Before Going to Japan#
Prepare necessary items and matters for after going to Japan.
Study Guide#
Study Guide for Studying in Japan (studyjapan.org)
Passport and Visa#
Check how to apply for a passport on your own.
Visa: Find the required application materials on the embassy's website and apply through the designated agency. The price is about 500 yuan.
Apply for Visa, Mastercard, JCB Credit Cards#
Choose one of the three and it will be very convenient. I applied for a Bank of China Visa card on my phone, and it took about half a month to receive the card.
Seal#
Order a set of circular Japanese seals on Taobao. I only used the seal with my full name and didn't use the registered seal.
For convenience, the seal is in uppercase pinyin. If you use a Chinese seal, you will need to register at the city hall in Japan, which is more troublesome, so it's better to use an English name throughout Japan.
It is rarely used, but indispensable.
Yucho Bank (ゆうちょ) Account Opening App#
When you first arrive in Japan, you can only open a Yucho Bank account.
iPhone users can borrow Japanese - Free Shared Account | AneeoApple to download the app from the Japanese App Store.
Chinese version application guide: Link
For students, the required documents are residence card, student ID, and email address. The current address must be indicated on the residence card.
Essential Apps to Download in Advance#
Google Maps, etc. Search for specific apps on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
It is recommended to download apps for McDonald's and Matsuya, as you can order food on your phone without communication. But the app must be downloaded from the Japanese App Store.
Suica Transportation Card#
iPhone users can apply for a Suica card after binding their domestic UnionPay card to Apple Pay. You can recharge it directly with the UnionPay card and use it in many places in Japan, which is very convenient.
It's not convenient for Android phones (especially Huawei). You can consider searching for a guide after arriving in Japan to apply for a physical card.
Purchase a Data SIM Card#
Buy a short-term data SIM card for Japan on Taobao. I bought a 20GB card for 15 days.
Handling of Domestic SIM Cards#
Activate international roaming (free) for the SIM card you want to keep, and change the plan to an 8 yuan retention plan.
For SIM cards you don't need to keep, just activate international roaming and wait for them to expire automatically.
Choosing a Future SIM Card#
Y.U mobile, IIjmio, povo, linemo, etc.
For SIM cards, you can apply online after arriving in Japan (cheap SIM cards). When applying, you need to provide a friend's Japanese phone number and your own Japanese address.
Most of the cheap SIM cards offer 3-5GB of data per month for 1000 yen. I originally wanted to choose Y.U mobile because it offers 5GB of data per month and any unused data can be carried over, with a maximum carryover of 100GB that never expires. However, I couldn't apply with my Chinese VISA card, so I ended up choosing IIjmio, which also offers 5GB of data per month with carryover to the next month, but it expires in the third month.
Some SIM cards may not work on certain Android phones, so be careful.
Accommodation#
After arriving in Japan, I temporarily couldn't move into the rented house, so I booked a hotel for the first day on Ctrip.
If you want to rent a house on your own, I have no experience, so you'll have to search on your own.
Search for Key Shops near the School#
Look for cheap supermarkets, 100-yen shops (such as Daiso), and fast food restaurants near the school. Use Xiaohongshu to search on the map.
After Going to Japan#
Residence Card#
Exchange the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the immigration checkpoint. It's better to apply for permission for extra activities (part-time jobs) on the spot, as it may be more troublesome to apply later.
Rent, Enrollment, City Hall Registration, and National Health Insurance, etc.#
I relied on my classmates to help translate. It would be difficult for me to do it myself.
SIM Card, Bank Account#
I prepared in advance and applied online.
MyNumberCard#
You can apply online after staying in Japan for a while. Apply online.
Amazon#
Shopping on Amazon (the website starts with jp for Japanese Amazon) is very convenient. You can search in Chinese, especially for furniture needed at the beginning. You can conveniently link your credit card for payment. In the beginning, I bought a lot of things, so having a Prime membership saved me some money (600 yen per month). You can pause the Prime membership later.
For example, I bought items such as mattresses, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners on Amazon. Although stores like Bic Camera can provide points and discounts, overall, Amazon may be cheaper.
With Amazon Prime, you can also apply for an Amazon Mastercard credit card.
Currency Exchange#
In general, you can use Suica, credit cards, WeChat Pay, and Alipay without exchanging Japanese yen. When needed, you can withdraw money with a UnionPay debit card at convenience stores (with an annual limit of about 100,000 RMB). If you want to make an international remittance, you can go to Bank of China in Japan to apply for a card, which has lower fees (annual limit of $50,000). You can also exchange currency privately.