Staying in Japan - any advice?

[StraightCracker]

Hey everyone, I know that I have read plenty of threads like this one before, but those no longer seem available.

In about 5 days I am leaving to go study in Kansai Gaidai, Hirakata City for about 5 1/2 months and am looking for some last minute answers and advice. I will be staying with a family and I want to give them gifts. I don't know anything about them since Kansai has a policy of assigning a host family during my orientation week, so I think that I will play it safe and get a gift for the father and one for the family. "Liquor and something about where you are from" I have heard before, so I'm thinking about a bottle of Johnny Walker Gold and a book of Annapolis. Maybe some Old Bay since that is VERY Annapolis, but I actually hate the stuff and don't want them to think that I like it and try to please me by putting it on everything. Yea? Nay? Ideas?

Also, I have asked people and looked around on my own, but I have yet to get a straight answer for this question: will I need an adapter/converter for electrical appliances like my laptop? I'm pretty sure that I won't need an adapter since they use a standard two prong, but what about a converter?

As always, I know I have more questions, but I can never think of them all when I need to, but I am really looking for advice more than anything. Maybe just something general from people who have stayed with a host family before or tips for staying with complete strangers. I know that that is as vague as all get out, but I don't really know the right questions to ask, so anything would be helpful, really.

I guess that I have a case of 'leaving the country for the first time and I don't want to screw anything up' jitters and hope that you all will have you usual sage advice.

thanks a lot!

[yuzuha]

Some parts of Japan run 100v 50 cycles, other parts run 100-110v 60 cycles so you are better off asking a local (maybe the city you are going to has a web site?) Probably not a problem with a lot of things (many things will run 50-60 cycles and handle 100-120v, others have a little screw/switch on the power supply to adjust to different voltage settings). For DC operated things that have a jack for an external supply, you can probably find a wall-wart locally. I'd be a bit more afraid of running Japanese equipment in the US since, while our standard is supposed to be 110v 60 cycles, I've lived in places where it was closer to 130v (measured by RMS volt meter... the excessive voltage made my Sony VCR blew a power supply regulator after two years of living there).

[colintate]

Hey SC.

The most important thing you need to bring is an understanding of the Japanese language and an inquiring mind. I don't know your current Japanese level, so I'm going to assume (perhaps incorrectly) that you are not fluent, and are still learning the language. Because you are going to be in Japan for 5 1/2 months, it is important that you take with you appropriate study materials and a willingness to make a fool of yourself with the language. The best gift you can bring to your host family is a willingness to communicate and an open attitude towards learning.

In terms of personal gifts, I would bring booze (whiskey is very good - although I have a personal bias against JW (Gold or any other variety) - there are a lot of better tipples out there - Highland Park, Oban, or Talisker for example), and - as you say - something local from your part of the world. The best rule of thumb is to take something that can be consumed. A book, while a good idea, would not be my first option. If you don't know the English competence level of the people you will be staying with, a book - unless it is easily understood/loaded with pictures - could be difficult for them to appreciate. Also, because you will be living in a city, it would be best to imagine that space is at a premium. For me, I brought booze and food items (biscuits, fudge, chocolate, etc), as well as some really nice handkerchiefs (you'd be surprised at what goes over here). A few people I knew brought packets of seeds (flowers, vegetables) as a 'just in case' gift. These may never be given out if there isn't space for them to plant them, but if they do have a small garden there is a lot of novelty to be had in growing food from another country.*

Electrical appliances...

Your laptop is fine. A laptop is a travel item designed to operate in other countries relatively easily. A case in point - I live in Japan and am writing this post on a lappy I bought in America a few years back. There is no need to change the cable - it plugs in just fine.

Other appliances.

It's really on a case-by-case basis. The most important thing for Americans going over is the hertz cycle. The US is on 60, while Japan is 50/60hz. Each appliance should have a label/sticker on it which states voltage range and hertz range. If the appliance only has 60hz, you need to find out what hz your destination city runs on.

Note that, because the voltage over here is somewhat less than in the US, things here may run visibly slower as they are getting less juice.

I can understand your nerves, especially as this will be your first time away from home, and also that you will be gone for so long and surrounded by people you don't know. My advice to you is to remain positive about your experiences in Japan. The attitude and spirit that you bring to this can make or break it for you. As with any culture, there is a lot of subtlety that you might miss, so if you make a mistake, or if you feel as if you have missed something, don't kick yourself over it. Just marvel at the fact you are on the other side of the world, and that you are making memories that cannot be taken from you.

A couple of the more basic things that you probably already know:
etiquette guide 1 (http://www.jref.com/culture/japanese_manners_etiquette.shtml)
etiquette guide 2 (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e622.html)

I hope the above helps. Enjoy your stay!

* Again, because I don't know your level of Japanese, or your cultural famility, I'm probably going to mention something that you already know. When giving gifts, it is very nice if you give it to the person and say the following: "tsumaranai mono desu ga". This is a humble way to give a gift, as it downplays your position (and raises the reciever's), as well as making your gift sound rather worthless. This is a good thing, as the level of value you place on the gift does not connect to the actual value of the gift - that is for the reciever to decide.

[wrex]

Cornelius gave some good advice. There will be some cultural differences, so try to keep positive and take things as a learning experience.

Hirakata City is not so big (so my gf tells me), so be prepared for suburban living. She says beware of young hoodlums out there as well.

As for the electric appliances, you'll be fine, because the Kansai area uses 60 khz, same as the U.S.

Bring a fresh stick or can of anti-perspirant or deodorant, because the Japanese ones suck. You may also wanna bring your favorite tube of toothpaste.

As for gifts, consumables (things you can eat or drink) would be best.

Good luck and have fun in Japan!

[colintate]

[ QUOTE ]
wrex said:
Bring a fresh stick or can of anti-perspirant or deodorant, because the Japanese ones suck. You may also wanna bring your favorite tube of toothpaste.

[/ QUOTE ]

*slaps forehead*

Yup, those are rather important. The anti-perspirant one especially. Work out how much you would use if you were in the US, then take more. You won't be sorry you did.

[StraightCracker]

Thanks for everything. Stuff that I'm sure I would have forgotten. I'm still running around trying to get everything ready. I guess just to say it, I have studied japanese for about two or three years in school, but all my teachers focused a lot of reading a writing, which is good, but hardly anything on speech. It's one of the reasons that I'm going as well as staying with a family.

thanks for the links as well. Some good gems in there.

EDIT

ooh! New question. I'm a pretty big guy and am trying to prepare for any difficulties this might bring up. Should I try and get my own house and bathroom slippers since I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to find amy my size (16) over there? Also, are there any known difficulties that a 6'2" guy might encounter?

[DrMM]

[ QUOTE ]
StraightCracker said:ooh! New question. I'm a pretty big guy and am trying to prepare for any difficulties this might bring up. Should I try and get my own house and bathroom slippers since I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to find amy my size (16) over there? Also, are there any known difficulties that a 6'2" guy might encounter?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ummm, yes, bring your own slippers/shoes/. Chances of you finding ones that fit over there (especially if you'll be in a rural area) are pretty slim (though not impossible). In fact, I'd suggest bringing enough extra clothes to be sure you won't run out. If you're 6'2, I doubt it'll be easy for you to find clothes your size.

As for issues with your height, just be prepared to duck when going through most doorways (including trains) and realize you'll probably be the tallest person in a crowd. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[rowen]

The REAL important stuff (http://outpostnine.com/editorials/teacher.html)

this needs to get posted in this thread /images/graemlins/happy.gif

If around young adolescents, watch out for kancho.

[StraightCracker]

Wow. Now THAT was an interesting read. Gonna have to hold on to that for future reference.

[colintate]

[ QUOTE ]
StraightCracker said:
Thanks for everything. Stuff that I'm sure I would have forgotten. I'm still running around trying to get everything ready. I guess just to say it, I have studied japanese for about two or three years in school, but all my teachers focused a lot of reading a writing, which is good, but hardly anything on speech. It's one of the reasons that I'm going as well as staying with a family.

thanks for the links as well. Some good gems in there.

EDIT

ooh! New question. I'm a pretty big guy and am trying to prepare for any difficulties this might bring up. Should I try and get my own house and bathroom slippers since I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to find amy my size (16) over there? Also, are there any known difficulties that a 6'2" guy might encounter?

[/ QUOTE ]

No problem, glad to help. Seeing as you have a bit of Japanese under your belt, all should be well.

In regards to your new questions - getting house and bathroom slippers is an obvious must. Also, play safe and take enough clothes with you - don't imagine that you will be able to get clothes that fit over here (you might, but at 6'2", I'm assuming the worst).

The only real difficulty that you might encounter is being stared at. A lot. Don't take it personally though.

C.

[badasscat]

[ QUOTE ]
Cornelius said:
The only real difficulty that you might encounter is being stared at. A lot. Don't take it personally though.

C.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why shouldn't he take it personally? I take it personally, but I enjoy it. They're gonna be staring at him, not at anybody else.

But they stare because they're either curious or in some cases even attracted. Or, if they're guys, it's because they're wary and/or nervous. All of these things are good things, IMO. It makes it easier to meet girls, and makes it easier to make friends with guys (since they'd rather be your friend than your enemy), not to mention making you a much less likely crime victim (crime's not a real concern there, but it does happen). Being tall and western is a huge asset in Japan.

But yes, there are little issues with being tall, mainly that the entire country is built for people who are less tall on average, so you will be ducking a lot and you will end up slouching if you're not careful. Doorways, sinks, etc. are all going to be about 6-10 inches too short for you to comfortably reach, so you need to consciously stand up straight or you'll get bad habits. You'll find yourself unconsciously trying to become shorter, so you need to fight against that or you'll end up with big back problems. (My back is always killing me by the time I get back here.)

I totally agree with Wrex's thing about deodorant; this was a huge problem when I was there last time and I ran out. All they have is spray, and I think there are some ball-type roll-ons, but they're harder to find. None of them work at all and they all smell really bad (well, the ones I tried anyway). You may as well just spray yourself with Lysol or something.

Bring shoes that are easy to take on and off. This really gets to be a pain in the butt if you don't do it. I wear boots all the time and it's really annoying having to lace them up and unlace them like 10 times a day, especially when everybody else just plops their shoes off as soon as they walk in and you're stuck in the entry-way for ten minutes wrestling with yours. Same with going the opposite direction.

Can't really think of anything else to add; gifts have been covered, power's been covered (except did anyone bring up the two-pronged outlet thing? If your laptop is a three-prong, get an adapter - you will need it)... bathroom etiquette? Piss against the side of the bowl. Sorry, but it had to be said; they don't want to hear it. What else? Maybe that's all that's important.

Oh - be prepared for a really uncomfortable sleeping experience. I guess there are some different takes on this around here but I've woken up in the morning practically unable to move, thinking I was literally paralyzed. I'm just not used to sleeping on a futon on the floor (and by "futon" I mean a real Japanese futon, not our overly-padded western interpretation; I'm talking a 2 inch thick mat, on the floor). Maybe if you're used to a firm mattress, it's not so bad. I don't think you can really do anything about it, though; I'd say to bring a mattress pad or something, and preferably your own pillow, but that may be considered an insult to the family. You're probably stuck with whatever arrangements they've made for you. Hopefully it'll be fine for you.

[colintate]

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff Williams said:
[ QUOTE ]
Cornelius said:
The only real difficulty that you might encounter is being stared at. A lot. Don't take it personally though.

C.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why shouldn't he take it personally? I take it personally, but I enjoy it. They're gonna be staring at him, not at anybody else.


[/ QUOTE ]
You are, of course correct, although one might say that it reads as a rather pedantic retort.

My comment was trying to say that the orignal poster, as pointed out in your own post, should not read into it negatively. Being tall and western is as much an asset as you want to make it.

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff Williams said:
Oh - be prepared for a really uncomfortable sleeping experience. I guess there are some different takes on this around here but I've woken up in the morning practically unable to move, thinking I was literally paralyzed. I'm just not used to sleeping on a futon on the floor (and by "futon" I mean a real Japanese futon, not our overly-padded western interpretation; I'm talking a 2 inch thick mat, on the floor). Maybe if you're used to a firm mattress, it's not so bad. I don't think you can really do anything about it, though; I'd say to bring a mattress pad or something, and preferably your own pillow, but that may be considered an insult to the family. You're probably stuck with whatever arrangements they've made for you. Hopefully it'll be fine for you.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't consider bringing bedding of any sort over - the shops in Japan cater for such things - including non-futon accessories (not everybody sleeps on a futon). If you pack bedding that you can get in Japan, you are wasting luggage space.

Futon-wise, they can be a bit of a surprise at first, but I find them to be most comfortable. I'm not sure if I slept on a hard or soft bed prior to coming over here, but I wouldn't be overly concerned about that in this case as it is a 5 1/2 month stay, which should mean that if you do have a futon, there will be ample time to get used to it/find ways to get comfortable.

C.

[Skywise]

This may not apply, but in case there is a problem with your host family do remember you can talk to the people at the university who assigned you to them. Most likely they'll try to mediate or clear up any misunderstandings. Worst case scenario you can switch to live with someone else. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes homestay doesn't work out, either because of culture clash or sometimes just because of bad chemistry. I'm not trying to discourage you or anything - just remember that there is a way out should things go badly.

[Illusion]

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff Williams said:
... bathroom etiquette? Piss against the side of the bowl. Sorry, but it had to be said; they don't want to hear it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, what about for females? It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, for us to control the direction we go.

[jmarken]

[ QUOTE ]
Illusion said:
[ QUOTE ]
Jeff Williams said:
... bathroom etiquette? Piss against the side of the bowl. Sorry, but it had to be said; they don't want to hear it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, what about for females? It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, for us to control the direction we go.

[/ QUOTE ]

People flush while they go, which covers the sound. (This is also done when defacating.) But really, I wouldn't worry about it. They're not standing outside the door listening. I hope.

[DrMM]

[ QUOTE ]
Cornelius said:
Futon-wise, they can be a bit of a surprise at first, but I find them to be most comfortable. I'm not sure if I slept on a hard or soft bed prior to coming over here, but I wouldn't be overly concerned about that in this case as it is a 5 1/2 month stay, which should mean that if you do have a futon, there will be ample time to get used to it/find ways to get comfortable.


[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe, maybe not. I slept on a new single futon for a month, got an additional futon to use and put my soft, fluffy bedspread on my 'bed' and after three months, I was still waking up every single morning with a backache that it took the first hour of the day to get rid of.

I bought a bed. It was the best investment in my 2-year stay I made. And even the softest bed I could find was still too hard for me and I ended up putting a futon on top of it. I've always slept on an extremely soft bed here at home (my family would rather sleep on the floor rather than my bed, it's so much softer than they like). So, if you are used to soft beds, you may find a futon a bit of a struggle. Of course, for a 5 month home-stay, buying a bed is probably not worth it and may offend the host family, so I wouldn't advise you do that.

[colintate]

[ QUOTE ]
DrMM said:
[ QUOTE ]
Cornelius said:
Futon-wise, they can be a bit of a surprise at first, but I find them to be most comfortable.


[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe, maybe not.

[/ QUOTE ]
True, each to their own. The main thing is to know that if you do get a futon, there are things you can do to make yourself more comfortable, and none of them involve using luggage space.

[badasscat]

[ QUOTE ]
jmarken said:
[ QUOTE ]
Illusion said:
[ QUOTE ]
Jeff Williams said:
... bathroom etiquette? Piss against the side of the bowl. Sorry, but it had to be said; they don't want to hear it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, what about for females? It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, for us to control the direction we go.

[/ QUOTE ]

People flush while they go, which covers the sound. (This is also done when defacating.) [/QUOTE]

[/ QUOTE ]

There are also toilets that have a little running water sound to cover it over, but not every house has these. So yeah, it's pretty much just constant flushing.

[ QUOTE ]

But really, I wouldn't worry about it. They're not standing outside the door listening. I hope.

[/ QUOTE ]

Depending on where the bathroom is, they can hear it anyway. Especially American guys, who will generally pee right in the middle of the bowl and make as big a noise as possible. They won't say anything to your face but I guarantee they're having a good laugh about it while you're in there, at the very least.

They'll be impressed if you've taken care enough to learn about little things like this. It's the little things that make all the difference.

[StraightCracker]

I want to thank you guys for your advice, it has helped quite a bit so far. I'm leaving in the morning and think that I have everything covered, except the slippers. I swear, I looked EVERYWHERE for those damn things today but couldn't find anything that would work; it seems that all the stores are already getting rid of anything winter related, which seems to include slippers. So hopefully I can wing it or just wear socks or something.

for the gifts I got what was recommended as the best whiskey in the store by the clerk (said it had a 90%+ ranking of some sort) that was surprisingly reasonably priced. Some lindt chocolate truffles as well as some Crabtree & Evelyn lotion things (recommended my a etiquette book), so I think I'm pretty covered there.

The bedding I'm not really worried about. As someone who has camped more than his fare share in life, I'm very used to sleeping on hard surfaces with minimal padding.

So, again, thanks alot. I think that I should go to bed. I have a lot of flying to do tomorrow.