Some Helpful Tidbits

Students in the KCJS program get an excellent information packet a couple months before the start of the program, complete with all of the basic information you'll need about what to pack, how to get a visa, getting plane tickets, etc. So I won't go into that stuff here. But here are some useful tidbits, good for any study abroad student or student of Japanese!

Skype: I can't sing the praises of Skype enough. It's a free IM/video-conference program, and for those with tech-challenged relatives (hi mom), it also lets you make calls to landlines and cellphones, for a small fee. It's an excellent way to keep in touch with family and friends back home, *especially* because phone fees in Japan are ridiculous (side note: get used to texting, because even local calls are too expensive normally). The video-conference aspect is the best part though, so make sure you get a webcam and microphone before you go!

Hyperdia and Yahoo! 路線情報 (Rosen Jouhou): Two websites that can help you plan train trips. They'll give you information about pricing, time, distance, train changes, stops, etc. I've primarily used Hyperdia and found it to be very useful but sometimes frustrating - it doesn't always seem to give the best/cheapest route. But it's better than nothing, and it's in English! I've only used the Yahoo! site once, but it seemed very straightforward and easy to use, so it might be worth checking out. It's entirely in Japanese though (but now that you have Rikaichan, it should be easy to navigate!).

Rikaichan: A Firefox extension that can make Japanese homework infinitely easier - the extension automatically looks up words/kanji that you highlight with your mouse on the browser. If you don't use Firefox... well, you should be, so you might as well switch now, if only for Rikaichan.

WWWJDIC: Everyone knows of this online Japanese dictionary, right?

ALC: I prefer this online dictionary though, and I didn't even know about it until pretty late in the semester. Try it out, I find it's much more accurate and easier to use than other dictionaries, and it provides plenty of example sentences and phrases.

漢字そのまま楽引辞典 (Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten): A dictionary for the Nintendo DS, and basically what every single KCJS student used regularly for homework. It's easier to use than most electronic dictionaries, because you can draw the unknown kanji with the stylus and the program will look it up for you. It's not perfect, of course, but it works pretty darn well. It's also cheaper than most electronic dictionaries, even if you add in the cost of buying the DS system itself. The DS is an added social bonus too - don't be the only kid in the program who can't participate in Mario Kart competitions with everyone else! It's best to buy the DS here in America and then buy the game in Japan. Don't import - it's way too expensive, and the game's easy to find anyway.