Resources | Counterpoint Japan

Links to useful websites, organizations, book recommendations

(fiction and non-fiction about life after retirement), and other sources of information.

Ruby Takeuchi

Hi, I'm Ruby, and I was born in Kansai. After some time in the UK and various prefectures in Japan, I am now settled back in Nara, where I was raised. Growing up, I watched my mom — a Brit — trying to navigate all the officialdom of life in Japan. Despite speaking in Japanese, she was often met with blank stares, and unforeseen obstacles. I know there were times when it was very frustrating for her. Over the past few years, I've seen — both online and firsthand — more and more non-Japanese people feeling stressed or overwhelmed by the range of life tasks they have to handle, all in Japanese. That's what inspired me to start this journey: to help people be heard, relieve some of the pressures of daily life, and advocate for
them.

19. https://louisiana1927.wixsite.com/masa/japanese-language-instructor

Masatoshi Shoji is a compassionate professional with extensive experience in healthcare and education. He holds a Master’s in Applied Linguistics, a Ph.D. in Dental Science, and certifications in medical writing, acupuncture, and the Integrative Health & Lifestyle program from the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Currently an English Language Instructor at Shokei Gakuin University, Masatoshi also offers private Japanese lessons, medical writing and translation services, and home-visit acupuncture, massage, and lymphedema therapy. As a certified death doula and advanced grief counselor, he provides crucial support to individuals and families navigating end-of-life transitions. As the host of Death Café Sendai, Masatoshi facilitates open conversations about death and dying, creating safe spaces for reflection. He is also a Willow EOL educator and active member of a cancer peer network, supporting those facing serious illness with compassion and care.

18. Certified Hearing Specialist Store in Japanese only. www5.techno-aids.or.jp/shop/map.php

A Certified Hearing Aid Specialist Store is a hearing aid retailer that has been certified by the Technos Aid Association, a public interest incorporated foundation. This certification is based on an application from the retailer. It confirms that the store's hearing aid sales operations comply with the “Certified Hearing Aid Specialist Store Business Operation Standards” established by the Association. These standards define the requirements that must be met to ensure the proper sale of hearing aids. The certified store is then registered in the Association's Certified Hearing Aid Specialist Store Registry and issued a certificate of certification. These operational standards are established following deliberation by the Hearing Aid Council, composed of experts from various fields related to hearing aids. Furthermore, the accreditation of Certified Hearing Aid Specialty Stores is conducted based on the Council's recommendations.

17. The International Resident's Ending Note: https://mediatinker.com/product/ending-note-bundle

16. Steve McCarty's publication link on bilingualism: https://japanned.hcommons.org/bilingualism

15. Dual Nationality in Japan: Learning to Love Ambiguity by Steve McCarty: https://works.hcommons.org/records/rxazv-9g447

14. Kyoto expats and internationals https://www.facebook.com/groups/KyotoExpatsInternationals

13. British expats in Japan https://www.facebook.com/groups/365882144116078

12. Lifelong Learning and Retiring Retirement Stereotypes. Steve McCarty https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365838087

11. The Good Life: Foreign Teachers and Retirement by Gregory Strong (pp. 245 – 253 JALT PanSIG 2023 Journal)

10. This is an interesting and very clearly written article on how to make a will with a notary public:

https://www.retirejapan.com/blog/making-a-will-in-japan/

9. Making a Living Will/エンディングノート event's notes and slides:

*Notes about making a living will (pdf)

**Additional Notes on Ending Note (June 20, 2024)

***Presentation slides

8. Infos Locales au Japon (Local information in Japan) https://www.infoslocalesaujapon.org/

7. Various useful resources: https://padlet.com/NmkBclil/9n9tv7and1pwga9t

6. Tokyo Life website: https://thetokyolife.jp/

5. Tsumugu House, Takarazuka, and the wider home hospice network. All in Japanese, but might be useful for those interested:

https://zaitakuhospice.jp/

https://zaitakuhospice.jp/program/trainee/269/

https://www.tsumuguhouse.com/%E3%81%94%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E6%A1%88%E5%86%85/

https://blog.canpan.info/nfkouhou/archive/694

4. Japan Association of Intercultural Families Kokusaikazoku (Japanese only) https://www.kokusaikazoku.com

3. https://sites.google.com/view/hokkaidomsc/home?authuser=0

2. Planning Retirement for Teachers (David Juteau) https://padlet.com/juteauenglishonline/70k19b2tcr70tas7

1. Retire Japan: Personal finance for residents of Japan https://www.retirejapan.com/forum/