[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Xlll

1. What belongings (i.e. paperwork, etc.) should one take for living in Japan, and not visiting?

Being as you can`t just pop over to Japan and decide to live here on a whim - that`s a bit difficult to answer.
For living here, the *US* documents I brought over were my passport, my social security card, and my high school diploma. I`ve never even had to look at the social security card, let alone use my number. (Okay, wait, I do when I have to file taxes for the US. Even if you don`t have to pay anything, you still have to file them anyway.)

As for paperwork... Unless you get married, you can`t just change your visa at any time. You`d be better off just applying for it in advance instead of while you`re here.

2. What basic (i.e. general) knowledge should one know before traveling to Japan, and from personal experience, is there a particular budget one should keep in mind if planning to return to America, and if so, approximately how much?

Before traveling to Japan? The ability to distinguish between fantasy (a large chunk of the beliefs about Japan displayed on this forum) and reality. Otherwise, you`re going to be very disappointed.
Some Japanese language skills also obviously won`t hurt - especially if you plan to leave the little English speaking tourist bubble of Tokyo.

As far as a budget goes - If you plan to return to America, keep as much money in savings as your living costs will be until you can get another source of income. You`ll have to do your own math on that one. If you need $1000 a month to survive in the US, and you know it could take you 2 or 3 months to find a good job... Keep that much in savings.
Travel in Japan really depends on too many factors to just say a flat amount. It is so incredibly circumstance dependent that I can`t even begin to guess how much you`d need without more information.

3. Is it possible to travel to Japan and actually live there upon arrival, or are there specific requirements that one (i.e. foreigner) has to undertake before living in Japan?

No. It`s not possible to just come over and live here. There are laws. Look them up, or read through the rest of the thread.
You need a proper visa, and to get one you will need to have fulfilled various other requirements.

Unless you consider staying in a short term apartment for 3 months "living" here.