Daruma Japan Life

Daruma is an English-language iPhone app by Kayne Sheenan for people moving to Japan from any country. It tackles the administrative load of residence cards, health insurance, city hall registration, a phone contract, a bank account, and pension enrollment, much of which has deadlines and is explained only in Japanese.

You answer a few questions about your visa, nationality, destination city, and arrival date, and the app produces a task list for your circumstances instead of a generic checklist. It tracks which items are time-sensitive or legally required, such as the move-in registration deadline, and can add key dates to your calendar. An AI Coach handles questions on visas, city hall procedures, and daily life by voice or text, and an encrypted vault stores documents with scan support. Each errand includes useful Japanese phrases. The app is free with in-app purchases.