Hello Everyone! This will be my final post for my study abroad blog. I wanted to thank the J. Edwin Whitlow Endowment Scholarship for allowing me this opportunity to study abroad. I learned so much during my time in Japan and this will truly be an experience I will never forget. Following I will be sharing my top 10 tips for any study abroad in Japan.
Top 10 Tips & Helpful Suggestions
Always have cash on hand. Many stores and restaurants will only accept cash, not card or credit cards so it is helpful to always have at least 10,000円 on hand.
After getting a commuter pass like Pasmo or Suica card know you can also use it for purchases at vending machines but also convenience stores and some malls. It can act like a debit card in some cases which is very useful.
If you need a good debit/ATM card I would recommend the Charles Schwab debit/ATM card. The good thing about this card is there are no ATM fees, when you withdraw money the ATM machine will say it will be charging you a fee but Schwab will later reimburse that fee so essentially you don't pay any ATM fees.
Get good walking shoes. Though cute sandals or sneakers are fun to wear it is common to walk a good distance if you want to explore Tokyo so having a comfortable pair of walking shoes is a necessity.
If you want to find out how to get from one train station to another instead of using Google Maps I recommend the app JapanTransit. It is very useful as you can pick a departure or arrival time and they will give you many options that you can pick from to get to your destination.
Don't forget that the trains don't run 24/7. Most Tokyo train lines stop at around midnight and don't start back up again until the morning around 4:00 or 5:00am. Again the time that the train stops and starts does depend on the train line but if you live a distance away don't forget to take this into account when you go out at night.
In the summer, stay hydrated. It gets very hot in Japan from July until September and heat stroke can occur so be sure to drink water or tea frequently.
Don't forget to buy an e-sim to use while your in Japan. Though you won't get a phone number an e-sim will allow you to buy data which you can use to text or use the internet on your phone.
Download the Line app. This messaging app is used by most Japanese people. Instead of exchanging phone numbers it is much more common to exchange Line IDs. You can text or call using the Line app.
Be prepared to carry your trash around if you are exploring the city. Though you will spot some trash cans in train stations or in front/inside connivence stores, they won't be everywhere so at times you will be left to hold onto your trash until you get home. Also trash is usually separated into flammable and plastic trash so be sure to throw away your trash into the right receptacle.