10 Things You Should Know Before Coming to Japan

1. Learning a little Japanese

   1. It really helps to be able to read and understand a little bit of Japanese because it will make it a lot easier to get around Japan. Not all places have English as an option, so it will make your life a lot easier when getting around Japan and communicating with people.

2. Purchase a commuter pass

   1. Once you receive your student ID from your exchange university, purchasing a commuter pass that goes from the station your dormitory/apartment is to your university's station will save you a lot of money. For a limited period of time, you are able to commute between any of the stations between as many times as you want without being charged for every time you scan your suica.

3. WISE application

   1. Unfortunately, all the credit cards that I own charged international fees, so I decided to use WISE which allows you to connect your bank and convert your money from USD to yen at the current exchange rate. This method also works better because convenience stores or other vendors that provide currency exchange rates tend to not have very high value. So, by using WISE and adding it to my apple wallet, it was a lot easier to pay for things digitally without having to worry about paying international fees or withdrawing money.

4. eSIM

   1. You should decide on purchasing an eSIM before leaving for Japan because if you do not have an eSIM or an international data plan activated upon arriving in Japan, you may have no internet, which will make it a lot harder to get around. The eSIM I purchased was called Mobal and I was able to purchase and activate the eSIM at the Kuroneko Yamato delivery service front desk at Haneda airport. It was very convenient for me and costed me about $20 a month.

5. Google Maps

   1. For transportation, I found google maps the easiest to understand when using the trains in Tokyo. Google maps will always specify the name of the line, platform, whether the train is a local or a rapid as well as future arrival times of the train. It was extremely useful, so I highly recommend trying it out for yourself.

6. Culture and Unspoken Rules

   1. It is important to be aware of proper etiquette in Japan that could possibly come off as rude or disrespectful to locals. For example, when taking the train avoid taking any phone calls or talking loudly because it can disturb the people around you. It is also good practice to avoid sitting in the priority seating and to give up your seat to those who need it.

7. Cash

   1. Cash and coins are very prominent in Japan compared to the United States, so I recommend exchanging for physical cash and to consider a coin purse because coins in Japan are worth up to 500 yen.

8. Student discounts

   1. Even as an exchange student in Japan, I benefitted a lot from student discounts whether it was going to karaoke or a restaurant, but even for the Shinkansen! So, make sure to always have your student ID with you to save some extra money!

9. Bring a portable charger

   1. Having a portable charger is very convenient to have in Japan, especially on days when you are constantly on the move and do not have the time to stop and charge your phone.

10. Pack lightly

    1. Going to Japan, I made sure to not pack my suitcase with a lot of things that I could get in Japan such as toiletries and clothes. I am really grateful for making this decision because I could barely fit everything into my suitcases coming back from Japan and I know it would have been impossible if I had packed more.