- grocery store meals are cheaper than konbini stores and just as good; if you want to buy food from convenience stores, 7-11 has the best, but all are pretty good
- learn Japanese as soon as you can because it is hard – we were lucky to have a few language courses, but it is not enough and very, very hard
- take the time to explore Hokkaido because it is so beautiful and underrated
- people will stare if you’re not Japanese, but it’s not from an ill intent; best practice is to just keep going on like normal
- Japanese people will appreciate you learning Japanese but don’t fall into the trap of thinking the bare minimum is enough
- let the experience guide you because you only get to do it once and there’s no wrong way to do it
- take extra time to navigate transportation because everything takes a little more work and a little more time to figure out because it’s just slightly different
- when in doubt, do what others are doing
- take the time to really learn phrases you would use in school, such as “good job”, “wow, that’s so cool”, etc.
- take your time in new places, and give yourself the chance to soak things in and appreciate it; rushing will be a huge regret