I'm moving to Japan! Any advice on the process?

Hey guys! As I mentioned in a previous thread, I've been selected for a teaching position in Saitama! Now the question is how to get everything sorted out with regards to moving. I'd like take a lot of my stuff over with me, but I figure it will be very expensive to take everything at once, so the plan is to only take essentials now and send other stuff via surface shipping in a big-ass box sometime down the line. Would that be the smartest option?

Regarding essentials, for me it's gonna be:

• Clothing
• My desktop PC
• A few small trinkets, my collection of Team Fortress 2 action figures maybe

My PC is the big one and I mean that both figuratively and literally: the bastard is quite big and weighs a good 30+kg. So I'm not really sure how to get it over there, since it's quite heavy and weight is usually where costs start to pile up. I was thinking that with my PC being the biggest piece of "luggage" I could have it claim most of my carry on luggage quota and pay the extra luggage fees if need be. How would this compare to just shipping it to Japan? I suspect it might be cheaper. I was also thinking about disassembling it, not just to prevent any damage from being shaken around (GPUs with heavy heatsinks really don't like to be bent) but also so I can carry it's hard drives with me to help protect them. Would there be some shipping advantage to disassembling my PC?

For appliances, I'm thinking a step-up transformer would be a good idea to grab at some point, but should I get one here or do they have them in Japan? They're quite heavy, so I think it would be best to pick one up locally, if they're not hard to find. For small stuff like my electric razer and electric toothbrush, they should be small enough that there's probably not much benifiet to buying them again in Japan, especially since they're quite high-end models. For my PC, there might be a switch that changes it's voltage, but if not, the step-up converter would fix that.

There's not much point in taking my Zojirushi rice cooker over with me, as awesome as it looks with it's 230v region-exclusive red color scheme, since I'd need a step-up transformer as well as the costs of shipping it. Buying the same thing in Japan would be very cheap since they make them there, right? How much do the mid-range Zojirushi rice cookers go for? I've also got a Neato robot vac that I'd love to take with me, but do they sell them in Japan? He's somewhat heavy, so I'm not sure if shipping vs buying one over there might be on even standing. It'd have to be a Neato though, it's the only with decent power.

I'd love to take my 50" Panasonic plasma with me, but that will be insane to ship. I'd still like a TV over there though, how much would a similar TV be over there? Can you still get plasmas?

That's about all I can think of. Any other advice you guys can think of?

 

Having spent much of the past 4 years travelling around the world, here is my advice.

1) I wouldn't bother bringing a hefty desktop computer. Have you considered getting a laptop? I know that a laptop might not be optimal for gaming, but do you really expect to be spending a lot of your time in Japan gaming? I flew with Singapore Airlines when I last flew to Japan from Australia (about a month and a half ago), and they have a strict 30 kg weight limit. Australian Post is not going to mail out something that is 30 kg cheaply. I shipped an 18 kg package back to Canada for $230 via sea mail, and that was pretty much the heaviest thing they would allow. Expect to pay $1000+ to ship something that is 30 kg by air mail.

2) Rebuying stuff like an electric toothbrush is almost certainly going to be cheaper than a transformer. Seriously, electronics are cheap in Japan. If your electronics handle 110 V (which many portable units should), then by all means, go for it, but if you can't fit it in your carry on luggage, don't bother. You should also keep in mind that most electrical outlets in Japan are not grounded, so it is a little bit risky to use high voltage/current stuff here even with adapter.

3) Consider the fact that most Japanese apartments are quite small, do you really want a 50" TV in it? I honestly haven't looked at what a new TV costs in Japan, but certainly it would be cheaper than shipping one from Australia, especially if you needed a voltage transformer.

Personally, my experiences are that if something is heavy, don't bother taking it with you. I moved to Australia about four years ago, and I regret bringing so much stuff with me when I left two months ago. I'd recommend bringing nothing more than clothes, a laptop, and maybe a few small momentos. This is especially true if you are a big person. I have size 13 feet, and they do not sell anything larger than about size 11 here, except with a hefty markup. I found that on average, things are 30-50% cheaper than in Australia, so if you have a bit of money saved up, you can afford things here. Don't bother with the desktop computer.

 

You're going to have to pay dearly for that desktop PC. Is it really worth it?

There are step ups here, but if you can get a good deal, get one there.

You can get a used TV cheaply. Don't bother bringing your own -- that would be pure instanity. The tuner won't work either (most likely), and even if it did what's actually broadcast is shit. Honestly, if you get a nice sized monitor and it's close enough to your bed (which it likely will be) that should suffice.

Definitely bring enough of the following (enough to last you until your next trip home).
-Hair care products
-Deodorant
-Toothpaste (and tooth brushes while you're at it)
-Condoms
-Shoes if you wear larger than 27cm (and even at 27cm it's iffy)
-Clothes if you are taller than say... 183cm. I'm 189 and can't buy shit other than T-shirts.

 

Got to concur on bringing deodorant, they don't really sell much of that here. Bring enough sticks to last you for however long you are here for. I would disagree about some of the other products (toothpaste, hair care products), you can buy them in Japan much cheaper than in Australia, and it adds a lot of weight to your luggage. Definitely bring lots of clothes, especially if you are big. I'm 185 cm tall, and I have yet to see a Japanese person who is as tall as me. Stores don't hold clothes that fit someone of my size. If you are from Brisbane, you might not have much for winter clothing. I can guarantee that you will be dealing with much colder winters than you are used to. Bring winter clothes.

 

If you haven't already, confirm the size of your living space. I imagine in Saitama, it'll much better than in metro Tokyo but still will be smaller than AU. As already stated, AU post will kill you on shipping rates for anything. Better to just sell/store what you have and buy used here. There are always people leaving, so you can get second hand items from other foreigners or just buy new if you are inclined to do so. I understand about wanting to bring your PC, best to just pay fees and have it become your carry-on.

GP is right, bring deodorant and toothpaste. I'm not tall but I wear 28.5cm shoes, have very rarely bought shoes here in my 10 years.

 

If PAL games and consoles are near as difficult to find offline as here, might want to think hard which ones you cherish.

 

Thanks for the tips guys! About my PC, I'm kinda keen to take it with me since it's got top-end hardware and laptops lack the storage space and power of a desktop PC. Obviously, shipping will be a killer, but I think it's worth looking into. I've been pointed in the direction of businesses that specialize in sending stuff to Japan timed so the items arrive shortly after you do, gonna look into this. The workshop tomorrow is suppose to have this kinda information, so I'll about about this there.

Another option might be to sell some of it's components here and re-buy them in Japan, which I think would be useful for bulky items like a monitor. Is anyone familiar with the PC hardware scene in Japan? My impression is that it's not very big, based on how basic most Japanese PC games are, but I could be wrong. What's Japan's equivalent of newegg.com? I'd like to compare prices on components.

That's a good tip about clothing and shoes, I'm already two sizes away from having to wear the largest size Converse have, so I don't like my chances of being able to find any that fit me locally. I recall my heels hanging off the end of the guest slippers when I was in Japan and that was back in high school. Why do I need to bring toothpaste with me? Don't they use it in Japan? Good point about the deodorant, I have heard it's hard to get in Japan. Does anyone know a good source, or should I just resign myself to having to import it? Also, what's the local's opinions on the smell of deodorant? Maybe to them it's like the overpowering smell of the colognes people from Spain seem to wear For the cold, the town I'm originally from is much colder than Brisbane (I usually go around in t shirts in Winter here) so I'm kinda cold hardy. But I only once been somewhere where it was "it's snowing" cold, so I should also pack my bear paw slippers and Yoshi jumper

Something I didn't think of, but what about phones? Obviously, I can have my iPhone unlocked and bring it with me, but what would you recommend to put in it? Does Japan have the usual pre-paid and plan style like Australia? I'd like to get the iPhone 6 when it comes out and in Australia, I'd usually sign up for a 24 month contract. Is there such a thing in Japan?

For consoles, I'll probably still be importing anyway since my Japanese isn't that good But a fair number of mine are modchipped anyway. This is all stuff I can send later though.

 

That is awesome you are going to Japan mate! One of the few places I am keen to go for the like of cars and consoles. You won't get my wife on a plane though.

 

That's awesome mate! Be careful of Yakuzas around Kabuki-Cho in Shinjuku during late night, they will smuggle drugs and do dangerous acts. Bring most of your Steam games here and change your country and billing address to Japan. AKB48 show is cheaper as it became popular around Japan, you should check that show anytime. For consoles, you need to buy a Japanese console since your console from your home country is of PAL Region, most of the games are in NTSC-J, PAL games doesn't support here unless you mod your console to be region free. Good luck!

P.S. My wish is that I want to move to Japan also by the end of the year, but I have to find out.

 

What

Yakuza won't mess with you unless you fuck with them.

I built my hardcore gaming PC from buying local parts. Generally, parts cost 10-20% more here than newegg. I'd bring everything with you as the highest end stuff is hard to find. I have a GTX 690 and i7 990X on a G1 Assassin mobo...took some time to find all of that when I was looking.

Look here for prices:
http://kakaku.com/pc/

 

The price for X51 in the site is much more expensive than in the US, and it costs about ¥144,799 and in US Dell's site is about $699.99 USD! Find another computer website that is cheaper than kakaku.com. I believe Rakuten sold this monstrous PC.

 

Get lots of free or cheap stuff on craigslist when you arrive. e.g. I am trying to sell my fridge for ¥7000 (was 40,000 new), and people are still knobbing around.

Regarding phones, prepaid is shite here. Get a contract with Docomo or something I guess, and say hello to fast data and goodbye to your cash!

Toothpaste in Japan is generally shite. Bring your own. I can't wait to use UK toothpaste again.

I wouldn't worry about the smell of deodorant – it's antiperspirant that I cannot find in Japan. I swear by it (odourless), but the Japanese seem to love stinking all summer.

 

I've heard to same thing. They are Japanese gangsters after all, they don't want to bother strangers

Hmmm, a GTX780Ti is ¥ 89,980, that's actually a little bit more than what I paid for mine, and that was at launch. Thinking re-buying my parts might not be the best idea. I've looked into the shipping companies I mentioned before, and one of them has a deal where you can ship an item that can weigh whatever you like, so long as you can fit it in the box for like $170.

Oh, they have Craigslist in Japan?

Damn, are there really just those two options?

 

^ well, there's basically docomo, softbank, and AU, really. Pick one, and sign up for 24 months, and get your iPhone. Happy days.

 

Ah, so Japan does have 24 month contracts on a new handset? That will be handy when the iPhone 6 launches. Although, do they have a 12 month contract? I plan to stay for longer than a year, but if for some reason I can't, I need to pay an early termination fee I'm guessing. Until the iPhone 6 comes out, my plan is to use my iPhone 5, what would be the best way to go about this? And what's your opinion on these companies? Are some better value or are they all basically the same?

 

I wouldn't bother with the desktop, you'll have to downsize considering how small apartments in Japan. Other than that I don't want to give any advice, I've never been to Japan, enjoy your time there and take care!

 

They're all basically the same. Fast speeds, but cost a lot. Your phone is subsidised over the 24 months, so you cannot leave early. There's also a leaving fee, unless you leave in the 24th month. There are no 12 month contracts. The situation is pretty dire. I miss being able to buy a PAYG SIM in a convenience store in the UK, and just put on £5 a month.

 

Ha! You should see the tiny places I've been able to set this desktop in! Right now, I've got it under a bed, behind the couch. You need to shuffle sideways to sit down

Damn, there's no SIM-only solutions?

 

Sure, but you'll pay for it. Have a read around their site.

https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/support/procedure/simcard/other/

 

Hmmm, so if I'm understanding this, I need to pay ¥3,000 to get a SIM card and from there, I need to choose a plan? From what I can see, the only plan they offer that doesn't require signing up for a contract is the "Type Xi Plan". For data on this plan, it seems like you need to pay a fee, there's "sp-mode" (¥300/month) or "mopera U" (U Standard Plan [¥500/month]). I have no idea what the difference between these two are, since it seems like the data rate is [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]¥0.6/KB regardless. [/FONT]It looks like they have data plans, but they seem to be all contract-based. Is this right?