Daily life
在留カード / Zairyū card
zai-ryoo KAA-do
Your residence card, handed over at the airport for medium and long-term stays. Carry it — the law requires it and police checks happen.
転入届 / Tennyū todoke
ten-nyoo TO-do-ke
The move-in notification filed at one of Nagoya's sixteen ward offices within fourteen days. Health cover, banking and a phone all wait behind it.
マイナンバー / My Number
mai-NAN-baa
Your individual tax and social security number, issued after registration. The physical card now doubles as your health insurance card.
礼金 / Reikin
RAY-kin
Key money — a non-refundable gift to the landlord, traditionally one month here. It is not a deposit and it does not come back.
住民税 / Jūminzei
joo-min-ZAY
Residence tax on last year's income, billed from June. Nagoya charges the income-based part of its municipal half five per cent below the standard rate — the only big Japanese city that does.
車庫証明 / Shako shōmei
SHA-ko shoh-MAY
The police certificate proving you have an off-street parking space. You cannot register a car without it, and in Aichi almost everyone has a car.
Food
モーニング / Mōningu
MOH-nin-gu
'Morning service' — order a coffee before about eleven and toast, egg and sometimes more arrive free. Invented in this region and taken very seriously.
名古屋めし / Nagoya-meshi
na-go-ya-MESHI
The local food canon — miso katsu, tebasaki wings, hitsumabushi eel, miso nikomi udon, ankake spaghetti. Red Hatchō miso is in most of it.
Social
えらい / Erai
e-RAI
In standard Japanese 'admirable'; in Nagoya-ben 'exhausting'. 'Kyō wa erai' means today was rough, not today was great.
だがや / Dagaya
da-GA-ya
The Nagoya sentence-ending that instantly marks a local, roughly 'you know'. Mimicking it badly is a reliable way to be teased.
Emergency
110 / 119
—
110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance, free from any phone. Ambulances are free in Japan; the treatment afterwards is not.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.