Japanese study-abroad tips

May 22, 2005 12:26 PM

I need advice on studying abroad in Japan.

So I'm going to be spending a year in the Osaka/Kyoto area studying at Kansai Gaidai university, and I'm just at a loss as to what I should be doing to prepare. I've studied Japanese at a college level for 2 years, straight "A's" all the way, but I'm far, far from fluent. I'm going to be living with a Japanese family, one with no english skills. So how do I prepare for all of this? What do I need to bring that I just can't get there? What should I bring as gift for the host family? Considering that meals and travel to and from school are covered, realistically how much can I expect to spend each month (I do plan on traveling to the outlying areas as oftern as possible, and I am on major train lines)? Anything I should be doing to prepare psychologically? I've never been out of the country for more than 2 weeks, and even then it was the touristy areas of mexico and Paris/London, not exactly the bastions of culture shock. Thanks for any advice.

posted by MostHolyPorcine to education (7 comments total)

The Osaka area should be large enough and foreigner-friendly enough that you won't have too much trouble finding anything. If your taste in books is obscure, it's worth bringing books; if you're taller than average, you may have trouble finding clothes. If you think you'll need a computer, they're cheaper in the US.

There's a book called "Culture Shock! Japan" that you may find useful; it certainly covered more of the details of day-to-day life than the tourist books do.

Expect to be confused and lonely--tolerate uncertainty--and don't be too hard on yourself if you find yourself nine months in and having a breakdown. But mostly just relax. Conversely, don't get smug if you're having a grand time three months in; in my case there was definitely a honeymoon period.

I got by easily on $1000/month, but I was paying for all my meals. There's cheap fun to be had just wandering around the city--a weekend away will run you $200 or so.

Buy some of the delicious, gigantic, dark blue-purple grapes they have over there. I miss those.
posted by Jeanne at 1:04 PM on May 22, 2005

I've studied Japanese at a college level for 2 years, straight "A's" all the way, but I'm far, far from fluent.

Don't worry, you'll find that once you're in the country, your skills should improve at a brisk pace. Hanging out with the other exchange students can be cool and fun, but try not to do it too often. Make friends with the locals, and see if your school in Japan has any programs where you do a language exchange (ie an hour of English with someone in exchange for an hour of Japanese). Being in a host family will really help as well. All in all, don't be too worried, 2 years is enough to understand the basics of what is going on around you, and if you make the effort while you're there, you'll definitely be able to learn more.

So how do I prepare for all of this?

Asking for advice is always a good start! Did you apply for this study abroad through your university? If so, the study abroad office at your university probably has some good resources. This can range from brochures and pamphlets to contact info for previous students who have studied abroad, whom you can pry for information.

Just to let you know, I studied for a year in Tokyo in 2001-2002, so I'm mostly speaking from my own experience here.

What do I need to bring that I just can't get there?

Hmm, I'd suggest that "things in the bathroom" be your highest priority. Bring toiletries, and pack any medicines that you can't live without (such as Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, etc.). These will be the hardest things for you to find in Japan. Having toiletries onhand will ensure you get some time to get acclimated to the environment before you actually have to go out to by anything, and will be able to understand more about what you're buying. There's always that story that gets passed around the exchange students about the poor kid who buys a tube of wasabi thinking that it's toothpaste.

Also, if you have a favorite snack, it might be a good thing to bring a small stash with you in case you get homesick.

What should I bring as gift for the host family?

Bring something with some local flavor to it. One of the best things to do is bring some kind of local culinary speciality. Maybe some kind of special candy that they make in your area? That's usually a sure-fire bet. If the family consists of all adults, then some good Western liquor would also be a decent choice, but general food would be a more universal present.

Make sure that it's wrapped and presented nicely though. That's one of the most important parts of gift-giving in Japan. Have it wrapped, with a nice little bow on it, and it'd be even better if there was a nice bag to put it in.

Considering that meals and travel to and from school are covered, realistically how much can I expect to spend each month (I do plan on traveling to the outlying areas as often as possible, and I am on major train lines)?

This is a hard question to answer because I don't know what your spending habits are. I can however estimate that for local excursions in the Kansai area, you will probably be looking at around 5000 yen in terms of transportation and maybe 2 meals if you're frugal. More likely it'll be transportation, 1 meal, and maybe a snack.

A trip to Tokyo will cost you around 15,000-20,000 yen if you know your way around.

Anything I should be doing to prepare psychologically?

This is the most important thing: Your study abroad experience is what YOU make of it. Sounds cheesy, I know, but absolutely true. Some of the others in the group had a completely miserable time, complaining about how everything was different, how they hated everything, etc. Stay away from those people. You'll find that they'll only get you down about your experience as well.

There will undoubtedly be things you don't like about Japan. Remember that your coming will not herald a new age of change and enlightenment in the country (you'd be amazed at how many people think this way). Try not to let minor irritations grow into major ones. Some people suggest a "it's not good, it's not bad, it's just different" way of thinking, but I never found it very effective.

Maintain a positive attitude and adapt to your environment. Gravitate towards the things you enjoy about the place, and try to keep away from the things that you don't. Most of all, don't let the bastards (on both sides) grind you down.

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you need any more info.
posted by C^3 at 1:29 PM on May 22, 2005

How's your fluency when it comes to reading and writing? When I went, I knew hiragana and katakana, but only a handful of kanji, so immersion didn't help me much at all. If you've got a solid grounding to begin with, then hit the bookstores as soon as you get there (Japan is great for bookstores, and second-hand ones in particular) and start reading whatever catches your fancy. Don't avoid manga.

Got any favorite movies that might be a little on the obscure side? See if you can get them on DVD with Japanese subtitles, and share them. "The Princess Bride" went over particularly well.

And C^3 is absolutely right about the toiletries. Bring a good several-month supply of your preferred brands, and don't assume that you'll be able to find the same things or similar once you get there. (I prefer stick deodorant, but everyone in Japan seems to use spray. Not good for me.) And as for OTC medications, bring a good supply, but be careful. Some American medications, NyQuil for one, contain chemicals that are illegal in Japan.

Expect to draw attention wherever you go, even in more metropolitan areas, and you'll get even more strange looks the more your appearance differs from the Japanese "norm." If you're Asian, you might even slip by unnoticed until you open your mouth, but if you're white, you'll attract notice and comments, and even more so if your hair is blond or red. If you're black or otherwise dark-skinned, you will be stared at.

Finally, I wanted to mention one small difference between Japanese and American communication I was just never able to get used to: Japanese people tell you their emotions. Americans usually let body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and context do all the work, but Japanese people will actually exclaim (in translation, of course), "I'm happy!," "I'm surprised!," "I'm sad!," etcetera. Be prepared for this.

If you'd like any more advice, please feel free to ask here or E-mail me.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:03 PM on May 22, 2005

I spent 3 months in Japan a few years ago, so it is a slightly different experience. But emotionally, it is probably similar. The beginning was quite intimidating, scary, asking myself what am I doing here, but as time progressed and I met people and had more experiences it started to feel more and more comfortable, fun and interesting.

I think the Kyoto area is a good one in terms of feeling less isolated than rural japan. There is a tourist information center in the Kyoto train station which has a great deal of information and contact info. Ive seen gaijin teaching english there, so it might be a good place to do the exchange lessons (japanese for english).

One thing you HAVE to buy in advance are the rail passes. These are very useful for seeing Japan on the much cheaper side. If you will be there for a year then you should consider getting multiple passes. Maybe a few one week passes, or couple of 2 week passes. These will pay for themselves within a couple of days of use. I used one 3 week pass to travel from kyushu to Hokkaido with stops in many of the well known places along the way. Also there are some cheap flights to different parts of japan, especially from the Osaka airport, so keep your eyes open for deals.

One thing to do to help get the most of the experience is to maintain a list of the things you want to see and experience while you are there, e.g., attending a tea ceremony, seeing a sumo match, learning to make japanese fireworks, dating a japanese person, learning at a japanese martial arts academy, singing karaoke to a completely japanese audience... and make a point of examining and updating the list on a regular basis.

BTW, now that voip is so popular, it is pretty cheap and easy to communicate with your friends and family at home as long as you have a reasonable internet connection. Video conferencing is also very easy now. You should prepare in advance though. For example get your friends and parents to install skype on their PCs before you go. So it will be ready once you're in Japan.

You are in for a powerful experience. Just allow yourself to be there for it.
posted by blueyellow at 8:12 PM on May 22, 2005

Be prepared to forget all the grammar you've learned so far and learn the Kansai dialect. Kansai people seem to really like foreigners who can speak Kansai-ben.
posted by mexican at 9:00 PM on May 22, 2005

A few tips (I was in Japan for a total of about 2 years over a number of trips - but only about 2 weeks in Kansai):

Consider how often/if at all you will be taking a trip back to home (wherever that is). If you don't plan any trips back, make sure you set up someone (friend or family) who you can ask to mail you whatever it is you NEED or want. Not all items are equally orderable over the net.

During the summer, things will be extremely humid - depending on where you are from, this will potentially be a stressful environment. Leather goods, if not worn regularly, will likely mildew.

Definitely do bring: Japan Rail passes - they rock. Toiletries - you are not likely to find what you are used to using. Shoes, if you are a male with larger than size 11 feet, will be very hard to find. Other clothes are less problematic, except business suits (again for men - if you are female, you'll need advice from someone else).

Make sure your electronics are world current compatible - Kansai, IIRC, is 100V 50 Hz. The plugs are not polarized.

You will be able to get most of what you need, it might just be a lot more expensive than what you want to pay.

Good luck, and (other than the studying part) I'm jealous.
posted by birdsquared at 11:01 PM on May 22, 2005

The advice above is all good.

Japanese Inn Group for cheap Japanese-style accommodations (budget ryokan) in tourist areas. The Japanese FM radio band goes from 70.0 - 95.5 MHz, so your radio may not be worth bringing.

You may end up teaching private English lessons on the sly to make extra money, so bring a good book of photographs of your hometown or a nearby major metropolis to make students describe it.

If you are accustomed to wearing a certain amount of perfume or scented lotions and potions, please remember that you'll be riding the bus and the train (¥340 by Keihan Railway to Kyoto, ¥320 to Osaka from Hirakatashi) and cut down on the amount you use.

Anything I should be doing to prepare psychologically?

I suggest you don't think like this. If you'll permit me to copy-paste from my reply to a similar email I got on Friday:

This may sound counterintuitive, but it's best not to prepare too much, because you are going to the other side of the world to be dropped into an alien land, and half the fun is the adventure of figuring things out and getting on the wrong train, bewilderment in the supermarket, etc. I did this before the age of Internet, so I couldn't carry my postmodern know-it-all automatically-dismiss-everything disease with me, I had to cultivate it. The first years of discovery were a lot of fun. STOP trying to get an idea of what you are in for. STOP reading blogs by fresh hipsters and old cranks. Just go.
posted by planetkyoto at 4:51 AM on May 23, 2005