Hooray! Another awkward personal post! I was actually hoping to write about my experiences at Tokyo University and The Tokyo National Museum, but have been unable to upload my photos, so I’ll publish that post at a later date. You can find it here. So here it goes; what’s in my school bag for 学主因!

I think that this is kind of important as you don’t want to be the weird foreigner with the wrong shoes, or lacking class materials. Firstly, on your first day of school, I recommend bringing all of the shoes you need for your classes {and yes, there’s a lot}. You’ll have shoes that you wear to and from school, indoor school shoes, and indoor and outdoor sports shoes. At every Japanese school there is a shoe locker area, when you arrive, place your outdoor school shoes in the locker and put on your indoor ones; repeat in reverse when leaving. You might also have a locker outside your classroom, and this is where I recommend leaving your sports shoes, easily accessible for assemblies or PE classes. I’ve seen many girls carrying sports shoes in a drawstring bag, so this could also be a good idea.

Back to the actual bag – I’m using a backpack, but most school students use a handbag-style bag, and that includes guys. My bag has three pockets, so I’ll break it down…

In the very front pocket, I’ll have my wallet and phone {usually in my blazer pocket}. In my wallet I always have at least two types of identification, including student I.D. Actually, having your I.D. around as a student is really good because it helps you to get enormous discounts on things like museum and aquarium entry {so essential as a tourist}. Also in my wallet is my Pasmo, which, as mention in my previous post, you should keep easily accessible at all times. 

In addition to these items I have mints, Nurofen, a space blanket gifted to me by my worried mother {<3} and a pack of tissues. Tissues, I’ve found, are a real necessity in Japanese school life. When the teacher asks you to clean the bottom of your chair and desk before the girls on duty clean the classroom, you don’t want to be awkwardly asking random people for help. Keep a pack of tissues on you. At. All. Times. Usually you can get some for free in places like Shibuya and Akihabara.

I use the middle pocket for my pencil case, muffler, and any assigned reading I have to do. Also, this is where I keep my bento normally. A word of caution though, always ensure that your bento won’t leak or spill before placing it in your bag. If you are worried about this happening, I suggest placing it in a small paper bag and carrying it to school. You can hang it on the opposite hook of your desk!

Finally, the pocket closest to my back is for all of my school work, as well as all of the paperwork I need to carry {such as map of the school, timetable, passport scans, etc.}. As my school is the Imperial school, meaning that the princess attends, no mobile phones are allowed. Lots of school students will hide their mobile phone among their schoolwork, because hey, rules are meant to be broken, right? At the moment, no princess is attending, so the mobile phone rule is really just for keeping up appearances {and applies at any time when in school uniform}.

Although it may seem like a small thing, it’s actually really important to be prepared for school and have everything you need. Attending a new school in a different country {with a different language} is difficult enough without having to worry about forgetting things. 

Nevertheless, don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially in Japan. My classmates all love foreigners, and are busting to help out all the time. Be prepared for school, but also prepared to roll with it if things go awry.

-H