It’s crazy that it’s already been over 3 years since we first moved to Japan. Though I still have lots to learn, I have picked up a few things since we first moved here.
We have now been back to the States for a 5 month furlough and then returned to Japan again, so I have managed to pack twice now for a move to Japan. Here are a few things I’ve learned!
We missed Japanese food while on furlough more than we missed American food while in the States. I’m serious, it’s true! But there are still a few items that I really wanted to take back to Japan with me this time around. Cake mixes, muffin mixes, and brownie mixes were a few of those! Instant pudding and jello mixes are also handy. I’m not such a great baker, so having super easy mixes on hand for the occasional treat is nice. In Japan, everything is from scratch…except pancakes. Pancake mix is readily available for some reason. 🙂 Powdered sugar is also tricky to find in Japan in anything larger than a teeny tiny packet. Baking chips (chocolate chips, caramel chips, you name it) are also tough to find unless you live near Costco. Other food items to consider bringing over would be instant mixes (Mac n cheese, rice a roni, hamburger helpers, etc), seasonings (season salt, Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, chili seasoning, thanksgiving seasonings; basics like oregano, parsley, etc are easy to find here). Sauces are another thing to think about. I brought over ranch mix packets, hot sauce, and even chickfila bottled sauce. Oh and flavored coffee syrups too.
Clothes are relatively comparable between Japan and the States. However, if you are a taller woman, or even average in the States, realize that Japanese sizes might be short in the sleeves and pants. Socks/shoes for women larger than size 7.5 can be difficult to find in Japan too. Bras and lingerie tend to be much smaller sizes (think A and B cup, maybe a C here or there), so if you need larger sizes, my experience says stock up and bring with you. You might be able to find larger sizes here, but it could be difficult. Kids clothes and shoes are actually quite easily found in Japan though. I love buying kids shoes here because I rarely pay over $10 a pair. 🙂
If you have kids, it might be worth a trip to the drugstore to pick up basic kids meds/vitamins before coming over. I brought along liquid Tylenol, ibuprofen, zarbees, and sudafed. You can find these things in Japan, but let’s be honest…it’s nice to have them on hand when your kid gets sick and you still only know a few phrases of Japanese. I’ve found that a lot of kids meds in Japan come in powdered form which you then can dissolve in juice or water to give to the kids. I just like having a bottle of liquid Tylenol on hand for the inevitable fever! Oh and I have yet to find chewy gummy vitamins here for kids. For adult meds, I brought basic sudafed, allergy meds, and pain killers in a small amount. So far I have been able to find everything here. Again, it’s just nice to have them on hand until you learn to go shopping for those items!
Most any household item you could want is available in Japan. Just realize that you may not have as many color/pattern options as you would in the States. If you’re not picky, then you really don’t need to bring much over! One tip though…Japan as a whole tends not to use top sheets on the beds. So if you prefer a top sheet before the blanket (futon), then you might want to bring that a long. I thought that I would really miss it, but I actually love making a bed now without having to straighten out a tangled top sheet. Towels are another item to keep in mind. From my experience, big fluffy towels are not so much a thing here! Towels here tend to be smaller and thinner. So I brought along a nice set of thick towels in my favorite color this past furlough. I also have yet to find scented candles here. For kitchen equipment, I think the most important thing I brought was my pampered chef garlic press. Even my current instant pot is a knockoff brand purchased here in Japan, but it works great! Also a set of cup/teaspoon measurements could be nice to bring along since Japan works in the metric system even for recipes.
Toiletries in Japan are pretty basic. I easily found Pantene shampoo/conditioner. Makeup options are extensive. I found my exact model of Schick razor and replacement blades from the States in the pharmacy here. Toothpaste might taste a little different but if you look you can find the American style red/white/blue paste here too. However, one thing I brought over with me is a good supply of deodorant, both mens and womens. Deodorant here does not seem to be as effective against American body odors! Not to mention it is typically a spray style rather than a stick deodorant.
If you have kids, you might want to consider some English childrens books. English books are not impossible to find here, but Chrsitian-themed books would be difficult to find.
Seasonal items will depend on your family’s traditions and what is important to you to maintain overseas. Christmas items are abundant here, but not ones with Christian themes (you might want to bring along a nativity set!). Easter items on the other hand are unavailable. If plastic Easter eggs are important to you, bring them along! I think it goes without saying that Fourth of July items are also unavailable. The same goes for Thanksgiving. If pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, poultry seasoning, cranberry sauce, karo syrup, and marshmallow fluff are necessities for your holidays, please bring them! I also like to bring along some microwave popcorn and hot cocoa packets for the winter months. They are available here but quite expensive!
At the end of the day, even if you move to Japan with only the most basic necessities, you will be able to find what you need to live comfortably. Most of the the things you will find yourself packing are based on preference and will probably vary from family to family. So relax and have fun packing. For our family, we have found that using our allotted baggage plus maybe one extra checked bag has been enough to get what we need moved across seas with us.
What are your questions? What items are you curious to find in Japan? What items do you think would be on your must-pack list? Let me know in the comments.