AEON does its best to make our teachers' transition into Japanese society as easy and enjoyable as possible. The staff at your school will assist you in getting settled in your new home. They will help you register at City Hall and open a bank account. There are many opportunities to meet new people and socialize in Japan. Depending on the area, there are places where westerners like to meet and network. There are also plenty of opportunities to meet Japanese people. The more willing a teacher is to explore and try new things, the more people they will meet. AEON encourages its teachers to develop, not only strong teacher-student relationships, but we also encourage our teachers to develop long-lasting friendships with students. Socializing with students in a group setting outside of the school helps teachers get to know their students more and vice versa. Students may offer to bring the teacher to dinner, show the teacher around the city, take them to famous sightseeing spots and festivals, or even invite them to their homes to meet their families. Many teachers try to make most of their time in Japan to learn Japanese. A variety of options are available to teachers. In many cities, Japanese lessons are offered at the local community or international center for a nominal fee, and even in some cases, free. Most often these lessons will be taught by volunteer Japanese teachers. For people who would like to study more intensively, there are a number of Japanese schools offering both short-term and long-term courses. Most cities have fitness or health clubs which offer aerobics, swimming pools, and the latest in weight equipment. There are usually yearly membership fees in addition to monthly user fees. Monthly fees may cost from 6,000 yen to 13,000 yen and allow you to visit as often as you wish. A less costly alternative is going to the local community gym. Although it's more reasonable - often around 250 yen a visit - the equipment can be limited. Most community gyms have swimming pools. Tennis is very popular, but it is often hard to find an open court on the weekends. If you are an avid player, most likely one of your students will invite you to play. Joining a tennis school is another option for people who want to play regularly. Monthly fees will be about the same as joining a fitness club (8,000 yen to 12,000 yen per month). Both skiing and snowboarding are very popular winter sports. You can rent equipment and ski-wear if you don't have them. The cost of a day on the slopes will be expensive though - usually between 10,000 and 15,000 yen for lift tickets, rental equipment and lunch. If you are planning to do a lot of snowboarding or skiing, you might want to buy used equipment, which is available at very reasonable prices. Contrary to popular opinion, larger sizes are becoming more readily available in Japan. More and more stores are stocking larger sizes of both men's and women's clothing and shoes. Men should not have much difficulty in finding clothes that fit but finding larger sizes of dress shoes may be a problem. Tall women may also have difficulty finding clothes and shoes that fit properly. Keep in mind that the summer humidity in Japan is much higher than in most other countries. Avoid fabrics that don't breathe well. Bring clothes that don't wrinkle easily or you will find yourself spending a lot of time ironing. Furthermore, most Japanese apartments are not equipped with central heating so having thick socks for winter is a good idea. Japanese people take great care to dress attractively and tastefully. Neat, clean and pressed clothing is the norm in the Japanese work environment. Most teachers get a mobile phone in their first month in Japan. When getting a mobile phone, you should consider which system provides the best services for your area and for your needs. There are also a number of companies that will allow you to make overseas calls through their service from your cell phone, although quite expensive. Land lines may be rented or purchased. Renting a land phone line can cost anywhere from 2,500 yen to 3,500 yen per month. Purchasing a phone line can cost from 40,000 yen to 70,000 yen. If you decide to purchase a phone line, it can be re-sold when you decide to leave Japan. Internet service is good in Japan. If there is no internet setup in the apartment, teachers have to get internet on their own. Getting information on service providers is easy once you get to the branch school. Most big providers will have English-speaking staff to help you get set up. It can take some time for internet to be hooked up, sometimes up to two months. Teachers send money home for a variety of reasons. The two most common ways that teachers send money home are through banks which offer wire transfers or by other overseas remittance services. Sending money through banks by wire transfer can be done through a registered account but will be quite expensive. Using an overseas remittance service wire transfer will require some setup (usually going to their office and providing bank information) but they are usually much cheaper than using banks. Banks in your home country will also charge you for receiving money by wire transfer, so take that into consideration if you decide to send money home. "Patience! Everything is new and strange and different. It is delightful at times and frustrating at times. Just don't be too quick to judge or criticize. Remember you are the guest here, and for anything you don't like, give it a year, and you will probably realize you do like it." "Leave your mind totally open, and don't take too seriously what everybody tells you to expect, because it's different for everyone." "Be on time! It is amazing how punctual everything and everyone is. Back home, getting together at 2:00 p.m. meant that everyone would arrive between 2:10 and 2:30. In Japan, it means being there 10 or 15 minutes early!" "Prepare to adjust to a different type of lifestyle, and have an open mind. Friendliness is most important when dealing with anyone. Be prepared to be led around - at least at first - until you are familiar with the area." "Keep a journal while you are in Japan. Not only will it serve as an invaluable record of what you've done and seen but reading past entries will be really eye-opening in realizing just how many things that were so different before have become normal to you." "Things will be different. Just remember that just because something is different doesn't mean it's bad or that it calls for an opinion. Keeping this in mind will keep you out of a lot of trouble."