Job Discussion Forums

[Tara2117]

What would those of you who've been there advise for a newcomer to bring to Japan? And by that, I mean the little things you might not have thought of until you arrived. What did you end up wishing you'd brought along?

I realize I'll need clothes, shoes, blah blah blah. Was there anything you didn't think of and later wished you'd brought? Or brought along and found indispensible?

Thanks in advance!

[taffer]

Bring undies and deodorant.

The rest, to a great extent, can be found here...

http://www.fbcusa.com/public2/

[Angelfish]

If you're placed anywhere near a SDF base - ear plugs.

[wabisabi365]

Antiperspirant (as in not just a perfume cover-up -- get the strong stuff as everything here is weak and full of perfume but will not stop you from sweating. (This is very important for June, July, August, and yes, even now in September thanks to global warming).

OB tampons - it is difficult to find any without the applicator here. (*If I've assumed incorrectly that you are a woman, disregard.)

Bras. It takes far too much time here to try on, pull out padding, adjust and find the right fit. The washing machines here are quite harsh on delicates, so pack a few extra. (* see above) The lingerie stores here (except for exceptionally over-padded bras) are excellent and very sexy!

If you like to wear tights/nylons and your are over five foot four or five, bring extra. Even the ones that say "L" are actually a tight fit and you'll find yourself pulling at the waistband all day long.

Hmm. I sound like a giant. I'm not. At five eight and 135 pounds, I'm average back home. Here, quite large. As a matter of fact, I'm an "LL" in some shops. Disconcerting and a blow to the ego. ( * )

Unless you have extravagant or very unique tastes, most items should be available. If you are on the tall side, finding up-to-date and fashionable clothes can be difficult. If you are small-ish and like new fashions, go nuts. It really is a great place to let loose and try new out new things.

Food items are only a click away on your computer. The Foreign Buyers' Club and The Flying Pig will sort you out for anything you are craving. There are Costco shops in the bigger city centres. If you're a meat eater, try "The Meat Guy". Buy in bulk and freeze.

Hope this helps.

ws365

[chirp]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=54019

Especially check out the last post with links to all the other times this topic has been covered just so that you don't miss any essential items.

Happy packing!

[sallycat]

zombie repellant.

[AndyH]

I left for what I thought would be one year, and ended up being abroad for five.
Things I had wished I'd brought:
More work clothes (shirts and pants), more deodorant, a laptop computer, and perhaps, my mountain bike.

The lack of the above was never a really serious issue. Living in a small, remote town made it difficult to find clothes that fit (but not impossible), visiting relatives replenishe my deodorant supply, I eventually bought a laptop in Akihabara (but it would have been really nice to have had it when I lived in rural Hokkaido), and at times, it would have been nice to have had my Specialized Stump Jumper-but logistically might have not have been worth it.

I did bring lots of books, and never regretted it.

[Quibby84]

Alot of people we know, for some reason, come to japan without a computer and eventually have to buy one. They are probably cheaper in the states, so come with a computer.
Make sure you bring medicine, I heard that the medicine doesnt work that good, and if it did how would you know what it was anyway? lol.
Books are nice, but they are so heavy...they do have a small selection of English books at the big bookstores...but if you have room I would bring books.
We live in Louisiana and there is a really good spicy seasoning there, they have nothing like it here, so if you cook you may want to bring a seasoning that you couldnt live without...

[AndyH]

Quibby84 made a good point about medicine. I wished I'd had something decent for colds.

[Apsara]

If you are tall, trousers, shoes, and anything where the sleeves must be really long enough like winter coats.

Bras, non-applicator tampons, decent deodorant etc. can all be found if you live in a big city (I'm in Tokyo), but I (5'9", 175cm) can only buy trousers from Zara and Benetton and shoe choices (I'm US 8.5 - 9) are just as limited, so I usually stock up when I go home.

[Quibby84]

Bring sore throat medicine! The winters here try to kill me with the dryness.

[gaijinalways]

Quibby posted

[Tara2117]

Thanks, everyone. I'm sure this topic has been covered plenty of times before, but I don't have home internet access, and for some reason the search function on this site never works at my local library. So thanks for your help.

I had planned on stocking up on clothes and shoes, but hadn't thought of deoderant, so thanks for the tip.

On a related note, do any of you ladies use internet stores to buy clothes while you're in Japan? I know that international shipping fees can be killer. So if you know of any websites that will ship to Japan, I'd love to hear about them. Especially for lingerie. I have a hard time finding bras anywhere in the States, as I'm of unusual proportions. (Specifically, very large cup size, but normal band size.) I usually have to buy from places that import European lingerie, as American bra stores seem to think that non-plus-sized women only come in sizes A thru DD. So... if anyone out there has this same issue, and knows of any good websites for European style bras, lemme know. If all else fails, I can order them from UK websites and have them shipped to my boyfriend or something. I reckon I can sweet talk him into sending them on to me in Japan. Ha ha.

And I'd love to bring a laptop along, but that is definately NOT in my budget right now, unfortunately. But I've never had one before, so I'm sure I'll make do.

[Quibby84]

I am pretty sure that Victoria Secret ships here...because the JT at my school said she saw the owners daughter bend over and she had on underwear from the states...how she knew that I have no clue....but I have also seen Victoria Secret Magazines in the mail.
I have found a decent number of internet websites that ship to Japan but the cost is INSANE, on Amazon for one book, the shipping was like $15....almost more than the book...

[johanne]

About Amazon, if you can get someone to help you navigate the Japanese version there are many English books you can order without paying the huge shipping fee. The last time I checked if you ordered 1,500 yen worth of stuff, which only means ordering at least 2 books, the shipping was free. www.amazon.jp