What you would do if you were leaving today?

[Foxfirety]

Hi Guys & Gals,

I am finally getting all my paper work together to leave in June, but I am wondering what are some things that I would need to know about moving to Japan? Just some things that you wish you would have done to make the transition a little easier on you in the beginning?

Thanks!

 

[nice gaijin]

I think if you want advice, you might need to shed some more light on your situation; what you're going to Japan for, what kind of living situation do you have planned, etc.

 

[Mike Cash]

I would have drank more on the airplane.

 

[sl0thmachin3]

You should get a Japanese phrasebook and learn some useful ones like greetings and how to ask for directions and buying stuff. That is if you don't know Nihonggo.

How long are you staying there? June is summer in Japan so light clothes are advisable but if you are staying longer like until September you should have some cold weather clothes.

Nice Gaijin is right though, explain what exactly is your situation when you go there. That would help people give you better advice.

 

[Kirirao]

Medicine Medicine Medicine.

Man I should've brought more. Especially cold med. I only brought a few since a friend of mine told me the immigration at the airport is strict about drug etc etc bla bla bla jail bla bla bla. Im so stupid. Well I guess It's not like I'm bringing any illegal drugs or anything. Since all I wanted to bring was just over the counter drugs that can be buy anywhere. *sigh*

Some of the people that came with me even brought a bag full of medicine, and the imigration at Malaysia nor Japan even cared or asked anything about it. And the drugs over here is pretty expensive (for me). Even a simple/cheapest I can find cold medicine cost around 700en which equal to 2 days worth of food for me.

Well thats just my experience.

 

[Ewok85]

I would have drank more on the airplane.

I generally do that on the way back, not on the way here... (makes immigration more interesting at the very least).

 

[Davey]

Have a look at this thread that I posted a couple of months ago, maybe you can find something nice in there.

take care you got enough stuff to do when you are with you, and bring a small pillow the flights are just too long sometimes.

Bring pressents from your local area, such as candy, cards, etc * I am bringing 30-60 cards with me with dutch pics on it, to give to people I met.

 

[MajideSaiaku]

Bring powerful enough sleeping pills to knock you out on the flight over, its just too damn long, ide rather just make myself unconcious then have to live through that pointless-ness again.

I've noticed that flying has become more the personal bussiness for bussinessmen rather then joe-public so while executive class and stuff will have the best seats and entertainment and airport facilities you'll have to settle for the most uncomfortable chair in the world, with pathetic leg room and sharing the dry cabin with other people, in conditions which arent too much better then a refugee deck.

Nah i am just nitpicking, its not too bad...for most reasonable flights, but trust me, after 12 hours of it, you'll find an airplane cabin the most unbearable enviroment ever, and you'll be speed walking to get away from the plane.

Bring a reasonable sized bottle of water, a small pillow, and just prepare yourself for a very long flight....if you havnt flown before this is going to be like comming off crack cold turkey, and its going to suck.....alot.

I havnt flown since i was a young teenager until i went to japan so you can bet i wasnt a happy-flyer.

I find british airways seems generally better entertainment wise then KLM, they have just the over-head tellies with like 2-3 movies the entire flight, BA has little televisions in the back of the chair infront for everyone, and multiple channels with different stuff showing, so in general i find they are better and keeping my sanity in check.

 

[ullvarg]

Get a rental cellfone, I didn`t and was handikaped for the first 2 weeks and after 3 vissits to au I finaly managed to sign up, it`s not realy easy to do so with the teporary Gaijin card after a recent change in Japanese laws.
Heres a link to a company that can hook you up http://www.gomobile.co.jp/index_e.html

 

[Foxfirety]

Thanks everyone! Let me explain a little more about my situation.....

Going to Kansai region (I don't know which City yet) staying for at least a year hopefully two. I am from the southeast and I think I live pretty fast pace, but probably not in comparison to New York City.

I was just wondering if there was anything that I might be overlooking so that I can make my stay comfortable.

 

[ghettocities]

My favorite thing to do before I leave for Japan each year is to wear the coolest (sexiest, most exspensive, flashy) outfit for my trip over there because once I get off the airplane I'm standing in the foreigner-arrival line with all these people dressed in their sweatpants, flip-flops (and all their remotely cool/exspensive clothes are in their luggage,) and I GET EVERYONE'S ATTENTION! It's great, people ask me in the customs lines where I'm from, what i'm doing, who i'm doing it for, why i'm so cool (I'm not kidding,) and this one time I actually questioned it, I told someone I knew "I don't know if I should wear my good outfit for the trip over there, it's like 11 hours and it's circulated oxygen and gross," and they knocked sense into me saying, "No, you need to wear your best outfit and when you step off that airplane and into customs you need to let all those other foreigners you are the best of the best." And yeah, the service you get from dressing up is incredible, it's like people see me, think i'm a millionaire and they are on their knees like I'm some pharoah god about to bless them with my greatness but in reality I'm just some kid who posts on jref! SHEESH.

Josh

 

[cathyx]

Return to reality... my own one!!

*i'd ask obsessively for my money to any distributor on there who was interested in my so small books, then I'd have a sexual intercourse with a guy whom i like to see his face and apparent quiet manners and cool tastes for cultures, have a dinner totally crazy and relaxed and glamourous at the same time , I'd make build my small house in wooden and big red bricks, I'd confection my first baby with a guy able: to work by himself, accept to see me travel at least twice a year alone (with or without babies on my arm), to be decent and respectful himself, good-looking and faithful to me, to be the contrary of a traitor, to be coooool.....

 

[Carlson]

I would of bought about $100 worth of McChickens not knowing it would be the last i get to eat them in 4 years.

 

[Gaijinian]

I'd... somehow get a lot of money quickly, and Japan is 値段が高ぇえ～ッ