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Hello, I am married to the GW and am also headed to Japan. I have been married to my DH for 15 years and have three girls, 14, 10, 9. We arrive on August 4. We are flying into Narita (Tokyo) airport. I have been advised to make sure I have some Yen and american $$ with me for some dinner at the airport, as some of the vendors don't take credit cards and the base food vendors might be closed depending on arrival time. The ATMs are spread out on base and the Japanese ones might not be compatible. Also, make sure to make reservations on the Narita bus. It is the shuttle that runs from the airport to the base. It drops off in front of PSD, so make sure someone will be there (a sponsor) to help get everyone to the hotel (Navy Lodge). The bus sign up can be accessed from the base website. The base FFSC can help with sponsorship needs. Also, we have decided to live in Ikego housing which is about 8km from the base. It is in the beautiful city of Zushi. Have a great day!
Last edited by jigeary; 06-12-2008 at 07:58 AM..
Reason: Added info
Hi all. just wanted to get in on the forum. My husband is also "dragging" me to the other side of the world. We will be arriving a little earlier than everyone else. We will be on a different ship. Though I have to say, it should be exciting us all getting there about the same time. We'll just enjoy it together.
Let me add some insight that others have failed to mention. I am a Navy Contractor that has been living in Yokosuka for 5 years now and coming here on business since 1991. I have always lived in town because Contractors are not eligible for on-base housing or for most of the other on-base services offered to GS and Naval personnel.
First for the Contractor that posted here: We do have access to the Exchange and Commisary. Access to the Hopstial is a fee for services just like any other hospital, but your insurance should pick up part of the charges. You will have to find your own housing agent to help you get a house. Be prepared though, moving in fees are 4 - 5 times the monthly rent of which you only get 1 month of that back if there is no damage to the place. Housing agents are plentiful and most have english speaking agents.
For everyone: Do not exchange US currency for Yen in the US. When you arrive in Narita Airport just outside the arrival hall are 2 money changers. They have a better rate than what you will find in the US because they are Japanese bank run. Traveler's checks give a better rate than dollars. If your bank does not charge an outlandish fee for travelers checks get about $500.00 and change them. That will be plenty to get you from the airport to the base whether using the bus or train and put some food in your stomach.
Do not bring your car. Gas on base just hit $4.10 a gallon and in town it is about $6.50 / gallon. Plus the smog inspection alone will be about 1 - 2 thousand dollars. Cars on base are inexpensive and plentiful. We do drive on the "other" side of the road here and having a right hand drive car helps you get used to it. Roads off base are smaller than in the US.
ATM's have changed dramatically in the last 1 1/2 years. All 7-11 (yes we have them) ATM machines will take US ATM cards provided they are on Plus or Visa network. The exchange rate is just as good if not better than on base and they do not charge a fee. English language instructions to boot! Japan Post Office ATM's will take them also but the hours are limited, usually closing by 6:00 at night or so. Base ATMs are with Navy Fed and Community bank. Community bank will also change money for you but Bank of Yokohama about 20 mins walk from main gate generally has a better rate. Bank of Yokohama also has the traveler check premium.
Get used to lines out in town. Just about everything you will do you will have to wait in line for. It is just the way it is here.
All of the other thigs posted are pretty spot on. Enjoy your stay, don't get frustrated, even though it is real easy to do, and remember we are guests here.
First of all, leave all pets in the USA.
DO NOT HAVE A BABY OVERSEAS. Many of the hospitals carry TB. Go back home to the USA to have your child.
Furniture - You need to contact your housing office on your base to see what they have available on Base first and then ask them what do they have available off base. The housing office will also lend you some furniture for your home as well until your furniture arrive.
If you live off Base, be prepared to purchase your phone line. ($300.00 to $1,500.00). It's best to find someone that is coming back to the states and buy their line from them. Also, if you live off base, ask housing for a stacked washer/dryer, refrigerator, stove w/oven. You can use these things as long as u live off base.
Enjoy yourself over there and adapt to the culture and sight see! Don't complain too much you will probably never get the opportunity to go back to Japan after your time is up. Don't wine that your hubby is gone out to see and don't trust and make friends with every wife or person you meet.
Look your best at all times when u leave the house cause the Japanese women and some American women are on the hunt for your man.
Whip it on him GIRL!
Anymore questions, contact me at [EMAIL="gardetha6@netzero.com"]gardetha6@netzero.com[/EMAIL]
Hello- I was born at Camp Zama in the 60's, and will be returning to Japan for the first time since I was an infant. My sister and I want to find our home we lived in off base near Atsugi NAS. We lived in an American community in Minami Rinkan (about 8 houses at the most) on a dead end street. It was about 4 miles from the back entrance of the base. Since our mail went to Atsugi, I do not have a real address. My birth certificate says "3760 Shimotsaruma, Yamato-Shi". In the 60's there was an open field behind our house with a boys camp. Our house came with a dog, and a maid named Kudo-san, who after we left worked for the King family. They lived in the house before and after us.
Does this housing community still exist? If so, does anyone know how to get there? Thanks for any help!
Thank you Spedi03 for your reply for a contractor. Where should one start looking for housing agents? News papers / online / physically go to the area?
What area would you suggest for a couple in the range of $2000 to $2500 per month rent. Preferably close to Yokosuka base.
Thanks again for your input.
MH
We just arrived in Japan on Aug. 21st. We live on Yokosuka base at Sakura Heights. We got housing pretty quickly..but may be due to the fact that the kitty hawk left as our ship is coming in. My husband is on the GW as well. I guess it may make a difference as to what kind of housing you request as well...as people with pets cannot live in the towers and have to live in the townhouses. We don't have a pet so we live in a tower. Our tower is also all officers so not sure if the waiting list is shorter or anything for officers than enlisted. the house is a lot bigger than I expected though so that is nice and it's close to the commissary/exchange and school like 5 min. walking distance so we lucked out.
My suggestion is before coming to Japan do a lot of research on the cfay website and just be as well prepared as you can. For instance I had like 3 copies of orders/entry approval, change of homeport cert. /all the powers of attorney I needed/my son's school transcripts/shot records/last physical. Just be prepared and it will make it a lot easier. A sponsor is a great thing to have. They tell you to get a sponsor before coming over and let me tell you they are life savers, well mine is anyways..she is awesome and I couldn't thank her enough for the way she has taken care of me and helped me through this move and I hope later I could be of help to someone else the way she has helped me.
But good luck to you on the move. Ours so far has gone pretty smoothly. Yes make sure you have reservations for the shuttle from the airport to the base. It took us to the psd bus stop and one of the chiefs from the GW had one of their guys pick us up and take us to our house where our sponsor met us..but I had seen people have friends pick them up and the taxi's run 24 hours, not sure if there was a courtesy phone there at the bus stop though.
I am going through everything right now on yokosuka base so if you have any questions about what you need to do or anything let me know. My sponsor has been a huge help to me and I would like to return the favor to other family members coming over because it can be intimidating. Any GW spouses coming over you can email me at chrissy_77d@yahoo.com I would be happy to answer any questions I can that I just went through myself. I've been around the base a little bit so far so if you are living on yokosuka and you want to meet anywhere I would be happy to meet with you and we can explore the base a little more together. We just got attached to the GW early 2008 so I don't know anyone from the ship. All I know here is my sponsor and a marine officers wife I met here in my building so far...so I'm kinda doing this alone myself.
(In the other hand, I was soooo shocked US does not separate trash
and garbage... Sorry)
Japanese people make broad generalizations about everything (It's an ironic statement, but it's true in this case. さすが日本人。). I don't know why you would think that every place in the U.S. is just like where you are.
There are many, many towns in the U.S. that separate garbage and recyclables.
The same situation exists in Japan. Yokosuka might separate its garbage, but a lot of places don't. Like Osaka, which is a very big city. There are millions of people here in Osaka, but the government doesnt seem to care about just picking the garbage up, throwing it all together, and burning it, even in the face of obvious climate change and air pollution.
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Hello GW spouses
Just arrived in Yokosuka!
)
