A Message from TSC Director
Dear prospective Education Abroad Program students,
Congratulations on being selected to the Japan EAP! We are writing to
you from the UC Tokyo Study Center, which oversees all the UCEAP
programs in Japan. Are you looking forward to the excitement of living
in Tokyo, or the more leisurely pace of tradition-bound Kyoto?
Perhaps you are on your way to the small caring town of Tsuru, nestled
up at the foot of Mt. Fuji― and yes, Mt. Fuji is more beautiful than
any photograph you may have ever seen. If you are a science major,
your choice may have been to study at a research lab under a professor
doing cutting edge work at the prestigious national universities in
Osaka and Sendai. Or did you choose to study manga and anime on a
lovely campus in suburban Tokyo?
For all of these programs, the Tokyo Study Center is here to support
you. We are dedicated to making sure that all goes well for you,
academically and personally, during your stay in Japan. As you know,
Japan has an extraordinary culture― 2000 years old and yet
up-to-the-minute contemporary. Kabuki, bunraku, manga, fashion, noise
music, tea ceremony― you can take your pick of traditional, popular,
or avant-garde. And given rapidly evolving global markets and
international collaborative research, having experienced life in a
foreign country should be a major plus when you graduate and start
looking for a job. Japan― a major financial, scientific, and
cultural hub in Asia― will help broaden your horizons immeasurably.
And Japan has the added bonus of an excellent National Health system,
which you will be covered by during your stay here. All this, for not
much more (and sometimes less) than the cost of studying at your home
campus! We realize that the decision to study abroad, be it for a
semester or a year, is not an easy one, and you may still have
questions that you would like answered. Check us out at our website
for the UC Tokyo Study Center (http://www.uctsc.org)
for photos and information of the campuses that you may be going to, and if you have
any questions, please feel free to drop a line to us at our email
addresses below.
We look forward to meeting you and getting to know you soon.
All the best,
Junko, Kayo, Kazumi, and Mami
UC Tokyo Study Center
Prof. Junko Ito, Director (ito*uctsc.org)
Ms. Kayo Takahashi, Office Manager (takahashi*uctsc.org)
Ms. Kazumi Onnagawa, Program Coordinator (onnagawa*uctsc.org)
Ms. Mami Maeno, Program Assistant (maeno*uctsc.org)
When sending us an email, please replace "*" with "@".
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| Junko Ito |
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Kayo Takahashi |
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Director, UC Tokyo Study Center
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Manager, UC Tokyo Study Center
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| Professor of Linguistics, UC Santa Cruz |
Tokyo's mass transit system is baffling at first. Please refer to the following helpful tips for using public transportation in Tokyo.
You will soon appreciate the efficiency of public transportation in Tokyo.
Trains:
You need to purchase your train tickets from ticket vending machines located at station entrances.
The price of your ticket depends on the distance you travel. Above these machines, you see a map of train stations with the station names shown in Japanese Kanji.
Together with the station name is also shown the fare for a ticket to that station from your current station. If you are unsure of the fare,
buy a ticket for the lowest fare available and present your ticket at the fare adjustment window or machine which should be inside the ticket gate
before you exit at your destination. The attendants or machines inform you of how much you must pay to make up the difference of your trip.
Insert your ticket at the ticket gates. The ticket will come out the other end of the gate. You should be sure to take it back again
as you proceed through the gate. You need your ticket again to exit at your destination. When you reach your destination,
you again insert the ticket into the gate, but you will not receive the ticket back.
Buses:
Most buses in Tokyo Require a flat fare of 210 yen. Pay this fare when you enter the bus. Passengers board the bus at the front where
there is a coin machine beside the driver. If you have correct change, drop it in the coin box. If you do not have correct change,
there is a slot beside the coin box where you can get change for 1,000 yen. The drivers help you if you can not figure it out.
When you want to get off the bus, push the purple buzzer closest to you (unless it is already lit) and exit from the center of the bus.
Taxis:
Passengers are expected to enter and exit taxis from the back passenger-side door.
This door opens and closes automatically. You should not try to open or close this door yourself.
Drivers start the meter at the beginning of the trip and the fare is displayed. It is not custom to tip drivers in Japan.
We discourage you from bringing money with you in the form of a check, personal or otherwise,
as it takes a few weeks to clear. Not all debit cards, ATM bank cards, and credit cards issued in a
foreign country can be used in Japan. Especially for the first two weeks, until Non-Japanese citizens
obtain an alien registration card to open a bank account, do not rely on an ATM card or a credit card alone
for access to your money. In addition to it, you should bring traveler's checks,
preferably in US dollars or yen amounts. Estimated possible expenses for the fist two weeks to survive, we
recommend to have 50,000-80,000 yen at least (it does not include personal entertainment or independent travel
abroad). These can be cashed easily at most banks, the airport and the post offices.
VISA cards can now be used countrywide at most Post offices and some convenience stores.
However, please check with your card company or bank in advance that issued it to check if it can be used in Japan.
The voltage in Japan differs from that in some other countries or operates at a different frequency: 100 volts, 50 cycles in Tokyo and eastern Japan, and 60 cycles in Kyoto and western Japan.
This may mean that certain appliances made outside Japan (hair dryers, electric razors, etc.) do not work well. You may be able to still use them, but for appliances that require high precision,
such as CD players, you may need a converter, which can be purchased at most electronics stores. The electric socket also may take a different shape to that of your home country. Please
be sure to check this in advance, and if necessary, come prepared. These items are difficult to find in the immediate area and one your courses start, time for finding the items is limited.
