In June, students begin wearing summer uniforms, and office workers switch to Cool Biz style. You can feel that summer is just around the corner.
Around mid-June, Japan enters the rainy season, known as tsuyu. Rainy days become more frequent, and carrying an umbrella becomes essential.
June is also a month with no national holidays in Japan.
Resident Tax Changes Begin
For company employees, the new resident tax amount based on the previous year’s income, from January to December, starts being deducted from salaries in June.
If your income increased last year, your take-home pay may become slightly lower from June.
If resident tax is not deducted by your employer, you must pay it yourself using the payment slips sent to your home. Unpaid taxes can become a serious negative factor when renewing your period of stay or applying for permanent residency.
Do not ignore tax notices just because you do not understand them.
The New “Specified Residence Card” System Starts
Starting June 14, 2026, Japan will begin operating the new “Specified Residence Card,” which integrates the Residence Card and the My Number Card into one card.
Switching to this card is optional. However, if you receive the card, you will no longer need to visit your municipal office separately for My Number Card procedures.
Applications for the Specified Residence Card can be made at regional immigration offices or municipal offices.
About the Application for the Specified Residence Card (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)
Job Interviews Begin in Earnest
May and June are the peak season for job hunting among new graduates in Japan. This is also when applications and preparations for summer internships begin.
Most Japanese university students start scheduling interviews from June onward. International students and those applying from overseas should also begin preparing for interviews during this period.
For people considering changing jobs, many start gathering information in June with the goal of changing jobs after receiving their summer bonuses. As companies prepare to replace employees who resign during summer, job postings also gradually increase.
Now is a good time to start researching opportunities.
The Beginning of Festival Season
Major festivals begin across Japan in June, including the famous Sanno Festival in Tokyo, one of Japan’s three great festivals.
The other two are Kyoto’s Gion Festival and Osaka’s Tenjin Festival.
The Sanno Festival is a traditional festival of Hie Shrine that preserves the spirit of the historic “Tenka Matsuri,” when portable shrines were welcomed into Edo Castle by the Tokugawa shogunate.
Other major events include the energetic YOSAKOI Soran Festival in Hokkaido, a fusion of Kochi’s Yosakoi dance and Hokkaido’s Soran culture, and the historic-looking Hyakumangoku Festival in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Hydrangeas
Although the rainy season brings humid and uncomfortable weather, it is also the season when hydrangeas bloom beautifully across Japan.
One famous spot is the Hakone Tozan Railway, often called the “Hydrangea Train” because hydrangeas bloom along the railway tracks.
In particular, the illuminated evening train event called the Night Hydrangea Train is especially famous for its beautiful scenery.
Around June 21 is the summer solstice, known as geshi. It is the day with the longest daylight hours of the year. After this point, the days gradually begin getting shorter, although the real summer heat starts around this time.
Because of the humidity and rising temperatures, food spoils more easily, so be careful about food poisoning.
As summer bonus season approaches, many people start feeling more excited and begin planning summer vacations and trips.
For those who started new jobs in April, this is often when they begin getting used to work and feel more mentally relaxed. However, be careful not to become too relaxed.
By Hajime Saito
X: @hajimesaitoYJC
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