Technology Tips for Future Students in Japan

October 11, 2016

While preparing to study abroad, I had read countless blogs from students who had gone abroad. Many of these students suggested that you bring an unlocked phone in order to use a local SIM card with it, since purchasing local SIM cards is a lot cheaper than having an international plan with a phone carrier in your home country.

I decided that I wanted to obtain an unlocked GSM phone in order to be able to use a Japanese SIM card. So I asked my dad—the king of hoarding all things electronic—if he had a spare phone and he gave me an unlocked LG Stylo a couple of weeks before my departure to Japan. It took me a while to get used to it, since my previous phone was the tiny iPhone 4S. But it’s a good phone, and I’m glad I have it!

Tip for future students: if you get a new phone, make sure to give yourself some time to learn how to use it and, if using a smartphone, to download all of the apps you think you may need, such as a translation app and Google Maps. That way, you’re not stressing yourself out about navigating through your phone while you’re in a foreign country. (Also, make sure that your charger works and bring an extra, just in case!)
In addition, make sure you have a means of communicating with your family and friends online in case your phone is unable to make calls or send texts for some reason. For example, consider downloading apps such as Line or WhatsApp (which you can use freely with Wi-Fi), or make sure that you are friends with everyone on Facebook prior to your departure.

A couple of days after my arrival in Japan, my host dad helped me find a simple data plan. Heads-up to students coming to Japan: some cell phone companies only give you a SIM card if you have a Japanese credit card. Luckily for me, my host dad offered to use his credit card to get the SIM card and to pay the monthly bill, and all I had to do was give him the money for the bill every month.
We eventually agreed on a plan that allowed me 3 gigabytes of data per month, which costs 600 yen (or approximately 6 U.S. dollars) per month. I only use my data when I’m commuting to and from school, or when I’m exploring someplace and might eventually need an app like Google Maps or a Japanese-English dictionary. Most of the time, though, I use Wi-Fi for internet access.

Oberlin University gives all students access to Wi-Fi, the computer labs, printers, and copy machines. If I ever need to use a desktop computer or a printer, I usually go to the Center for Japanese Learning Resources, which is primarily used by international students who are currently learning Japanese. I hardly ever had to use the copy machines, but when I do need to make a copy of a document, I usually go to the Office of International Programs and ask one of the staff members to make a copy for me.

Written By

Yvette Ortiz

Hello! My name is Yvette, and I am a fifth-year student here at Northeastern. For my final semester as an undergrad, I decided to study abroad in Tokyo, Japan. One of the main reasons I chose to go abroad was my desire to push myself out of my comfort zone, and I figured traveling alone to a foreign country where my native language is rarely used would be a pretty effective way of doing that. Aside from improving my Japanese, my main study-abroad goal is to not be afraid of making mistakes. Since I will be immersed in a completely different culture, I will receive ample opportunities to initiate conversations with native Japanese speakers. I’ll probably make tons of mistakes, but that's okay, because that's what normally happens when you're learning a foreign language while living in a foreign country.