🇯🇵 Japan

Every resident of Japan must enrol in one of two public health insurance routes determined by employment status. Kokumin Kenkō Hoken (National Health Insurance, NHI) administered by the municipality covers the self-employed and non-employed; Kenkō Hoken (Employees' Health Insurance) packaged with Welfare Pension into the *Shakai Hoken* bundle covers full-time and qualifying part-time employees. Enrolment and withdrawal must be filed within fourteen days of the eligibility event; premiums are owed from the eligibility date regardless of filing date.

Foreign nationals can buy Japanese real estate outright on the same freehold basis as Japanese citizens. There is no nationality restriction on residential property purchase. Four distinct layers shape the pathway: open acquisition under the Real Estate Brokerage Act; a post-purchase reporting obligation under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act for non-residents; a narrow geographic advance-notification trigger under the Important Land Investigation Act in Special Monitoring Zones over 200 m²; and a mortgage-eligibility barrier that is institutional rather than statutory, with most mega-banks requiring permanent residency or a Japanese spouse.

The Individual Number (個人番号 — *Kojin Bangō*) is a 12-digit identifier assigned automatically to every person enrolled in Japan's Basic Resident Register. It is mandatory and has no opt-out. The Individual Number Card (個人番号カード — *Kojin Bangō Kādo*) is a separate, optional chip-card application. First-issuance of the Card is free; the Card enables e-Tax electronic filing and, after registration with an insurer, day-to-day proof of health-insurance enrollment.

Mid-to-long-term residents collect their *在留カード* (Zairyū Kādo — Residence Card) from immigration at one of eight designated airports. The eight are New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Kobe, Hiroshima, or Fukuoka; residents then file a *住居地届出* (Jūkyochi Todokede — address notification) at the 市区町村 office within 14 days of moving in.

Japan issues working residence under one of about twenty 在留資格 (Zairyū Shikaku — Status of Residence) categories, not a single 'work visa'. Most foreign professionals enter on Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, Specified Skilled Worker, or Highly Skilled Professional status. Every long-term work stay begins with a Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Immigration Services Agency.