I understand there are some official work that should be addressed (ie. Register address, get cell phone number, bank account, etc) to get settled and then some quality of life things like a SUICA card. But other than that, how would you recommend someone get to know their new city/town?
Specifically for my case, I am moving to attend a language school. I have ~1 year of study (think genki 1) under my belt. I understand options are limited with my current Japanese ability, but was just curious if anyone had any advice or anecdotes on how to come to feel at home in their new city?
3 comments
Walk around your neighborhood, more to get a feel for it, and it’s also good to get exposure outside for culture shock reasons–your mind has to get used to seeing a variety of stuff.
Look into community groups, foreigner or international or normal Japanese ones, because they might have events you can join in on. Great to join.
Walk in a new part of your neighborhood every day. Figure out multiple routes back to your home. Locate things like post offices, grocery stores, conbinis, drug stores etc. You’ll also see where restaurants are, where people congregate and what parts of town are popular. Get a bike and ride around. Figure out train or bus routes to and from school.
I would patronize a different restaurant for each meal to check the vibe before settling on a favorite cafe, lunch, dinner, and drinks spot.