Japanese for Accompanying Partners: Moving to Japan for Your Partner’s Job

If you’re moving to Japan because your partner has a job there, Japanese is what turns a lonely first year into a life of your own: it lets you handle shopping, doctors and your children’s school, make friends in your neighbourhood, and open doors to work or volunteering later. Your partner may spend the day in an English-speaking office, while you deal with Japan in Japanese. Starting lessons a few months before the move, and continuing once you arrive, makes the biggest difference.

Why the accompanying partner needs Japanese most

Relocation packages often focus on the employee. Yet it’s usually the accompanying partner who sorts out the flat, the ward office, deliveries, the clinic and school letters. Many people find the first months harder than expected, and language is a big part of that. See relocating to Japan with your company for the employee’s side.

What to learn first

Survival phrases for shops, transport and emergencies. See Japanese for emergencies.
Reading kana, so labels, signs and forms stop being a wall of symbols.
Everyday admin: the ward office, the bank, the post office and deliveries. See Japanese at the ward office.
Health: booking a clinic and describing symptoms. See Japanese at the doctor.
School and nursery if you have children. See Japanese for parents in Japan.

Building a social life

Join a local class or club: cooking, yoga, tea ceremony, a sports team or a city-run Japanese class.
Get to know neighbours with simple greetings and small gifts when you move in. See living in a Japanese neighbourhood.
Parent groups at school or nursery are a common way to meet people, and they run largely in Japanese.
International groups are a great support, but Japanese friends help you feel at home. See making friends in Japan.

Working or volunteering

Whether you can work depends on your residence status. On a dependent visa, you usually need permission before taking paid work, and there are limits on hours. Rules change, so check with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan; this guide is not immigration advice. Volunteering, part-time teaching and remote work for an employer abroad are common paths, and most of them go better with some Japanese. See part-time jobs in Japan.

Making time to study

Start online lessons before you leave, so you arrive with the basics.
Keep lessons at a regular time once you arrive; the first weeks are busy, and routines slip.
Bring real tasks to lessons: a school letter, a form, a phone call you need to make.
If your partner is learning too, consider some lessons together. See Japanese lessons for couples.

How Hanabuddies can help

Our native tutors teach accompanying partners one-to-one online, before and after the move, with lessons built around the things you actually need to do in Japan. When a situation is too important to risk, such as a school meeting or a medical appointment, we also offer live interpreting, in person or online. See our moving to Japan checklist.