Introduction
Travelling to Japan as a student or for work can be an exciting but daunting prospect. This guide is designed to help you prepare adequately, ensuring a smooth transition and a productive stay. Whether it's packing the right clothes, downloading essential apps, or understanding local transportation, this article provides you with all the necessary information, along with useful links to resources.
Pre-Arrival Preparations
Communication with Your Professor/University
Before your departure, it’s crucial to establish communication with your professor in Japan. If you don’t have a professors, better to stay in touch with your graduate school or international office of your university. Share your itinerary to keep them informed of your arrival plans. If you have any questions or need clarifications about your stay or studies, do not hesitate to ask. Inquire about dormitories if you havent been already informed. Most universities offer tutor assistance to international students; inquire about this service early on to ensure you have all the support you need upon arrival.
Packing Essentials
Japanese winters can be harsh, requiring warm clothing and appropriate footwear. Check the weather forecast for your arrival and transit cities to pack suitably. Essentials like a foldable umbrella can be bought locally, but bringing one might save you immediate inconvenience.
Must-Have Items
- Basic cutlery (spoon, fork, plate, and mug)
- Water bottle. Tap water in Japan is drinkable, there are dispensers in dorms and universities.
- Cash for initial expenses, Bring JPY or USD. Roughly 1500 USD would be enough for a single persons monthly expenses but varies from situation to situation. (Note: Initial scholarships or stipends might be delayed)
- A working Credit Card from Pakistan. It will take a while before you can make a Japanese Credit Card
- You can also a make TransferWise debit card for quick online shopping. (You need myNumber from your ward office for this)
- Power bank and plug converter for Japanese outlets (100V with parallel flat pin plugs)
- Driving license (can be converted to a Japanese license) otherwise it will be prohibitively expensive and convoluted process to get your license directly in Japan.
- Comfortable shoes for extensive walking. You will be walking a lot in Japan.
- Sealed recommendation letters and original academic documents
- A suit for occasional presentations and events.
- Other useful items as deemed necessary by an individual.
If you have some favorite perfumes or deodorants, do bring them. Japanese deodorants are a bit weak. Also do bring a little amount of shampoo if you are sensitive and want to use some particular goods. Japanese drug stores have a lot of variety but you don't want to spend your initial days trying to buy shampoos soaps and face washes while juggling tons of paperwork.
A piece of advice, do bring many passport-size photos, and also some a little bigger or smaller pictures for use on various forms in your initial days.
Also do bring sealed recommendation letters from your advisors in Pakistan at least three. They will help when you apply for admission, or in case you want to change labs. They can be a big help. Do bring original copies of your degree and transcripts.
Cultural and Social Integration
Bringing traditional Pakistani clothes may help you participate in cultural events, fostering integration and cultural exchange. It’s also recommended to bring souvenirs, such as decorative pieces or traditional sweets like Rewri, to gift to your lab mates and professors. Such gestures are appreciated and can help in building cordial relationships.
Japanese do not speak English well in most cases. So it is always a good idea to learn basic Japanese phrases about directions, where is the toilet, and where is the station.
Food Considerations
Halal Food might be difficult to find in the initial days so be prepared.
- Pack basic spices as Japanese cuisine may be bland for some palates
- Halal food can be ordered online from sources like [Shinjuku Halal Food](https://shinjukuhalalfood.com/)
- Uber eats from Indian Restaurants or Pakistani restaurants.
- Buy fish from the local supermarket to cook your food.
Tap water in Japan is drinkable, so feel free to use it without worry.
Arrival and Settling In
Once you arrive, the abundance of stuff on your plate to do various things might be overwhelming. The language barrier might also be overwhelming. Take a break and relax. You are here and you will make it further.
Language Assistance
- Google Translate app with Japanese and English language packs downloaded
- VoiceTra app for high-quality voice-to-voice translation ([VoiceTra App](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.go.nict.voicetra))
Accommodation Options
Finding affordable accommodation can be challenging immediately upon arrival. Consider various options such as shared hostels, capsule hotels, or business hotels. Places like Kaikatsu Club provide overnight accommodations with internet and comic access, suitable for short stays.
However if you are coming as a university student, then you should already have dorm allotted by the university atleast for the first few months. Do not overspend your stipend initially because even if you get a dorm, you will need to move out from dorm after a few months as dorms in Japan are rarely for more than 6 months. When you move to a private apartment or dorm, you have to pay initial fees, security deposits, insurances etc. It can be upto 300k yen for a single room apartment. So be cautious with money in the beginning atleast.
Communication and Navigation
Upon arrival, securing a local data SIM card can greatly facilitate communication and navigation around Japan. Websites like [Ubigi](https://cellulardata.ubigi.com/) and [Airalo](https://www.airalo.com/) offer various plans that can be pre-arranged before your travel.
It will take a while for you to have a sim contract. Sims in Japan are postpaid and on contracts. Docomo, Au, and Softbank are your major options along with Y-Mobile, UQ Mobile, Rakuten etc.
Transportation
Understanding and navigating the Japanese transportation system is vital. Google Maps is reliable, but local apps like Jorudan ([Japan Transit Planner](https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?c=30)) and Hyperdia ([Hyperdia Route Search](https://www.hyperdia.com/en/)) offer detailed transit options.
For intercity travel, [https://www.kousokubus.net/JpnBus/en](https://www.kousokubus.net/JpnBus/en)
You can watch videos on YouTube to understand the ticket buying process or having an IC card which can be charged and allows cashless riding on trains or buses.
Discount and cheap Stores
Starting new life in a new country comes with heavy burden on your pocket and its always good to save money. Below is a list of discount stores for different things
To look for second hand shops, you can search 中古店 on google maps.
BookOff, BookOff Plus, Book Off Super Bazaar are good for finding second hand stores. They have high quality shirts, pants, jackets, hats, and sometimes other stuff like kitchen, cameras, watches, iphone, ipads etc.
100 円 shops like Seria, Daiso, 3 coins, etc are useful for buying daily life stuff like kitchen essentials, spoons, forks, spice bottles and tons of other stuff.
You can also buy stuff at 100 円 Lawson convenience store.
You can also buy stuff on Amazon japan without credit card buy buying Amazon gift scratch cards with cash money.
Supermarkets have discounted food items after 6PM or so. Try to look for local cheap super markets in your area. Gyomu, OK, Hanamasa are famous but do get advice about it from local people.
You can also find cheap stuff, sometimes even for free by joining local Sayonara Sale groups like Tokyo Sayonara Sale etc on Facebook. This is specially good for finding bicycle, fridge, furniture etc.
Conclusion
Moving to Japan involves careful planning and preparation. You can ensure a smoother transition by organizing your travel documents, understanding cultural norms, and familiarizing yourself with local resources. Embrace the opportunity to explore a new culture, while equipped with all the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate your new environment successfully.
References
- Japan Guide for Seishun 18 Ticket: [Japan Guide](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html)
- Shinjuku Halal Food: [Shinjuku Halal Food](https://shinjukuhalalfood.com/)
- VoiceTra App: [VoiceTra](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.go.nict.voicetra)
- Cellular Data Plans: [Ubigi](https://cellulardata.ubigi.com/), [Airalo](https://www.airalo.com/)
No comments:
Post a Comment