Studying Abroad in Japan - I have Some Questions For Japanese Experts!

Hi I'm 18 and going to study abroad for a year in the Summer when I'm 19.

Can someone help answer my questions? I don't know nearly as much about Japan as I feel I should do, at least compared to people on this forum.

1. I'll only be 19, can I drink in Japan? The law says 20 but can I get in nightclubs?
2. Is any part of the Internet blocked?
3. Will my iPhone4 work with a Japanese Sim?
4. What presents should I take to give people I meet? I'm from the UK so I think I should take British things.
5. Will people get freaked out by ginger hair and blue eyes?
6. Will I be able to meet Japanese guys interested in dating and not just sex?
7. Is it ok to have piercings at a University? I only have my nose, small stretched lobes (8mm) and some earrings visible.
8. Is there anything I can take that Japanese people would be real interested in seeing?
9. What's there to do in Chiba/what is it like?
10. What should I do to prepare for my year in Japan? Obviously learning the language but what's less obvious?
11. I'm 5'7" is this real tall in Japan? Sorry for my ignorance here.

Thanks in advance!

1. I'll only be 19, can I drink in Japan? The law says 20 but can I get in nightclubs?
no

2. Is any part of the Internet blocked?
At H, sometimes. Usually no

3. Will my iPhone4 work with a Japanese Sim?
Not sure. probably not.

4. What presents should I take to give people I meet? I'm from the UK so I think I should take British things.
For your host family just bring some individually wrapped cookies or cakes.

5. Will people get freaked out by ginger hair and blue eyes?
Ginger is blond to me. So, no. They expect people from UK and US have those features.

6. Will I be able to meet Japanese guys interested in dating and not just sex?
Meet guys, yes. Those interested in dating but not sex? No, IMO. The bigger question is whether they will actually do anything about it. Expect boys and girls to have an emotional maturity about 3 years younger than their chronological age, too.

7. Is it ok to have piercings at a University? I only have my nose, small stretched lobes (8mm) and some earrings visible.
Probably ok, but you will already stand out being foreign. I'd suggest losing them. Earrings are ok, though. The school may forbid jewelry, though.

8. Is there anything I can take that Japanese people would be real interested in seeing?
An unbiased mild-mannered unopinionated person.

9. What's there to do in Chiba/what is it like?
Google it. I don't know.

10. What should I do to prepare for my year in Japan? Obviously learning the language but what's less obvious?
Check with your school's counselor.

11. I'm 5'7" is this real tall in Japan? Sorry for my ignorance here.
Not extremely tall, no, but what does it matter? You're foreign, not Japanese. They expect taller.

alicesan said:

Hi I'm 18 and going to study abroad for a year in the Summer when I'm 19.

Can someone help answer my questions? I don't know nearly as much about Japan as I feel I should do, at least compared to people on this forum.

1. I'll only be 19, can I drink in Japan? The law says 20 but can I get in nightclubs? - Legally no, but every weekend in Japan tens of thousands of 18 and 19 year old Japanese drink in Izakayas and a vast array of nightclubs. There is not much adherence to these laws there, particularly in the smaller venues. My advice would be to just be sensible about it and just keep in mind that your visa status may be compromised if, (in the remote likelihood) you are caught by the police. Buy a non alcoholic drink and keep it at your table in case you're questioned and don't get too drunk!!
2. Is any part of the Internet blocked?
3. Will my iPhone4 work with a Japanese Sim?
4. What presents should I take to give people I meet? I'm from the UK so I think I should take British things.
5. Will people get freaked out by ginger hair and blue eyes? - Freaked out .... no, curious .... yes.
6. Will I be able to meet Japanese guys interested in dating and not just sex?
7. Is it ok to have piercings at a University? I only have my nose, small stretched lobes (8mm) and some earrings visible.
8. Is there anything I can take that Japanese people would be real interested in seeing? - Photographs. shots of your life in the UK. Family, pets, your home and town, school and school uniform etc. They are very useful as talking points, particularly if your Japanese is not too good and the other person does not speak much English. Load a pile of them onto your phone.
9. What's there to do in Chiba/what is it like?
10. What should I do to prepare for my year in Japan? Obviously learning the language but what's less obvious?
11. I'm 5'7" is this real tall in Japan? Sorry for my ignorance here.

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

Hope that helps a bit>

Can someone help answer my questions? I don't know nearly as much about Japan as I feel I should do, at least compared to people on this forum.

1. I'll only be 19, can I drink in Japan? The law says 20 but can I get in nightclubs?
Law is 20, but almost never enforced. Usually once people enter university they can go out at night so…

2. Is any part of the Internet blocked?
not as far as I know

3. Will my iPhone4 work with a Japanese Sim?
Yes, if you have an unlocked phone, but you will not be able to get a J-simm without taking on a two year contract. So, you will either need to rent a phone (expensive) or use roaming- more expensive, or survive in wifi areas with Skype, vibe and the like)

4. What presents should I take to give people I meet? I'm from the UK so I think I should take British things.
that makes sense, especially snacks, biscuits, etc

5. Will people get freaked out by ginger hair and blue eyes?
[COLOR="#0000FF"nope[/COLOR]

6. Will I be able to meet Japanese guys interested in dating and not just sex?
[COLOR="#0000FF"]yes, I would say Japanese guys are less sexually agressive[/COLOR]

7. Is it ok to have piercings at a University? I only have my nose, small stretched lobes (8mm) and some earrings visible.
I think you will have no problem with that-

8. Is there anything I can take that Japanese people would be real interested in seeing?
pictures of your family, home town for older people - like home stay family, for young people, pictures of concerts pubs, real life in the UK

9. What's there to do in Chiba/what is it like?
Disneyland- but better off googling , and if you are out f or the night life - head to Tokyo

10. What should I do to prepare for my year in Japan? Obviously learning the language but what's less obvious?
google, study, learn more about Japan and your home country, read the newspaper, be familiar with global issues , i.e. TPP

11. I'm 5'7" is this real tall in Japan? Sorry for my ignorance here.
for women, some slightly tall but not gargantuan