On March 1st, 2017, I moved to Tokyo to work with Cookpad. I got a generous five year visa with a bachelor degree. I am truly grateful. Thank you, Cookpad!
Booked your one-way ticket to Japan. So you can confirm which airport you'll enter Japan. This is required before you got the Certificate of Eligibility for Resident Status, refer as COE from now on. When you entered Japan and in the process of getting the working Visa, better not go to Japan because they require you to submit history of entering Japan. This will make things more complicated.
Cookpad hired Nakai Immigration to help with Visa. I sent them my photos, bachelor degree and 3-page survey (personal information, history of entering Japan, work experiences, education) by email. After 2 weeks, Nakai informed me said they got my COE in Tokyo. The next day in Taipei I received from a cool DHL person. I was really impressed and happy!
I went to Japan-Taiwan Exchange association in Taipei (you can think as embassy in your country) with passport, ID, copy of ID, two 2" photos, COE, copy of COE, filled out the Visa application form, submitted. They told me to come back tomorrow, ok.
The next day I went there again, got the Visa printed on my passport, which I can enter Japan to exchange for the residence card.
In total, it took only 16 days.
I packed 27" and 21" suitcases with life essential stuff. Flying to Japan...
When the plane touched down at Tokyo. Ah, that feeling was great. You show the COE at the airport, the staff will be shocked and give you a red card, guide you to a special priority counter 7. The immigration officer then check your COE and passport, then issue you the residence card immediately. It took me literally 5 minutes.
Cookpad also prepared cheap accommodations for me to stay for first two months before I got my apartment. So this was great. You could also live at Hotel. Then You must go to ward office of the ward you’re living in, to register your address within 2 weeks. You can google: 住所登録.
I got my bank account from SMBC on day 2 after moved to Tokyo (It usually takes 6 months). Cookpad got the person from bank came to our office to help me open a bank account and a credit card of ¥500,000 yen credit! Got my insurance card in 10 days.
I applied for LINE MOBILE because it does not require a Japanese credit card, got within a week.
I did not have Internet at home for the first year on purpose but that was a terrible idea. It took me 2 weeks to set up Internet for my apartment.
Compared to many other people I know came to Japan. My experience moved to here was really great thanks to Cookpad. A lot of colleagues also voluntarily offer free Japanese help for all the things, thank you friends!
I still recommend people to work with Cookpad, here is Cookpad’s careers page. Please do apply since they are now doing a lot of interesting services other than the main recipe site.
https://info.cookpad.com/careers/
https://cookpad.workable.com/