Tips when you first come to Japan

こんにちは！Hello and welcome!

Don't let that introduction photo fool you for I am not an expert photographer! As this blog progresses, I hope that not only my stories become more interesting but my photos become better. Now, whether you are coming over to Japan soon or thinking about coming sometime in the future hopefully these tips will be helpful! All these tips stem from my first couple of days in Japan which now I am able to share with you. Hopefully these tips are useful in any situation that arises when you are first coming to Japan.

    1.Exchange some currency before coming Japan.

A lot of people recommend this before traveling to any country and it is good to reiterate it because it is super important! Hopefully your flight to Japan goes smoothly and you can use this money on whatever treats you find whenyou first arrive. However, if you flight is delayed by 6+ hours, and have to find a hotel to stay at since the airport is closing and the trains stopped running having some Japanese Yen will not be a bad idea.  You would have to do research as to where is the best place to exchange, but if you are coming in thorugh Seattle there is a foreign exchange currancy station. Try to have enough cash to survive a couple of week, as they advise, since you will still be trying to figure out the area although there are a lot of ATM's around.

   2. Make a list of emergency contacts like the program coordinator.

I found this to be extremely useful when my flight kept getting delayed so that I ended up being stuck at Narita Airport. If your flight is delayed it is very important to contact them. They were extremely helpful and supportive through the whole beginning experience. There was nothing worse than being stuck somewhere with minimal Japanese and having to find a place before you were kicked out.

   3. Telephone cards.

Almost everywhere I have went in the Tokyo area there is a public telephone, however, you need a card to be able to use it. The card has a set amount of minutes (which at minimum I believe is 105). This is great for it you are waiting to get a sim card from the program or another provider. Otherwise if you have an international sim card or something that works for Japan then keep this in the back of your mind.

   4. Have a dictionary or google translate (or something like it) ready.

There will be a language barrier between you and some locals unless you have a fair amount of Japanese under your belt. Being a beginner I can ask basic questions, however, this is really helpful for trying to figure out what a sign says or asking a question beyond your level of Japanese.

Hopefully now you are a bit prepared for coming into the country. Once again I hope you have a safe flight here when you come and it goes smoothly. Even being here for a couple of week I feel that these have all helped me, and I cannot wait to explore Japan more. Beyond these tips I would advise looking up youtube videos, if you haven’t already done so, on Japan so that you are better prepared. There are a lot of guides out there but all are still helpful. 

Aleya