Packing list AHOY!

[eggchan]

Okay, so here it is. The long awaited PACKING LIST!

Anything you think I should add, remove, or move to a different category, let me know! I've also compiled a list of things that I need to buy before leaving, so if you want to add to that, you can :D

Clothes –
◘ Shirts (a week’s worth of tank tops and t-shirts)
◘ Long sleeved shirts (2 or 3 for if it’s windy + a few cardigans to put over shirts)
◘ Pants (Jeans, khakis, Capri’s [? I don’t own any at the moment], shorts [same as before])
◘ Socks (a week’s worth)
◘ Bras (keke)
◘ Underwears (teehee)
◘ 1-2 Jacket/windbreaker (I honestly don’t have anything that looks okay and still blocks the wind, any suggestions?)

Toiletries/Bathroom stuff –
◘ Hairbrush
◘ Toothbrush/Toothpaste
◘ Medicine bag (has tweezers, hand lotion, etc in it)
◘ Some q-tips (enough till I can find my own in Japan?)
◘ Face wash
◘ Towel
◘ Face/Hand towel (?)
◘ Shampoo
◘ Soap/Body wash
◘ Razor/Blade replacements
◘ Hair dryer
◘ Hair straightener
◘ Extra pads for WOMAN STUFF >:(

Extra stuff –
◘ External speakers for laptop
◘ Power strip (? TJ says no, what do others think?)
◘ External HDD
◘ Electric plug converter (?? Where the heck do I get this for a cheap price?)
◘ Cell phone (for when I return to the states)/Charger for cell just in case?
◘ Notebooks + pencils (for class)
◘ Charger for camera
◘ Laptop charger
◘ Ipod charger thing/plug-in to computer
◘ Ethernet cable to hook up to the internet

Stuff to be carried on to plane –
◘ Passport
◘ Letter of acceptance (to show to be allowed in the country)
◘ Information regarding how to get from the airport to campus
◘ Wallet/Traveler’s wallet (with some Yenz and traveler’s checks in it)
◘ DS + R4/Charger for DS
◘ Camera (8GB card + extra 2 GB card)
◘ Laptop
◘ Headphones
◘ Ipod
◘ Pictures of TJ to hang on my wall

Stuff to Buy -
◘ New deodorant
◘ Plug converter
◘ Toothpase/Soap holder
◘ New toothpaste (I'm almost out)
◘ More soap/bodywash (almost out as well)
◘ Shampoo (almost out again lol)
◘ Socks (I'm running out of socks that don't have holes in them)

Help meee~

Comments

[kuro-jashin.livejournal.com]

I have a few lists of stuff at home for my trip. How long is are you going to be in Japan? I'd recommend suntan lotion (until you can find some there?), hand sanitizer (especially because of Swine Flu right now, but it's recommended to have regardless) and a few small packages of tissues (for squatting/public bathrooms that don't have toliet paper).

I'll let you know if there's anything else on my lists that would be good to have. I hope that bit helps for now. ^^

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

I'll be there for 3 months, but I'm really worried I'll overpack. I know I'm going to be buying lots and lots of stuff when I'm there.. x_X; probably will have to ship some stuff back even.

[yuji.livejournal.com]

I remember when I went to Japan we were advised to not bring traveler's checks but for the life of me I can't remember why.

Any medications in your medicine bag? I remember you can't have ibuprofen so you might want to consider bringing your own pain killers just to be safe.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

Oh really? I've read everywhere and the only suggestion anything tells me is to bring Traveler's checks. I heard that they can sometimes be a hassle, though. Yamasa suggests them as well, but I think their reasoning is theres a post office close by campus and I guess they convert traveler's checks and at a better conversion rate than usual?

This is one thing that I've had trouble with.. the money thing, cuz I'm just not sure what to do lol. I definitely don't want to be carrying around thousands of yen in my pocket.

[sujaeya.livejournal.com]

I used my card mostly and withdrew when needed. The 711 shops had international atms.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

hmm.. isn't there like a huge fee for that though? And I'm worried that when I get there for some reason that won't work and I won't have any extra money than the stuff i bring with me.

[sujaeya.livejournal.com]

I brought ibuprofen to Japan. I'm pretty sure anyways.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

oh, well I'm allergic to ibuprofen anyway, lol.. I think tylenol would be okay.

[mystical-mayhem.livejournal.com]

I'd like to be added to your list of things to bring =D

I'd bring a power strip, just in case. You never know.

Your list looks pretty good. I can't really think of any other essentials you'd need.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

lolol I will try to fit you in my suitcase :x

But yeah.. thanks for the input on the powerstrip.

Powerstrip no: 1
Powerstrip yes: 1

haha.. well I'm sure if I have extra room I'll bring it either way.

[ihrayne.livejournal.com]

lol your list is so nice and concise! I'm the kind of person that would pack that much for a week. XD

I can't think of anything else to add really...perhaps a mini first aid kit? Maybe I'm just a clumsy person. :)

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

haha really?? XD I'm always so worried that I'll pack too much, honestly. Usually I pack WAY more than I need, so I was worried I'd be like "OMG I NEED EVERYTHING" since I'll be gone for so long, you know?

well, anyway I will definitely think about getting a mini first aid kit, that's a good suggestion x_X; there's a hospital nearby to the campus I guess, but I wonder if I'll be able to communicate with them haha.. well they probably speak some English.

[atrandum.livejournal.com]

ahh packing *_* i'm not braggin but moi is a master muhaha XD

What you pack depends a lot on where you're staying. Are you going to be with a host family? dorm?
you don't need to bring toiletries like
◘ Shampoo
◘ Soap/Body wash
unless they're small bottles. don't bring full sized ones lol. you can buy those things anywhere in japan ^^ there are plenty of like medicine stores everywhere where you can buy these things =) they don't just sell medicine there, they sell all the woman stuff, the toiletries, etc etc. it's like a mini walgreens.
power strip isn't necessary because it's big lol. try counting up how many plugs you'll need though i guess? most of the time, i only need two. one for laptop and one for HDD external. then at night when i turn those things off, i use it to charge camera and cell phone. unless you can find a small power strip...
yesh, most definitely bring your US cellphone and charger.
i try to pack only bare necessities because like you, i know imma buy a crap load of things in japan. Japan is also insanely strict about weight limit so if you're there for months, you'll definitely have to ship stuff (luckily they also have one of the most reliable postal services) but pack as light on your way there because since you'll be there for so long, you'll just buy things like toiletries and other stuff there. if i were you, i'd start doing preliminary packing of the ABSOLUTELY necessary items first. thenn if there's space, you can put in the less necessary items (like toothpaste/soap holder XDDD?)
don't worry though, whatever you forget to pack, you can buy in japan because it's a well developed country lol =)
about the traveler's checks, i remember being told that they weren't very useful in Japan either because many stores don't really accept them. i've never used them before so i dunno what they're like though lol. cash is the main norm of money in Japan. Japanese people don't like to use credit cards, but you can definitely use it in big department stores and stuff. you'll be surprised to find that many Japanese people just walk around with like 50,000+yen in their wallet lol. do you have a credit/debit card? most Japanese banks ATMs won't let you draw money from them. but you can always pretty much use Citibank and post office ATMs. i think if your card has "Cirrus" in the back, there would be no problem with those ATMs.
ahh sorry for the long rant XDD i just love packing lol. i've been to Japan way too many times for my own good, so if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help as much as I can =D have you been there before? ^___^ ahh i'm so excited for you!!!! i'm going there this summer as well hehe =D!!

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

oh my god @_@ Thank you so much! I'm seriously pretty n00b at packing, honestly. I mean, the most I've ever packed for is for like a week, and honestly that's a lot different than 3 months.. and plus out of the country ^_^;;

I guess for the shampoo, my hair is super finicky, and I use a shampoo that works for my hair.. I guess I'm worried that I won't be able to find it there, and my hair will just go crazy and.. yeah I hate my hair unless it's the way it is now T_T;; But yeah, I get what you mean about bringing the BARE bare essentials.

[atrandum.livejournal.com]

haha yeah, I understand your worries XDD my mom always said though that packing for a month or a year is the same as packing for a week cuz'...you can't fit much more into your luggage LOL. you'll be fine though! hehe =D
btw, love your slightly gayish Ohno icon XDDDD gawd, he makes a good woman.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

lolol.. how about this one?

[atrandum.livejournal.com]

ROFL XDDD! I think Aiba agrees with us XDDD

[sujaeya.livejournal.com]

Bring kleenex packs. They're really useful and the puffs brand is wonderful compared to the cheap stuff they have. Then again, if you're ok with the cheap stuff, then they're given all over the streets.

I wouldn't bring the speakers or the power strip. If you really need them, then I'm sure you can find some there. You can buy notebooks and stuff at the hyakuen shop. Don't waste the time of having to bring it all there. It'd be a bitch.

Bring a wash cloth; you'll want to carry one on you (whether to dry your hands or wipe you face -- they're really nice in the summer when you sweat a lot). As far as clothing goes, if you're planning on bring a lot, make sure to bring some things that you're willing to part with. Shipping stuff overseas is a pain in the ass, and it's expensive as hell.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

ahhhh KLEENEX. But I think the most useful thing would be the wash cloth. I'm sure it'll be humid as HELL there, so.. YEAH ^_^;;

I'm sure I'll end up packing too much stuff.. eep.. but, I think this is helping me pack LESS too much stuff.

[missmomoko.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking you won't need to buy all your toiletries since you can get it in Japan. Just bring the essentials that you must have for the first week maybe!

And also they have cute socks in Japan! I reckon you will be buying A LOT of stuff. So if you don't mind spending, there's soooo many nice clothes there. A weeks worth of clothes you can rotate would be handy! You have that covered already.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

that seems to be the consensus around here ^_^;; I'm thinking I'll skip out on the soap but take my shampoo since my hair is finicky and only behaves with certain brands x_X;; and I hate it when my hair doesn't behave.. seriously -_-

And ahh! I wanna buy cute socks T___T I'm gonna buy cute socks!!

[whoompah.livejournal.com]

oooh I srsly have no idea what else you could pack D: it all seems to be there!

asdfgh it's gonna be so much fun! so lucky!

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

ahah I will pack you 8DD how's that?

[whoompah.livejournal.com]

ASDFGHJ SOUNDS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! *________________*
*CLINGS*

[amaskforophelia.livejournal.com]

You can get plug converters at target. Check to see if your devices are all 110/220 (they'll have that written on the back) if they are ONLY 110, I suggest just not bringing them, because they'll blow up. I don't think you'll need a powerstrip, but the nice think about that is that you'll be able to plug all your American things into one outlet and you'll only need one plug converter. However, powerstrips are usually three pronged, and the converter that I got from target only accepted two pronged. You might want to go to a travel store and see if you can get a three pronged one.

I wouldn't worry too much about clothes. You'll buy a lot there. If you don't have a jacket that you like--don't bring it and get one when it gets cooler. Towels, pencils, notebooks are all things that you will want to buy there because they are super abundant. (Or at least they were in 2005.)

Having your American cell phone is nice for when you come back, but I don't think you'll really need it. I wrote down all my numbers in a book, and just had some quarters on me for when I came home, to use a pay phone.

You'll want lots of deodorant because they don't have the same kind, and I'm pretty sure Japanese people just don't sweat.... haha. Truthfully tho, I'm under the impression that if you search hard enough, you'll find whatever you need, especially in an urban area.

I suggest bringing a few of your favorite books to read, just in case you need something that reminds you of home. Plus the kids in my abroad program were passing all the books around and it's good to have something to add. Are you bringing a sketchbook and drawing pencils?

[popstar-gummi.livejournal.com]

My advice would be to totally not stress out too much about packing. I was really worried that I'd forget stuff, but it's really easy to find whatever you need here for the most part! UM, if I think of anything else, I'll let you know...but 100 yen shops are so amazing, and...I suppose the best things to bring from home are personal items that you may start to miss while you're here. But even then, you can have someone send you things if you really feel the need to have them. Don't stress out too much! <3

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

omg THANK YOU for this T__T Um yeah.. I guess I'm just worried that I'll be too scared to go out in the first couple days and yeah xDD;; lol I dunno.. *trying not to stress TOO much*

[thevash.livejournal.com]

Take the power strip.
Find a cheap one, not like bad, but just not to costly, and leave it there on the way home. Some places have like 2 outlets and they are not even near each other, depending on where you live/need it.

theVash

[xumiie.livejournal.com]

what the hell I FEEL SO OUT OF THE LOOP BECAUSE I KEEP MISSING UR ENTRIES
AND NEGLECTING LJ!!!!!!

PACK PORN JUST IN CASE!!!

jk lol;;;
i think the stuff you have is pretty much all good. i suck at packing...so yeah...

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

WELL JERK. STOP BEING OUT OF THE LOOP THEN. >_>;;

idk.. and NO I will not bring porn.. geeeeeeez Sandy

[xumiie.livejournal.com]

PORN IS GUD FOR THE SOUL
ASK CHANGMIN

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

WELL CHANGMIN IS A SPECIAL CASE BECAUSE... UHM.. IDEK WTF :((

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

Hey u should get on AIM if you're there right now, cuz I'm at school (so no MSN) for a while still and no one to talk tooo :((( so.. GET ON AIM. plus we need to discuss the spazzcrack.. thing.

[mintymomoberry.livejournal.com]

GAHHH I want to go for the tokyo dome concert! Pack me in a suitcase and let me stay with you pawese~? When and where are you leaving and staying?

[mintymomoberry.livejournal.com]

btw what is a letter of acceptance?

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

I'm leaving early June and will be staying there until early September :) And I'll be in a small-ish town that's really close by to Nagoya ^^

And.. well, as for the letter of acceptance, it's the letter of acceptance to the school that I'm going to over there, and without it, they won't let me enter Japan haha

[thevash.livejournal.com]

Oh, also, if you have any sort of electrical "thingy" that has 3 prongs, you will want to bring an adapter that gets rid of the ground prong, they only have 2 prong outlets there.
More or less.

theVash

[thevash.livejournal.com]

Oh, also, if you have any sort of electrical "thingy" that has 3 prongs, you will want to bring an adapter that gets rid of the ground prong, they only have 2 prong outlets there.
More or less.

theVash