What was it like moving to Japan?

[illeander]

What was your experience moving to Japan?
What was your housing arrangement like? Were there things that you were surprised about or had to get used to? Where did you do your laundry? Did you use the public bath? Were there things you wish you had brought or wish you hadn't brought?

What was it like cooking? Was it hard to get ingredients? Were there any foods you missed terribly? Were there new foods that you enjoyed eating?

What was your first day at school like? What did you have to do first? What was it like meeting the other teachers? Did you get off on the right foot with the English teachers? How about the students? Did you have trouble figuring out what you were supposed to do? Did you talk to the English teacher before classes to go over lesson plans? What is your relationship like with the teachers now, compared to when you first started? When interacting with coworkers are there any do's/ dont's you recommend?

How about banking? I heard that banking is done at the Post Office. How does that work?

Are there other things you wish you had known about? Also are there any girl specific things to know?

I know those are a lot of questions, but when it comes to starting things off I want to be somewhat prepared and make a good impression

[Norsehawk]

What was your experience moving to Japan?
What was your housing arrangement like? Were there things that you were surprised about or had to get used to? Where did you do your laundry? Did you use the public bath? Were there things you wish you had brought or wish you hadn't brought?

What was it like cooking? Was it hard to get ingredients? Were there any foods you missed terribly? Were there new foods that you enjoyed eating?

What was your first day at school like? What did you have to do first? What was it like meeting the other teachers? Did you get off on the right foot with the English teachers? How about the students? Did you have trouble figuring out what you were supposed to do? Did you talk to the English teacher before classes to go over lesson plans? What is your relationship like with the teachers now, compared to when you first started? When interacting with coworkers are there any do's/ dont's you recommend?

How about banking? I heard that banking is done at the Post Office. How does that work?

Are there other things you wish you had known about? Also are there any girl specific things to know?

I know those are a lot of questions, but when it comes to starting things off I want to be somewhat prepared and make a good impression

I have only been to Japan for a month in the past, but I did have an apartment over there during my time so I can give you a few tidbits of information. Of course, it definitely differs based on the culture you are coming from as to what you will miss.

Most JETs get placed in an apartment or in rare cases a Japanese house. The size of the apartment could range from tiny to small. Your rent may or may not be subsidized. You may or may not have a washing machine in your apartment, but it is highly unlikely that you will have a dryer as from what I understand, most laundry is air dried.

I did use a public bath when I was in Osaka for a few days, it was not a small neighborhood one however, instead it was a mega bathhouse that was many stories and had a variety of restaurants on premises. It was certainly different than what I have ever experienced in the past (and I think that I was the farth4est away from my clothing that I had ever been in my life.

Cooking/food wise. It was tricky getting used to cooking with gas since I had been used to electric burners in my apartments/houses in the past, figuring out that I actually had to turn on the gas at the wall to be able to cook anything was quickly adapted to. As far as foods that I personally missed, I never made it to a big supermarket, but I did get most everything at the local convenience stores, about the only thing I immediately missed was peanut butter, but that may have been at the bigger supermarket (I bought peanut cream, but I have no idea what that was, but it certainly was not peanut butter) I have also heard that baked beans and rootbeer are things that are more difficult to get a hold of, due to cultural tastes) ALso, if you love Taco Bell, you will be in pain, since the only Taco Bell restaurants in the nation are on the US military bases.

From what I understand, you will have time to get situated at school for a while (a few weeks or so) before the students actually start arriving. It is not like you are just tossed to the wolves right off of the plane.

Other things I have heard: Bring deodorant/antiperspirant from home, as well as toothpaste as people have said before that Japanese toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride. As far as girl specific things, I am clueless to that as I am a guy.

[illeander]

I have only been to Japan for a month in the past, but I did have an apartment over there during my time so I can give you a few tidbits of information. Of course, it definitely differs based on the culture you are coming from as to what you will miss.

Most JETs get placed in an apartment or in rare cases a Japanese house. The size of the apartment could range from tiny to small. Your rent may or may not be subsidized. You may or may not have a washing machine in your apartment, but it is highly unlikely that you will have a dryer as from what I understand, most laundry is air dried.

I did use a public bath when I was in Osaka for a few days, it was not a small neighborhood one however, instead it was a mega bathhouse that was many stories and had a variety of restaurants on premises. It was certainly different than what I have ever experienced in the past (and I think that I was the farth4est away from my clothing that I had ever been in my life.

Cooking/food wise. It was tricky getting used to cooking with gas since I had been used to electric burners in my apartments/houses in the past, figuring out that I actually had to turn on the gas at the wall to be able to cook anything was quickly adapted to. As far as foods that I personally missed, I never made it to a big supermarket, but I did get most everything at the local convenience stores, about the only thing I immediately missed was peanut butter, but that may have been at the bigger supermarket (I bought peanut cream, but I have no idea what that was, but it certainly was not peanut butter) I have also heard that baked beans and rootbeer are things that are more difficult to get a hold of, due to cultural tastes) ALso, if you love Taco Bell, you will be in pain, since the only Taco Bell restaurants in the nation are on the US military bases.

From what I understand, you will have time to get situated at school for a while (a few weeks or so) before the students actually start arriving. It is not like you are just tossed to the wolves right off of the plane.

Other things I have heard: Bring deodorant/antiperspirant from home, as well as toothpaste as people have said before that Japanese toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride. As far as girl specific things, I am clueless to that as I am a guy.

I've heard there is a lot of humidity and mold can be a problem. Did you notice that while you were in Japan?

Were you nervous about using the public bath house? I can't help but be self-conscious about bathing with other people. Are there rules to using the public bath. I've heard that you bath before entering water to relax, but what do about shaving? or do you shave at home (although thinking about it, you probably don't shave your legs, cause your a guy)? Clueless...

Awww Taco Bell... I can make some mean Mexican food, if I can find the ingredients. I hope they sell black beans and tortillas.

I'm glad there is time to settle in. I've been a substitute teacher for a few years, and while I enjoy the thrill of doing something different every day, it is hard to balance against the anxiety of learning the days lesson before I have to teach it to the kids. I'm a flexible person, but when I can I like to be prepared.

[Teishou]

What was your experience moving to Japan?
What was your housing arrangement like? Were there things that you were surprised about or had to get used to? Where did you do your laundry? Did you use the public bath? Were there things you wish you had brought or wish you hadn't brought?

What was it like cooking? Was it hard to get ingredients? Were there any foods you missed terribly? Were there new foods that you enjoyed eating?

What was your first day at school like? What did you have to do first? What was it like meeting the other teachers? Did you get off on the right foot with the English teachers? How about the students? Did you have trouble figuring out what you were supposed to do? Did you talk to the English teacher before classes to go over lesson plans? What is your relationship like with the teachers now, compared to when you first started? When interacting with coworkers are there any do's/ dont's you recommend?

How about banking? I heard that banking is done at the Post Office. How does that work?

Are there other things you wish you had known about? Also are there any girl specific things to know?

I know those are a lot of questions, but when it comes to starting things off I want to be somewhat prepared and make a good impression

I can only go off of my study abroad experience, so bear with me.

I lived in a large house with a Japanese family, but have been to several friends' apartments as well. One detail I took note of was the basic design for Japanese houses. Whereas many American houses have the front door leading straight into the living area, the front door of a Japanese house normally leads straight to the kitchen area, bypassing the more private living space. Just something I'd thought was interesting. The apartments don't have enough room for that, and apartments on the smaller side will have one room total, with the bathroom housing both the huge tub, sink and toilet. Kind of handy because the faucet to the sink and tub are interconnected and you have to push the switch to one side or another to get water flowing for one or the other. If you're lucky, many apartments should already have a washer available - you wash your clothes normally and hang them up outside to dry....and hopefully, they do dry. Supposing you don't have a washer, there are washeterias or laundromats you can go to for both washing AND drying your clothes. Just know that it's really costly. Some things I wish I hadn't brought with me...mostly everything. Except for your special items like meds or other specific necessities that you absolutely can't do without, everything can be bought as is in Japan. Saves travel space. Things I wish I'd brought? More money. lol

Cooking...gosh, if you're used to wide, open counters to do all your cooking, you're going to be in for quite the disappointment. In most apartments I've been to, there's a whole of two burners, no oven, a sink right snug next to the stove...and that's about it. You need to really prioritize your cooking and figure out what needs to be done when and how it needs to be done, because you don't have that space to spread out. There are Costcos there if you need some hard-to-find ingredients, and they're scattered here and there, but most stuff can be found in normal grocery stores. The goods really cost though, and since they're fresh, won't normally last more than 2 days in the fridge (meats, mostly). The expiration date on the stuff holds true - don't doubt the power of the expiration date. NEW FOODS: EVERYTHING. DELICIOUS. WONDERFUL. AMAZING. Try everything. Even the stuff that looks like absolute crap.

Banking is fun. You have cash cards, and a booklet that will keep count of all your transactions, easy as pie. Make a transaction with your cash card, go to the ATM, put your bookie thing in and BAM, autocorrect transaction. Lovely. Post offices and banks are normally combined, but banking is the same as where you're from, more than likely.

Girl stuff...those washiki toilets aren't anything to scoff at. Good luck. Washiki being the old-style Japanese toilets versus Western style: youshiki.

[Cliodhna]

What was your experience moving to Japan?

Pretty painless. I was an exchange student for a year in downtown Tokyo.

What was your housing arrangement like?

I lived in an unusually spacious apartment for the area.

Were there things that you were surprised about or had to get used to?

On my third day, there was a neighborhood shrine procession that was a bit surprising to see, but definitely in a good way, haha. Also, corn. Corn is on everything. Even hot dogs. I hope you like corn.

Where did you do your laundry?

We had a washing machine. The washing machines are also the dryers, which is handy for space, but it'll take 6 hours to dry your clothes because of the economy setting of the machine. Yes, there is actually a timer for 6 hours on the machine. For this reason, I knew a lot of people who air dried their stuff anyway, not wanting to bother with it. Dryer mode also wasn't the most careful with more fragile articles of clothing.

Did you use the public bath?

Nah.

Were there things you wish you had brought or wish you hadn't brought?

No, I was pretty concise at packing.

What was it like cooking? Was it hard to get ingredients? Were there any foods you missed terribly? Were there new foods that you enjoyed eating?

Cooking was the same at home, but we only had one hot plate. Ingredients were easy to get, even american food if you knew where to look. The things I missed the most were real cheetos, and ruffles and ranch dip. I did love living out of 711, though. Lawson also has the best negitoro, ironically enough. Our microwave also doubled as a toaster, but it was a pretty lousy toaster. 7 minutes to toast one side of toast, so it took a total of 14 minutes to make toast. I'd recommend getting a proper toaster or toaster oven if there isn't one.

How about banking? I heard that banking is done at the Post Office. How does that work?

Post office is if you need to make a withdrawal from your home country's cards and can't find a 711. I prefer 711 for my international transaction needs. Otherwise I did my local banking at my local bank. They give you a cash card (NOT a debit card) and an account book, but I only ever used the cash card. I still have my account with Sumitomo Mitsui. It's got $5 in it, haha.

Are there other things you wish you had known about?

Realize that when you go food shopping, there is no going out for milk and bread. There is going out for rice, miso, and other sundries. Japanese milk is pretty terrible until you get used to it. It took me microwaving up some country ma'am chocolate chip cookies and desperate for milk in order for me to be able to drink it straight up. So don't freak out when you can't buy bread or four pieces of bread are $6 and only thick cut- see if you can make a friend and ask them what they eat on a day to day basis. I was personally stumped until I did a homestay for four days and analyzed everything my host mother gave us, then it all became easier.

Also are there any girl specific things to know?

BRING YOUR OWN tampons/pads/etc. You don't want to use the japanese ones, plus tampons are not common.

I've heard there is a lot of humidity and mold can be a problem. Did you notice that while you were in Japan?

Mold depends on how your place is made. It can be a problem. But luckily, it's also a problem for everyone else. That's why there's an entire line of mold-fighting cleaners aptly named "Kabi Kila!" (mold killer). Comes in gel and spray form, and also a ton of other forms. The only time I had to deal with mold was when a little started growing on my metal windowsil, probably from the condensation collecting there. I just squirted half the bottle of gel kabi killer all over it and let it sit for a few hours, wiped it clean, and it never came back. It's good stuff. Wish I had it in the states haha.

Are there rules to using the public bath. I've heard that you bath before entering water to relax, but what do about shaving?

There are rules to the public bath, including "do not shave in the public bath". Some places might have a separate place where it's ok to shave, but generally don't shave there. The likelyhood of you needing to use a public bath is incredibly slim, anyway. I haven't read a single account of a JET being stuck in a place with no bathroom. If you ever use the public bath, it'll probably be recreationally and therefore there will be no reason to shave. Also, no tattoos.

Awww Taco Bell... I can make some mean Mexican food, if I can find the ingredients.

If you look long and hard, you can find stores that sell tostitos salsa and chips and old el paso taco kits. These places consist of the posh grocery store in Ueno station and Donkihote in Yushima. Donki also carried cream soda and rootbeer, but never at the same time. It was usually one or the other. However, since pretty much none of us will be stuck in Tokyo, expect to find none of these things in the place you'll be assigned. If you do get in, and I hope we do, during orientation you might consider running to those places to hoard food and take it with you into the great countryside, haha.

the only Taco Bell restaurants in the nation are on the US military bases.

Hahaha, you heard about it, too, huh? We used to always threaten to raid the saitama base for some taco bell. We got a little desperate at the two month mark.

Bring deodorant/antiperspirant from home, as well as toothpaste as people have said before that Japanese toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride.

Seconded. The deodorant there might not be the best. I can't really say for sure since I didn't buy any of it, but there were definitely some people either not sporting deodorant period or used a really useless kind. Toothpaste from home is also necessary I think. The water in Japan also isn't spiked with fluoride either, so teeth are going to be pretty vulnerable if you're not anal about brushing, so bring plenty of toothpaste and use it.

I immediately missed was peanut butter

There's tons of it at Donki. Donki's also good for proper tomato sauce (like barilla and stuff), and other 'western' brands we're more accustomed to cooking with. Their shumai's pretty lousy, though.

since they're fresh, won't normally last more than 2 days in the fridge (meats, mostly). The expiration date on the stuff holds true - don't doubt the power of the expiration date.

Seconded. Things have a general lifespan of about four days, so forget about buying in bulk. There is also very little frozen food, and no such thing as hot pockets and tv dinners. However you can often get cheap gyoza or shumai that you just have to boil or fry, and with a little rice you've got a meal. There's also breaded shrimp, too. But yeah, when it says it's expiring on a certain day, you can bet it's gone mouldy on that day. I once accidentally ate a buttered roll I had one night in the dark because I was hungry, only to wake up the next morning to go eat the other one and found a spot of mould on it. Thinking I was going to die (oh, the melodrama!) I posted a picture on yahoo answers and a girl replied saying, "My dad's a doctor, and what you've got there is 100% pure penicillin- you're going to be fine." Sure enough I was. It also cured the cold I'd been nursing, but I wouldn't suggest eating mouldy bread hoping for a repeat performance, haha.

Also, I would suggest staying away from buying meat in Japan. Japan buys the majority of their meat from australia and they love 95% of it to be marbled with fat. I've never seen a lean cut of meat there. I advocate locating a good burger joint when feeling carnivorous or anemic and going there every so often. I'm also a huge fan of Hard Rock Cafe Ueno's beef fajitas- godly stuff, and worth the splurge. I'm not sure if you're american or not, but Hard Rock is also an awesome place to go if you're feeling homesick, haha.

[illeander]

I can only go off of my study abroad experience, so bear with me.

I lived in a large house with a Japanese family, but have been to several friends' apartments as well. One detail I took note of was the basic design for Japanese houses. Whereas many American houses have the front door leading straight into the living area, the front door of a Japanese house normally leads straight to the kitchen area, bypassing the more private living space. Just something I'd thought was interesting. The apartments don't have enough room for that, and apartments on the smaller side will have one room total, with the bathroom housing both the huge tub, sink and toilet. Kind of handy because the faucet to the sink and tub are interconnected and you have to push the switch to one side or another to get water flowing for one or the other. If you're lucky, many apartments should already have a washer available - you wash your clothes normally and hang them up outside to dry....and hopefully, they do dry. Supposing you don't have a washer, there are washeterias or laundromats you can go to for both washing AND drying your clothes. Just know that it's really costly. Some things I wish I hadn't brought with me...mostly everything. Except for your special items like meds or other specific necessities that you absolutely can't do without, everything can be bought as is in Japan. Saves travel space. Things I wish I'd brought? More money. lol

Cooking...gosh, if you're used to wide, open counters to do all your cooking, you're going to be in for quite the disappointment. In most apartments I've been to, there's a whole of two burners, no oven, a sink right snug next to the stove...and that's about it. You need to really prioritize your cooking and figure out what needs to be done when and how it needs to be done, because you don't have that space to spread out. There are Costcos there if you need some hard-to-find ingredients, and they're scattered here and there, but most stuff can be found in normal grocery stores. The goods really cost though, and since they're fresh, won't normally last more than 2 days in the fridge (meats, mostly). The expiration date on the stuff holds true - don't doubt the power of the expiration date. NEW FOODS: EVERYTHING. DELICIOUS. WONDERFUL. AMAZING. Try everything. Even the stuff that looks like absolute crap.

Banking is fun. You have cash cards, and a booklet that will keep count of all your transactions, easy as pie. Make a transaction with your cash card, go to the ATM, put your bookie thing in and BAM, autocorrect transaction. Lovely. Post offices and banks are normally combined, but banking is the same as where you're from, more than likely.

Girl stuff...those washiki toilets aren't anything to scoff at. Good luck. Washiki being the old-style Japanese toilets versus Western style: youshiki.

Wow, your description of the apartments is really helpful. I didn't know about switching water from the sink to the bath. That is definitely an important thing to know.
I was afraid that banking would be confusing.
Are washiki toilets like the squatting toilets in China, which are pretty much a toilet bowl sunk into the floor.?

So you studied abroad in Japan. That sounds exciting. I bet you experienced a lot of Japanese culture by living with a family. What were you studying? Was it difficult to take classes in Japan? Did you know Japanese before-hand? What were your most memorable experiences?

[Sendai_Momiji]

What was your experience moving to Japan?

The first flight to Japan was exhausting and seemed to take forever.

What was your housing arrangement like?

I had a 2DK in Sendai. It was a palace in comparison to a friend's apartment in Tokyo. Also, no roomies!

Were there things that you were surprised about or had to get used to?

I lived next door to a gas stand and since I worked from 12 to 9 pm, it was hard to get used to the honking and beeping all the time.

Where did you do your laundry?

There was of course the sentaku in my house but I dragged my stuff to a near by laundromat. Sorry. I cannot get behind drying my clothes on a clothes line. It may have taken three hours but I got all my laundry done at once. I know I know. I'm whining but I don't care.

Did you use the public bath?

I went to a hot spring but no, I did not go to a public bath in the city. I'm not really at the level yet where I could feasibly bath naked with neighbors and co-workers. Sorry.

Were there things you wish you had brought or wish you hadn't brought?

. . . lady products. More lady products and more medicine. Really that's about it. I have a feather duvet and I spent good money to have that shipped so I was hardly ever cold but I really wished I had more meds.

What was it like cooking? Was it hard to get ingredients? Were there any foods you missed terribly? Were there new foods that you enjoyed eating?

I did a little bit of cooking stateside before I left so I wasn't completely clueless but in the day and age before the internet seemed to be completely saturated with recipe websites, I found it hard to cook things due to lack of recipes. Getting ingredients wasn't too hard as there were two supermarkets around the corner from me as well as three combini. That being said, I don't know what I'll do if they send me inaka. Develop a deep love and appreciation for daikon and oden I suppose. I missed Chic Fil 'A and jimmy johns. I missed my mother's cooking and I miss doritos and taco bell. Oh god there were days when I would have killed for Taco Bell. As for new foods, I went over to Japan with a love of japanese food so I really didn't find any new favorites...except zaru-udon. X9 Oh how do I love zaru-udon.

How about banking? I heard that banking is done at the Post Office. How does that work?

I had an account with two banks (one for each different job) and I never really had any problem with it. You go, get it set up and hopefully you never get yourself into a financial pickle where you have to send money abroad from your japanese bank. Most post office banking I heard about had the connotation of being for 'old people'. This is from my students who were mostly college students and a vast majority were pre-med or engineers. I don't really know much about Post Office banking other than they split those up I thought?

Are there other things you wish you had known about?

That medicine would come in power format. *gags* And that they would taste nasty. Also I wish somebody had told me about tsuyu and advised me to bring a pair of wellies. I knew about the rainy season but...well in my part of the States we don't have a rainy season. We have thunderstorms yes, and our spring is wet but it's nothing like tsuyu.

Also are there any girl specific things to know?

Lady town products are smaller and less absorbent than their stateside cousins. And there's less variety. And you know...smaller. Just bring your own and get them shipped if you can.

I've heard there is a lot of humidity and mold can be a problem. Did you notice that while you were in Japan?

Yes. It can be a really big problem if you're very OCD about your cleanliness. Also if you have a lot of clothing that is susceptible to that. Every closet in my apartment, and later on house, had a dehumidifier in it and I would routinely use kabi-killer (mold killer) to clean and disinfect the bathroom. I was okay with it but a friend went absolutely NUTS over the mold in her apartment and forced her BOE to move her three times to find a good clean apartment.

Take note, she didn't ever find one, just one that 'had the least amount of mold'.

She was super OCD.

Also, keep in mind that those little tissue packets people pass out to you are super convenient if you just happen to go into the bathroom and there's no tp.

[illeander]

Seconded. Things have a general lifespan of about four days, so forget about buying in bulk. There is also very little frozen food, and no such thing as hot pockets and tv dinners. However you can often get cheap gyoza or shumai that you just have to boil or fry, and with a little rice you've got a meal. There's also breaded shrimp, too. But yeah, when it says it's expiring on a certain day, you can bet it's gone mouldy on that day. I once accidentally ate a buttered roll I had one night in the dark because I was hungry, only to wake up the next morning to go eat the other one and found a spot of mould on it. Thinking I was going to die (oh, the melodrama!) I posted a picture on yahoo answers and a girl replied saying, "My dad's a doctor, and what you've got there is 100% pure penicillin- you're going to be fine." Sure enough I was. It also cured the cold I'd been nursing, but I wouldn't suggest eating mouldy bread hoping for a repeat performance, haha.

Also, I would suggest staying away from buying meat in Japan. Japan buys the majority of their meat from australia and they love 95% of it to be marbled with fat. I've never seen a lean cut of meat there. I advocate locating a good burger joint when feeling carnivorous or anemic and going there every so often. I'm also a huge fan of Hard Rock Cafe Ueno's beef fajitas- godly stuff, and worth the splurge. I'm not sure if you're american or not, but Hard Rock is also an awesome place to go if you're feeling homesick, haha.

I guess I"m going to have to be careful about the food. I'm not too into beef, so I will probably be able to survive without it. Of course I'm not too into fish either, so I guess I will have to work on my taste buds. Do they sell fish that has already been scaled and de-boned? I have to admit that I have never descaled or deboned or beheaded a fish.... and while I'm not usually squeamish about such things, I couldn't eat shrimp for a week after I helped my sister make shrimp gumbo and had to behead and de-vein like 30 shrimp. They have pus for brains.... and when I say de-vein what I really mean is I pulled out their digestive tract. Even the smell of shrimp made me nauseous. I don't think I will have the same reaction to fish, but I am worried about getting all the bones out. I will miss my rice mixes. I like to eat broccoli cheese rice from a box..... I'm a lazy cook. And I like beans out of a can. Do they have canned beans?

[Kewne]

Do they sell fish that has already been scaled and de-boned?

No idea, but after you get over the fish staring at you you can get used to eating the small ones without taking the skin off and bones out. They do take a long time to eat though without practice and it feels like you waste a lot of the 'meat' avoiding bones.

[mikesalvatore]

Beans are canned, but different.
Chicken is VERY cheap, possibly the cheapest of meats.
I've read that pork is more popular then everything else (except maybe for fish).
Fish IS sold scaled and deboned.

Cooking can be hard, but it doesn't have to be. I picked up the Ishikawa JET Kitchen cookbook shortly after arriving and it has been used in my house several times every week since.

Banking is banking -- the transactions book is neat. I discovered that when I put it into ATMs on the wrong page, the machine turns the page for me!

There are very few things that you _can't_ get in Japan...imports do cost more though.

[illeander]

I had a 2DK in Sendai. It was a palace in comparison to a friend's apartment in Tokyo. Also, no roomies!

Wow you are really lucky.

I went to a hot spring but no, I did not go to a public bath in the city. I'm not really at the level yet where I could feasibly bath naked with neighbors and co-workers. Sorry.

I don't think I could do that either. I'm not comfortable with exposing myself in public.

I went over to Japan with a love of japanese food so I really didn't find any new favorites...except zaru-udon. X9 Oh how do I love zaru-udon.

I will have to try it.

That medicine would come in power format. *gags* And that they would taste nasty. Also I wish somebody had told me about tsuyu and advised me to bring a pair of wellies. I knew about the rainy season but...well in my part of the States we don't have a rainy season. We have thunderstorms yes, and our spring is wet but it's nothing like tsuyu.

I guess I will have to stock up on meds and invest in some boots.

Yes. It can be a really big problem if you're very OCD about your cleanliness. Also if you have a lot of clothing that is susceptible to that. Every closet in my apartment, and later on house, had a dehumidifier in it and I would routinely use kabi-killer (mold killer) to clean and disinfect the bathroom. I was okay with it but a friend went absolutely NUTS over the mold in her apartment and forced her BOE to move her three times to find a good clean apartment.

Take note, she didn't ever find one, just one that 'had the least amount of mold'.

She was super OCD.

Also, keep in mind that those little tissue packets people pass out to you are super convenient if you just happen to go into the bathroom and there's no tp.

I'm worried that one day I will open my closet and there will be a mold forest eating up my clothes... a mold forest like in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind... and I will inhale the spores and die. (I'm being dramatic)

[illeander]

Beans are canned, but different.
Chicken is VERY cheap, possibly the cheapest of meats.
I've read that pork is more popular then everything else (except maybe for fish).
Fish IS sold scaled and deboned.

That is a relief about the fish being deboned and scaled. Yeah for canned beans!!! I love chicken.... its my favorite meat.

Cooking can be hard, but it doesn't have to be. I picked up the Ishikawa JET Kitchen cookbook shortly after arriving and it has been used in my house several times every week since.

Oooh a handy cook book. That will be healpful.

Banking is banking -- the transactions book is neat. I discovered that when I put it into ATMs on the wrong page, the machine turns the page for me!

No way! That is really cool.

[illeander]

No idea, but after you get over the fish staring at you you can get used to eating the small ones without taking the skin off and bones out. They do take a long time to eat though without practice and it feels like you waste a lot of the 'meat' avoiding bones.

My mom had a friend from the Philippines when I was little and she would offer us tiny whole dried fish. I never did try one though.

[Allison_NaraPA]

--A positive attitude and a good sense of humor will help your transition/stay be as smooth as possible. My move from Tokyo Orientation into my apartment was...a little complicated, but memorable! Because my arrival overlapped the end of my predessor`s contract term, I physically could not move into my apartment until 8 days after I arrived. Per contract, this meant finding a temporary home, at my cost. However, my Supervisor volunteered her home for a few days, and an Alt neighbor volunteered her place for another few days. While exhausting, it was incredibly meaningful to experience that much generosity right off the bat.

--As for bringing or not bringing things, much of this depends on who you are and what you need to thrive here. From my experience living in suburban Nara, we are able to buy any food or product that we want, if we look hard enough (including black beans, tortillas, and peanut butter). As for things, there are `Recycle Shops` all around the area that sell used, but perfectly fine and cheap goods. (TVs, furniture, clothes, musical instruments, plates/bowls, etc.) If you`re looking for something specific, try asking others if they know where to find it or what they do to replace it.

--Some JTEs review lesson plans with their ALTs way more than others. Some JTEs utilize their ALTs (or not) in very different ways. Every school situation will be different! Resourcefulness and patience will serve you well. With respect to what they are doing and how busy they are, I encourage you to try engaging with others as much as possible (in the workplace AND community). Building new relationships and trust will only help you become `part of the team/community`. Other employees may also really appreciate your offers of help and interest in what they are doing/what`s going on.

--Lady things-- I suggest that you bring some brand new bras and `unmentionables`, as the undergarments available here may not fit. I believe Victoria Secret delivers to Japan, but save yourself some cash and plan ahead! Personally, I`ve had great success with the wide variety of Japanese pads.

--What I wish I would have known? I wish I would have known about recycle shops! I bought a lot of furniture from my predecessor and at local shops at high prices, only to find awesome bargains much later at recycle shops. Also, since many Japanese people/JETs don`t drive in Japan or have small vehicles, most shops have delivery services. Also- gifts! Especially when you`re new, it`s good form to bring small, personal gifts for the pillars of your new, Japanese life (Supervisor, principal, JTE, neighbor). Not only do these gifts help introduce your culture, but also your personality. Your favorite, handmade/locally made foods can be very popular, as they may be delicious, new, and don`t take up space! (Just pack any food in your luggage very, very carefully and make sure it`s Customs friendly.) Finally, most Japanese homes/apartment buildings have little insulation. That means that when it`s hot, it`s baking, and when it`s cold, it`s bitter. The Japanese have adapted by creating all kinds of products to make people as comfortable as possible, just be mentally prepared!

***Your predecessor, fellow JETs in your prefecture, PAs, and other threads on this forum will have much, much more information on these topics. Cheers to you for asking some great questions. Regardless of how `prepared` you are before you go, there will undoubtedly be surprises. Because how you approach new situations may affect/define your experience in Japan.... have an incredible time, try everything, and good luck!!!

[Namisuke]

For feminine things, I agree with the tampons. I brought over what I thought was a year supply, but 1.5 years later and I still have tons more. I am glad I brought so many though as I haven't been home in 1.5 years and it is expensive to ship things.

If you dye your hair, bring enough boxes of dye to last you for your time here, unless you are able to find a place that sells it for foreign hair. I bought a big bottle of activator and a bunch of bottles of colour from Sally Beauty Supply as it was the cheapest and best space saving option. It is best to go with natural-ish colours as if you run out of dye, it won't matter as much (unless you have greys...).

If you use birth control pills, make sure you bring OVER enough for a year. In case you plan to stay a year, you want to make sure you have enough for settling back into your home country. If you plan to stay a long time, find a doctor who can hook you up with the same pill, or have a good relationship with your doctor and notify them that your family/friend/etc. will pick up prescriptions for you. Giving your family a signed note is also a good idea. I did this with my boyfriend, and even though my doctor said it would be no problem, he decided to be a dink and only gave him 6 months instead of 1 year, totally going against the discussion we had in an appointment before I left. I heard rumour that you can only get a couple months of pills at a time here, which is totally inconvenient if true. There is a chance the pharmacy might not carry the brand of pill you use as well. If anyone has facts on that, that would be good.

Also, for women, low-cut tops are a big no-no. Check your clothing before you come over to make sure you can bow without your cleavage or bra showing, and always wear undershirts so you can't see through the buttoned sections of your shirt or your bra through your top. Shirt sleeves are a must (no sleeveless tees or dress shirts at work). Don't worry about getting too many stockings as they sell them here.

If you have size 8 or larger shoes (about 24.5-25cm here), it is pretty difficult to find shoes. I am a size 8 and I have a ridiculous time finding shoes that fit AND are comfortable. Sizes tend to run a bit more narrow as well, especially in the toes. Boots are easier to find though.

If you are larger than a size C (US or CAD) for cup size and are larger than 70cm around the chest (I think that is the largest that I see in fashion stores), then bring your own bras.If you are small chested, welcome to a paradise of beautiful yet cheap underwear! You will also go up a cup size or two here. At least that is one funny thing about being large in Japan! The same thing goes with butt size too. Stock up at home if you have a booty. I don't have a big bum, but I do have one that is difficult to fit into Japanese sizes. Underwear often comes in sets, and I often can't fit the gotch.

I have heard rumours about bleach being put into some facial creams, so I would recommend bringing your own just in case. Lotion can be pricey here, so if you have one you like, bring it. I stocked up on the Body Shop's body butter when it went on sale, and it is perfect for the dry winters here. Same thing goes for leave-in conditioner. It is hard to find, so I hear, so I brought my own from home.

Makeup you will want to get in your colours also. Foundation will run a bit darker with different tones. Eyeshadow is more expensive. I bought a ton of it online from Coastal Scents as they came highly recommended, and I am glad I got them. I spend $80 for 4 huge palettes including shipping, and you can easily spend 1400 yen on one tiny 4-colour palette here.

My suitcase coming here pretty much looked like a travelling store as I had multiples of everything...lol