From Kawasoti to Tokyo My First Month in Japan
Sita PaudelStudentFebruary 18, 20266 min read
I landed at Narita on a humid August evening with two suitcases and a folder of papers I had checked a hundred times in Kawasoti. The first week felt fast and slow at the same time every small task was new.
Housing
was my biggest worry. My language school helped with a share-house introduction, but I still visited three neighborhoods before signing. I learned to budget for key money, agency fees, and utilities on top of rent. Google Maps street view became my best friend for judging commute time.
Trains
stopped feeling impossible after day four. I bought a commuter IC card, saved my route in offline maps, and stopped apologizing every time I stood on the wrong side of the escalator. Rush hour is crowded but orderly people really do queue.
Finding community
took intentional effort. I joined a church language exchange, a school conversation club, and a Nepali student WhatsApp group. Homesickness hit around week two; video calls with family in Nawalpur helped, but so did cooking dal bhat with roommates who wanted to try it.
First-week tips I wish I had:
carry cash for small shops, photograph your residence card receipt, set up a bank appointment early, and keep a notebook for Japanese phrases you hear daily. Japan is not cold it is structured. Once you learn the rhythm, daily life becomes manageable.
If you are preparing from Kawasoti, ask your consultancy for a pre-departure checklist that includes housing timelines, not just visa steps. The visa gets you in; the first month teaches you how to stay well.
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