Hitachi is the main Japanese administrative correspondent assisting Fellows in settling into their new Japanese environment. Upon arrival, Hitachi will help Fellows get to their accommodations, register as foreign residents with their ward offices, open bank accounts to receive their monthly stipends, and, if necessary, help find personal apartments for extended periods of stay.
Someone from Hitachi, Ltd. will meet you upon arrival at Narita (Tokyo) International Airport, unless you prefer to make your own arrangements. We'll then accompany you to International House or other accommodations. See Accommodations/Apartments
If you wish to get to the International House on your own, we recommend taking the Airport Limousine Bus service. Directions from Narita International Airport to the International House are as follows:
Directions from Narita Airport to the International House of Japan
*An alternative would be to take a taxi from the airport to the International House of Japan, but the fare would be over 20,000 yen.
For your convenience, we can make arrangements for you to stay at International House of Japan for the first few weeks you're in Japan. Located in a beautiful setting in central Tokyo, International House is a membership organization that provides accommodations at reasonable rates, primarily to scholars. We recommend using International House for stays of a few months, or as a starting point for longer stays. International House can accommodate families with small children.
| Single without shower | 6,200 yen |
|---|---|
| Single with bath | 9,700 yen |
| Twin with shower | 14,000 yen |
| Twin with bath | 18,000 yen |
| (Extra bed) | 2,600 yen |
| (Baby crib) | 1,000 yen |
Because the rates at International House are below those at comparable hotels, International House is often full. We recommend making reservations well in advance. As soon as your travel plans are set, fax your reservation requests to:
The International House of Japan, Inc.,
Attention: Mr. Mikio Kato, Executive Director
5-11-16 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan
Fax: +81-3-3470-3170
If you prefer to make your own arrangements for accommodations, there are a number of real estate agents that are trusted to introduce satisfactory living quarters to foreign residents for both short- and mid-length stays in Japan. Below are some real estate agents that Fellows have consulted in the past.
| AGENT | TEL/FAX/URL | EXAMPLES | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsukasa Weekly Mansions | TEL +81-3-3440-0111 FAX +81-3-3440-3801 |
International Plaza Shirogane 5-10-15 Shirogane, Minato-ku (12 minutes from Hiroo Station) Weekly Mansion Gotanda 2-5-4 Higashi Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku (5 minutes from Gotanda Station) |
All apartments fully furnished with air conditioning, refrigerator, TV, phone, kitchen, utensils, desk, chair, and vacuum. Rooms for one to three people. Rates from 138,000 to 248,000 yen per month. |
| Urban Planning Co., Ltd. | TEL +81-3-5485-2572 FAX +81-3-3486-7829 |
Furnished apartments:
|
All apartments and houses fully furnished. Apartment rates from 86,000 yen (Mita) to 600,000 yen (Shirogane) per month. House rates from 270,000 yen (Harajuku) to 1,600,000 yen (Seta) per month. |
| Iwata Sekisan Inc. | TEL +81-3-3721-4461 FAX +81-3-3721-4460 |
Urban Renaissance 3-33-7 Wada, Suginami-ku (4 minutes from Higashi-Koenji Station) |
Green, quiet surroundings. All apartments fully furnished with air conditioning, refrigerator, telephone, TV, bed covers, kitchen utensils and washing machine. Rooms available from 80,000 to 170,000 yen per month. |
| Fontana Co. Ltd. | TEL +81-3-3382-0151 FAX +81-3-3382-0018 |
Approximately 1,000 licensed apartments in and around Tokyo. Extremely high popularity. | Private apartments furnished with air conditioning, refrigerator and bedding. All rooms have private kitchen and bathroom. Room rates vary from 80,000 to 200,000 yen per month. |
| Ken Corporation, Ltd. | TEL +81-3-5413-5632 |
Apartments and houses available at:
|
Spacious rooms with rates from 250,000 to 2,000,000 yen per month. Rental houses also available. |
| Overseas Corporation | TEL +81-3-3562-2061 FAX +81-3-3564-6596 |
Large homes for VIP visitors in:
|
Spacious, furnished homes for VIP's with maid, gardener and parking. Rates around 1,500,000 yen per month. |
| KIMI Information Center | TEL +81-3-3986-1604 | English real estate service for foreigners in Japan. Apartments, houses and sublets available. |
In addition, English magazines and newspapers, such as Tokyo Classified,Tokyo Weekender, Japan Times, Daily Yomiuri and Mainichi Daily (available at most large bookstores selling English publications), carry classified ads for housing.
The Japanese Government requires foreign residents who will stay in Japan for over 90 days to register their residency. The registration itself is a very simple procedure that takes no more than 30 minutes. The procedure is completed at the local ward office, or city hall, in the area you decide to live in during your Fellowship. A temporary registration card is issued on the day you register, and an official card, which is your official identification while living in Japan, will be ready to be picked up at your local ward office within ten working days.
| Minato Ward Office | 1-5-25 Shibakoen, Minato-ku | +81-3-3578-2053 |
|---|---|---|
| Shinjuku Ward Office | 1-4-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku | +81-3-5272-5060 |
| Shibuya Ward Office | 1-1 Udagawa, Shibuya-ku | +81-3-3463-1211 |
| Meguro Ward Office | 2-4-5 Chuo-cho, Meguro-ku | +81-3-3792-2113 |
| Shinagawa Ward Office | 2-1-36 Hiromachi, Shinagawa-ku | +81-3-5742-6616 |
| Setagaya Ward Office | 4-21-27 Setagaya, Setagaya-ku | +81-3-5432-2892 |
| Toshima Ward Office | 1-18-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku | +81-3-3981-1111 |
| Suginami Ward Office | 1-15-1 Asagaya-Minami, Suginami-ku | +81-3-3312-2111 |
You will need a bank account in Japan to receive your monthly stipend (see Stipends). Hitachi will assist you in opening an account at the bank of your choice. There are two types of bank accounts available for foreign visitors in Japan: the resident bank account and the non-resident bank account.
The most convenient account is the resident account. It is available for those who have registered as a Japanese resident (see Foreign Registration). This type of account allows you to make withdrawals from any branch or ATM corner with the use of an ATM card, which is issued within seven working days from the day you opened the account.
Items needed to open account:
If you choose not to register as a foreign citizen (see Foreign Registration), most major banks in Japan offer non-resident bank account services. This type of account can be inconvenient in that you can only make withdrawals at the bank branch where you opened the account, with your bank book and signature.
Items needed to open account:
The Hitachi fellowship provides a stipend of 25,000 yen per day, or approximately 750,000 yen per month. As a Fellow, you will also receive a research allowance of 300,000 yen to cover research expenses, local travel, health insurance premiums and miscellaneous expenses. In addition, Fellows receive an international travel allowance of $5,000.
The Council issues a US dollar check for the travel allowance prior to your departure for Japan. The stipend and research allowance are paid by the Council in yen. It is a good idea to open a bank account in Japan as soon as you arrive in order to receive and use the Fellowship funds (see Bank Accounts in Japan).
We calculated the stipend to cover the reasonable living expenses of an individual temporarily residing in Japan. The costs of maintaining a family in Japan can be quite high, especially in the Tokyo area. In some cases, less expensive housing may be available through particular host institutions (e.g. visiting faculty housing) or house exchanges.
The $5,000 travel allowance is to cover the cost of a single round-trip ticket to Japan in business class and the costs of bringing family members to Japan. The extent that the costs exceed the stipend are the responsibility of the Fellow. However, the travel allowance may cover two, or more, round trips at economy or discounted fares, and you may use a portion of the travel allowance to cover the travel of family members. You are responsible for purchasing your own travel insurance, if desired.
The impact of Japanese and US taxes on a Fellowship recipient depends on various factors, including your professional status and length of residence in Japan. In most cases, it is unlikely that you will be required to pay Japanese tax on Fellowship stipends. You should consult your accountant or other tax adviser concerning any particular tax situations.
You are responsible for your own health insurance arrangements. If you wish to get Japanese health insurance coverage, please consult:
Carl Green
Deputy Senior Representative
Hitachi Corporate Office, D.C.
TEL 202-828-9277 FAX 202-828-9277
A staff member of Hitachi, Ltd. will be assigned to act as a host to assist you in getting acquainted with Japanese society. Feel free to ask your hosts for personal assistance, such as help in finding new accommodations and advice on learning about Japanese culture, as well as professional assistance, such as developing networks with Hitachi personnel or other Japanese in your respective field. You will be introduced to your host within the first few weeks of arrival in Japan.
There are a number of English speaking telephone directory and consulting services available in Tokyo that provide foreign visitors with information regarding tourism, medical care and general living.
| NAME | PHONE | |
|---|---|---|
| GENERAL | American Embassy | TEL (03) 3224-5000 |
| American Express | TEL (03) 3220-6100 | |
| INFORMATION | TELL (Tokyo English Lifeline) | TEL (03) 3968-4099 |
| Japan Hotline | TEL (03) 3586-0110 | |
| Foreign Residents' English Service | TEL (03) 5320-7744 | |
| Setagaya-ku Help Line | TEL (03) 5432-2892 | |
| TOURISM | Tourist Information Center (Tokyo) | TEL (03) 3201-3331 |
| Tourist Information Center (New tokyo International Airport) | TEL (0478) 34-6251 | |
| Teletourist Service | TEL (03) 3201-2911 | |
| Japan Railway English Line | TEL (03) 3423-0111 | |
| EMERGENCY | Police Department | TEL 110 |
| Fire Department/Paramedic | TEL 119 | |
| Tokyo Medical & Surgical (Minato-ku) | TEL (03) 3436-3028 | |
| International Clinic (Minato-ku) | TEL (03) 3582-2646 | |
| St. Luke's International Hospital (Chuo-ku) | TEL (03) 3541-5151 | |
| American Pharmacy (Chiyoda-ku) | TEL (03) 3271-4034 | |
| AMDA (clearing house) | TEL (03) 5285-8088 | |
| OTHER | KDD International Telegraph | TEL (03) 3344-5151 |
| KDD Operator | TEL 0057 |