How to prepare your arrival in Japan

Here you are, almost ready for your new life in Japan! Although a lot of fun awaits you, it is better to be well prepared for this experience. Here are some tips and advice from a foreigner who has already spent 3 years in Japan.

Table of contents

1. Things to bring and things to not bring
2. Phone services
3. Where to stay during your first weeks in Japan
4. Opening a bank account – Foreigner friendly banking services in Japan
5. How to take public transportation

1. Things to bring and things to not bring

Moving to a different country can be very stressful and you only have one or two suitcases to bring your life to another country. Here is a list of things to bring and not to bring.

To bring

Clothes and shoes (especially if you are on the bigger size)

It might sound extremely silly but bring clothes, especially if you are on the bigger side. Japan’s sizes are extremely small compared to some other countries. When I first came to Japan I was completely horrified to not be able to find tights, skirts, pants or shoes my size. Wearing usually a European L to XL size and being over 170cm made everything even worse.

Also japanese fashion can be very different from your home country’s one. Some people love it but some other people do not find it to their taste.

An outlet adaptor

Do not forget to bring one outlet adaptor to be able to charge your phone or your computer.
You can also find cheap outlet adapters for 110yen at 100yen shops like Daiso or Seria if you need more.

Your favorite beauty products

Japanese beauty products have an excellent reputation but are also expensive. Also there are not a lot of non-perfumed or natural options. Deodorants are also usually said to be less effective than western ones.

Your favorite spices and condiments

Can you imagine spending a year or more in your favorite country without being able to eat your favorite dish?
Japanese food is delicious, but at some point, I can promise you you’re gonna become very homesick and will want to cook.

To not bring

Hairdryer or any kind of appliance

Some of my friends packed some small appliances including a hair dryer. Even if it is totally fine to bring something that has a battery, I usually do not recommend bringing any kind of appliance before you do some research concerning the compatibility of the electric voltage of your country and Japan. For example, in some European countries, the voltage is 220 but only 100 in Japan. If you try to plug a European hair dryer on an adaptor in Japan, it will blow very weak air. The best is to buy everything here or to thoroughly check the voltage in your home country before deciding to bring anything. 

Very thick towels

In Japan you have a big humidity problem especially during the summer. So forget about your big fluffy towels and save some space for your suitcase!

Clothes not adapted to Japan’s weather

Japan has 4 seasons. In Tokyo the winter is usually dry and between 3° and 8°celsius.  The summer is very wet and temperatures sometimes go over 35° celsius.

If you are coming from a very cold country and not planning to live in Hokkaido, you might not want to bring your favorite thick down jacket.

2. Phone services

Are you planning to change your cellphone to an international plan in your home country phone provider? Then stop immediately!

I warmly recommend you to just to program your home country phone services to end several days after your arrival in Japan.
Why is that? Because you will desperately need a Japanese phone number to do so many things here. From renting an apartment to receiving an amazon parcel or contracting electricity, a japanese phone number will be needed.

For the first few days you can buy a weekly or monthly sim card at the airport or rent a pocket wifi for several thousand yen.

When you have a little bit of time you can then go make a phone service contract with an online provider or at your local shop.

3. Where to stay during your first weeks in Japan?

When moving to Japan for the first time, the housing question comes first. A lot of options are available.

For example, you can choose to book a hotel or an Airbnb to stay the first two weeks and focus on your search for more permanent accommodation.

You can also choose to start looking for a permanent accommodation while you are still in your home country. Some realtors, like us, sometimes accept to do online visitations and start the application process while you are not in Japan.

If you are looking for a cheaper rent and a social experience, Tokyo is full of sharehouses or different sizes and atmosphere. They can sometimes be a little bit cheaper than a private apartment but depending on the accommodation, the price difference might be slight.

If you prefer to have some intimacy and prefer to rent a private accommodation, the prices in Tokyo for a one room apartment usually vary between 35,000 and 70,000 yen depending on the location and the criterias you chose.

If you have any questions about finding a place in Japan, always feel free to check our real estate related articles to find more information or directly contact us! We are always happy to help!

4.Opening a bank account – Foreigner friendly banking services in Japan

Opening a bank account in Japan can be confusing. A lot of banks are available but not a lot of them are actually friendly to newcomers. A lot of rules and regulations also changed recently and some banks that used to be easily accessible to newly arrived foreigners are now more strict about their rules. From what I have observed around me in the last months, it seems that the Japan Postal Bank is the most accessible bank on the market.

Why is that?

 First of all, they do not require a minimal stay in Japan (some banks like MUFG recently started to require you to have lived in Japan for 6months before being able to open a bank account.)

Also, depending on the location some staff speak a little bit of English and have very detailed English explanations on how to fill their japanese forms.

In addition, they are one of the rare bank that is allowing non-residents with special situations to open a bank account in their establishment. (like the american military SOFA status members)

What do you need to open a bank account?

Usually you need a Hanko (japanese administrative stamp of your name), a proof of residence (Juumin hyou 住民票) and your passport and residence card.

In case you are a SOFA status member, you will need a Hanko, a proof of residence (lease or letter from your base) and your passport. 

5. How to take transportation

Japan and especially Tokyo transportation can be a challenge. The network is not always public and the privatization of the companies makes them have different prices and systems that can be very confusing for both newcomers and people that have been here in Japan for a long time. 

Some of the information in this article might sound obvious to some of you but might not depending on where you come from.

A. The bus

There are a lot of public and private bus companies in Japan. They have different fares and systems but there are some rules that never change.

• You have to line up to get on the bus.
• You have to press a button inside of the bus to notify the bus driver you are getting off at the next stop.

The bus can have a fixed fare or a changing fare depending on the distance. The way to get on the bus changes in that regard.

〇Fixed Fares

The entrance of the bus is the door at the front. You need to pay when you enter by using coins or a transportation card.

There are no tickets and you do not need to use your transportation card again when you get off.
The exit is located in the middle of the bus.

〇 Variable Fares

Some bus companies have variable fares. It means the longer you travel the more expensive it is gonna be.

The entrance door is located in the middle of the bus

When you enter the bus, you need to take a ticket (or bip your transportation card).

When you get off the bus you need to put your ticket in the machine near the exit door and pay. (or to bip your transportation card again to have the fee deducted)

The exit door is located at the front, next to the bus driver.

The article has been written on the basis of living in Tokyo. There might be some local rules and differences not listed here. If you are ever unsure of what to do, imitating people around you is always a good idea! If you feel confident, you can even ask a local for some help.

B. The train

The trains in Japan can be confusing and give you some hard times. The first thing you should do is create a transportation card (or download one on your phone). The train companies are all privatized and several companies are coexisting in the same city.

This means that you have to buy a new ticket for the fare of the distance you are gonna travel everytime you need to change. 
Train fares in Japan are calculated not regarding the time you use the transportation system but the distance.

6. Renting in Japan – prices and fees
7. Renting in Japan – procedures
8. Renting in Japan – discrimination and how to fight it
9. Renting in Japan –