We leave for Tokyo next Tuesday, so I've been spending the week getting my credit and banking squared away, settling any loose ends with the International Studies Office, and getting the researcher's application for Shibaura done.
Note: If the application process for the SIT program is at the end of the spring semester again, try to ask for a recommendation letter before or during exam week so you'll have it when it's time to fill out the Shibaura application.
I've also been seeing what kind of weather Tokyo's going to be having (hot and humid like Virginia, I suppose and then rainy in June/July) and packing accordingly (no t-shirts, dress decently. And pack respectable socks). Google has been really helpful with small questions like this and so has About.com, where I've started learning my hiragana.
Something really helpful just to see where I'll be going is Roger & Marilyn's Photo Tour of Tokyo, which takes you EVERYWHERE. This is also where I learned most of my Japanese words about trains and some simple kanji like for enter and exit. It's probably a good idea since I'll be taking the train I believe from wherever I'm living to campus.
I've been keeping a small pocket notebook with this like this, along with Japanese words and accompanying kanji for places I would have to go like Bank and Post Office. Someone told me a friend of hers used to buy a postcard of the place he was living so he would have everything right there (image, English and Japanese name) if he needed to get back. Seems like a smart idea.
Links: Culturally, japan-guide has been very useful with etiquette and general living and henna gaijin has been great to see how foreigners adapt to Japanese life.
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