Okay 留学生 it's time to take notes!
Here are the things you should definitely have in your suitcase upon travel to Japan:
1. Bug spray: Without it you will get bitten to oblivion. No matter how strong you claim to be. It will happen. The mosquitoes here are various and tactful. Not to mention the courageous and large spiders that spin mad webs outside our front doors. ***Keep in mind places like Daiso they sell bug catchers as a child's game AKA Japan is the land of mad 虫.
2. Safety pins: They're one of those useful items you take for granted that simply exist in your household unnoticed... then suddenly you need one and they are all so ない ない ない～！！！
3. Omiyage out the ass~!: Perhaps the most important item in your suitcase other than your underwear... Gift giving is engrained into Japanese culture and is something done out of respect. If you are omiyage-less, well you're going to either look very rude or very ignorant to Japanese customs. Also with the amount that everyone is going to go out of their way to help you upon your arrival, you'll feel almost obligated to give them something--or at least I hope so~
4. Wrapping items: Everything in Japan is about presentation. If you give an awesome omiyage but it's wrapped not so nicely it's going to immediately take from the gift. Remember in most instances no normal 日本人 is going to open the gift in front of you. So the impression the gift has on the outside is just as important as what you put on the inside. Wrapping items are insanely light to pack and if you already have them at home I recommend you bring them. Although they are available at places like Daiso, it adds up after a while and is an easily avoidable expense on your part.
5. Scissors: Another item used daily not missed until forgotten. They're good for the office, for the kitchen... For 毎日~!!!
6. Extra passport photos: I was asked by the university for an extra photo upon arrival. Luckily I brought a few just in case, but for those that didn't have any they had to get photos taken on the spot which cost them around 6$ each. Also if you plan to work in Japan a lot of the time when you submit a resume they want a passport size photo to go along with your application.
***Also printed resumes wouldn't hurt either...!
7. Towels: The towels in Japan never go on sale. They range from 10$ up and the quality is questionable. Also they never seem to be as big as the towels we had in America... I got thin towels from Daiso which shed, yes shed, all over my clothes when I wash them and rub off on my skin when I attempt to dry myself with them.
8. Family Photos: Having photos of those important to you and supportive of your decisions is absolutely necessary. It's a reminder that someone out there loves you and is thinking of you. Because no matter how much fun you have in Japan, it's that much more fun if you can look up and remember you have people dear to you worldwide.
9. Any specialty foods you know you'll immediately miss: While figuring out what everything says in a Japanese market it's reassuring to know you have some familiar foods in your fridge as a back up. Just in case you pick up something strange by accident! For the first few weeks while you adjust it's a good way to ease yourself into Japanese life.
10. Some kind of Japanese textbook you are comfortable and familiar with: Having the ability to look up words online has made having a printed 辞書 almost irrelevant. But having the ability to review grammar patterns before class or even after class has started in a text you've already studied from helps a lot. You can navigate the book with ease and refresh your mind with useful information you'll be using in daily conversation.
***Things I am absolutely grateful I brought: French Press, Ipod Dock, and Camera~!
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