Although most of the hard work has been completed by the time you move into a new apartment or house in Japan, there are still a number of tasks to be completed and things to learn, especially if this is the first time you have lived in the country. A good starting point is to give a small gift to your immediate neighbors; this is a good way to meet and greet, to demonstrate that you are not completely helpless in terms of speaking the Japanese language, and to show yourself so that any future encounters won’t generate too much surprise.
Garbage disposal
Another way to ingratiate yourself with your neighbors, as you should assume that they will be checking, is to follow the garbage (gomi, ゴミ) disposal and recycling (リサイクリング) instructions as closely as possible. The garbage collectors will also leave and label anything that you leave out on the wrong day or with the wrong packaging or preparation. Japan is one of the leading nations in terms of developing in an environmentally friendly direction, as is demonstrated by the relatively emission-free and quiet cars that you see on the road, for example. In the case of recycling, it could be said that the over-packaging of food and other products in Japan offsets the high level of recycling to some extent, but nonetheless, the level of adherence and dedication to recycling is to be applauded.
The key distinction to make first is between burnable (moeru, 燃える) and non-burnable (moenai, 燃えない) garbage. The burnable kind usually consists of items like old food and flimsy wrappers, while the non-burnable includes items that are somewhat more durable, such as pieces of metal, coat-hangers, and CDs. In terms of directly recyclable items, cans (kan, かん), plastic bottles (bin, びん), glass (グラス), and newspaper (しんぶんし, 新聞紙) are key items to be left out for collection. Burnable garbage is usually collected twice a week, with other items once every one or two weeks; the exact days and times will usually be displayed at the site near your home where garbage is left.
Paying Bills
A further issue that you need to deal with to ensure a smooth period of residence, besides not forgetting to keep paying the rent, is to pay the bills. The typical resident will have to pay electricity bills (denkidai, でんきだい, 電気代), gas bills (gasudai, ガスだい, ガス代), and charges for internet (インタネット), and mobile phone (keitaidenwa, けいたいでんわ, 携帯電話) each month, as well as for water/sewage (suidou/gesuidou, すいどう/げすいどう, 水道/下水道) every two months, although this can vary depending on the area. Payment can be made on a direct debit-type setup in some cases, although simply dropping in at a local convenience store (konbini, コンビに) or post office (yuubinkyoku, ゆうびんきょく, 郵便局) once you have received your bill through the post can be more convenient.
No related posts.
