PRACTICAL MATTERS

What to Bring to Japan
A Valid Passport. If your passport is nearing expiration be sure to renew it before you come. You will not be permitted to enter other Asian countries unless there is a minimum of six months left until the expiration of your passport and the Japanese Immigration authorities request two-year validity for long term stays.

Several (4-6) Passport Size Photographs which will be needed for visas and alien registration procedures.

A Valid Health Insurance Policy. Please be reminded that it is mandatory for all Friends World students to be covered by a health insurance policy. Also keep in mind, many medications available in the U.S, and other countries are not available in Japan.

Medications Bring any prescription or non prescription medicines that you are required to take with you. Most American brands of over the counter medicines are not available in Japan. Prescription medicines such as Prozac will be confiscated by customs if they are mailed to Japan, but will present no problem if they are brought in.

Clothing For Four Seasons Although the winters are fairly mild, students should either bring warm clothing or have it sent here, as warmth is provided by space heaters rather than central heating. Although it may not be particularly cold outside, it gets fairly chilly indoors where you are not physically active. The summers tend to be hot and humid. Students should bring at least one set of good clothing for the few occasions that might require them.

Toiletries The Japanese have their own brands of toiletries and it is often difficult to get American brands. If you have personal favorites that you cannot do without, bring them with you. As visitors to Japan often complain about the price and quality of deodorants sold in Japan we recommend that you bring enough to see you through your stay here

Computers Students should bring their own laptop computers if possible. Computers can be purchased here at reasonable prices but, with the exception of Macintosh computers, which can be ordered with an English system, computers purchased in Japan will come with directions and manuals in Japanese without English translations. A benefit of buying equipment here though, for those who intend to pursue their study of Japanese, is that they are kanji and kana capable. We recommend that you have your laptops equipped with a wireless card so that you can take advantage of wireless connections at the Center and at some of the dorms.

Money We recommend that you bring about $200 of Japanese currency if you are flying into Osaka and about $400 worth if you are landing in Tokyo. Currency exchange facilities are usually open from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. at most airports in Japan, but having enough yen to see you through to Kyoto will help you avoid extra inconvenience at the airport. Upon arrival you will be given your initial room and board allotment, which will allow you to pay your first month's rent and security deposit, in addition to providing you with the money to use for food and transportation for your first month in Japan.

Recommended Items
Computer A laptop computer with wireless capability. Although we have several computers for student use at the Center, students without their own computers will be at a serious disadvantage in the evenings and on weekends, during which time the Center is closed. As the days will be filled with classes and field trips, there will be little time to use the Center computers, and as Internet cafes are expensive and far from the Center, investing in a laptop would be a wise decision.

International Student I.D. Which can be used for discounts on travel, museums, and concerts, and is widely accepted.

International Driver’s License If you find yourself in the unlikely position of having to drive.

Sleeping Bag May be useful on cold nights or for trips.

Gifts A few small gifts will come in handy to give to your landlord or to host families on field trips as well as to other people who will no doubt be giving you gifts. Gift giving (and receiving) is excessive in Japan so it is best to come prepared. Nicely wrapped specialty teas, fancy jams and preserves, candies, fancy soaps, etc., make good gifts as do local souvenir items from your hometown.

Books Do not assume that you can always find the books you will need in local bookstores and libraries. It takes a while to obtain books ordered from overseas, and English language books, when available, are often twice the price you would pay in the U.S. Therefore, if there are books which you absolutely cannot do without, bring them with you.

Do Not Bring
Radio and television band lengths are different in Japan so that you will receive only a fraction of the stations here if you bring either of these items from the States. If these or other electronic devices are essential to your lifestyle, they can be purchased in Japan, although at somewhat higher prices than in the U.S. Secondhand goods, however, when available, are quite reasonable.

Luggage Restrictions
Please check with your airline to find out the amount of luggage you are allowed to bring with you to Japan. Most airlines allow two pieces of checked baggage in addition to one piece of carry on luggage. Some airlines, however, regulate the amount of luggage according to weight, so it is in your best interests to find out the luggage restrictions of your airline prior to departure. If you are planning a stopover in any country prior to your arrival in Japan, or a stopover within Japan, please check with all connecting airlines. There are often different luggage restrictions for international and domestic flights even within the same airline, so please check the baggage allowance on all flights to avoid charges for overweight baggage.

LOCAL SERVICES

Banking
Checking accounts are very rare in Japan with most people paying bills directly through their bank accounts. The most useful type of bank account is the “futsu yokin” (ordinary account). With this type of account you can use your passbook to withdraw or deposit money at any of a bank’s branches. You can also obtain an ATM card, which can be used at your bank’s cash machines and often at the machines of other banks as well. However, unlike in the U.S., bank machines are not open 24 hours. Normal banking hours are from nine to three Monday through Friday. ATMs are normally open from nine to six on weekdays and until noon on Saturdays.

If you are going to have money sent to you while you are in Japan, DO NOT have personal checks sent. Personal checks take an extraordinarily long time to clear and a substantial service charge is tacked on in addition to the currency exchange fee. Often the various charges amount to 20% or more of the value of the check. The quickest and safest way to have money sent to you is via an electronic bank transfer. To receive funds in this way you will need an account into which you can have the funds transferred and you must provide the sender with your bank’s name, the branch name, and your account number. The rest is done on the sender’s side. Alternatively, you can receive money in the form of an international postal money order which can be bought and cashed at post offices. It is recommended that students buy some yen before their arrival in Japan in case the banks are closed at the airport. Another suggestion is to bring a major credit card to have the option of securing a cash advance if needed at some time. U.S. dollar traveler’s checks can be cashed easily at many banks.

When you are traveling abroad, in Japan or other foreign countries, it is a general rule that the exchange rate offered at banks in a foreign country, for the currency of that country, is better than the rate you can get for the foreign currency in your home country. In addition, you will almost always get a more favorable exchange rate for traveler’s checks than you will for cash.

Mail
There are student mailboxes available at the Center making it most convenient for you to have your mail delivered to you there. The mail system is similar to that in the U.S. Stamps and postal cards can be bought at the post office, and you can send mail to almost anywhere in the world from any post office. An airmail letter sent in Japan costs ?120 (10 gm) while postcards cost ?80. Larger packages are figured according to weight and cost considerably more than the same weight in the U.S. There are several ways to send items including airmail, surface, SAL (a combination of surface and air mail) express, small packet, and book rate. In addition, the postal service also operates as a bank and offers a variety of savings plans. It is also one of the places where you can pay a number of bills such as electric, water and gas. Post offices also have their own banking system. A bank account in a local post office enables you to use any post office banking facility in the country, which is especially convenient when you travel in Japan.

Telephones
Japan’s telecommunications system is among the most advanced in the world. Public telephones can be found throughout the country. Charges on public phones begin at ?10 and increase with the length of the call. Most phones accept ?100 coins, which alleviate the need to keep feeding in ?10 coins. Most public phones also accept prepaid telephone cards, which can be purchased in many places. You can call virtually any place in Japan from any other phone in the country. However, overseas calls can only be made from public phones which are designated for international use. Such phones are commonly located in tourist hotels, train stations, subway stations and certain main streets. Home phones, of course, can be used for overseas calls as well.

Whereas in the past overseas calls were made on the government-owned phone system (001), there are now two main competitors (0061 and 0041), which provide various lower rates and deals at certain times and to certain places. There are also companies such as Brastel which provide prepaid overseas phone service (10 yen per minute to the U.S.) There are public telephones at some of the dorms at which you can receive international as well as local calls. International calls can only be made from there with a credit card or prepaid phone card.

These days many students arrange to have a cell phone. These phones have become increasingly popular with models doubling as digital cameras and accessing email and internet service. The phones as well as the service are reasonably priced and student discounts can be obtained for cell phone service with either a month-to-month account or with a prepaid telephone card.

Electrical Current
Electrical current in Japan is 100 volts, 60 cycles AC while electrical current in the U.S. is 110 volts, 60 cycles. Most U.S. made electrical devices will function with the current here.

Internet Access
The computer room offers high-speed broadband access (ADSL) on our PC and Macintosh computers as well for our wireless and LAN connections. A laser printer is available with connections for both Windows and Mac laptops.

Transportation
Trains are the most common and reasonable mode of transportation for medium and long distance travel, although buses are considerably cheaper. Some people prefer night buses, which are quite comfortable. A bus to Tokyo or Hiroshima, for example, is about half the price of a bullet train ticket. In addition to the former publicly owned Japan Railways (JR) there are a good number of privately operated railways which range from large regional operations to streetcar sized companies. There are several subway systems in Kyoto which combined with buses make Kyoto extremely accessible by public transportation. Bicycles, however, are favored by students as an especially enjoyable means of getting around the city.

Libraries
As might be expected, English language libraries are limited in number and scope in Kyoto. There are, however, a number of collections throughout the city in which students should be able to find most of what is needed. The East Asian Center's own library is of substantial size and is especially valuable for works about Japan in English. The Japan Foundation has a large selection of books on Japan and they are usually quite willing to help students find books which are not in their library. The Kyoto International Community House also has a considerable collection. All foreign students are welcome to peruse their collection and facilities. In addition to these libraries, most of the larger universities also have libraries which include English language items. Most universities will allow the use of their libraries, although checking books out requires a special arrangement.