I live in Japan!

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Nemhy

After reading through 94 pages of this thread X.X I feel alot more edumicated. =D I have a few questions though:

1. I'm starting to actually look at my Japan travel dreams alot more seriously. If I take a 1year Japanese course study abroad program, am I allowed to work at all? if not how much money should I save up for food and stuff? (I was told food isnt provided)

2. When are the JLPT's and does it cost money to take them?

3. exactly how bad are the summers? I live in Northernish NJ and sometimes the heat can be kinda brutal. I have Asthma. Will it be a big problem for me? Like before my body adapts to the new climat. (spelling?)

4. How exactly do Study abroad programs work? I go to class then what? Will I have free time to explore and practise my communication and street smarts? (getting around, directions, metro system ect)

5. would a Bike be a good investment?

1) Only up to 4 hours a week, legally, and even that requires a special permit I believe, so don't count on paying for your expenses on that. I'd say you need to save at least $15,000 for the whole year, and that's if you watch your budget very carefully and live in an apartment that isn't too expensive.

2) No idea

3) Summers are extremely hot and humid in most of Japan. The further north you are, the less brutal the summers are, but the more brutal the winters become. I don't know how your asthma will react to 90 degrees and close to 100% humidity on some days, but you'll be dripping in sweat without even moving or exerting yourself.

4) You should have time whenever you aren't in class...

5) Yes, get one when you arrive in Japan. I used my bike a lot.

[Nemhy]

Originally Posted by samurai007

1) Only up to 4 hours a week, legally, and even that requires a special permit I believe, so don't count on paying for your expenses on that. I'd say you need to save at least $15,000 for the whole year, and that's if you watch your budget very carefully and live in an apartment that isn't too expensive.

2) No idea

3) Summers are extremely hot and humid in most of Japan. The further north you are, the less brutal the summers are, but the more brutal the winters become. I don't know how your asthma will react to 90 degrees and close to 100% humidity on some days, but you'll be dripping in sweat without even moving or exerting yourself.

4) You should have time whenever you aren't in class...

5) Yes, get one when you arrive in Japan. I used my bike a lot.

eek 15 grand, I better get a 2nd job then. hehe So there really is no dorms? bah this complicates things alot =/ I would LOVE some tips on budgeting if you have any! How much would a plug in fan be?

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Nemhy

eek 15 grand, I better get a 2nd job then. hehe So there really is no dorms? bah this complicates things alot =/ I would LOVE some tips on budgeting if you have any! How much would a plug in fan be?

I don't know if there are dorms, it probably depends upon the school. I was in a rural town, not near any university, so I don't know. That estimate was if you have to pay for an apartment. If you can find a cheap dorm room or something, you can get by with less.

There are several threads on ways to save money in Japan, look for them for more deatils. Very quickly though, don't drink or smoke (both are expensive there), cook at home for at least breakfast (cereal) and dinner, shop just before stores close because they mark down prices of perishable goods in the last hour, ride a bike to get around, or use trains (avoid taxis!), etc.

A fan would be cheap, about the same as in another country, probably $10-20. But blowing hot and humid air doesn't help a whole lot... I had to use the wall-mounted AC most days (though it didn't help as much as I hoped, it made it bearable.)

[Nyororin]

AC will kill you as far as costs go. It will knock your electric bill literally through the roof.

cook at home for at least breakfast (cereal)

I would personally say to avoid cereal at all costs. It is EXPENSIVE. A single box, less than half the size and content of a US box, averages around 698yen. That is a LOT for something that will probably only give you 2 servings. You could buy a pack of 5 single serving microwavable rice servings for 498 (or less on sale), and other ingredients to make a real meal - and eat for almost a whole week for that amount.

What is cheap in the US is not what is cheap in Japan - and it`s important to remember this when planning to budget for food. You can`t get by on bologna and cheese sandwiches (bread is pricey, cheese is very pricey, and bologna isn`t available and the nearest thing is pricey). Ground beef is painfully high, etc. And there are no ultra-cheapy packs of ramen.

[Nemhy]

I'm not really a good cook...what are some simple meals that don't require much skill? :x If by chance I start to run out of cash for food near the end of the year am I completly screwed to the point where id have to drop out of school? Is there any financial aid for students studying Japanese abroad? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get a concrete plan in my head. :x

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

AC will kill you as far as costs go. It will knock your electric bill literally through the roof.



I would personally say to avoid cereal at all costs. It is EXPENSIVE. A single box, less than half the size and content of a US box, averages around 698yen. That is a LOT for something that will probably only give you 2 servings. You could buy a pack of 5 single serving microwavable rice servings for 498 (or less on sale), and other ingredients to make a real meal - and eat for almost a whole week for that amount.

What is cheap in the US is not what is cheap in Japan - and it`s important to remember this when planning to budget for food. You can`t get by on bologna and cheese sandwiches (bread is pricey, cheese is very pricey, and bologna isn`t available and the nearest thing is pricey). Ground beef is painfully high, etc. And there are no ultra-cheapy packs of ramen.

I don't remember cereal being nearly that expensive... are you talking about the US brands or the Japanese generic knock-off brands (which are much cheaper and not bad at all, especially their version of cocoa krispies). Or have even Japanese brand cereal prices skyrocketed since I was there?

And you can get a pre-made pack of stirfry sliced beef, onions, peppers, and seasoning for quite cheap if you go before closing. Packs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs are pretty cheap too. Eggs are cheap too, when you figure a dozen will last you about 4 meals. Throw in some onions and mushrooms to make an omelet.

[Nemhy]

Originally Posted by samurai007

I don't remember cereal being nearly that expensive... are you talking about the US brands or the Japanese generic knock-off brands (which are much cheaper and not bad at all, especially their version of cocoa krispies). Or have even Japanese brand cereal prices skyrocketed since I was there?

And you can get a pre-made pack of stirfry sliced beef, onions, peppers, and seasoning for quite cheap if you go before closing. Packs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs are pretty cheap too. Eggs are cheap too, when you figure a dozen will last you about 4 meals. Throw in some onions and mushrooms to make an omelet.

idk how to cook chicken or omlettes =x

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Nemhy

idk how to cook chicken or omlettes =x

Sounds like learning to cook basic meals wouldn`t hurt you. I mean, it isn`t as if you`re leaving tomorrow. You have plenty of time to pick up a cookbook and learn a few recipes.

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Nemhy

idk how to cook chicken or omlettes =x

It's easy...

For chicken, just wash it off, put a little butter or oil in the frying pan, throw the thighs in, sprinkle them with some seasonings (I like black pepper and garlic powder), and cook them on medium-high heat until done (Thighs are thin and cook pretty fast, cut it open to check if you're unsure. You can pour in a few tablespoons of water now and then if it gets too dry.)

For a scrambled omelet, crack open about 3 eggs into a bowl, put in a little salt and pepper. Pour it into a frying pan on medium heat, stirring constantly so they don't stick to the bottom. Pour in the sliced onions and mushrooms (or whatever you want) either before you put in the eggs (for white onions, which need more time to cook) or soon after the eggs (for green onions). When the eggs are solid and not runny anymore, they're done, quickly remove from the heat and serve.

A lot of learning how to cook is trial and error. You'll soon get a feel for the proper times and temperatures to cook things the way you like them. Moving to Japan was my first time leaving my parents' house, so learning how to cook, do laundry, and all the rest for the first time, in a foreign country, required a fair bit of trial and error, but I became a pretty good cook for simple, "throw everything in a frying pan or pot" kind of cooking. You'll learn.

[Nemhy]

oooo thanks samurai! I'll have to try and see if I can get it right this week. I'm always so nerevous when it comes to cooking x.x idk what seasonings to use, idk what cooking spray even does XD. I usually just plop a meal in the microwave or precooked stuff into the oven. Also for anyone who wonders why I'm not quoting, I use PS3 as a browser(dont own a PC atm) and it only allows a certain ammount of charicters in its little keyboard section. so I gotta delete quotes so my messages fit :x.

around how much is a space heater and a Futon in Japan?