Helpful Things to Have during Study Abroad
We carried out a survey of your international "senpai" (upperclassmen), asking what helpful items they brought with them when they came to Japan. We've summarized the results here, ordering them by country/region and necessity; please use them as a reference.
Things you definitely need!
| Top |
Computer/laptop
Plug adaptor |
Japanese computer keyboards may be arranged differently to the ones you are used to. |
| Second |
Medication |
It might be a good idea to bring a certain amount of any medication you take regularly. If you can buy the same medication in Japan there won't be any issues, but... |
| Third |
Winter clothing |
Winter is cold, so it won't do any harm to bring winter clothing. |
Things you'll be glad you brought!
| Top |
Seasonings |
These were high on the list of things students wished they had brought. It seems that there are some seasonings that you either can't buy in Morioka, or are expensive. You may also be able to use them to help with homesickness. |
| Second |
Folk clothing |
You might be able to use this at events, etc.! |
| Third |
Credit card |
It's useful if you have one. |
Comments from Your Senpai
| It's a good idea to get permission for part-time work at Narita Airport when you arrive in Japan. |
Chinese/one year |
| Be aware that you can't enjoy music or anime due to intellectual property rights. |
Chinese/one year |
| Winter is cold, so it's a good idea to carefully prepare clothes and shoes in your home country and bring them with you. |
Chinese/one year |
| If your body is sensitive, I recommend bringing around 1 L of water from your country and drinking a half-and-half mixture of Japanese water and your water for the first three days. |
Chinese/one year |
| If you have any seasonings from your country, you may sometimes want to enjoy their nostalgic taste. |
Chinese/one year |
| Maybe clothes. Because in Japan clothes are expensive. |
Mongolian/six months |
| If you have a large shoe size then it's a good idea to bring winter shoes with you. Japanese toothbrushes are also small so it might be a good idea to bring some from your own country with you. |
Russian/one year |
Information (Data) on Living Expenses
