Arriving in a new country, the hardest part is often simply knowing what to do first. The good news is that your first two weeks in Karuizawa follow a fairly fixed order: there is one hard deadline — registering your address within 14 days — and once that is done, everything else (health insurance, My Number, a bank account, a phone) unlocks in a logical sequence. This checklist walks through it day by day. For the bigger picture, start with Moving to Karuizawa: A Foreigner's Guide.
TL;DR
- Days 1–3: settle in, locate Karuizawa Town Hall, gather your documents, and arrange utilities if not already on.
- Week 1 (the deadline): register your address (転入届) within 14 days, and enrol in National Health Insurance, National Pension, and My Number — ideally in the same visit.
- Week 2: open a bank account, get a phone number and home internet, and learn the local garbage rules.
- Bring everywhere: residence card (在留カード) + passport for every family member, plus a personal seal (印鑑) and passport photos.
What should I do in my first 48 hours?
The first couple of days are about landing safely, not paperwork. Make sure the home is liveable — that the electricity, gas, and water are on (gas usually needs an appointment to open the supply, so call ahead if you can). Find where Karuizawa Town Hall is and check its opening hours. Then gather the documents you will need all week in one place: residence cards and passports for everyone, your personal seal (印鑑) if you have one, a few passport photos, and — if you moved from another town in Japan — the moving-out certificate (転出証明書) you received there.
Week 1: the town hall errands you can't skip
This is the most important week, because of the 14-day rule.
- Register your address (転入届). This is the legal notification that you live in Karuizawa, and it must be filed within 14 days of moving in. It is the step that makes everything else possible. See How to Register Your Address in Japan for the exact documents and the difference between arriving from abroad and moving from another town.
- Enrol in National Health Insurance (国民健康保険). Unless you are covered through an employer, you enrol at the town hall — usually the same day. Read National Health Insurance in Japan for how premiums and coverage work.
- Sort out National Pension (国民年金). If you are not in an employer's scheme, you will also be registered for the National Pension at the town hall.
- Receive or update your My Number (マイナンバー). Your individual number follows your address registration. See The My Number Card Explained for why it is worth applying for the physical card early.
Can I really do all of that in one visit?
Often, yes. These counters are usually next to each other, and staff are used to handling a new arrival's address, insurance, pension, and My Number together. The thing that turns it into two trips is a missing document. This is exactly where ERISA helps: we confirm your personal document list before you go, and interpret at the counter so nothing gets missed.
Week 2: banking, money and connectivity
With your address registered and a residence certificate (住民票) now obtainable, the second week is about getting set up for daily life.
- Open a bank account. Most things — salary, rent, utilities — flow through a Japanese bank account. See Opening a Bank Account in Japan as a Foreigner for which banks are easiest and what to bring.
- Get a phone number and SIM. A Japanese mobile number is required for many contracts and sign-ups. Carriers will ask for your residence card and, usually, a bank account or card.
- Set up home internet. Fibre installation can take a couple of weeks to schedule, so book it early in week two.
How do I handle utilities, garbage and healthcare?
- Utilities: if not already arranged, finalise your electricity, gas, and water accounts in your name. Gas almost always requires an in-person safety appointment to open the supply.
- Garbage: Karuizawa has specific sorting and collection rules, including designated bags and a collection calendar. Ask the town hall for the foreign-resident garbage guide when you register.
- Healthcare: you don't need a doctor on day one, but it helps to know where to go. See Hospitals & Clinics near Karuizawa and Finding English-Speaking Doctors near Karuizawa so you're ready if something comes up.
A two-week checklist at a glance
- Confirm electricity, gas, and water are on
- Locate Karuizawa Town Hall and its hours
- Gather residence cards, passports, seal, photos, moving-out certificate
- Register your address (転入届) — within 14 days
- Enrol in National Health Insurance
- Register for National Pension
- Receive / apply for My Number
- Open a bank account
- Get a phone number and SIM
- Book home internet installation
- Pick up the garbage sorting guide
- Note your nearest clinic and an English-speaking doctor
How ERISA helps
ERISA (有限会社えり紗) is built for exactly this fortnight. We make sure you hit the 14-day deadline with the right documents the first time, accompany you to Karuizawa Town Hall and interpret so the address, insurance, pension, and My Number steps are all completed in one visit, and then help with the week-two tasks — the bank, the phone, the utilities — that quietly assume you already speak Japanese. Instead of guessing the order, you follow a plan with someone beside you.
Just arrived, or arriving soon? Get in touch and we'll map out your first two weeks together.