My 15 yr daughter is going to Japan with without us!

Hi everyone,

My 15 yr old daughter will be heading to Tokyo and Akita City to play basketball with 10 other girls from Vancouver BC. Will also be staying with host families while in Akita City.

Question: Our voltage is 110. I understand Japan's is 100. Do we need a converter? The converters I have seen are mainly for 220 volts.
Also question baout the plugs as Canadian/American plugs are polarized as a safety feature. Some outlets in Japan ma not accept a polarized plug. Suggestions or help please. Daughter is worried that her camera will not be able to recharge as it does not use batteries and off course, her hair straightener might not work either.

Baths - she is very concerned about lack of individual showers or having to go into common bath.. Any advice here?

Thank you.

Hey im glad your girl could get a GOOD experience at such a young age. Erm plugs wise i cant speak too much as im from the UK so its different but you should be able to buy converters, either way im sure someone more helpful then i will post here. Erm about baths, im not sure what you mean. Every house ive been in has a bath room like our own houses...so erm they dont bathe at the local hot spring. Or do you mean after the games? One advice i will give her is that in japan a bath isnt for washing in its for relaxing. So if you are to use the bath especially at a public bath house use the showers first to be clean before using the bath.

Most electrical devices are built to accommodate a 10v variance in voltage. For example, my camera charger can accomodate 100-240v. It will usually be printed on the device somewhere. I think a hair straightener would work fine no matter what, though it might not get quite as hot as normal if it isn't designed for the voltage difference.
Almost all Japanese outlets are polarized two hole outlets. Ground holes are rare.

To clarify frosty's post, families do not all shower together and she will surely be left to shower by herself. If she doesn't want to share bathwater with the rest of the family, she doesn't have to use the bath, and I'm sure she will be able to opt out of any trips to bathhouses, if there are any. Even hotels that have communal baths as their primary washing place usually provide a few private showers.

Thank you Jimmy Seal and Frosty for the clarification. I think she feels alot better knowing that she can shower and opt out of the communal bath. It is going to be a very exciting trip for her.

No problem ^-^ just tell her to make sure to bring her mum back some red boxed metikiss chocolates haha
Best of luck