Tag: Japan

After the big earthquake, the biggest problem happened to be the nuclear plants, which is very scary.

Here are some links that monitors radiation in different locations. By checking these frequently, our chance of being safe can increase:

• 都道府県別環境放射能水準調査結果（文部科学省）
• ガイガーカウンタ
• 茨城県
  
• Meltdown alert at Japan reactor (BBC)
• NHK News

After working here for more than 10 years, and waiting for several months, I eventually got the permanent residency on last Friday. I am very happy with this since now I have much bigger freedom than before.

Ordinary visas have strict limitations. I hadn’t been aware of this before, until a friend of mine was sent back to China for working on another job, that is not in the same area as indicated by her visa… That was a terrible lesson.

Getting a permanent residency has following benefits:

1. Do what you want to with no limitation (if it’s legal…)
2. much higher creditworthiness (for example, when you apply for a mortgage loan, or do business)
   
3. no expiry (but reentry permission has)
   
4. unemployment protection: according to the law, a foreigner is to be sent back if he cannot get a job in three months after losing his job. Since unemployment insurance starts the first payment after three months from the time when one loses his job, this is unfair for foreigners who also keep paying for unemployment insurance (and have to do so). With PR, this won’t be a problem.