Getting Ready for the move

Pack the bags, and let's fly. Well not that easily...

It was my first big move since I had moved to Singapore. I quickly realized how painful the process was. Luckily I had well over a month to sort everything out before the move. I was definitely helped by the fact that I had no family to relocate.

1. Negotiated Salary: I hadn't truly realized then how expensive Tokyo is. When I got my new salary/ compensation package from HR, I quickly did some math based on anecdotal accounts on the internet.

Monthly Expenses:

Rent:  ~130k-150k yen

Utilities ~10k yen

Travel ~30k yen

Food ~Free (in office most days) + 30k yen (occasional weekday eat outs) + 40k yen (weekends)

Misc ~50k

Total Expenses: ~300k yen/month

Tax ~30% Income

My new salary wasn't too high. It let me save 15-20%, which would go into my MBA/savings fund. I was fairly satisfied as the cost to my company definitely went up with my move, but they were still willing to transfer me.

2. Packing and Relocation: I had accumulated a lot of junk in the last 8 years. I knew apartments in Tokyo were quite small. The movers quoted me upwards of $2500 SGD (!)  to move 6 cartons. Ridiculous! Though I had a relocation lump sum in my transfer contract, It would reach me a month after I moved. And $2500 for 6 cartons of junk was a waste of money. I threw out things that no one needed, donated my old clothes, passed my books and some gadgets to friends, sent off valuables I no longer needed to my parents in Inda through a friends, and carried everything else with me on the plane. I was finally left with 45 kgs. I eventually carried a backpack, 2 suitcases and my desktop PC on my economy class ticket, without paying a single extra fee :)

3 Subleasing and Apartment Hunting: By far the most painful step of my transfer. I had 9 months of lease left on my apartment that I shared with 2 other friends in Singapore. We had to find a tenant to replace me. All 3 of us spent countless hours looking for the right fit. 

It was equally hard to find an apartment in Tokyo remotely, in the right location and budget. Countless emails and hours of google later, I found Sakura House. Room wasn't too big but was affordable. The leasing staff spoke English and were expat friendly. And the best part, it was a 10 min walking distance from my office. Special shout out to the nice folks at Sakura House.

4. Closing Bank Accounts and Paying outstanding bills: Citibank Singapore is so efficient. I closed all my credit cards via phone. I still wanted to keep my savings account for which I needed a physical OTP device to replace the phone sms. I dropped by their branch in Shenton way and in 15 mins they issued me a device. I also activated my debit cards for international use via phone.

5. Applying for the work permit: It was probably the easiest part of the entire relocation. My company and their international relocation experts took care of most of the process. They applied for my "Certificate of Eligibility", which is a document endorsed by your company, which supports my work visa application. In 2 weeks, COE was issued and they posted it to my Singapore address. All I had to do was bring this official document to the Japanese Embassy and get a single-visit Visa to Japan. This would later be converted to a Residency permit when I would later reach the Haneda Airport.

6. Singapore Taxes: Taxes are painful, especially when you have to pay for 2 assessment years at once. In addition to really strange taxation policies on unvested company stocks. I was yet to finalize my 2011 taxes but since I had income earned in 2012, I had to clear that as well before I moved. This took a toll on my savings, but, well can't be helped.

5. GoodBye to Friends: Well the usual meetups and dinner with friends, announcing them of the move, wishing best of luck.

Prologue: How it began

Tokyo, the land of the rising sun, and the sense of adventure

When I was young, I remember reading a story from my Hindi textbook. It was an indian traveller's account of Japan. It was probably written in the late 80s. Back in those days, traveling oversees was hard, expensive and remarkably rare. He sailed across the oceans to reach the mystical world of Japan. Though I don't remember all the details, a few events are still etched deep in my mind. The fast trains, disciplined, hardworking and incredibly polite people and the remarkably modern and industrialized cities had left lasting impressions on the author. There was a particular encounter where he forgets his wallet in the train, only to have it returned back safely the next day.

Globalization, cheaper and more accessible air travel, internet and media may have lessened the sense of adventure that once existed, but nevertheless, my decision to move to Japan was driven by this fascination of knowing more about this country.

If it was just the curiosity of experiencing Japan, I could have just applied for a 3 month assignment at work. There were other pressing reasons.

I had outlived my stay in Singapore. A scholarship and the fascination of seeing the outside world had brought me from India, to the tiny island-country 8 years back. I liked everything about Singapore, its modern outlook, efficiency, convenience and the multi-cultural society. I had to move out before I became too complacent and comfortable. Moreover, I was still relatively young and single. Moving would never be this easy.

So when I was evaluating the next step in my career, It wasn't incredibly hard to turn down an opportunity to get transferred to Tokyo. And that's how the journey began.