Job Discussion Forums

[Mr_Monkey]

[BobbyBan]

[cornishmuppet]

Considering how much the Japanese brush their teeth its amazing that so many of them have bad breath. Hey ho, perhaps its just my students. Certainly no elbows on the table in my classes, at least not from my side! I personally bring a few tubes of Sensodyne from England each time I go back and ration it by only using it lunchtimes and using the Japanese stuff mornings and evenings.

The guy I replaced in my first job had a real thing for Marmite. On arrival the only food I found in my appartment were three jars of Marmite, all with Japanese labels. I never had a chance to ask him where he got it from (he did a runner) and I've never once seen in the four years since.

The bottom line is if you want a lot of foreign brands be prepared to search and be prepared to pay.

[seklarwia]

I picked up some pretty decent tasting toothpaste from the 100 yen shop. I only wanted some crappy stuff for after lunch at school but it tastes like colgate and according to the English on the front, it contains flouride. Whatever... it cleans out the after taste from whatever they replace the nicotine and tar with in those ultra light cigs.

I found something called peanut cream in Seiyu that was sat next to the only pot of what I'm guessing must be an American brand of peanut butter.
WARNING: DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE PICTURES OF NUTS ON THE FRONT INTO BUYING THIS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR REAL PEANUT BUTTER!!!
It is this evil looking/tasting pot of something kind of like caramel with perhaps a hint of nut flavouring. I'm definately getting some proper stuff mailed in. I wish I had been strong enough to drop my xbox in exchange for a bag full of Tesco organic whole nut butter.

On a happier note... I found Asda's butter shortbread biscuits there too

[gaijinalways]

seklarwia posted

[Red Monkey]

Greetings all, long time reader, first time poster. Had my Interac interview today, seemed to go OK I guess.

I am a fairly tall fellow, nearly 6 foot, how easy is it to find clothing and shoes that will fit? I have everything crossed that I get a placement but the prospect of planning what to pack is a daunting one. Is it better to take less and assume you can get what you need there, or take everything and lug it around on the off-chance you need it?

[wayne432]

You won't have any problem with clothes. I'm over 6 feet and it's not any problem.

Shoes... depends on your size. If you're size 10/28 cm and under, then you can buy shoes in most places. If you're 11/29 cm and above, then it becomes a little harder and you'll probably need to find a big size store for that. Most stores don't usually hold anything above 28 cm.

[Glenski]

Depends on where one lives. Some people mail order from places like Eddie Bauer. For someone your height, I'd say the "big and tall" shops would be the places to seek out. Where are you going, Red Monkey?

Bear in mind, too, that body proportions are different. For men, anyway, buying a shirt with the right neck size is no guarantee whatsoever that the shoulder width or sleeve length will be appropriate. They usually aren't.

[Ashtonmd]

In terms of meds - I find the stuff here doesn't work and those that do have side effects. My recommended meds list would include: ibeprofin, anti-nauseate, anti-histamine, decongestant, and a general (G+/-) antibiotic from your doc at home if you can get one. Call me over prepared but when I'm sick I don't want to have to try 5 diff drugs and attempt to find an English speaking pharmacist.

While you can find all the other things on your list here, I chose to bring toothpaste and deodorant. I just don't like whats available to me here.

[seklarwia]

One thing I haven't found in any of the supermarkets I've visited is pulses, which I find quite surprising since I've found most everything else required for good old vegetarian indian cooking. I'm particularly looking for yellow split peas and lentils. I'd prefer dried, but I'd take whatever is avaliable. Has anyone come across these in any normal shops or is this going to be a shipping job?

[Apsara]

Hmm, I can walk to no less than 3 shops selling both those items within about 5 minutes of where I live, but it seems like that is one of the benefits of living in Tokyo since it looks like you are out in the inaka somewhere. If you don't have any import stores or organic food stores near you then you might have to ship it, yes.

[seklarwia]

It's not really countryside, but I guess its a downside to living in a much smaller city that doesn't really have a large foreign population. Within a small radius of my house you have everything else from cute little restaurants and kimono stores to 24hr drug superstores and car showrooms... just not pulses or import stores. Maybe I'll try the mall again to see if there was an organic food shop, but I'm pretty sure that apart from the Jusco, Disney Store, Clares Accessories and the usual fastfood evils, it was just a hyped up department store full of over priced, hideous clothing.

But if they are that readily avaliable in Tokyo, I guess I can just pick some up on my next visit.

[Apsara]

I think it's just the small population rather than the lack of foreign population- the majority of the customers at the import and organic stores here would be Japanese.

In any case, in Tokyo look out for the health food chain Natural House or the import store chains Kaldi and Seijo Ishii. There's a Seijo Ishii outside the South-East exit of Shinjuku and a Natural House on Aoyama Dori near Omotesando- those are the most central ones I can think of, although there are bound to be others.

[seklarwia]

Thanks for the info. I will definately be paying them a visit soon. As much as I am enjoying food here, it would be nice to have something from home once in a while.

[Yawarakaijin]

Come with the knowledge that everything you think or have heard is a good idea to idea to bring to japan is actually quite easily found by a person with a superior knowledge of the country than you.

You may have already gotten that idea.