Enjoy Happy Life

Hi all, maintainer here, just checking in with the community. Sorry, I've been really absent and traffic dropped off with no one really posting much.

Hope this finds you all well, happy and employed in a rewarding job!

Are most of you still in Japan?? Have you moved?? Got advice for anyone wanting to go to Japan? Tips???

Share please, let me know who's still out there! Remember when you post, please add tags!!!! Thanks again for your ongoing support of each other. :)

I don't know if anyone even reads here anymore, but I figured I'll give this a try anyway!

I'm going to be moving to Tokyo in March. It's not my first time living in Japan, but it has been a few years and I lived in a much smaller city (in Gunma) before. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on good online expat communities I should join to find out more about life in Tokyo, different activities I might like to do (I'm really interested in language classes and cooking classes but those aren't the only things), advice on places to go/avoid, that kind of thing.

Thanks!

I want to get some flea/tick prevention medicine for my mini-dachshund, and I would like to use the same brand I used on my dog back in the States. I know there is similar medicine available here, but I'd rather use the brand I'm familiar with (and can get cheaper than a lot of the medicine here).

But I wonder - Japan has different varieties of ticks/fleas, I imagine. Would American-based medicine work on insects here? What brand do you use on your pets - do you use ones from overseas or the Japanese brands?

I know this is the sort of thing where the answer is typically "ask your vet," but obviously the vet is going to recommend buying whatever brand is available at his office, so that's a bit pointless.

Thanks in advance for any advice/recommendations, and forgive me if this is a stupid question - I just want to avoid wasting money on medicine that doesn't work (and then put my dog in danger by leaving her vulnerable)! :)

I'm planning to move back to the US next year and I'm not too worried about shipping most of my stuff through the mail, but I am worried about my PC. It's very nice and cost me a lot, so I don't want to leave it here. At the same time, I want it to arrive unbroken in the US. Any suggestions? It's huge, BTW, so I can't take it on the plane with me.

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I'm back in the US for a few weeks, and I'd like to use the WiFi on my phone without using the cell reception. Now, my phone is pretty old, so if I turn on WiFi, it turns on cell reception (but not 3G). If I only use WiFi and don't make or receive any calls or txts (everyone knows I'm out of the country), will I get charged any extra? Can I use the WiFi, with reception turned on but not being actively used (zero bars, anyway), or should I not? I don't want to get back to Japan and find a huge Softbank bill…

I've had some difficulties recently with my oral contraceptives and would like some more information about other forms of birth control, specifically IUDs.

Does anyone know of any good doctors in Tokyo? Especially if they take national insurance.

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Hi!

I've been in Japan for many years now.
When traveling I really need the functions of a smartphone, but what kept me from getting one until now was that stupid 2-year contract that all providers in Japan offer.
I never knew if I'd stay long enough and on top of that I knew that I wouldn't be able to use the phone back home (stupid SIM-lock).

Anyways, I'm looking for the best option in my situation.
I'm quite sure that I won't stay another 2 years in Japan. We're talking about 6 months - 1.5 years.
I had friends who left and had to pay about 10.000yen cancellation fee and a lot of money for the phone (however much was still left to pay) and they took a phone with them that was completely useless.
I really NEED a smartphone these days, but I don't want to waste around 60.000yen (with the iPhone 5 it's probably even more).

I found out about b-mobile. They offer a Smartphone SIM and it's only a 3-months commitment! That sounds great!
They accept SIM-free phones, so you can buy a phone abroad and then use b-mobile as provider.

I want to know if anybody has any experience with this provider or has done what I might want to do?


If you have any other good ideas what I could do, please let me know!


Thanks a lot in advance! :)

Has anyone tried Hulu Japan site? Is it worth it? I currently use a VPN to access the US Hulu site but I'd be willing to pay the 980/month if there are actually good tv shows and movies on the Japanese site.

So far this summer, I've seen one cockroach but I'm pretty sure there are more in my apartment.
These things scare the hell out of me. I need them gone.
I've heard mixed things about bug bombs. Is it worth my time/money to get some? I already have some poison traps, the kind they bring back and share with their gross bug friends, and a spray can in case I see another one.
Can I contact my landlord, or will they just tell me to stfu and deal with it? (I live in an apartment building owned by a company that caters specially, but not exclusively, to foreigners.)
Any advice will be appreciated. I literally cannot sleep because every time I hear any sounds, I wake up convinced that it's a roach somewhere…