Study Abroad Tokyo

[Heyitsscott]

I will be studying abroad in Tokyo from September to February. I will be at Sophia University and I have a few questions.

1) I studied japanese for 2 years while in middle school. Will my lack of japanese proficiency be a serious problem? I am currently working by myself to learn the language as much as I can before I arrive in the city.

2) I am going to have a cell phone. Are the prepaid phones worth having? Or should I do a monthly plan?

3) Is the train system easy to use? How much does it cost on average?

4) Finally, is there anything I need to know about interacting with my host family?


Thank you for your answers! It's been a dream of mine to go to Japan since I was little and I am very excited for the opportunity.

[omae mona]

I will be studying abroad in Tokyo from September to February. I will be at Sophia University and I have a few questions.

1) I studied japanese for 2 years while in middle school. Will my lack of japanese proficiency be a serious problem? I am currently working by myself to learn the language as much as I can before I arrive in the city.

I think you'll be fine. I assume Sophia is giving you lots of logistical support, and probably housing too. Remember tourists come to Tokyo all the time with no Japanese language background and do just fine. If you've spent any time in a big city in your own country, you'll find most aspects of day-to-day life work similarly.

2) I am going to have a cell phone. Are the prepaid phones worth having? Or should I do a monthly plan?

There are some cell phone gurus here who can answer this a lot better than I. But buying a new modern phone without a 2-year contract can be very pricey. I'm not sure what the cost effective way to do this is since you're only going to have the phone for 5-6 months. Perhaps a bottom-end model with a prepaid account from Softbank would do the trick.

3) Is the train system easy to use? How much does it cost on average?

In Tokyo there's plenty of English signage, and I think it's pretty easy to use. Remember, though, that there is not just one train system. There are multiple train lines, some run by the government, some run by private companies, and some formerly run by the government but now run by private companies! Often you'll need to transfer between these to get where you're going. If you can stay within one company's trains (I'm just estimating based on memory) fares tend to range from maybe 120 yen to 200 yen within cenetral parts of the city. If you have to switch between train systems (like JR + Tokyo Metro) you can easily double that. To simplify fares and transfers, get a prepaid fare card, either Pasmo or Suica. Load it up with cash, and you'll never have to worry about calculating the right fare at a ticket machine. Just swipe it at the turnstyle. You can also use it as electronic cash in a number of stores and taxis. The only real difference between Pasmo and Suica is where you can buy cards and recharge them. Tokyo Metro sells Pasmo, and JR sells Suica. Once you have the card and load it with money, though, Suica and Pasmo are pretty much interchangeable.

4) Finally, is there anything I need to know about interacting with my host family?

Yes, I know the father in that family. He tends to come home late after a few hours of pachinko, drinks a few beers, and often gets a little violent. Be careful.


Good luck!

[Heyitsscott]

Thank you for your input it actually really helps. And I'll make sure to be careful! haha

[Kuang_Grade]

While Omae covered most of it, here are two old threads that cover some of the cell phone questions issues.

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13028&page=4

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22854

Overall, the answer depends on what you need and what you want to pay...contract phones are sexier and have more features/service options while prepaid phones tend to be less sexy (although this seems to be far less the case it was a few years back) and have fewer options and higher per minute costs...so if you talk alot, then contract might be the way to go even with the early termination penalty. If you don't, then prepaid is likely the way to go, esp since softmap now has an unlimited texting option for prepaid phones now. But you might want to ask other exchange students what kind of set up they use when you get here before you make your decision...but do check out that softbank that Omae provided as well as other pages on that softbank site

[Heyitsscott]

Thank you, also what type of climate should I be preparing for?

[omae mona]

Thank you, also what type of climate should I be preparing for?

As locals are always quick to point out, Japan actually has four seasons. If you come early enough in September, you will experience three of them, catching the tail end of "natsu", followed by "aki" and finally "fuyu". You are quite lucky. Natsu is renowned for being hot, while fuyu is often cold. Aki can be right in the middle! There will be some sunny days, and some cloudy days. Perhaps even some rain.

However, most of us FG residents attempt never to go outside (to quote one of our regulars, "It's Japan out there!") and are ignorant about the weather, so you may get a more accurate picture by using a search engine.

[Taro Toporific]

As locals are always quick to point out, Japan actually has four seasons.... most of us FG residents attempt never to go outside (to quote one of our regulars, "It's Japan out there!") and are ignorant about the weather...

As FG are always quick to point out, Japan actually has five seasons....

• Hot and wet Rainy Season
• Hell-hot Summer
• Still too hot Fall
• Almost comfortable Winter
• Again too hot Spring

[SIZE="7"]It's Japan out there![/SIZE]