The Great Relocation
Well, here's the order of things you need to do to get settled in. At least, this is the one I did.
1-Get an inkan or personal seal. I recommend securing this the DAY you arrive, if not earlier. This is your signature. You cannot open any kind of bank, phone, utility or rental account without one. Get it. Yesterday.
2-Dwellings. This is the nastiest, expensive thing to set up. If your are not planning to move over permanently, consider looking at a Leo Palace 21 furnished home.
3-Bank Account. Having an address helps with the bank account and everything else. I was able to get by using my company phone # for a while, since my bank account has proven WAY easier to get than a cell phone or internet service. Don't ask. Allegedly, JAL(yes, Japan Airlines) rents cell phones. Might be good to temp with one of those for starters. I set this up as quickly as I can since my only payment option at work is direct deposit. They wouldn't cut a regular pay check. I have heard that issuing and depositing checks in Japan incurrs wicked fees.
4-Set up automatic bill pay for key utilities.
There is a flip side to me starting the 1st of October instead of the 30th of September. I won't have taxes witheld for my first paycheck. Okay, no big.
Also, bonus.
5-Get a PSP and Monster Hunter. It's a phenomenon in Japan for sure that borders the WoW phenomenon in the USA. You can bond with your co-workers and make friends with random people at McDonalds.
The PSP is a deal considering that PSP+GPS unit is cheaper than most complete navigation unit packages. 16,000 yen for a used PSP, then 5,000 yen for the GPS unit and mappy software. Most car navis start at 25,000 yen and good ones tend to be 30,000 yen.
Plus, the PSP can guide you to various super markets and convenience stores. Before you accuse me of being some sort of shill for Sony, I am poor. I am not getting any money by saying this. I figured that a tip for a cheap means of finding your way around would not be a bad thing.
My cousin found his way to my new apartment thanks to his PSP and MAPLUS. I do not know if MAPLUS is region locked.
Comments
People get paid their salaries in cash is the norm. You know about the whole thing with tanabata festival and bonuses right ? tanabata and bonus time come around the same time, and for tanabata they make confettii and put in this sort of pinyata like ball thing.
Almost every five years or so on average ( in the 80s it was every year someplace ) some office would get the blocks of yen with people's bonuses ( obsessively wrapped up of course ) and the blocks of waste paper that was to be shredded and made into confettii ( also obsessivley wrapped up ) mixed up, leading to people's bonuses getting shedded. ( This is really did happen , almost once a year someplace , not just an urban legend - Japan )
: )
Also, I just noticed ' Cute Knight Deluxe ' ( 1 and now 2 ) from Hanako Games. It sounds a lot like that idea you had in a dream thing back when ...
3500 yen worth of outgoing calls which amounts to hmm, 15 yen for 6 seconds...I don't feel like doing the math in the morning. ^^;;Ffor 300 yen/mo I get unlimited send/receive text messages.
I'm missing out on a lot of hot and trendy stuff you can do with your phone but I'm also missing out on paying those huge arse bills!