Job Discussion Forums

[HLJHLJ]

I'm sure I already saw a thread on this, but I can't find it now, and the search doesn't work for me here :-\

I am doing a dry run, packing to come to Japan. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth paying excess luggage charges to bring an extra case, or just to buy stuff when I get there.

What sort of things are unexpectedly expensive? Can you buy basic household things cheaply in places like 100y shops? (I'm thinking of things like cutlery/silverware, mugs etc). What about stuff like bedding and towels? Are they affordable?

I can find homes for all these things here, but if they will be expensive to replace on arrival, it might be better to bring them with me.

Oh, what about a printer? I have a relatively compact all in one scanner/printer/copier inkjet. Does anyone have a ballpark figure as to how much a new (or second hand) on area would cost in the Tokyo area?

I'm sorted out for clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. Is there anything else which you've found surprisingly expensive, or difficult to get hold of?

[surendra]

I am currently jumping on the Interac ship and awaiting my placement. From what I've seen of the new market, is that everything is expensive due to the poor conversion rate, i.e. buy whatever you can and bring it instead of buying there. Unfortunately, I do not about these 100yen stores but if its over $50 in the states, just buy it here.

[ssjup81]

[HLJHLJ]

I'm coming directly from Ecuador, so anything I've got here either has to come with me or be given away/sold before I leave. It won't be possible to have things shipped there from here later.

I'm already up to the baggage weight limit with the things I have to bring. So if I want to bring anything else I have to decide if it's worth paying an extra $200 to bring another case. I was thinking that the cost might be justified if I was bringing the printer, but that I probably won't spend $200 on kitchen stuff, towels and bedding.

I've got other things here, toaster, kettle, blender, dish drainers, clothes rack, and various other odds and ends of kitchen and household things, but I was planning on leaving them all here. I wasn't intending on buying anything new to bring with me either. However, I am a bit loathe to start getting rid of things I've bought here, if I'm going to have to replace them at twice the price when I arrive there.

On the other hand, aside from the printer, I probably don't have $200 worth of stuff left to pack. You can buy an all-in-one printer for less than $50 in the UK, but I don't know whether the price would be comparable in Japan.

[Glenski]

#1, are you coming with a job in hand, or coming to shop around for work? If it's the former, ask your employer what is provided in the apartment. Most places will have an already furnished place ready for you, something to take over from the previous teacher.

#2, even if you come without a job, don't even think about stuff like bedding. You'll probably stay in a guesthouse because most apartments do not rent to people who have no guarantor.

#3, it sounds like you might be overpacking and overthinking things. How about telling us what you have already planned to bring?

My recommendations:
Clothing
Bring only what you will need for 2 seasons. Pack the other stuff in a box and have it ready for someone to send to you about a month before the time comes that you will need it. Can't say much more without knowing your sizes (and gender), but generally you should be able to find most clothing here. Keep in mind that the cut of clothes (for men, anyway) with Japanese brands may be tight, even in larger sizes (shorter sleeves, tighter shoulder fit, pants crotch and seat are smaller). Of course, you should bring some business clothing (suit), and just how formal you need to be will depend on employers.

Toiletries
Japan is not Africa, so just pack what you think you will need for a 3-4 week stay and count on the rest being here in lavish abundance when you run out.

Medicines
This may be the trickiest. What are your needs? Some meds cannot be brought into Japan. Prescriptions might need a doctor's note.

Yes, 100-yen shops will provide whatever you need in various household items, from kitchen utensils and dishware to cleaning supplies and general stationery and office stuff, small towels, etc. No bedding.

Can't help with printer costs off the top of my head. Perhaps a low-end one would run 5000-7000 yen. Depends on the features you want.

Here's a little help from a few older threads. Search function has not failed me very often here.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=54019&highlight=pack+bring
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=2236&highlight=pack+bring
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=33893&highlight=pack+bring
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=20732&highlight=pack+bring
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=12361&highlight=pack+bring
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=3406&highlight=pack+bring

[HLJHLJ]

I've packed my clothes (work and leisure) shoes and the books I consider to be essential, a few personal items, make up, any unopened toiletries I had in the cupboard. The only kitchen thing I've packed is a small stove top coffee maker that I am very attached to. I'll also be bringing my laptop.

I have left over; more books, the printer, towels, sheets, pillowcases, the kitchen and household stuff I've collected over the last couple of years.

Some things I wasn't planning to bring; the duvet/comforter, heater, clothes rack/dryer, pots & pans, blender, bakeware, toaster, plates, cutlery/silverware, storage tubs, cleaning stuff, and plenty more I am sure that I can't think off the top of my head.

I have a job in hand which comes with an apartment. The fittings lists was minimalist to say the least. However, it only covers what they guarantee to provide, not what is actually there. It's likely that the current tenants will leave extra things behind, as the tenants before them did, but by the time they move out, I'll already be en route, so it will be too late for me to do anything about it. It's not possible for me to contact them now to get a better idea of what will be there.

I don't need any meds particularly, I've probably got some over the counter stuff like ibruprofen lying around.

For various reasons I can't leave anything to be sent on from here. Either it has to come with me now, or I get rid of it. I'm not intending on buying anything new to bring with me. It's just a question of what to do with the stuff I've already got.

Thanks for the links, I'll look through them now. I've never had any luck with the search function here, I just get a blank page up.

[ssjup81]

Yes, I get the same error. When trying to use the search feature on here, I always end up getting a blank page.

[HLJHLJ]

I've been through the links, and there's no big surprises. I'm not about to stock up on toothpaste or deodorant here, what they sell in Japan can't possibly be worse than what they sell in Ecuador. Though I do have a little of both that I've brought from the UK and was planning to bring anyway. I also have plenty of hose/tights packed already, again from the UK, not Ecuadorian.

I did see coffee mentioned a few times. Is that recommended just as a practical/useful gift or because it's difficult to get good coffee there? I can bring a couple of bags (for me or as a gift) if it's needed. I will have some British teabags packed, but I expect to have to take them wherever I go.

[ssjup81]

There are stores in Japan that sell international products. I'm sure coffee and tea wouldn't be exceptions. I went to a store like that in Sendai and picked up some ingredients that I didn't see in my local grocery store (such as Prego and a few other things I would use back in the states).

I'm not sure about coffee and teas, but I do know that the coffee I've had over there was very strong...but then again, I'm not a coffee drinker so maybe that's why. I'm not sure if it was considered "good" or not.

[Apsara]

If you are going to a small town or rural area and are particularly into gourmet coffee then you might want to bring some, but in larger cities you can easily buy ground coffee or beans at supermarkets and there are chain specialty stores like Kaldi which sell a huge variety.

I don't think coffee, normal or flavoured, would make a particularly good present unless you were coming from an area well-known in Japan for coffee production like Hawaii.

Glenski is about right with his estimate for a low-end printer all-in-one printer- 5,000-7,000 yen. All functions, buttons etc will most likely only be labelled in Japanese though.

Bedding can be a bit on the expensive side but is usually provided as above- if not you can buy a basic set from a Muji store, which are everywhere except the remotest parts of Japan.

[jillybean]

I'm a bit picky when it comes to dental floss so I brought a lot of that with me and that was good because floss is quite pricey here (compared to the States) and of lower quality (IMHO).
I also brought English breakfast tea, which again you can find here but it is rather pricey. If you are placed in a smaller/rural city, you may want to pack some of your favorite spices. Spice jars are small so they won't really take up a lot of suitcase space.
I live in a big city so everything else is readily available. 100 yen shops are great for stocking up on dishes, cleaning supplies, etc.

[Inflames]

Don't bother with a printer until you're here.

You can print things from 7/11 (20 yen per page).

[HLJHLJ]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I'll be in Tokyo, so I was assuming that I would be able to get pretty much everything I could want/need somewhere. It's more of question of the costs involved. I have no idea of prices in Japan, though obviously I am expecting it to be a lot more expensive than Ecuador!

[Jalapeter]

Not going to add much more to what's already been said, but I've found that printers are dead cheap here. Managed to pick one up for 4500 Yen - it's an HP all in one type deal. Just take a look in your local Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera or LABI when you get over here.

You can find most things for a cheap price. 100 Yen shops are great for small things but you can also find cheap bedding and stuff in department stores or furniture stores.

If you're a big reader I'd recommend getting a Kindle! I was going to ship over a whole suitcase of books until I got mine! You can find cheap English books in most Book Offs - though you might not get a great selection.

[kathrynoh]

As well as the places mentioned above, check out sayonara sale listing on places like craigslist. People are always wanting to offload stuff cheap when they leave Japan.