information doesn't seem to be as transparent or readily available here. Or is that just me?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Mar 15

18 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20