If you're a foreigner
Get life and administrative info in a language you're comfortable with — no more asking around. When things get tough, there are people going through the same thing who can help, and a community where you belong.
Life in Japan,
You're Not Alone
Nihom helps foreigners in Japan navigate administrative procedures, access local information, and connect with professionals — while making it easier for Japanese society to work with foreigners.
We get it
Your residence card is about to expire, but you have no idea what documents to prepare. You go to immigration, wait three hours in line, only to be told you're missing one form.
You want to rent an apartment, but keep getting rejected because you don't have a Japanese guarantor. Getting a phone plan or credit card feels like an uphill battle.
It's not that you don't want to fit in — it's that no one tells you how. You live in the same city, yet there's an invisible wall.
- Procedures are complexLanguage barriers + paper-based + unclear rules
- Daily life has barriersRenting, banking, contracts… "credit" is required everywhere
- Integration feels distantYou want to participate, but don't know where to start
Both sides need a bridge
Foreigners want to fit in, and Japanese society is opening up. What's missing is simply a way to make it easier for both sides to connect.
If you serve foreigners
Looking to hire foreign talent, enroll international students, or offer housing and services? We help you reach them more easily and understand what they need.
So here's what we're building
Step by step, making the things you'll encounter in Japan a little simpler.
Pick a school with the full picture
Undergraduate, graduate, vocational and Japanese-language schools, plus cram schools. Rankings, international-student ratios, admission guidelines and application dates on one page — EJU and TOEFL requirements at a glance.
What to do, and when, at a glance
Add an application to your to-dos in one tap. The deadline fills itself in and counts down; the calendar shows everything due this month.
Your ward’s procedures, all on one page
Pick the ward you live in to see garbage rules, the foreign-resident help desk, in-person counters, and ward-office procedures like resident registration, certificates and health insurance.
A hospital that speaks your language, nearby
Filter by prefecture, supported language and specialty; “foreigners welcome” and language support are shown up front. Find schools, restaurants and everyday services too — on a list or a map.
Stuck? Ask someone who’s been there
Boards for undergraduate, graduate and daily-life topics. Admission breakdowns, scholarship stories, post-exam reviews — real experiences from people living in Japan.
Thinking about a school? Ask a current student
Senpai are verified, with their school, faculty and years of study listed. Browse by undergraduate, graduate, company or student association to find people on the same path.
Give it a try?
Whether you just arrived or have lived here for years — if Japan is home, we want to help.