Daily Life

So, you're probably wondering what life and times are like in Japan, huh? If you're like any other gaijin who ends up in Japan, you're going to go through your share of ups-and-downs, homesickness, and then final adjustment to everything. If you're not, you'll end up leaving Japan feeling really bitter and you won't enjoy your experience at all. However, most gaijin usually end up loving Japan, but always end up with a different philosophy about everything then when they first arrived.

Let's focus first on housing. You shouldn't have to worry about that too much. Your supervisor(s) will probably be taking care of that for you. What they might not take care of, however, are furnishings. Depending on if you have a predecessor or not, you may wind up with a lot of stuff or you might have to go out and buy everything yourself. If anything, it would probably be a good idea to bring along at least 200,000 yen (about $2,000 USD) before arriving to cover room and board until you get your first paycheck.

Weather in Japan can go from one extreme to the other as the seasons come and go -- so make sure to dress appropriately, too. Summers in Japan are extremely warm and humid. You could take a few steps out of your apartment and before you know it, you feel like you just got out of the shower! Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and make sure your apartment is equipped with air-conditioning. Hey, what's up with those *%?&$! noisy cicadas? They're all over Japan -- but fortunately, only during the Summer months.

Winters can be really really cold -- so make sure that you eventually buy a nice thick coat (and maybe some thermals), a kotatsu (table with heater), and lots of bedding for those cold nights. Brrrr! Don't worry about bringing that stuff, though, you should be able to purchase goods in Japan that'll do the trick! I remember going into classes in the winter and having to throw my jacket on -- and I was still cold! (My school didn't have central heating) Fortunately, they would bring portable heaters into the rooms, but students still carried around kairo (pocket hand warmers) because it was so cold.

Transportation in Japan is pretty amazing. Just about all of the trains, subways, buses, and ferries all over Japan are almost always on time. Make sure that you have the correct time schedules, however, as these tend to change pretty regularly.

Should all of these modes of transportation fail you (for instance, perhaps, you missed the last train back to your apartment), you could always take a cab. Just make sure you don't try to close the back door by yourself (the driver does this for you via automatic door).