Section
People & Life
Everyday life, work and school. The voices of people connected with Ukraine.
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Before You Contract with a Ukrainian Engineer — Three Employment Frameworks, and Intellectual Property
When working with talent in Ukraine, what actually helps you decide is not nationality but what can be written into a contract. The three employment frameworks that coexist within Ukraine; who intellectual property defaults to if the contract is silent; the arrangements for uptime and communication that became necessary after the full-scale invasion; and the points that need an expert's confirmation on the Japan side. Eight items you can put in a contract.
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Where to Get Help When You Start Living in Japan — Including Places You Can Consult in Ukrainian
A map of where someone who has started living in Japan can first turn for help. Contacts you can consult in Ukrainian, FRESC, your local municipal counter, medical care, your children's schooling, work, and learning Japanese. The contacts listed here are ones still active as of September 23, 2026. Some contacts have already ended, so we start with those. This article does not judge any individual's procedure.
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Within 14 Days of Moving: The Words You’ll Meet in Japan’s Resident Registration System
In Japan, once you settle at an address in a municipality, you file a notification of moving in (tennyū todoke) within 14 days. If a medium- to long-term resident files this notification with their residence card, it also completes the notification of residence required under the Immigration Control Act at the same time. This article explains the terms you'll encounter at the counter — juminhyo, a copy of the juminhyo, a certificate of moving out, My Number, appointment booking for moving in — in the order you'll meet them.
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Before You Go to a Hospital in Japan: Have Proof of Insurance and Notes on Your Symptoms Ready
When you feel unwell in Japan, the hospital reception desk will ask to see proof of insurance, and you'll write your symptoms on an intake form. Interpretation for the 119 emergency line is available nationwide in English, Chinese and Korean, but Ukrainian depends on the local fire department. This article covers how to find a hospital, what to confirm when booking, and where to find Ukrainian-language intake forms and medical glossaries.
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School Records and Documents a Family Can Prepare Before Entering a Japanese School
Foreign-national children are not legally required to attend school, but they can enroll in Japan's public elementary and junior high schools. The point of contact is your municipal board of education. Grade level is basically set by age, though there are exceptions for a lower grade depending on Japanese-language ability and other factors. A family can write out ahead of time what they want to convey about school history, language, health, and feelings (based on Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology materials as of 23 September 2026).
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The Name Day That Once Outranked the Birthday: Saint Mykola’s Day Moves to December 6
Ukraine's "name day" (imenyny, or "angel's day") is the feast day of the saint your name comes from. An encyclopedia states it was once held to matter more than a birthday. In September 2023 two major churches switched to a new calendar, and on the church calendar, name days moved 13 days earlier as well. This article covers naming customs, baptismal names versus everyday names, and how the dates changed.
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Workplace Checkups Once a Year, Specific Health Checkups From Age 40: Cancer Screening Through Your City or Ward
Japan has three kinds of health checkups: the one your employer runs, the "specific health checkup" (tokutei kenshin) that health insurers run for people aged 40 to 74, and cancer screening run by the city, town, or ward you live in. This article covers who is covered when working part-time, who pays, the ages and intervals for the five kinds of cancer screening, the removal of sputum cytology from lung cancer screening in April 2026, and the change to workplace checkups coming in April 2027.
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Allergen Labeling Becomes Mandatory for 9 Items: Cashew Nuts Added to Japan’s Food Labeling Rules
Packaged and boxed food sold in Japan must, by law, be labeled with ingredients, allergens, expiry dates, and place of origin. In April 2026 cashew nuts were added to the mandatory allergens, bringing the total to 9. This article covers the mandatory 9 items, the recommended 20 items, the difference between a "consume-by" date and a "best-before" date, how far the rules do not reach for restaurant food or food made and sold on the spot, and how to read country-of-origin labeling, based on the Food Labeling Standards and Consumer Affairs Agency materials.
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Hand It In Within 7 Days, or 24 Hours at a Shop or Station: Japan’s Rules for Lost and Found Property
If you find lost property in Japan, you hand it to the police if you're on the street, or to staff if you're in a shop or station. Miss 7 days (24 hours for property found inside a facility) and you lose your rights as the finder. This article covers the 5-20% reward, gaining ownership after 3 months, the 2-month collection deadline, why mobile phones and ID cannot be claimed, and how to file a lost-property report, based on the Lost Property Act and National Police Agency guidance.
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311,792 Students Enrolled: Japan’s Correspondence High Schools, Where 74 Credits Come From Reports and Schooling
At a Japanese correspondence high school, you work on reports at home and elsewhere, and build up credits through scheduled in-person schooling days and exams. Graduation requires 74 or more credits and at least 3 years. As of May 2026, enrollment passed 310,000 for the first time. This article covers how the learning works, satellite facilities, the 2022-2023 rule changes, and the tuition support payment system that changed in fiscal 2026 (as of September 2026).