Then switch to a bank that doesn't charge you $5 a month for online banking statements. If you have a decent credit rating and a hard pull won't prevent you from doing anything else you need, then look at getting a Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking account. No monthly fees, no foreign transaction fees, 100% of all ATM fees worldwide are reimbursed (no limit). And their customer service is truly amazing.

If OP likes the general style and convenience of Duolingo, I highly recommend Lingodeer.

It's also free, but is built with learning Asian languages in mind from the start, rather than Duolingo's attempt at shoehorning it into an app mainly designed for Western languages.

Unlike Duolingo, it actually provides explanations of new words and grammar if you tap on new words in the example sentences, instead of having to guess or read user comments like in Duolingo.

It also lets you configure how to display Japanese words, so you can turn of Romaji once you've learnt Hirigana/Katakana.

Did you look on Japanese amazon? There are plenty that will work, and you can find them in the electronics stores there as well.

Example: https://www.amazon.co.jp/ELECOM-%E4%B8%80%E6%8B%AC%E3%82%B9%E3%82%A4%E3%83%83%E3%83%81-%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B0%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E4%BB%98%E3%81%8D-%E6%8A%9C%E3%81%91%E6%AD%A2%E3%82%81%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BB%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88-T-Y3A-3720WH/d...

I'm a senior mobile developer with over 7 years of xp, from Europe. I applied in May, got the offer in July.

The COE and visa themselves were pretty fast (1 week + 1 week). The longest waiting time was Japan to reopen its border, plus other documents related to the quarantine and process (more than 5 months I think).
The whole process were very long and exhausting I must admit, but I guess it was due to the pandemic.

I had one Leetcode question in one of the position I applied to. It was a hard level question (https://leetcode.com/problems/serialize-and-deserialize-binary-tree/).

Other than that, I got a small project to complete in a week or other Leetcode type questions (not from Leetcode though).

>I count as new graduate to Japanese companies apparently.

If you are confident and know how to sell yourself, there is no reason they would count you as a new graduate. Anyway, companies usually try to lowball you so that they can take advantage of it.

>my plan is to line the sides of the box with paper, get a bunch of silica gel packs, and chuck a couple in each box.

Not a bad plan. But you don't want those tiny little silica gel packs you get with various electronics or whatever. Those won't help.

What you want is a GIANT TUB OF SILICA. Find some cloth potpourri bags or something of the like, fill 'em with silica, and throw 1-2 in each box.

Also these on Amazon US don't look polarized and are really cheap.

Thank you for taking your time to answer my question(s). That exemption thing sounds super interesting. I will keep that in mind my dude.

Much obliged 😊👍

It is pretty much doable, with 550k a month in Tokyo you'll live pretty fancily if you prioritize your spending. I made an excel sheet few months ago, you can find it here.
some fields like transportation, clothing etc are left blank. Do update details specific to you and it'll all work out. Good luck

Pretty much every university has it, but the requirements vary school by school. The cost for a PLA is usually a few hundred dollars, but each portfolio can cover several classes, so they cost much less than the courses they can replace.

In general you have to describe in detail what you learned, when you learned it, and how you learned it. The learning must match up with the learning objectives from courses the school offers or accepts in on transfer credit as well, meaning if your school doesn't offer a Japanese course and doesn't accept them on transfer from other schools, then you're out of luck.

They are never declined "for no reason" but they aren't free, and your portfolio will be evaluated by an SMA (subject matter expert). It's not something you can just wing. If I were you I'd just go ask your school directly. They don't advertise these systems generally, but they aren't going to outright lie to you about them if you ask. Your counselor can help you determine if a PLA is possible at all, and if it is, if the language school you're considering is likely to teach you what you need to know.

Inexpensive/free MOOCs are often used for PLAs as well, and there are some out there available for Japanese. Here's one such that I'm considering myself, even though I already have my degree: https://www.mooc-list.com/course/japanese-wma

Edit: Also look into Kaplan. They do (or at least, did) offer a free course that would teach you how to put together a PLA. At the end, they try to upsell you to sending your PLA to them for evaluation for credit, but you don't have to do that, just send it to your school instead.

I use NordVPN, but honestly it isn't what it used to be. I don't think you need to pay for one, but it has been helpful to me for streaming services when I need a Japanese break. Paying for one will simply be based on the trust/security you want from a VPN.

Money has been posted on a lot of threads. Depends completely on your lifestyle. You can probably get by on less, but plenty of people will say it's not enough. Depends on if you want to cook, eat light, etc. I personally like to go out on dates and such a lot, drinking and going out to eat. A typically Japanese meal is around ¥800-1500 for the most part, depending in where you go, but you can go to a conbini for a onigiri at ~¥120 a pop. Completely depends on what you want. You will want to try the food though, and you will want to travel so keep that in mind. Alcohol is pretty cheap, but beer is expensive. I personally am living more comfortably at ¥50,000 a month in Tokyo, but I could live at ¥20,000. I came for the experience though, not to drink water and eat bread 5 days a week. You'll have to decide what it is you want to do.

Also, trains and the bus are cheap, but shinkansens are expensive, so keep that in mind if you plan to travel. Everyone recommends the overnight buses for cheap longer distant travel.

A UPS doesn't *require* ground anymore than your computer does. If grounding is an option, you should absolutely take it but don't stay awake at night worrying about it.

Are all of your sockets completely ungrounded or do have some of those weird ones with the separate ground that you're supposed to wire a loose cable into? Like, could you just get one of these and sort out the ground separately?
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B000FGGRTM/

I agree. Try to get started right away with learning Hiragana, Katakana, as well as as Kanji. I'd recommend studying from Genki.

Loretta from Youtube does a bunch of videos about life in Japan, and also talks about certain Language Schools.

Is this the KT tape you’re looking for? A quick google finds a bunch on Amazon Japan.

How's your Japanese?

Most of my friendship network has come through meeting a handful of people through HelloTalk (language exchange app), then being introduced to more and more people through those people until it's become a whole network. I think watching a lot of Terrace House in advance helped me to learn the rules of socialising here.

Meetup.com for all the international exchange parties. Bars to meet randomers (Shibuya for lots of foreigners - Hub gets packed and loud so I recommend Tasuichi). Make sure you have LINE and business cards, preferably in a meishi-ire (business card holder).

To be honest, the only major hurdle for you will be getting used to driving on the left side of the road, and learning the meaning of the road signs. Here's a link to the JAF (Japanese Automobile Federation) website outlining the most basic driving rules, and if you really want to learn the rules inside out, you can get the "Rules of the road" book.

I also learned to drive in a country with right-hand traffic, and converted my license to a Japanese one. It was scary at first, but you get used to it. You'll probably get used to the left-hand traffic more since your driving experience will be mostly in Japan.

Does Japan have plugs to charge electric toothbrushes in the bathroom? I usually use this converter in the UK but I can't find one for Japanese plugs, and im guessing i should have 2 converters running together.

​

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pipestation-Toothbrush-Adaptor-Bathroom-Convertor-White/dp/B09K4811C1/ref=sr\_1\_3?crid=B3PA0EWIV1K&keywords=bathroom+plug+converter&qid=1656173129&sprefix=bathroom+plug+converter%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-3

You don't even need to bring a US power strip: you can buy 3-prong power strips in most stores that sell power strips. Here's an example of one: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Elecom-T-T1A-3625WH-Power-Strip-Outlets/dp/B011WD8MCG/

Your pcs power supply should be fine. Modern power supplies do some autosensing magic to support 100v to 240v 50hz or 60hz. There should be a label on it to show the supported ranges.

Your monitor should be fine as well, worst case you'd need a new power cable for it or an adapter like this one:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B000FGGRTM/

Do you mean a three prong to two prong adapter?

https://www.amazon.com/Adapters-Polarized-Grounding-Converter-Resistance/dp/B0936SQVNT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=2-prong+to+3-prong+adapter&qid=1650593216&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFTV0IxTkQ0QkhOUDYmZW5jc...

If not, no you won't need any kind of special thing, I had multiple laptops I brought from the US and they worked fine in Japan, even leaving them plugged in all the time.

I've definitely bought stick deodorants in Japan.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/5%E3%83%91%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E3%83%8B%E3%83%99%E3%82%A2%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88%E5%88%B6%E6%B1%97%E5%89%A4%E3%83%87%E3%82%AA%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88%E3%82%B9%E3%...

>Like I need Torune with a PS4 or PS5 and Buffalo one won't work,

Torne is software that runs on a PlayStation and connects to a Nasne. The Nasne has a tv tuner and storage, but no video outputs of its own. It's handy if you already have a PlayStation and want to use it to record TV (and I guess watch live or recorded tv).

For just a simple tuner something like this is what you'd need: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07GZN7DPQ/

Sony is usually pretty good about having their stuff play nice together, so the Sony tuner is probably your best bet. That guy also has a recording option, but no storage... So if you wanted to record tv you'd need a USB hard drive to attach to it.

You may also read about something called a "B-CAS Card". This is basically a unique identifier thing that you use to subscribe to pay channels with. Some tuners have interchangeable cards, some are hardwired with their own identifier. For basic channels you don't really need to worry about it.

Thank you for that information. And for my curiosity, are Tuners something like these? Is this the type of product I need to be looking for?

https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%80%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB%E3%83%81%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8A%E3%83%BC-%E5%A4%96%E4%BB%98%E3%81%91HDD-HDMI%E5%AF%BE%E5%BF%9C-Fire%E3%82%BF%E3%83%96%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E5%AF%BE%E5%BF%9C-EX-BCTX2/dp/B018FK7C9I/ref=...

I also did that same thing back in the day. I just bought some padded anti-static bags (Basically anti-static bubble-wrap. Like this) for the GPU/Mobo/RAM/Bits. Packed the HDDs in boxes like /u/nashx90 linked to.

Packed everything inside a cardboard box padded with additional bubble wrap/packing foam, and then put it in the suitcase. Bought a new PSU/Case when I arrived.

I used the original box for my graphics card, and the motherboard box for my mobo and other small parts (RAM, network card, etc.). I used cases similar to these for my HDD drives. I felt that keeping all parts in hard rigid boxes/cases would minimise impact damage on them. Then I packed clothes around everything. Socks and underwear make great shock buffers!

No, we're talking about the exact same thing.

You're talking about talking a UK-spec power-strip/extension/multi-plug/whatever you want to call it (One of these) and plugging it into an adaptor (One of these) in order to use it in Japan.

The risk of fire is not using the power strip. It's using the adaptor.

As per the specs in EVGA's website you should be good as the PSU supports AC 100V~240V.

Rather than using a power plug adapter, you might want to get one of these though (this is what I did as well, brought a PSU from my home country): https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B014GLJI2Y

The author was born in 1928, he has a tendency to talk about things in terms of "the Japanese", it often reads like an early anthropological study, and it's cynical as hell (probably too cynical), but if you keep those caveats in mind, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CVUY5I/ has interesting content.

Details on it are here: https://wise.com/help/articles/3GBSRou4DTXxYz1piNbzN5/holding-limits-if-you-live-in-japan

(This is a wise link but the process is the same as wise and PayPal are covered by the same law. Wise just acted on the law change months earlier than PayPal because PayPal are shit. Wise are far superior and actually informed their customers about it in advance)

High yield investor checking account. It opens an investors account and checking account for free. You don’t have to use the former or put money into it. I am only using it currently for the checking and free ATM fees/rebates. https://www.schwab.com/checking

I don't think there's a straightforward answer for either of those questions. They're both highly specific to your skills, study habits, and location.

According to the Foreign Language Institute, Japanese is ranked as a "super-hard language" for native English speakers. They estimate it at 2200 hours, which is a /long/ time. If you're already multilingual (especially if you have a background in Chinese or Korean), you'll have an easier time learning Japanese than others. I'm no expert (minored in Japanese in college, was studying for the N2 at the height of my abilities), but in my experience it's difficult immersing yourself without living in Japan.

As for software development, I think you can become productive in much less than 2200 hours. Again, it's highly dependent on personal skill. Some people are self taught and get jobs at top companies within 2 years, while others struggle through a full 4 year degree. At any rate, the success of coding bootcamps has shown us that it's possible to become competent enough for an entry level job in just a few months.

If you're trying to decide between focusing on Japanese and then swapping to software development after moving to Japan, or learning software development and then leveraging a job to move to Japan, I'd unilaterally recommend focusing on software development. Being a software developer opens a ton of doors for you, and you'll be paid far better to work on software than you will be teaching English / Japanese / etc.

Keep in mind that Japanese companies will often subsidize or outright pay for Japanese lessons for foreigners they employ. There are real opportunities to greatly improve your language ability after entering the country.

>...ended up just getting a complete refund on my tuition and plan to reapply next year or whenever things get better...best to just completely start over next year when things are hopefully a bit more "normal."

Ah, the voice of reason

Treat these strange times as though you were taking a gap year. Perhaps, look for some kind an internship or take a free-or-nearly-free online skill course. Use the year to study Japanese.

If it was me, I would spend this COVID gap-year taking one of the serious ivy-league online tech courses like those of Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia et al.. Also, some state universities are offering full-degree online programs that are dirt cheap.

As businesses begin to reopen, I bet many would welcome nearly-free intern slave labor. If you could locate an industry or particular job you are interested in, a solid internship would look good on your future university applications or résumé.

Your wife will need more than just N2 level fluency. This may help

Japanese for Healthcare Professionals: An Introduction to Medical Japanese (Audio CD Included) https://www.amazon.com/dp/080484576X/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_FDAF008GRD6KB8S75SP7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If you sweat a lot you’re better off buying deodorant wipes here to remove sweat and refresh yourself than using perfume.

https://www.amazon.com/GATSBY-Deodorant-fragrance-free-economical-quasi-drugs/dp/B00ST7ZE9I

> guy with his ¥1000 asterisk

LoL. The dread Japanese ※ asterisk aka 米印/<em>komejirushi</em> does have some value on reddit since a regular asterisk works as a functional character in reddit's Markdown that either invokes

italics or a

• bullet list.

Check out meetup.com, search for local networking events (Coffee and Code for example), various language cafés, and so on. There's also "The Pub" is a pretty foreign friendly pub where international and locals go, usually more inclined to speak English.

a different route if you want to maintain funds in a euro account and avoid too much conversion loss: when i moved earlier this year i only brought a tiny amount of yen. instead, i kept a uk current account (plus various credit cards) and just paid for everything from those accounts/ccs via my curve card. zero fx fees, great conversion rates (better than revolut according to my friend who switched to this method after a while), no atm withdrawal charges, when you pay it gives you a real-time notification with the amount in yen and your 'home' currency, and the time travel function is AMAZING.

don't want to shill it too much here to avoid coming across as too much of a fan, but i love it and have no complaints. you can get it in most EU countries too ( : if you do wanna sign up, use SFKYV to get some extra $$!

I checked and it may be an issue with my Wise card as it was issued in Japan.

https://wise.com/help/articles/2935769/how-much-does-it-cost-to-withdraw-cash

It is much better than to do transfers than use ATM it seems but I've not used the ATM so I'm not too informed.

With transfers from our US bank to Wise USD it takes about 3 days. Then Wise JPY to JP Post Bank it takes about 2-3 days.

The thing that took us the longest was adding Wise as a transfer target in our US account, That seemed to take a couple of weeks. So get that setup before you leave.

Carrying lots of cash is not a big deal here so be sure to have enough in case things take longer than expected.

We have no issues with 2FA, we use a Japanese phone. Maybe you could use a Google Voice number to keep a US number. We've done that for other things.

I used Hotels.com with a Honey coupon and using their "secret price" thing (enter an email address and get a discounted rate). Think overall it amounted to an 18% discount. Paid online but there was probably an option to pay at the hotel...

I'm just one step ahead of you, trying to figure out how to price shop for "sim card only" long term contracts, where I don't need/want to purchase a locked Japanese carrier phone.

&#x200B;

Presuming your current phone is unlocked already (or you can do so with your carrier prior to moving - I think the carriers in USA are required to permit this as of the last couple years, though you probably need to go through a process), then use this site to work out how many bands of coverage you'll have between the big 3 carriers (Softbank, NTT Docomo, KDDI au): https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/JP/samsung-galaxy-m30

&#x200B;

At the top, punch in your present phone make/model, then scroll down until you see the carriers I just listed to see what bands are compatible. I don't know of any resources showing mapped coverage by frequency/band, however you DO want to see minimally 2+ bands covered at 3G/4G, and ideally more.

&#x200B;

To speak to some generalities: In many cases, mid-range and cheaper phones marketed for the USA will technically work, but perhaps not work *well* depending on what sort of band coverage/strength you'll be encountering. As a rule though, flagship unlocked models from the likes of Samsung and Apple in recent years feature among other things a relatively wide band coverage, and should work about as well as the same model purchased from within Japan.

no asus rog strix but how about this one

https://www.amazon.co.jp/GIGABYTE-Display-Non-Glare-AORUS-FV43U/dp/B083GRXW4V/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1T8MZVUH92MNK&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=asus+rog+strix+43+4k+hdr+dsc+gaming+monitor&amp;qid=1635393512&amp;sprefix=asus+rog+strix+43+4k+hdr+dsc+gamin...

Sorry that the 49 inch display did not confirm to your search parameters. Here have a 43 inch instead

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Gigabyte-FV43U-Resolution-Technology-Response/dp/B098MNJV5L/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&amp;keywords=display+monitor&amp;qid=1635397481&amp;refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A5388408051%2Cp_n_feature_fifteen_browse-bin%3...

Hint, when searching on a Amazon that's not for your country make sure that you set "deliver to" to the correct country. By default it will set it to your current location and thus filter out most products.

I mean you might want to use the *internet*.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Gaming-Monitor-Display-XG49VQ-Compatible/dp/B07RJ39SM2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=display+monitor&amp;qid=1635348483&amp;refinements=p_n_feature_fifteen_browse-bin%3A5388425051%2Cp_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A5388408051&amp;refresh=2&amp;rnid=5388407051&amp;s=computers&amp;sprefix=Display+monit%2Caps%2C285&amp;sr=1-1

Odds are you can find stuff like that also instore.

My two cents 😅

I clean my place once a week!

I also use furnitures with casters to make the cleaning easier and to reduce the spaces where bugs could go to hide. 😅

In my previous sharehouse, they also had a cockroach trap like this one and they would put it at places where bugs are likely to pass (one time we had like more than 15 cockroaches trapped in it, it was so disgusting to see 😨)

And if you have a balcony or a garden, always close the sliding door/net door after going in/out.

Regularly throw your trash! Don't skip the garbage collection day!

Yeah, most UPS will accept Type B plugs here. For example this one off Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00VFDD9XQ/

They'll have a ground cable that you can hook up if you want, or leave dangling. I would suggest though that if you want to leave the ground cable dangling wrap it up in some electrical tape.

there are leetcode style interviews, some in advance where you're given a day or more to work on something, some on the spot

there are very otherwise normal interviews that range from just barely touching on computer topics to asking you specific basic knowledge or design questions

there are "how do you design google from scratch" type questions

there are behavioral style interviews, some of which edge into the range of deliberately stressing you out and demanding unfair questions or being downright aggressive just to see how you react (the latter of which i hate and i have walked out of interviews that do this to me, but ymmv)

there are gotcha style logic questions

and there are how do you move mt fuji style questions

Just say this to yourself everyday: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me!"

I recommend the book too: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Enough-Smart-Doggone-People/dp/0440504708

Grab instapack and put it in your case to support the component parts. It’s easier if yup also saved the foam and box from your case, as that is usually pretty sturdy and snug too.

Instapak Quick RT #10 (x1) Packing and Shipping Solution – American Bubble Boy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BU5VXVS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_1K8AJXWRZ44NT7R1CQJA?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Haven't had issues with NordVPN. ExpressVPN was actually my first option but their checkout was 't want to take my card or something. Used the same card on Nord and it worked fine. I will say though (and maybe this is common with all VPN's) that various services identify me as being in a totally different country than what I selected. For example, I'll select United States in Nord. I'll check my IP and it'll be routed through a Seattle server. Yet, if I go to YouTube/Google, sometimes it'll show very non-US country codes (last named YouTube said I was in the United Arab Emirates). Sometimes, other sites have identified me as in the UK. Streaming (Hulu and Netflix) has always worked, but the country thing is very odd to me. Speed is also good. I'm on hotel internet right now, and my speed test last night was 65/70 Mbps down/up on the VPN. Don't want to run another speed test though to see what the base speeds are because my hotel MAC banned my laptop this morning for who knows what reason (maybe using a VPN) so I want to stay on their good side. :)

Also, many three-wheeled bikes now have POWERFUL electric-assist and nobody is going to fault you for cruising at 18mph/28kph past them on the road.

Googled similiar topic weeks before my failed departure. Apart from jokes like "whole suitcase of cheese" people recommend some good fragrance-free (or nearly free) antiperspirant. Bought recommended Dove originals stick 6-pack and that thing is the best antiperspirant I've ever used. Very weak smell and keeps you dry whole day, when adidas, nivea or other 24h shit I tried before worked for 1hour tops.

Apparently "Soft Stone" works same well although may irritate skin.

I agree with this, because I used to get pretty ripe. I brought Secret clinical strength with me to study abroad, but after a month I didn't even need to use it even in humid Summer. I think it was from eating Japanese food, because there was a cafe on campus and I rarely ate fast food or super heavy fried food etc like I'd eat in the US.

Also, trying to find any products at the store can be a pain if reading Japanese is a struggle. Especially deodorant if the store even sells it.

You can also try Kosas Sport Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant (Fragrance Free) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDJVVMC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_l7R2FbGBTHJW6. It might take some time for your body to get used to, and I don't know if it works for everyone. But it's an exfoliant that you roll on and it gets rid of odor causing bacteria and also lightens the skin (if you have hyperpigmentation). I shower at night and roll it on and if my underarms sweat it just smells kinda like maple syrup.

I use this app (android), and it really helped me alot - especially if you get the premium (1 time purchase). I find that they're a mile better than other apps. Although this is based on my subjective experience.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.japanactivator.android.jasensei

Get a toaster oven like so off amazon for 3000 yen. You can bake pizzas, pies, whole chickens.

Kidney beans, canned corn, canned tomatoes, coconut milk are pretty standard stock and cheap as hell at Gyomu Supa (業務スーパー). And surprisingly, canned things and some import stuff can be pretty reasonable at larger liquor stores like Yamaya. Gyomu is also the best place for affordable curry paste, but yeah...definitely has fish and shrimp in it. Lumlum makes a vegan curry paste line, but it is a small pack and usually quite expensive.
Cannellini beans are a bit harder to find. If you are able, I would pack a bag of dried ones, that should last a while.
Vegetable stock here is also expensive, usually in powdered form. Do try to bring your own! I load up on Better Than Bouillon whenever I go visit home. If just powder or cube stock is fine with you, Brazilian markets have been where I find the best variety and price, but most of them are not vegetarian. Otherwise, the cheapest easily available kind are in the Chinese food set at a supermarket, but again, likely not vegetarian. This one is usually found in higher end groceries and department stores, though.
Red pepper are expensive, but pretty standard most of the year at super markets. Markets here tend to prefer a thinner-skinned, smaller, green pepper, called piman. The red, thick, bell pepper/paprika here are ~¥200-300 a piece. All the other fresh stuff should be easy to find and relatively reasonable.

Same with every language.

Basics > Some grammar > Vocabulary > Advanced stuff. | But with Japanese comes Kanji, alphabet and Keigo(polite language).

I would say first start with any app or website for basics. Like duolingo, busuu etc. They also teach the alphabet too but don't rely on dijital stuff. Write everything many times.

Then comes kanji which would be 500 for basics 1000 for middle and around 2200(jouyou kanji) for advanced. But always aim for the next step. Don't think about it like learning 2200 kanji. It took me 5 years to be able to read most of it and write half of that.

After a couple of months, you can read the alphabet and know some words and a little bit kanji. Everything happens after this. You have to be serious about it. If you aren't it's not gonna be really possible and you won't be able to reach N1 or even N2.

For grammar take a look at this Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese.

For kanji buy a book cause you can't really learn on a pc or phone very good. Writing is always better. You can also use Japanese Kanji Study - 漢字学習 to remember and practice kanji while on train etc.

The most effective way to memorize words for me was to "make word cards/flash cards" You write Japanese word and a sentence with that word on one side and meaning and reading on the other side. You can memorize words everywhere. Even toilet :D

After a year you will have a good understanding about a lot of things and know what to do next!.

Good luck!

Overweight people? I've never seen one except a Sumo wrestler.

I'm a still in the process of transitioning, but for the past few weeks I've had good luck using the LIFULL HOMES app to peruse apartments and homes from abroad: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.homes.android3

Once we are there and through quarantine, I expect we'll walk into the nearest realtor office with a couple starred listings of interest to begin our in-person search.

Ask where you are. Spending money to ship used second language books back is just dumb.

Is there any value in sending this book to the UK?

I don't know what you use for period products, but tampons may be very different from what you're used to, so I'd advise bringing some.

Femfresh can apparently be bought off Amazon, though it's probably more expensive than you're used to (Link).