1. Umbrella: For some reason the weather here changes by the minute so I always have a small collapse-able umbrella on me at all times. Even you check Weather.com, you’ll find that almost everyday calls for rain even if the weather is perfect. I bought mine for $5 at UniGlo and it’s saved me on many occasions.
2. Local Currency: I found out the hard way that the last place that you can use both American money and travelers checks is at the airport. Apparently at Narita you can exchange currency but if I remember correctly the office was closed when I arrived. Furthermore, most places won’t even take debit cards and you can certainly forget about trying to use travelers checks anywhere. You can get yen at any bank in your home country before you get here. Once you’re here one of the only places you can use foreign cards is the ATM at the post office. They charge $5 for each withdraw.
3. Washcloths: At first this may sound silly but after a couple months of living here I bring one every work day. It’s mainly for sweat because it’s hotter than hell here, but I also use it to dry my hands since restaurants usually don’t have paper towels or napkins. I especially recommend it if you plan on doing a lot of walking.
4. Passport / Local I.D.: Although not a citizen, you are still subject to the laws of the country as a visitor or resident. One of these laws is quite frightning and that is the fact that you can be held for about two months by the police without any charges made against you. In some cases they also won’t allow you any contact with the outside world whatsoever. From what I’ve heard, police with occasionally ask to see the IDs of foreigners on a completely random basis so it’s best you have it on you.
5. Backpack: This summer I came to know and love my backpack like never before and rarely went anywhere without it. It’s highly useful for daytrips and I usually leave it empty, except my umbrella of course, in case I found any souveniers. Mine is a Quiksilver bag equipped with a drink cooler, drink holder, and iPod headphone slot. On any given day I’d have loose change, a digital camera, beer, swimming trunks, and food just to name a few.
