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 Homestay |
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| When does my homestay begin? |
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| Check the "dates" page for the dates your Homestay will begin and end. Orientation is held on Thursday and Friday. We hold an opening ceremony and lunch on Saturday morning, where you meet your host families for the first time and after the lunch you go with your host family to your new home!! |
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| Can I send some of my things to my host family by post? |
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Yes, you may send things ahead to your host family, you will receive their address other information about the family about one month before the program starts. Please make sure you contact your family to let them know you have sent your things on ahead.
Please keep in mind the following:
1. Air mail takes 7 to 10 days to arrive and is very expensive
2. Sea mail takes 4 to 8 weeks and is rather expensive. Sea mail packages should be well packed because the boxes tend to arrive soiled and somewhat crushed. It is routine for Customs to hand check every sea mail arrival.
3. You should bring as little as possible because you will inevitably accumulate things as you stay in Japan and you will have more to take home than you brought.
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| If I bring lots of things on the plane, how can I get them to my host families house? |
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In all Japanese airports, just outside the doors after Customs, in the Arrival Lobby, there are baggage courier services. You can send a suitcase or bag or box from there to the college or your host family. Of course, you will need to write the address on a label, preferably in Japanese, so be sure to have the address handy.
Students who will arrive at Narita airport on the pick-up Wednesday, and who have more than one manageable suitcase and another hand bag, will be required to send the excess on to Kawagoe using the courier services.
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| What is a home stay like? |
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| Homestays are with families in the Kawagoe area who live in apartments, condominiums, or houses. As you can imagine, the conditions in each homestay vary widely. Some of the host families live near the college and other live the other side of town requiring as much as an hour's commute. Some of the host families have small children, and some are older and retired. Most spend a lot of time and attention on their students, but some are rather busy. Some place restrictions on their student, for example curfews, and some are very lax. However, all the host families have applied to be hosts to students because they hope to introduce aspects of Japanese culture to you and they also hope you will be earnest in trying to learn to speak Japanese. |
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| When will I know who my host family is? |
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| We will send you information about your host family by post about one month prior to the beginning of the term. |
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| Bringing Things |
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| Can I bring electrical appliances to Japan? |
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The electric current in Japan is 110 volts and the plugs used here are the small, two-pronged type, the same as the kind used in North America. Most electrical appliances that are designed to be used at 100 volts seem to work OK at the Japanese 110 volts. However, some students have had trouble with appliances such as hair dryers and contact disinfectors. Such electrical appliances are usually cheap in Japan, so it might be better for you to buy them once you arrive in Japan if your host family doesn't have one you can borrow .
Laptops, as they are a battery -based electrical system, work without need for an adapter. |
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| Can I bring my medication with me? |
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| The amount of medication you can bring into Japan is limited to enough medicine to last one month. If you regularly take any medication which you need to bring with you, contact your nearest Japanese consulate for information about what to do. Many students do not like to take Japanese medicine for headaches or colds, we recommend bringing some of these over-the-counter remedies with you. Make sure you read the information below before packing!!! Many prescription medicines, and even some medicines sold over-the-counter in other countries have never been approved by the Japanese medical authorities and are therefore illegal in Japan. A common source of trouble is with medicines for allergies such as asthma. Please check with the nearest Japanese consulate before you leave your country. |
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| What Clothes Should I bring? / What are average temperatures? |
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There are officially four seasons in Japan: spring, summer, fall and winter, however Japan also has an extremely humid rainy season (tsuyu) between spring and summer and and a typhoon season between summer and fall. The below suggestions are only suggestions, the weather in Japan changes depending on the year so be prepared for colder or hotter whether than you expected.
Suggested Clothing:
Spring (April - May): light jacket and sweater (Air conditioning is very common in summer, so you might need a light jacket or sweater to wear inside.)
Rainy Season: Umbrella, light waterproof jacket Summer (Jun. - Aug.): light clothing, short sleeves
Typhoon season: waterproof jacket
Autumn (Sep. - Nov.): same as spring
Winter (Dec. - Feb.): Thick coat, warm sweaters and jackets etc. (Japanese houses do not have central heating, so please bring sweaters etc to wear inside during winter.)
Average Temperatures:
Fahrenheit Centigrade
Winter (Jan.) 45.7 F 7.6 C
Spring (April) 58.1 F 14.5 C
Summer (Jul) 81.9 F 27.7ăCă
Autumn (Oct) 65.8 F 18.8 C
Note: Japan uses the centigrade system for temperatures
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| Money |
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| How can I pay my outstanding fees? |
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| Those of you with outstanding fees will be notified by email and then given an invoice during orientation. All the fees are due to be paid in full during the first week of the program. The fees must be paid in Japanese yen cash. It will take 2 to 3 weeks to open bank accounts but you will be able to cash travelers checks at the local Japanese banks. PLEASE bring travelers checks to pay for your tuition as this is the fastest, most reliable means of getting large amounts of money in Japan. |
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| What about having money sent to me while I am in Japan? |
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 It will be best to bring all your money in traveler's checks, especially for your tuition
DO NOT bring money in the form of personal or bank checks, Wells Fargo money orders they cannot be cashed in Japan
Almost all students have found it possible to get money out of Post Office ATMs, however, it does not necessarily work with all cards and accounts. If your card has a cirrus or plus symbol it should work. All of the students this year found that their VISA credit cards or VISA check cards worked at the ATM on campus. PLEASE do not rely entirely upon being able to get money via your credit card, as this method may not work. There is also a Citibank ATM in Tokyo, which students have used to get money from their home accounts.
International Postal Money Orders denominated in Japanese yen or US dollars can be cashed at any post office in Japan. Make sure you write your full name and your host families address on them when purchasing.
We strongly recommend to bring all the money you will need with you from the beginning of the semester in the form of travelers check in either Japanese yen or American dollars.
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| Have some students been able to access their US (and European) bank accounts from Japan? |
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Yes it is possible to get money out of post office ATMs (there is one on campus), however, it does not necessarily work with all card and accounts. If your card has a pulse, plus, star, interlink, or visa symbol it should work. All students so far who have tried to use either a VISA credit car or VISA check card on campus have been able to withdraw money. Please do not rely on getting money from ATMs only as this method may not work. There is also a Citibank ATM in Tokyo, which students have used to get money from their accounts.
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| How much money will I need to live on? |
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ă» Previous JSP students suggest you bring at least 150,000 yen for miscellaneous expenses. You may need more or less, depending on your lifestyle, previous student have spent from 1,000 to 10,000 dollars on one semester. It is very easy to spend a lot of money in Japan on just food, drinks, and transportation.
Examples:
O 2,000-3,000 yen - Day with friends in the local area
O 4,000-10,000 yen - Day in Tokyo going to club/dinner/shopping
O 5,000-10,000 yen - Day excursion to surrounding areas within 2-3hrs
O 8,000-15,000 yen - Concert in Tokyo
O 20,000-30,000 yen - Go skiing for the weekend
You will need to budget to buy lunches during the week (Room & Board expenses do not cover lunches M-F) which will cost between about \400 - \1,000 per day.
You are legally not allowed to work while you are in Japan on a student visa. SO please make sure you bring enough funds for the semester with you.
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| Classes |
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| Will some of the classes not fill and not be offered? |
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| If a class does not fill after the tally of the pre-registration Forms has been made, it may be canceled. If the cancellation of a class will cause hardship for a student, such as delaying their graduation or causing the student to become ineligible for a minor, that student can, at the time of cancellation, petition the Program to grant an Independent Study in that same subject. Proof of actual hardship may be requested. |
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| What is Independent Fieldwork Studies? |
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| Independent Study is a way for students to pursue their interests in a particular field of study that is not covered in the curriculum of the Program. Students choose Independent Study because they have a keen interest in some aspect of Japan, such as Japanese Buddhism or the history of Nagasaki. Some students want extra exposure to the Japanese language, so they focus on reading Japanese newspapers, etc... |
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| Travel |
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| Can I travel during term time? |
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| Yes, you can. However, since TIU is sponsoring your visa, we are required to know your whereabouts at any given time. If you plan to travel and stay overnight, you must notify the International exchange center of your intention to travel before you depart. |
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| When is the first day I can leave Kawagoe after the term is finished? |
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| The day after the closing ceremony (please check the dates page) |
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| How long can I stay in Kawagoe after the term is finished? |
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| You must move out of your host families house on the Wednesday following the closing ceremony (see the dates page). |
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| What about traveling in Japan after the term is finished? |
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| It is possible for students to stay a short time in Japan after the program finishes. However, as the visa you will use to enter Japan is a student visa issued so that you can study at TIU, you must leave the country within a couple of weeks, unless you will be returning to study for another semester. |
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| If I stay two semesters, what can I do between semesters? |
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| We cannot offer accommodation between the semesters. You can stay in Japan if you can arrange your own accommodation or you could spend the time traveling around the country. However, we recommend that all students return home during the break. |
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| Computer / Email |
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| Will I have an email address at TIU? |
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| We recommend that everyone have a web-based email address, such as hotmail, Yahoo, America-on-line, etc. before they arrive and that your family and friends all know that address. We use email constantly to contact the JSP students so make sure you keep our office informed of your current email address. |
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| What about bringing electrical appliances to Japan? |
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| The electric current in Japan is 110 volts and the plugs used here are the small, two-pronged type, the same as the kind used in North America. Since most electrical appliances are designed to operate in a range of voltages, devices designed for 100 to 120 volts seem to work OK at the Japanese 110 volts. However, devices that generate heat, such as hair dryers and contact disinfectors, tend to burn out after a while. As you might well imagine, most every kind of electrical appliance is available in Japan and it may be your best bet to purchase necessary devices after you arrive in Japan. |
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| Should I bring my laptop computer? |
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Previous JSP students who own a laptop computer have recommended bringing it to Japan. . You will have access to the computer labs at TIU, however, bringing your laptop will allow you to work at home since your host family may not have a computer, or it may it may not be convenient to use their computer.
Internet access at private houses is still not very common in Japan and the connection fees are very expensive. You should not expect to use your host family's Internet connection, if they have one, to connect your laptop to the Internet, or to be able to access the internet from their computer.
You will have access to the internet at TIU and be within walking/cycling distance of the university or will have a train pass, so it will cost you nothing to come to the campus to use the computers.
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| What is the computer situation at the college? |
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| The computers for student use in the computer labs at TIU were replaced June, 2001. |
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| Cell Phones |
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| Can I get a cell phone? |
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Cell phones are extremely popular in Japan and especially so among students. In addition, they have been popular with the JSP students because not only will you be out and about most of the day, but they also afford you privacy and help you avoid awkward telephone use problems while you are in your host family's home. Another advantage is they allow people from your home country to call you and actually connect with you, whereas it is very difficult for them to call you at a fixed line and actually catch you there at the same time.
Students here for only a single semester will be able to get pre-paid cell phones only.
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| Activities at TIU |
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| What is a Conversation Time? |
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| They are basically relaxed social events. We invite the regular TIU students to meet the JSP students and have some soft drinks and a few snacks. This is your opportunity to meet TIU students. The Peer Assistants run the parties and will help you to meet and begin friendships with the Japanese and International Students on our campus. We provide the place, you have to make the effort. These parties are a great additional opportunity for JSP students to get involved with the campus community, make friends and speak Japanese. |
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| What kind of extracurricular activities are there at the college? |
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| Clubs at Japanese universities are initiated and controlled by the students themselves. Therefore, the activities offered from year to year vary depending on who organizes them. Some of which are usually offered are chorus, tennis, basketball, and volleyball. |
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If you questions have still not been answered please email us at: jsp@tiu.ac.jp
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Homestay
