Alien Registration

As a foreigner, you need an Alien Registration Card to get a cell phone in Tokyo (or a bank account). But registration takes 3 weeks. So you can also ask for a registration certificate that says your registration is pending, and use that instead. We went to the Koto City Office to get a ceritificate for Kenji, and his card was ready -- 10 days early! That's a big relief, since a work visa is single-entry and doesn't allow you to leave the country until you're registered. Now we can make our trip to the US later this month.