Some tips for students' first day in Tokyo, Japan.

1. Hello, Tokyo
Tips for a student’s first day in Japan’s capital city

2. Arrival
•You will most likely fly into Haneda or Narita
Airport
•When going through immigration, present your
student visa and accompanying documents (such
as your Certificate of Eligibility)
•Some short-term students may not need a visa;
check with your nearest consulate before
departure

3. Transportation
•Tokyo’s extensive public transportation system
will get you around most hours of the day
•Airport shuttles are another good way of getting
to your initial destination
•Taxis are very expensive and not recommended
for those on a budget

4. The Keisei Line is the cheapest route from Narita
Airport to Tokyo
Note that Narita Airport is outside of Tokyo;
expect to travel approximately 1.5 to 2 hours

5. Finances
•As of October 2015, 1 US Dollar is worth
approximately 120 Japanese Yen
•Purchases in Japan are largely cash-based; even
in Tokyo, many businesses do not accept credit
and debit cards
•Many ATMs in the city do not accept foreign
debit cards; get cash before leaving the airport

6. 7-Eleven stores are located all over
Tokyo and their ATMs reliably accept
foreign debit cards

7. Gift Giving
•Gifts, also known as omiyage, are an important
part of Japanese culture
•Bring some gifts for your host family, roommate,
friends, or people who help you
•Packaged foods and items representative of
where you are from work well
•Avoid giving gifts that are large in size or
expensive

8. Household Etiquette
Watch the short video on the next slide for some
great tips on visiting or living in a Japanese home;
this will be particularly useful if you will be staying
with a host family or have a Japanese roommate.

9. Japanese toilets may have several buttons
and options that are new to you; consult your
host family, roommate, or friends before
experimenting

10. Rest Up
•Try to sleep and wake up at reasonable times
after your arrive
•Your body will need time to adjust to your new
time zone; try to get on schedule as early as
possible
•At this point, you will have made it through your
first day in Tokyo!

11. Attributions
• Slide 1: Photograph by Craig Geffre, presentation creator
• Slide 4: “Keisei Limited Express @ Haneda Airport Station (Keikyu Line)” by
Hideyuki KAMON
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/hyougushi/809963488/in/album-
72157600979980174)
• Slide 6: “7-Eleven” by fletcherjcm
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/maryandjc/3985799724/in/album-
72157622480357536/)
• Slide 9: “Household Etiquette” by Rachel & Jun
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN62JzL-f0k)
• Slide 10: “Japan – Japanese Toilets” by Maya-Anaïs Yataghène
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/mayanais/9982742145/in/album-
72157635972598976/)