Weekend Stupid Questions Thread – 22 April 2023

41 comments

1. Is gyomu super the cheapest place to get frozen berries?

2. So, thinking of switching job, same line of work just a different company.

   whats the procedure like, was it difficult to do esp with the VISA, or was it relatively painless?

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   im mostly worried about the VISA. I read that you have to submit some documents and notify the immigration, but i couldnt really find out what document it might be.

3. i wonder whats the average cost for cavity checking .

4. Does anyone know what bottled tea has the highest amount of caffeine? Energy drinks here only have 40mg, which is pathetic.

5. I want to put up some awnings on the balcony but I have no idea where to start. There isn’t an overhanging balcony/roof so I can’t use the pole style type. Is my only option installing hooks? How well do they hold up in the wind? Do the sheets hold up for several years or does the sun and heat wear them out too much?

6. Is there a service where you can take a used car you’re thinking of buying to a mechanic for their check that everything is in order?

   What would this be called in Japanese? My search didn’t turn up more than checklists to do on your own.

7. What music streaming services do you all use? I’m curious which one has the greatest variety of music available, including obscure and older stuff. I’m kind of old and a bit of a luddite, so I would appreciate any basic advice or recommendations. Cheers.

8. Post office has a very low size limit on sending boxes to the us via sea shipment… for whatever reason those size limitations don’t apply to ems though. Anybody know companies that can send by sea that don’t have those limitations?

   I believe the limit for sending by sea with post office is the size 100 or 120 boxes, so anything a little over that.

9. Any recommendations for short trips with dogs around Tokyo during Golden week?
   Also if there are any Osaka recommendations, places, activities or shops (contemplating to take my little one on her first trip)

10. [deleted]

11. Japanese teachers recommendations.

    I self studied to pass n2 while on the jet program and after three years passed. My kanji game is on point. Can’t speak or write for shit. Since i moved to Tokyo last summer, I’ve moved into a senior management role in a multinational and have little time to self study and it’s not effective either at building communication skills. I’d like to find an online or weekend school where I can earn a qualification or at least set reasonable goals to reach a quality level after one or two years of part time/flexible study. My work offers education reimbursement annually. But finding a good teacher is difficult. My friends recommended some but they’re unable to pass n3 after 5 years and I speak better than them so it’s not filling me with my confidence.

    Resources or direct recs welcome!

12. Is there any place to get Frank’s Red Hot Sauce? Years ago they sold it at Costco but I can’t find it at all these days.

13. What is the nearest nature escape from Nagoya that can be reached by public transport? Want to plan a 2 nights stay at least.

14. Does anyone do any meat smoking, and can give advice?

15. When do you need to get on with renewing your 在留カード？Mine expires end of September but with how long Japanese administration processes can be I’m a bit paranoid. Sorry if this is stupid, but when do people usually renew theirs?

16. Does anyone know where I can get a loan of about 200,000 yen easily?

    I was sick for about four months so I couldn’t go to work, and because of that ended up behind on payments to my credit card company. They are now hassling me. Obviously i was irresponsible but I have never been in this situation before so Im stuck.

    I asked my parents could i borrow money (first time ever) and they flat out just said no.

17. Advice on how to get my laundry clean, please!

    I’m using detergent and fabric softener. (Attack and Aroma Rich.)

    My machine came with the apartment. It’s a top loader, cold water machine with a little labelled well for ‘bleach’ along the top of the drum.

    There’s a plastic…kind of envelope case, 2/3 of the way up on the inside wall of the drum itself.

    On the opposite side, there’s a lint trap with a little net I emptied when I moved in (shudder.)

    I’ve tried:

    1) Dumping everything – clothing, detergent, softener – into the drum together. Still stinky.

    2) Dumping detergent in the drum (pouring directly on the the clothes) and adding softener into the little slot. Better outcome, but still stinky.

    3) Tripling the amount of detergent used.

    4) Washing clothes two fully separate times.

    5) Adding 1-2 kettles full of hot water whilst the drum is filling with water.

    Each time, I remove the laundry as soon as it’s done and hang it outside to dry immediately.

    And I swear the laundry still doesn’t smell fresh and clean, in fact sometimes it reeks.

    The machine came with a Leopalace, and is a basic model which only has a ‘wash’ ‘delicates wash’ ‘spin’ and ‘rinse’ cycles.

    And ideas welcome! ☺️

18. Recommendations please on dive / freedive spots that can be done on a daytrip from Tokyo? Quick google search lists Izu but I’m not sure if it’s possible on a daytrip. Thank you!

19. The rental management company handed me the keys to my new place: 2 copies for the front lobby entrance (auto-lock) and 6 copies for my unit. They’re all the same form factor dimple keys, but the lobby key doesn’t work on my unit’s door and vice versa.

    Nobody can go into my unit without going through the autolocked lobby, so both keys are necessary. So why did they give me 4 more unit keys than lobby keys? Why not, say, 4 of each?

20. What is the minimum amount of yen you can put on an ETC card and where can I go to get one installed in my car? (If it helps, I live in Okinawa)

21. Tips for minimizing time spent at kix when returning from trip abroad?

22. Is there a comprehensive check list of things to do before leaving permanently?

    Also if there is anyone on here with experience shipping tons of stuff to Thailand any advice would be great.

23. Okay, so, on these Super Dry pull tabs, the draft beer style cans, how do you open them without the foam going all over?

24. Does anyone have experience buying a premade gaming PC in Japan? I’d like to know of any reputable companies with mid-range offerings (ideally between 100-150,000円).

25. Am I the only one counting down the days until elections are done and the bullhorn campaigning can finally freaking stop?

26. Can you eat the peel of the lemons sold at Gyomu Super and cheap places like that? In Europe they write it on the label but here they don’t

27. Interested in going to Tokyo Summerland. How is it? Should we go by car, can we bring pool toys, any recommendations/advice? Thanks!

28. Is there anyone who goes to Japanese nail salons but removes the gel at home? When growing up my mum always used to do gel nails on me and they came off in 20 minutes with no problem, I’m very familiar with the removal process. Had a set done at the salon for the first time for my wedding ceremony, and I’m struggling so much to get them off I’m honestly baffled. I’ve used like 3 different brands of nail removers, been buffing them like crazy, spent about 5 hours on just one hand and I’m only down to coat 2/4?? Do they use some super crazy hard stuff just so you go back to get it off or something?

29. is there a way to check all your current bills/balance? in terms of insurance, taxes, etc?

30. Who else didn’t know about the JP Post ATMs closing for golden week?

31. Last night of my trip in Tokyo, any good suggestion on where to get dessert around Skytree area from now?

32. What’s that 3-kanji abbreviation for ”watch and learn, implement, then change to match your own style”.

33. Toilet seat broke.
    For my rent I don’t need to pay management fees. I’m on this Concierge24 service (I was made to sign up for it) but I’ve never used it before and repairing doesn’t seem to be included. Should I call my landlord directly? I have never contacted them directly before. I tried buying something myself online but size doesn’t fit / I don’t think I can repIace it by myself even with tutorials online. Would appreciate recommendations or advice.

    Side note: For some reason this whole situation makes me super anxious and I’ve been putting off fixing it for so long 🙁 Living quality went to trash because I’m sitting on a broken toilet seat lol.

34. Can I use ahamo on a foreign smartphone?

    Hi. I planing to change from docomo to ahamo before back to my homecountry for a while. I heard I can use ahamo in abroad too. But my current smartphone a bit old and I wanna change to dual SIM like OPPO reno 7 (my homecountry SIM card and ahamo). Since I can’t find that smartphone in here, so I wanna buy in my homecountry but I don’t know its a good idea or not. Is there anyone have same experience? Thank you❤

35. Are Disneyland tickets available at the gate again? Or is it required to pre-order?

36. When I put iD card to pay, the machine first produces a “DiDi” sound, after a while it produces some music. Should I put my card until the music is played or I can move away after the “DiDi” sound?

37. Group of people patrolling my neighborhood banging 2pcs of wood(bamboo?) to make a loud sound every other night. What’s it for?

38. Just bought a concert ticket and realized it’s during Golden Week (May 3rd)…. Did I make a mistake?

39. Does anyone have experience moving a PC in Japan? I have a BTO gaming PC and didn’t really consider how it would fare in a move. I’m just moving from one ward to another, but I’m wondering if I should ask the moving company (Art) to handle it or if I should attempt to do it myself (in a suitcase? not sure).

40. Can anyone recommend a trusted place for body sugaring?

41. I’ll ask the rental office tomorrow, but do you guys know how long it takes to have the speeding ticket mail delivered to you? We saw a red flash on the highway but we’re not exactly sure if it was for us.