Hi Everyone. I'm moving in October this year to Tokyo for a 2-year language program located in Shibuya. I've seen similar posts, but wanted any input on my plan or things I may be wrong on/forgetting to consider!
For my living situation, I will be staying with a homestay family set up by the school for 2 months, using that time to explore neighborhoods, then moving to my own apartment. While I am covering my tuition, my parents have agreed to cover my rent while I am in the country. I was originally planning on a small 1k, but they want me to be in a furnished 1LDK (even though I explained I really don't need that much space or anything fancy). I understand the difficulties with renting to foreigners so have been using realestate.co.jp and Plaza Homes (parent's preference) to look. I have a list of neighborhoods I'm considering but always looking for suggestions.
Prior to arrival:
– Book flight
– Obtain student visa from consulate
– Contact host family (once matched)
– Pack the things I want to bring (clothes, personal electronics, etc- I don't need to bring a ton of stuff)
– Unlock phone at my carrier and order esim through Mobal (Mobal seems good so I can get an actual Japanese number)
– Obtain International Driver's Permit (in case I want to rent a car outside of Tokyo)
– Pick up my new epipen (current one expires around the time of my move)
– Convert some money to yen so I have cash immediately upon arrival
Once arrived:
– Make sure phone is working on new network
– Get a Suica
– Get my residence card
– Open a bank account with JP Post
– Start exploring neighborhoods on my list to see where would be good to live
– Shop for any daily essentials needed once I'm settled in with host family
I know it's a little early to start planning but the more I consider early, the better prepared I feel. Thanks!
by Easy-Bed-1471