Describe Your Expectations of Japan Pre-Arrival and After You Arrived.. How did those expectations differ?

So many people when they move to Japan have a Pre-Expectation for what to expect.

I thought everything was going to look like the movie "Karate Kid"..  Remember all the huts and small wooden houses???  Boy was I wrong..

What did you expect prior to arriving to Japan?  How did that change after you landed to the airport and saw all the people standing at the gates?  How was the bus ride looking around out at the culture?  Describe your first couple days living in Japan.

This post I think will help those REPORTING TO JAPAN, and help give them some comfort on what to expect the first couple of days. Its a complete culture shock to some. Lets help put some minds at ease, with some really good stories.. Thanks guys..

Edit:

Nevermind! you said GOOD stories... guess the horrors of the Navy Lodge wouldn't count?

Nevermind! you said GOOD stories... guess the horrors of the Navy Lodge wouldn't count?

Doesnt have to be positive. Share the truth.

*living in the navy lodge for a month sucks!! if you have one with a kicthen it is ok. but if you dont have a kicthen you are stuck to eating out 99% of the time. We lived there for a month, not cool when you are 7 months pregnant.
*how nice people are outside of the gate.
* once you learn the train and able to get around ,you are able to escape the fishbowl that we live in. I love it here in Yokosuka but sometime I feel like i live in a fish bowl.
* if you have children and want to work, try to get them on the wait list before you arrive here, child care here is VERY hard to get.
* come with a OPEN mind to new things, and try new things, it is differnet when you are pregnant, cant try all the food, but afterwards, there is a whole new world out there.
*it takes time, when they talk about culture shock, they mean it.

oh, if housing tells you that you will have a place in 2 weeks, still look off base or else you are in a mess.

stay on top of your paper work, dont loose your recipts, update your page 2 ASAP, make sure you stop getting BAH for the states, the navy is really slow on giving money when they owe it to you, but if you owe them money, they take it faster then you know what.

Well, I think the biggest worry before we got here was not knowing what to expect. You can be told what to expect, but there's nothing like the real thing!

We didn't have a sponsor, I never attended the 'welcome' class, I didn't have anyone to talk to about the move or anything else-like this website, hubby was only here for a week, and we lived off base. Thank goodness he got the house before we got here, so we didn't have to stay in temp lodging. I had a 3 yr old and had to figure out the bus/train. Thank goodness with the bus I got off at the last stop both ways. I really think the biggest help were the locals telling me how to take the train. One guy actually drew me a map. It was still really stressful, though. But once I got used to the transportation and shopping off base, it was fine. You just have to get used to it.

I have known people who moved back to the states because they truly didn't like it here, but only a couple. Most people seem to love it or at least can tolerate it.

People who have found this site before moving here are very lucky. You can have most of your questions answered by people who actually live here, not just the CFAY website.(though it is useful too, in a different way)

I guess I had higher expectations. So keep your low. Don't expect good customer service basically anywhere on base. But of course you will still find nice people. They still do exist.

It's better to wait in the states while your (spouse) take care of housing and such, especially if you have a pet. If you can and want to. Not many people have the luxury.

Living at the Navy Lodge for 2 months is not something I would recommend to anybody I like.

First thing you do after you get settled at Navy lodge is sign up for AOB/ICR and/or sign up for Housing Brief. Any one of the two or both. AOB/ICR takes a week, and you can't do anything without attending the Housing Brief and even after you attend it takes forever to get a house, on base or off base.

Don't be scared to go off base the first night you get here and learn to ride the train immediately. It will actually save you from boredom and it will keep you sane.

Nothing could prepare me for the horror that is the Navy Lodge. I had only ever been in Air Force Inns, and they are the Ritz Carlton compared to the Navy Lodges Motel 8 (or Bates Motel?!?).

I wasn't prepared for all the AOB/ICR and red tape check in stuff, but I'm civilian so that may be why.

I was also surprised by the 3rd world feel of some of the buildings. I find most of the architecture here old and dirty. While the streets are litter free, they are dirty and grimy looking. Most everything is old and dated looking. Some of it is charming, but some of it is icky (imo).

The smells. I had no idea a modern country could have such bad sewage smells- even places on base have that nasty sewage smell.

I don't really know that I had expectations. I had traveled to Japan when I was younger so it wasn't completely unknown. I can't say I love it here, but I don't hate it. I'm just sort of indifferent about the whole place.

Thanks everyone for sharing. Please continue to share from others. I think really helpful information is coming from this, and will be very beneficial to those reporting personnel in the future. I have pinned the topic, so it will remain at the top in the reporting to Japan section.

Everyone was very kind and helpful when I arrived. Luckily I had a sponsor in Atsugi who helped show me the ropes. I am single, so I didnt have to deal with most of the issues you guys describe with housing and hotels, but Atsugi is a very nice place. Its quite. Less drama. Japanese people are so nice even at the train stations. Back in NY, the subways, I just wish were as nice as they are here in Japan. Boy let me tell you. NY is a sick and rough place to grow up. I came to Japan, and my entire view on life changed.

I do agree that Japan has a "unique" smell......I'm not quite sure what the smell is. Perhaps it's the smell of exhaust fumes, the rain....I don't know, it's just different.

I think the biggest difference you will find is the level of customer service here. It really is quite exceptional. Living overseas has distorted my reality of the way customer service should be in the United States. When I return to the U.S., I expect the same level of customer service and it just doesn't exist. I find myself craving to be back in Japan where people are so kind and helpful.....which is the one of the reasons why I'm back in Japan yet again! I don't get all pissed off at people as much here because I believe the Japanese are far more considerate than your average American.

The high way system completely caught me off guard in the beginning. I can remember thinking, wow.....they build their highways up off the ground; elevated from the main roads. Impressive! It only makes sense. When you're lacking land space, the only place you can build is up!

I agree with Yoko-Girl regarding customer service in Japan, but that is only off base. On base it doesn't seem to exist.

I shop off base all the time.

I thought everyone would be wearing kumono.

I watched Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift, so I thought everyone would have a cool pimped-out ride....disappointed was I to quickly be surrounded by huge white minivans with ground effects.


Everything else I saw coming though...the only positive side to living in a Navy Town. I worked for two Chiefs who lived in Japan for years prior.

WAAAYYY different in Iwakuni. No odd smells here; it's a small town with no city nearby so no smog. Waterways are very clean and people fish daily in the canals which open directly to the sea. It's quite a pleasant, if boring, town but my wife & I don't mind boring.

Customer service on base is fairly good; everyone knows everyone. On base population is like 2500 active duty; 4500 total (including dependents). It is expected to double by 2014 if/when the Atsugi air wing moves down here. There is a lot of construction on base to prepare for the growth. Temp lodging at Kintai Inn is very nice; almost Air Force quality. It's not too hard to find a place off base but don't expect much help from the housing referral office. They have NO listings for you to look at; they just try to find you something according to your needs. They did absolutely NOTHING for me, so my wife and I just walked around out in town till we saw a place we liked & figured out who the agent was and went directly to him. This was in 100 degree temps last summer and very unpleasant (had no car/no drivers license yet) but it all worked out.

Do NOT watch movies and expect Japan to be like that. Just like other cultures watch Desperate Housewives or JAG and expect US/Navy to be like that -- NOT!!

This place is potentially worst for a young, single service man or woman looking for action. Alternatives are limited, unless you are into working out, chapel programs, or really into Japanese culture. If you get bored easily you might end up very bored here. But Japan is a wonderful country; take every opportunity to get out and look around. Miyajima is 45 minutes away; Hiroshima 1 hour. Many ski resorts 60-90 minutes away with military discounts available. You can get an all-day lift ticket for 3800 yen, free gear rental on base, and many "ladies day" where women get free lift tickets. Be creative, get involved, and you can have a very rewarding tour here.

thats great to know that iwakuni has no odd smells .. i love country fresh air whoo hoo !

I thought I'd bump this because I'll be moving at the end of the month and would much rather read some more on this topic than the rampant bickering in other threads.... =)

I had hoped to see my brother but he's off being the Amrican Hero, saving the world again. I'll be arriving on the 23rd to Yokosuka and am really anxious about being without my cell phone, which is what I use to keep in touch and connected to everyone back home.

Are there any internet cafes I can go to off-base, nearby, so that I can email home?

The Navy Lodge was the obvious choice for me interms of lodgings. I liked the close proximity.

What is the procedure to getting a tour of the base since bro is away?

Maybe he'll return before I head home but in case he isn't I want to experience as much as I can.

Spending Saturday in Tokyo. Minato-ku. ANy suggestions?

Having lived overseas Active Duty for over 18 years in Europe, specifically England and Germany, I expected to transition to Japan without much culture shock and difficulty. When I got here (Yokota Air Base), I will tell you that I was not happy. And three years later, I'm still not too fond of Japan or Yokota. If I'm honest, it's been hard to adjust.

* Yokota housing is a dump
* Customer service stinks around here
(I just recently retired after 23 years and information and processing for my retirement was a ghastly experience)
And for example, Finance office hours are 1000-1500. They are open only 5 hours to service a base??????
* BX clothing is atrocious (thank goodness for Yokosuka, which luckily has a decent selection) yes, I can order clothes online but I prefer to make sure my clothes fit, and online ordering does not offer that dependability.
* Enlisted Club is poorly managed
* Roaches everywhere
* Commissary closes at 7pm, should stay open til 9pm. (Helps shiftworkers out)


Japan, the country, is a great place to visit; however, I am not a fan of living here. I am a country girl at heart and living in a cramped, smog ridden, traffic congested environment has not been for me. I've become ill from nonstop coughing and allergies since I got here in 2007. My health has declined considerably.

Again, Japan is great to visit with all its vast history and sites to visit. And even with all my negative diatribe, I am glad that I am experiencing this.

I'm a single E-6 reporting to the George Washington. After initial contact my ship sponsor has been unresponsive. My flight arrives in Japan on July 18th. I've sold my car and most of my bulky belongings. Now I'm saying goodbye to my loved ones and coming from a very large, close family the reality of moving halfway across the world alone and not knowing anyone, the language, or my future living conditions is overwhelming and very daunting. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Have I kept all the right documentation? Are there new/different rules and regulations that I should to be aware of for living in Japan? Where will my new ship be when I arrive? If it's out to sea, will I get flown out to it? What can I do when get there? Is the base/MWR single sailor friendly?

My expectation from most of the posts I've read on this site was that the heat and humidity would be unbearable. Forturnately, I'm from Mississippi and the heat I've experienced here is laughable compared to what I'm used too. I will say that the humidity is running close to the deep South, but still, if you're accustomed to New Orleans style humidity, you'll be able to handle it here.

My experience in the Navy Lodge was not that bad. The facility itself is really as good as any Holiday Inn. The only issue I had was @$$holes in the laundry facilities. It's not like having your own place but it was clean and house keeping came around like clockwork. I'm really not sure what everyone expects from a HOTEL which is what it is. No, it's not ideal to transition to a new country in a hotel, but that's the navy

I got here in June of 2008 after living in Europe and then briefly again in the US. I came with an open mind, had secured a sponsor, had double checked all of my arrival info, had the proper required paperwork and a room with a kitchenette at the lodge. Yes it was hot in 2008 unlike it is now, but the good folks at the Lodge tried their very best to help everybody out. This experience is quite simple - educate yourself about Japan and this area, write to Military One Source if you need proper information as well as this forum. Remember that expectation is the mother of resentment and no, you will not live like in the US - that is why you want to come here isn't it? to experience another culture? so what makes anybody believe it is like "home"? It is amazing how many international food items one can find right outside the door of the base, how the train can get you just about anywhere and how still, after many a years, I find people gripe about a country that is not even given a chance - by people staying on base.
Try a simple thing - SMILE - it doesn't cost a thing and it makes everybody feel better. People here are honest, honorable and helpful. The customer service here is what the US was like decades ago, what a pity.
I have seen how this base has changed since I got here - at times now I feel like I live in the bay of pigs. The amount of trash thrown around by people is amazing - and yet, it is still cleaner than most Navy bases stateside. For all the newcomers and scheduled to arrive - please, never forget that you are ambassadors of our great country and the Navy - it takes only a few seconds or some moronic behavior to destroy the image that people here have tried so hard to build. Be courteous and in public, keep your voices down. Usually, the only loud people in Yokosuka are Americans, and that should not be the way to stand out - negatively. We cannot really blend in if we try, so our actions and behavior are extremely important. I love it here - one foot in the past the other in the future. A country of vast opposites and yet, people want the same as everybody all over the world - a peaceful life with a good income, a roof over their head, good food to eat and feel loved by family and friends.

Reporting in May, and i know a lot of folks have recently reported. Are there any new impressions that would help us?