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Japan GAF |OT| I'm not planning a trip; I live here!

J

Jintor

Member
Gromph said:
Depends, they usually ask me where i'm from, how long i had been here in japan, i ask about restaurants, places they know and can show me so i discover new awesome places this way.
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unfortunately being of asian descent i don't get shit :<

i don't get street hassled though so i guess that's cool
 
Sakura

Sakura

Member
I pay my bills at the conbini too, except for my phone.
I didn't have a bank account yet when I moved in so I just had those things set to conbini payment, and it's too much of a hassle to change. The conbini is only 2 minutes away though, and one of the girls who works there is pretty cute so I don't care, I just pay them all at the same time any way.
 
M

Mailenstein

Member
Ayumi said:
The subway is always hell on earth between winter and summer before they start turning the fans on. Especially if you've walked fast to the subway.
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I always run to the train :D. Last year it took them until around late August to turn on the fans here in Fukuoka. April is the worst tho, when all the graduates start working. Trains get SUPER full.

m3r4 said:
I'm glad I don't have to use the subway a lot. My bike still runs like a champion. I'm glad I spent the money on it.
Click to expand...
I have a bike, but I'm not in the mood for a 40 minute ride in the morning. Also, the company pays for the IC card, so... lazy.

Jubern said:
Actually, I've tried a couple of time to do that, but it's always a pain in the ass. Hell, any kind of paperwork is hell for me here.

I have two middle names that I never used until Japan forced me to FOR EVERYTHING (so it's absent from some papers), and my MUFJ bank account was opened with a signature instead of an inkan.

Result: My personal info sometimes doesn't always match EXACTLY as they want it to, and they'll sent back applications and stuff asking for corrections, sometimes not mentioning clearly what they wish to have corrected (name problem? I should have used my signature and not my inkan?)

A few months ago, I opened a new bank account at Mizuho because my workplace asked me too. To facilitate things, I wrote my name the way I usually do (something akin to "NEOGAF Jubern Gundam Fabulous", to make a point of NEOGAF being my last name) -> they made me rewrite the whole thing because it wasn't ALL CAPS like it is on my passport, and of course proceeded to make all kind of mistakes after that. WTF yo.

Sometimes this country drives me mad lol
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Yeah, I can understand that, even I don't have a middle name. The best thing is to take a japanese national with you if you can. It can be somewhat annoying if you are on your own.
 
D

dani_dc

Member
Got my commuters pass!

Ended up settling for Shin-okubo to Kanda, figure for 1K yen more a month it was worth to have access to Shin-okubo to Nippori area, allows me to go to Ikebukuro and it leaves me within a walking distance from Shinjuku.

Also got my National Health Insurance card today, so it feels like I'm finally settled down and with nothing more to take care of.

kubus said:
Oh man I can imagine how nerve wrecking that must've been :x I was so relieved when I walked out of there with my visa

I'm going to Hino, Tokyo. Doing a study exchange at an university there for 5 months. Looking forward to it! (Also shitting bricks)
Click to expand...

Everything was done in a very short time, they announced the selection of people 3 months before the date we were suppose to be here, and it wasn't until later that they gave us actual instructions on what to do.

Since I needed the Certificate of Eligibility to ask for the Visa (I assume your case is the same) I had to wait until the last minute to take care of everything.

Sounds like you'll be around here for the same period as me!
Hope you enjoy Tokyo!
 
F

Finalow

Member
Finalow said:
any suggestions for Kyoto? Besides all the stuff listed on japan-guide, like any good gaming-related place or what are the best places to eat at etc., if close to Shomogyo ward even better.
Click to expand...

quoting myself, doesn't anyone here live there? Or knows the place well enough to give some advices.
 
F

Finalow

Member
Ayumi said:
Trip Advisor should give some good advice..
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well ok, I'm sure that there are plenty of sites like that. as I wrote, I assumed that some people from JapanGAF who lived/are living there were willing to share their thoughts.
JapanTravel was the more appropriate thread, I guess. my bad
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Reposting here in case anybody wants to join us:

MikeHattsu said:
Tokyo Meetup, May 12th

So, we're having a Tokyo meetup on May 12th, mostly tourists, but anybody living in Japan are welcome to join us too if they want.

Details

  1. We meet up a little before 17:30 and get all you can eat shabu-shabu at Mo Mo Paradise (unless it's fully booked, then we find another place).

    Map:
    https://goo.gl/maps/T1mDx

  2. We go to Robot Restaurant at 19:00 and check out the show at 19:10.

    You need to book tickets to the show yourself.
    Here's the Japanican booking link for the correct time, remember to choose May 12th:
    http://www.japanican.com/en/tour/detail/DIN1G1950A/

  3. After the show ends at about 21:30 we either go check out an arcade or do karaoke. Depends on how many people wants to join either activity.

People who's shown interest in joining so far:
Axispowers
dani_dc
MikeHattsu (+1)
scogoth
TatteredHat
Zyzyxxz (+1)
Click to expand...
 
K

krae_man

Member
Anybody know if the Coca Cola Hot Shots Golf PSP's are hard to find?

I kind of want one but haven't seen one pop up on Yahoo Auctions. All I find is Open Tee 1+2 and those GPS peripheral games.

I haven't been looking diligently though.
 
H

hwalker84

Member
Hands down best sushi in Tokyo? Also if anyone is able to get me into some of the impossible to get into sushi restaurants I'll pay for your meal.
 
R

Ratrat

Member
Forgive the intrusion, not sure where else I should ask. Has anyone here bought Bloodborne in Japan? I need to to know if it has an English option for menus and text.
 
I

I'm an expert

Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Japanese version is better, the lore is much more in-depth in Japanese (for all From games).
 
Sakura

Sakura

Member
One thing that confuses me is that there are language options in the settings menu but the only option is Japanese for text and English for voice lol
 
M

Mailenstein

Member
So, in May I'm going on a 3 weeks vacation back to Germany to visit my family and friends. I didn't have the time to ask the immigration office yet, so I thought I will ask here for advice first.

I have a residence card which is valid until the end of the year, so do I need to take care of something before I take my flight in May?

Also, whats the procedure when coming back entering Japan? I know I have to fill out the customs declarations card, but what about the "embarkation card for foreigners"?
5501454566_8f6c39178f_b.jpg
Click to expand...

I would really appreciate it, if anybody could shed some light into this for me, thanks!
 
M

megabadd

Member
Branduil said:
Can anyone tell me the best options for shipping large amounts of stuff to Japan?
Click to expand...

Define "large amount". My company sent my furniture and apartment stuff by ship.

Also, opposite question of something asked previously, but does anyone know if the US version of Bloodborne has the option of Japanese menu text and voice?
 
H

Hasemo

(；・∀・)ﾊｯ?
megabadd said:
Define "large amount". My company sent my furniture and apartment stuff by ship.

Also, opposite question of something asked previously, but does anyone know if the US version of Bloodborne has the option of Japanese menu text and voice?
Click to expand...
Only English voices and a few European languages for text.
My PS4 is set to Japanese - changing the system language does nothing.
 
K

kubus

Member
A week already flew by since I arrived in Japan. First week I spent with a bunch of friends in a hostel in Ryogoku and we did a lot of sightseeing and activities. Tokyo is AMAZING. But vacation is over now and we all went our seperate ways to prepare for university (we all go to different ones). Unfortunately the university I'm going to postponed the starting date of the program by a week so I am forced to spend another week somewhere else before I can get into my dorm :(

Now in a weird hotel in Hiratsuka that doubles as a manga and internet cafe. They have a fully functional PC with internet in the room but absolutely no wi-fi that I can use. Is this something normal in Japan? I tried plugging the LAN cable in my laptop but that didn't work though a picture on the wall suggests that it should. Already asked the front but they couldn't help me (gaijin panic mode, though I speak decent Japanese... sigh)

Another question: I look like an idiot with my poofy hair and would like to buy a hair straightener. The prices in the local electronics store are pretty absurd and I can't check reviews on my phone while in store. Can I order one from amazon.co.jp and have it delivered to a conbini nearby? If anyone could explain how this works and if I need to do any paperwork or anything in the conbini that would be great!
 
U

urfe

Member
kubus said:
A week already flew by since I arrived in Japan. First week I spent with a bunch of friends in a hostel in Ryogoku and we did a lot of sightseeing and activities. Tokyo is AMAZING. But vacation is over now and we all went our seperate ways to prepare for university (we all go to different ones). Unfortunately the university I'm going to postponed the starting date of the program by a week so I am forced to spend another week somewhere else before I can get into my dorm :(

Now in a weird hotel in Hiratsuka that doubles as a manga and internet cafe. They have a fully functional PC with internet in the room but absolutely no wi-fi that I can use. Is this something normal in Japan? I tried plugging the LAN cable in my laptop but that didn't work though a picture on the wall suggests that it should. Already asked the front but they couldn't help me (gaijin panic mode, though I speak decent Japanese... sigh)

Another question: I look like an idiot with my poofy hair and would like to buy a hair straightener. The prices in the local electronics store are pretty absurd and I can't check reviews on my phone while in store. Can I order one from amazon.co.jp and have it delivered to a conbini nearby? If anyone could explain how this works and if I need to do any paperwork or anything in the conbini that would be great!
Click to expand...

Saying something like &#12300;&#12452;&#12531;&#12479;&#12540;&#12493;&#12483;&#12488;&#12392;&#12388;&#12394;&#12364;&#12425;&#12394;&#12356;&#12391;&#12377;&#12364; &#12301;I would think would make them check out the situation.

I think you can get things delivered to conbinis, and pay at them? I haven't done it though, so I'm not 100%.
 
A

Ayumi

Member
You should be able to get stuff delivered directly to your hotel (most likely). Just make sure you pay on the website when ordering, and your room number.
 
K

kubus

Member
urfe said:
Saying something like &#12300;&#12452;&#12531;&#12479;&#12540;&#12493;&#12483;&#12488;&#12392;&#12388;&#12394;&#12364;&#12425;&#12394;&#12356;&#12391;&#12377;&#12364; &#12301;I would think would make them check out the situation.

I think you can get things delivered to conbinis, and pay at them? I haven't done it though, so I'm not 100%.
Click to expand...
Ayumi said:
You should be able to get stuff delivered directly to your hotel (most likely). Just make sure you pay on the website when ordering, and your room number.
Click to expand...

Thanks, was about to try that but just discovered my Surface needs an lan cable adapter and I didn't bring one. But maybe they can fix it for my friend's laptop (when I tried it I used hers) and if it works I can borrow her laptop for Skype. Or I could order the adapter.

I found a video explaining the conbini pickup thing! It sounds very simple and convenient. I think I'll try that :). I suppose I could have it sent to the hotel but I find this place a bit sketchy.
 
A

Ayumi

Member
kubus said:
Thanks, was about to try that but just discovered my Surface needs an lan cable adapter and I didn't bring one. But maybe they can fix it for my friend's laptop (when I tried it I used hers) and if it works I can borrow her laptop for Skype. Or I could order the adapter.

I found a video explaining the conbini pickup thing! It sounds very simple and convenient. I think I'll try that :). I suppose I could have it sent to the hotel but I find this place a bit sketchy.
Click to expand...
Amazon Prime = Super lazy life. I order pretty much everything there except food and orange juice. lol
 
K

kubus

Member
Ayumi said:
Amazon Prime = Super lazy life. I order pretty much everything there except food and orange juice. lol
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Haha I can imagine :D
I'll have to be careful not to get addicted to amazon shopping once I have my own home address. We don't have amazon in my home country so I'm excited I can finally make use of it :D

Just placed the order so now I just have to wait for it to be delivered to the Family Mart here. Amazing service if this works out well.
 
B

Branduil

Member
megabadd said:
Define "large amount". My company sent my furniture and apartment stuff by ship.

Also, opposite question of something asked previously, but does anyone know if the US version of Bloodborne has the option of Japanese menu text and voice?
Click to expand...

Well, I wouldn't say furniture, but a few boxes of stuff.
 
Sakura

Sakura

Member
kubus said:
Can I order one from amazon.co.jp and have it delivered to a conbini nearby? If anyone could explain how this works and if I need to do any paperwork or anything in the conbini that would be great!
Click to expand...

I know you already ordered to Family Mart, but here is how it works at LAWSON.
When your package is here, you come in go to the Loppi machine, enter your info or whatever, and it prints you off a receipt with a barcode. You take it to the register, the employee scans it, and gets your package. If you have to pay for it you pay then. If you paid for it online already, then a sheet will print out, and you just sign your name, receive your receipt, then you are on your way.
Alternatively, there is a way via the Amazon website, to have the barcode appear right on your phone screen instead of having to use the machine. In that case we just scan your phone and get your package. In that situation you do not have to sign anything. Though if you don't have internet on your phone I guess that isn't an option.
 
K

kubus

Member
Sakura said:
I know you already ordered to Family Mart, but here is how it works at LAWSON.
When your package is here, you come in go to the Loppi machine, enter your info or whatever, and it prints you off a receipt with a barcode. You take it to the register, the employee scans it, and gets your package. If you have to pay for it you pay then. If you paid for it online already, then a sheet will print out, and you just sign your name, receive your receipt, then you are on your way.
Alternatively, there is a way via the Amazon website, to have the barcode appear right on your phone screen instead of having to use the machine. In that case we just scan your phone and get your package. In that situation you do not have to sign anything. Though if you don't have internet on your phone I guess that isn't an option.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Lawson would've been a bit more convenient for me but I could only find English instructions for pick up at Family Mart so I went with that. But this is good info, next time I can pick Lawson :)

Also we figured out the LAN cable thing, turns out the woman we spoke to earlier really just shrugged us off because "gaijin = scary, go away". This time the person at the front was helpful and she gave us a cable that we could use to access the wired network.
 
K

kubus

Member
Just picked up my order at Family Mart! It went surprisingly smooth :D. Finally have internet on my surface now :).

Thanks for the help everyone!
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
I can't wait for Taco Bell impressions. Japanese food restrictions should lead to better ingredients.
 
M

Mailenstein

Member
AlabastreAizo said:
I can't wait for Taco Bell impressions. Japanese food restrictions should lead to better ingredients.
Click to expand...
Kidding, right? Ever checked the ingredients of products sold in a convenience store? Full of crap. Yamazaki bread? Cancer pool. Seriously tho, I don't know how bad US food restrictions are, but Japan must be close to that if that's any indication.
 
H

Hasemo

(；・∀・)ﾊｯ?
Did everyone really forget that MCD thing with terrible Chinese meat from a few months ago?
 
M

Mailenstein

Member
Hasemo said:
Did everyone really forget that MCD thing with terrible Chinese meat from a few months ago?
Click to expand...
Or Family Mart heh. I saw a quite surprising KFC commercial on TV yesterday. It was all about how they will use only japanese chicken for their products. But then again, what does that say about the product? Seriously, buying something organic or bio in this country without paying a fortune seems sometimes impossible. At least it's changing recently little by little.. sigh.
 
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