Banks in Japan largely offer the same financial services that you would expect in your home country. But there are some banking details and some language that will be useful for you to know. Most banks in Japan are open from 9.00 to 15.00, Monday to Friday for counter service.

In part 2 of this miniseries, we'll continue to explore Japan's options for a cheap, fast and good meal. This time we'll look at what might be less familiar to someone visiting for the first time. We'll pick up with the list where we left off before, with food from supermarkets and convenience stores, before moving on to other things.

When it comes to food, a lot of people come to Japan with certain expectations that, honestly, make sense in most of the world. Things like, for example: 'good, fast or cheap, pick one or maybe two'.

In the last part of this series, I introduced the Japanese countryside (in brief, or I would talk about it all day), and some of the arguments for living here. Hopefully, it got your attention.

Japan has a very high standard of customer service and most people find shopping in Japanese stores to be a very pleasant experience. Sales staff are generally extremely polite and helpful, and stores stock a great variety of high quality products.

As in any country or culture manners at the table can be a big deal on how you come across to people and more particularly if you find yourself in a very formal setting such as a business dinner.

For many newcomers to Japan, driving is the last thing on their minds. The traffic in major cities can be insane, and with the incredible public transportation most everywhere it’s often totally unnecessary.

It might not be the most exciting thing about Japan, but it could easily save your trip here, let alone any plans of a long-term stay. This article goes out to all my friends and family who visited here and complained about the weather the entire time

One of the most common complaints for new residents of Japan is how complex dealing with garbage can be here. And it is, I have to admit. The rules for separating are detailed and sometimes confusing, and a lot of new residents just kind of give up. Don’t!