Income
We Hit $330K Without a Side Hustle — Why Dual Income Was Enough
A dual-income dad explains why he skipped the side hustle entirely and still built $330K in assets over eight years.
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Blog
Articles about wealth building, investing, and saving
Investing Practice
Gold Is Up 6x in 8 Years. I'm Still Dollar-Cost Averaging Into Index Funds
Gold hit ¥30,000/g. My wife suggested buying it 8 years ago. I didn't. Here's why I still choose index funds over gold, even after comparing the data.
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Investing Practice
My Bank Paid Me ¥10,000 in Interest. Japan's Zero-Rate Era Is Officially Over
After 30 years of near-zero rates, Japan's interest rates are climbing. How a salaryman investor is navigating the shift — mortgages, deposits, and everything in between.
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Tax & Systems
I Contributed to Japan's 401(k) for 7 Years Without Once Thinking About How to Cash Out
I started iDeCo in 2019 and never thought about the exit. Then Japan changed the rules in 2026, and I realized how naive I'd been.
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Investing Practice
Before You Buy AI Stocks, Ask Yourself One Question: Are You Actually Paying for AI?
A personal filter for AI stock hype, from a guy who lost ¥2 million on individual picks
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Tax & Systems
Japan 2026 Tax Changes Explained: ¥580K Basic Deduction, ¥1.6M Wall, and the Furusato Nozei Trap
Japan's basic deduction jumped to ¥580,000 in 2026 (up ¥100K). The ¥1.03M income tax wall moved to ¥1.6M. And there's a furusato nozei One-Stop pitfall that voids your tax break. Full salary-worker breakdown.
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Investing Practice
Trump Tariffs Wiped $50K From My Portfolio. I Did Nothing.
A Japanese index fund investor lost $50K in the 2025 tariff shock. Eight years of buy-and-hold experience explained why doing nothing was the right call.
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Tax & Systems
Children's NISA Japan 2027: ¥600K Limit, Eligibility & Should You Open One Before Your Own?
Japan's Children's NISA (Kodomo NISA) launches January 2027 — ¥600K annual / ¥6M lifetime tax-free for kids 0-17. The math says splitting your contribution between adult and child NISA gives identical returns, so fill your own first. But there's one reason to open one anyway — and otoshidama is how you fund it.
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Tax & Systems
Tax Season Is Here. As an Index Investor With $130K in Unrealized Gains, I Had Almost Nothing to Do
8 years of index investing, $130K in unrealized gains, zero investment tax work. Here's exactly how e-Tax works and why I still file every year.
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Investing Practice
I Haven't Sold a Single Index Fund Since 2018. My Unrealized Gains Hit $130K
Eight years of dollar-cost averaging into US index funds with zero sells. From $2K unrealized losses to $130K in gains — the full timeline.
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