IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!

How many credits do I earn on the Chubu Program?

The number of credits earned depends on the length of a student's program. The credit distribution works out as listed below.

Fall Quarter: 16 OU credits - 12 language, 4 culture

Winter Quarter: 12 OU credits - 8 language, 4 culture (Iwate Homestay Experience)

Spring Quarter: 16 OU credits - 12 language, 4 culture

The winter quarter credit total requires a little explanation. Fewer classroom contact hours during winter quarter at Chubu University make it impossible to offer students the same number of credits they earn in fall and spring quarter. Fortunately, the Iwate Homestay Experience enables OU to offer students a total of 12 credit hours. In cases where students must be registered for 16 credits during winter quarter in order to maintain scholarships or other forms of aid, special arrangements can be made that enable students to earn 4 more credits.

Airline Tickets: All students will be issued electronic ticket. Pertinent information will be provided to each student prior to departure day. For any specific questions, Contact Dr. Thompson.

The Dates for the 2007-2008 Study Abroad Program.  All students will depart for Japan on September 10, 2007.

3-month students return December 10th, 2007

6-Month Students return on March 5th, 2008

9 -Month Students return in August 9th, 2008

Address to mail letters/packages

(Student’s Name)
Office of International Programs
Chubu University
1200 Matsumoto-cho
Kausgai, Aichi Japan 487

Time difference

Japan is 13hrs. ahead of EST in the US during the summer, 14hrs. ahead when we “Fall back” during the winter.

 How to manage your money in Japan!

( Updated for 2008)

* Remember that you will be paying Chubu nothing directly. But you are responsible for having roughly $1,500 spending money available at your disposal for every three months you are in-country. For 6 and 9 month students it's important to remember that you're probably not going to spend this amount every three months. If you are a conservative spender, you will have at least a third of this amount left over at the end of three months. If you are a liberal spender, this amount may not be enough. This figure is a fair estimate of the amount you will need during a three month stay if you live a balanced lifestyle which might include a few weekend excursions and a little fun.

Part 1: During the first few days.

Please prepare to have $500.00 (USD) or Yen equivalent ready to spend during your first few days in Japan. You will not spend all of this, but this amount should be sufficient until you get your financial patterns established. Even for this initial $500.00 amount, TCs are preferred. This is because Japanese banks are paranoid about counterfeit money, and will pass paper bills through a special machine. In just about every group I've taken to Japan, at least one person will inevitably have their paper money rejected by this machine, and be unable to change it over to Yen anywhere else. For this reason alone, it would be worth utilizing the free TC service that most U. S. banks provide for their customers. Also, if you do get TCs, get the largest denominations possible. You won't be able to cash checks everyday, so you don't want to have to sign five twenty dollar bills every time you want to cash in $100.00. I'm not saying you can't take paper money, but it's more efficient if you don't.

Part 2: Supplementing your money.

As of June, 2007, Japanese have heard of American Express Traveler's Check Cards. But word on the street in Japan is that most banks won't accept them. However, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express Debit Cards and Credit Cards are now usable in just about all major cities. They are usable in Nagoya, but don't count on using them for anything except cash advances at the bank downtown. But of course, the fees associated with using them will be very high, particularly the conversion rate you will get for changing US$ into Yen. However, these cards have become a convenient way to withdrawl money in Japan and are now more usable than ever before. If possible, plan to take a debit card linked to the Plus system. Others may work, but Plus system cards will be most likely to work at ATM locations. Remember, however, that in Japan ATMs as we think of them are few and far between. There are not currently any bank ATMs located on the Chubu campus. They exist out in the community, though, and downtown. The easiest way to manage your money for a 3-Month stay student will be to take TCs. Your dorm room has a lock box, and you can keep them in there to cash as necessary. I recommend that at a minimum, you take along $1,500.00 in spending money for each 3 month period you are in Japan. (This mount for the first three months includes the initial $500.00 for the first few days mentioned above.)

If TCs don't seem like a good idea to you......

A. Even if you don't want to continue to use TCs, you might consider taking a couple thousand dollars in TCs to put immediately into your a POSTAL SAVING ACCOUNT. It doesn't cost anything to open a Postal Savings Account. Japanese people use Postal Savings Accounts like Americans use Checking Accounts at their bank in the States. You can open a Postal Savings Account right in the Student Plaza at CU, and there is a P. O. ATM right there too, so it's very convenient. This initial move is highly recommended, no matter how you choose to supplement your spending money.

B. You can make DEBIT CARD or CREDIT CARD withdrawals when needed. Remember, you will be receiving 5,000 Yen a week in lunch money, so you will have a basic cash amount accessible regularly. This should take care of much more than lunch, so you shouldn't need much supplementary cash unless you're shopping or going out. Of course the amounts withdrawn from debit cards or credit cards can be deposited into a P. O. account, but not directly. This can be accomplished only manually.

C. INTERNATIONAL POSTAL MONEY ORDERS (these are different from regular Money Orders) can easily be DEPOSITED (NOT CASHED) at Japanese Post Offices (THESE CANNOT BE CASHED OR DEPOSITED AT JAPANESE BANKS EITHER) for immediate use. International Posatal Money Orders can be sent to you certified mail directly from the U. S. by anyone.

Summary:

The Post Office Account is by far the easiest and safest way to keep your money in Japan. Whether you want to open one (I don't think it costs to do so) is totally up to you.

Reminders:

1. Personal checks can't be easily cashed in Japan. Don't put yourself in the position of trying to cash one. You probably won't be able to.

2. Japanese don't open checking accounts at banks as easily as we do in the U. S. A customer must have a substantial amount of money to do so. This is why most Japanese students open a Post Office checking account. This is used in a way similar to how Americans usua a checking account at a bank. This is a good option for long stay students, but for short stayers, I wouldn't bother with it.

3. Don't expect to be able to use your debit or credit card anywhere except for department stores and selected ATM machines - mostly located in downtown Nagoya. The Japanese domestic economy is still cash-centered. Most payments you will be making need to be in cash.

3. You will be receiving 5,000 Yen or so a week in lunch money. The program is designed this way so you always have a little bit of cash coming to you. * This does not automatically apply to OU Exchange Study Abroad Students. However, arrangements can be made to include OU Exchange Study Abroad Students in this plan. Consult Christopher Thompson or Catherine Marshall if interested in participating in this plan.

 Phone and Calling Advice From Greg King

Updated 9/10/08 - Scoll to the bottom for the latest information.

Here is some information about mobile phones in Japan. This past year saw some changes in the way that mobile phone companies in Japan do business, so what you might have heard from people who studied abroad before you might not still be true.

Basically there are two types of service you can get. One is to get a contract and the other is get a prepaid phone. Please read the following carefully and check out the sites I have listed. I can try to answer questions that you have, but I am not an expert on mobile phones. I just use mine and pay the bill, so if you ask something about costs and packets (units used in the size of an email) I probably won’t have a good answer for you. One thing I’ve learned from living in Japan for over ten years is that you have to learn to live a lifestyle where you don’t understand everything 100%. If you try to understand everything 100% you won’t be a happy person. Also, I highly recommend you get the mail service (I think you call it texting in the US). Most college students in Japan mail more than they talk on their phones.

I will paste here what I sent to Dr. Thompson before, so if the language seems that it’s not directed towards you it is because it originally wasn’t. AU and Softbank are two of the mobile phone companies in Japan. Also, since you are all study abroad students you are NOT eligible for any student discounts through the mobile phone carriers.

AU:  http://www.au.kddi.com/english/index.html
They still have phones for free.  As always, the choices and number available are limited.  The cheapest plan will give them 25 minutes of talk time.  I'm not sure how it is in the states, but this 25 minutes is calculated on the calls you make, not receive.  That plan goes for 1890 yen/month plus 315 yen for the option to use mail plus the cost of each mail.  The cost of one mail depends on the size of the mail.   One packet is about 64 letters.  One packet costs 0.21 yen.  Of course if you send a picture then it will cost more because more packets will be used.  The students will have to do the math on that.  If there is anybody who is under the age of 20 they will need to fill out a consent form signed by one of their parents.  I can fax you that later this week if you need it.  The most important thing to remember is that when the students go to cancel their plan they will have to pay almost 10,000 yen to do that.  The reason is that the contract is for two years.  The cost of the phone is basically paid throughout those two years.   Students should look at the price plan BEFORE coming to Japan.  They can see them at the site listed above and they should read them carefully.

The prepaid phone costs 3885 yen and as you know cards need to be purchased..  A 1000 yen card will get them 10 minutes of dialed call time.  Again, they are not charged for incoming calls.  There is no mail option with AU prepaid, so I would not recommend this to the students getting a prepaid phone.

Softbank:  http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/en/
They do not have free phones and since students will not be here for a year, they will need to first buy a phone straight out.  The price of the phones start in the 19,000 range.  Then they need to choose a price plan.  Students should look at the price plan BEFORE coming to Japan.  They can see them at the site listed above and they should read them carefully.  I believe that there is no charge to cancel the plan since they would buy the phone first.

Prepaid costs can be viewed at the site, but the charge for the phone itself is about 6000 yen.  Prepaid SoftBank phones do have the mail capability.The best solution for most of you will be the prepaid phone, especially if you won’t be here for a year. Those who will be here for a year might also think about the prepaid option. You always know how much you are spending when you have a prepaid phone.

Please feel free to ask me any questions that you have. I’ll do my best to answer them.

Greg

( Updated for 2008 in August): Scroll down to the "Latest Information From Greg" Section to learn about your cell phone options this year. I have placed this other information first because it is important for you to know as basic knowledge about phone use in Japan.

Part 1: Making your first call home (to the U. S. from Japan).

Most of you will want to make a phone call home fairly soon after we arrive in Japan. The easiest way to do this is to purchase an AT&T International Phone Card at WalMart or where ever else you can get one. Be sure it's an International calling card. Domestic calling cards won't work. Once in Japan, you can dial the international access code for AT&T from any (most) pay phones including the one in your dorm, and follow the English instructions. You may want to look up and copy down the AT&T access numbers for Japan off the Web site before hand. If you don't, I'll have them on hand. It's important to remember that there is more than one access number for Japan. The required access number changes depending on where you are calling from. Many students just have friends or family members put money on these cards when they get close to running out and use the same card the entire time they are away.

The Cheapest International Calls: Internet calls are by far the cheapest, but availability is not reliable in the dorm. Also, it is possible to find cheap phone cards on the internet. Beware, however, because sometimes cards advertised to work in Japan don't. Calling on the cheap is possible if you shop around, but finding cheap calling cards and making sure your internet connection (in your dorm room, for example) is cleared for calls takes a little of time and effort. Internet use in Japan is still considered more of a priviledge than a right.

Most Practical Way to make International Calls: The WalMart AT&T method described above is a reasonable, practical, and advisable way to go.

Part 2. Using phones on a regular basis in Japan

Dorm Room Phones: Unfortunately, your dorm room phone is a hassle to use. For all practical purposes, it is an intercom. If you want to call, you have to prepay at the dorm office a day before your intended call. It is possible to call your room from outside for no cost, but (unless things have changed since 2004-2005) the non-English-speaking switchboard operator must patch the call in from the central Chubu University phone hub. This is why this may not be the best method for parents and friends in the U. S. or elsewhere to call you. For parents who want to call you in your dorm room, this is how it's done:

From the U. S., parents call 011-81-568-51-1411. Then, a recording in Japanese will say the equivalent of, "Please dial your party's extention number." The extension number of course is your room number, which you won't know until you check into your room after we arrive. After dialing the "extension number," the room phone should ring.

Pay Phones: Confusingly, there are four or five kinds of pay phones in Japan. They each have different functions and limitations, so it's important to be able to tell them apart. Pay phones can be divided into three categories as indicated below.

Green phones: These are domestic phones that take coins or Japanese phone cards. "Local" green phones won't allow you to access the AT&T numbers, so be ware. "Regional" green phones will. Strangely, it is possible to access the AT&T international access codes from green "regional" phones, although they are designated as regional and domestic.

Pink and White phones: These are domestic and international phones that take their own type of phone card (different from Green Phone cards). These are designed for international and domestic use, but are few and far between and expensive. These are not recommended for your regular use - only when you have to.

The Cheapest Domestic Calls: There are public phones all over the place in Japan. The cheapest Japanese domestic calls are made by Japanese phone cards designed for Green Phones. Pink and White Phones are not everywhere, and their phone cards are more expensive.

Getting A Japanese Cell Phone: Japan is the land of cell phones. If you are 20 years old (the rules are constantly changing so 19 year olds might be eligible in September) and have an alien registration number (all of you will), you can buy a cell phone plan that comes with a free phone.

Many OU students have purchased cell phones in Japan. As might be expected, the most economical way to buy a cell phone is to buy a plan that comes with a free phone. For additional set costs, you can usually upgrade your phone to what ever you want. Most Americans are surprised that the free Japanese phone is usually something that hasn't yet come out in the States so ends up not needing to upgrade. Most phones have directions in English, which also makes things easier.

The biggest problem for OU students who have purchased phone has been the need for an Alien Registration number (or at least proof that one has been applied for. We do this usually on the first Thursday after arrival but you can't get a phone if you can't show your proof of application.), the requirement that individuals younger than 20 years of age must have the written consent of their parents to get a phone, and the lack of a 3-month plan for 3-month students. The first problem usually works it'self out because we go to the Kasugai City Hall on the first Thursday after arrival to apply for that number. By planning ahead, you can take a consent form with you signed by your parents (I'll have Greg pdf one to me that you can print out and have signed to take with you). The last problem is usually a matter of understanding the cancellation policy, and working the cancellation fee into your cost calculations from the start. Usually, it costs about 3,000 Yen to cancel your cell phone if you have not used it for the full 1-year contract period.

Usually, you can get into a cell phone plan which includes a phone for about $75.00. The plan will cost you $30-$40 a month not counting international calls. The cheapest way to communicate with your parents by phone might be to have them call your dorm phone so you don't have to pay for their incoming call.

New policies and plans for cell phones roll out all during the month of August in Japan. The exact cost and the best options won't be clear until about the time we get to Japan during the middle of September. However, the information above should be accurage enough to prepare you for what to expect.

Best Advice Regarding Cell Phones

For ease of use and security reasons, it is advisable to get a cell phone. However, you don't absolutely need one. If cost is a consideration, it's probably not worth getting a cell phone in Japan (with the exception of a prepaid) unless you are staying more than three months. International calls can be made with your AT&T card, and local calls with your Green Phone card. However, officially, we encourage you to consider a cell phone because it makes you generally more accessible.

The Latest from Greg King in early August 2008: I just cut and pasted his most recent e-mail on the subject.

AU: http://www.au.kddi.com/english/index.html

They still have phones for free. As always, the choices and number available are limited. The cheapest plan will give them 25 minutes of talk time. I'm not sure how it is in the states, but this 25 minutes is calculated on the calls you make, not receive. That plan goes for 1890 yen/month plus 315 yen for the option to use mail plus the cost of each mail. The cost of one mail depends on the size. One packet is about 64 letters. One packet costs 0.21 yen. Of course if you send a picture then it will cost more because more packets will be used. The students will have to do the math on that. If there is anybody who is under the age of 20 they will need to fill out a consent form signed by one of their parents. I can fax you that later this week if you need it. The most important thing to remember is that when the students go to cancel their plan they will have to pay almost 10,000 yen to do that. The reason is that the contract is for two years. The cost of the phone is basically paid throughout those two years. Students should look at the price plan BEFORE coming to Japan. They can see them at the site listed above
and they should read them carefully.The prepaid phone costs 3885 yen and as you know cards need to be purchased. A 1000 yen card will get them 10 minutes of dialed call
time. Again, they are not charged for incoming calls. There is no mail option with AU prepaid, so I would not recommend this to the students.

Softbank: http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/en/

They do not have free phones and since students will not be here for a year, they will need to first buy a phone straight out. The price of the phones start in the 19,000 range. Then they need to choose a price plan. Students should look at the price plan BEFORE coming to Japan. They can see them at the site listed above and they should read them carefully. I believe that there is no charge to cancel the plan since they would buy the phone first.Prepaid costs can be viewed at the site, but the charge for the phone itself is about 6000 yen. Prepaid SoftBank phones do have the mail capability.

Just so everyone can appreciate how much change there is from year to year, I have left the information from last year. This information might be useful, if not interesting for comparative purposes and just to enhance your general knowlege about phones in Japan.

Buying Cell Phones In Japan 2007 (Updated on 8/20/07)

* Everyone 19 years of age or younger at the time of application after September 11th must have a special form signed by their guardian and themselves. If you fall into this category, go to the following site, download the form, and fill it out. It comes only in Japanese. This PDF file is formatted for use on A4 paper, so you may need to do some sizing to get it printed on one piece of paper.

<http://www.au.kddi.com/ezweb/service/anshin_access/pdf/douisho.pdf>

*Students will need a credit card or a bank account to pay for their cell phones. Students should understand that since they will not be using the phone for an entire year, that when they do cancel their contract they will have to pay approximately 3,000 Yen. It has been 3,000 yen in the past, so I don't think that figure has changed. Also, students will need to pay 2,700 yen to activate their plan.

1. AU Phones

There are two different types of phones available from AU. CDMA 1X WIN phones and CDMA 1X phones. The WIN phone has different plans than the
non-WIN phones. Students can choose which type of phone they want, but the WIN phone plans are more expensive, only that link is included here. If students think they might want a fancier phone and a higher plan, then they can search the site on their own.

<http://www.au.kddi.com/english/charge_discount/plan/cdma_1x/kanto_chubu.html>

2. Prepaid Cell Phones

Prepaids are sold by several different companies. Plan to pay 8,000 Yen or so for a pre-paid phone with some minutes on it to get you started. You then add on minutes buy purchasing additional cards issues by the company marketing the phone. (Don't make the common mistake of thinking you can use any phone card. You can't.) It's hard to select a phone without seeing what deals are being offering that week. So it's best to just wait until you get to Japan to choose. Obviously, this is not the cheapest way to go in the long run, but the advantage is that you can pay as you go. For domestic use, 5,000 Yen in phone calls a month is a basic rule of thumb. But of course cost all depends on how much you use the phone, and whether you use all the features like Web access, e-mail, and text messaging which will drive the cost up.

3. Other Phones

As you know there are also SoftBank and DoCoMo cell phones here in Japan. DoCoMo is known to be the most expensive unless you can get family discounts
etc., which our students can't. SoftBank has a strange system of charging you the price of the phone in your plan, but you have to have a two year plan. Since the students won't be here for the two years it might be more expensive for them in the long run. King and Thompson think AU is the best option for OU students. OU students have always gotten AU phones and there have been no problems.

Students can look at plans at this site:

<http://www.au.kddi.com/english/charge_discount/plan/cdma_1x/kanto_chubu.html>

The Latest from Greg King in early August 2009: I just cut and pasted his most recent e-mail on the subject.

There are going to be some changes from last year about phones. Last year we were able to get a student discount with softbank, but they've
discontinued that. There is a student discount plan, but the student must be part of a family plan and that is impossible for them. 3-month students
probably won't be getting phones unless they are lucky enough to find a prepaid phone somewhere. It seems that prepaid is going out of fashion.
If there is anyone who is below the age of 20, they will need to get a consent form signed by their parent or legal guardian.

The Above Information Courtesy of Greg King - 8/24/09. More information will be coming soon!

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT DIALING BACK TO THE U. S. FROM JAPAN: GO TO THE FOLLOWING SITE:
http://www.usa.att.com/traveler/access_numbers/country/instructions.jsp?iso2=JP

Making OUTGOING CALLS FROM THE CHUBU DORM (From Greg King)

There is no longer a prepaid system in the dorm for making outgoing calls. This means that it is not possible to make an outgoing call, even
by using a phone card. There is an international pay phone on campus (in front of the #1 dining hall) where students can make international calls.
Most students tend to use skype these days, so the phone situation in the dorm
doesn't seem to be a problem. For Elana, since she's only here for three months, I wouldn't recommend getting a (contract) cell phone just for this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Information - OU and Chubu Officials

Christopher S. Thompson
Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture
Director, OU-CU Study Abroad Programs
Chair, Department of Linguistics
Gordy Hall 351
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701-29791

phone    (740) 593-0666
fax    (740) 593-2967
dept.    (740) 593-4564
E-Mail    thompsoc@ohiou.edu

 

Mr. Greg King or Dr. Daijiro Tsuchiya (CU Center For International Programs) can be contacted at any time at the numbers below.

Mr. Greg King
Chubu University
Department of English Language and Culture
1200 Matsumoto-cho
Kasugai-shi, Aichi-ken
487-0027
JAPAN
office phone and fax no.calling Japan from the U. S.: 011-81-568-51-9645
mobile phone no.calling Japan from the U. S.: 011-81-090-5610-9658

Catherine Marshall
Interim Director, Office of Education Abroad

Ohio University
107 Gordy Hall
Athens, OH 45701-29791

phone    (740) 593-4583
fax        (740) 593-9758
E-Mail    perdreau@ohio.edu
E-Mail    marshalc@ohio.edu

Dr. Daijiro Tsuchiya
Director, Chubu University Center for International Programs
c/o Michiko Ishinabe (speaks English fluently) or Amy Oya (U. S. resident of Japan)
Administrative Staff
Center for International Programs
Chubu University
1200 Matsumoto-cho
Kasugai, Aichi      487 Japan

phone (from any US phone) 011-81-568-51-1111 ext. 2041

phone (from any US phone) 011-81-568-51-4694

fax     (from any US phone) 011-81-568-51-1172

e-mail: ishinabe@office.chubu.ac.jp