Japanese Paperwork Explained

Read the Japanese paperwork on your desk

Living or working in Japan means facing documents packed with kanji, honorifics, and terms that even textbooks skip. This series takes realistic sample documents and annotates them line by line — so the next time a payslip or invoice lands in your inbox, you know exactly what every number means.

Written by a Japanese-run site, in natural English. Each guide gives you the Japanese term, its reading (furigana & romaji), the English, and the practical meaning.

Guides in this series

How to Read a Japanese Payslip 給与明細 Base pay, overtime, health insurance, pension, income tax, resident tax — and why "take-home pay" (差引支給額) is the only number that reaches your bank. Includes an annotated sample payslip. How to Read a Japanese Invoice 請求書 Honorifics (御中 / 様), the qualified-invoice registration number (T + 13 digits), consumption tax at 10% and 8%, freelance withholding tax, and who pays the bank transfer fee. Includes an annotated sample invoice.

Coming soon

More documents that trip people up are on the way. Bookmark this page — here's what's next:

  • 在留カード Residence card (zairyū card)
  • 住民票 Certificate of residence (jūminhyō)
  • 市役所からの手紙 Letters from city hall
  • 源泉徴収票 Withholding tax slip (gensen-chōshū-hyō)
  • 確定申告 Final tax return (kakutei shinkoku)
  • 年金・保険の通知 Pension & insurance notices

Helpful companions

These free tools pair well with the guides above: