Passport Misawa and Cars

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

DODD Teachers

MEMBERS

287 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

DODD Teachers Chatboard

Passport Misawa and Cars

by Insight

Aug 9, 2016

Any insight into Misawa? How long did it take for most to get their government and original passports back once fedex to HR? Last but not least is it difficult to find a car or is a car necessary in Misawa do they have great transportation?

Comment

(6)

report post

view previous comments

Insight Wandere Thank you so much for the information. I too want something reliable and really need to budget what I am going to need. The winters are long???? What do you consider long and do the houses have central heat and air???

Wow. Thanks so much

WandereOn 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: > You will want your own 4WD car with fairly hi...See More

Aug 9, 2016

report post

wanderer My old Japanese style house had room heaters (gas) and room air conditioners (electric, wall mounted high on ceiling). Newer housing targeting Americans have radiant heat floors and wall mount electric air conditioners. You will want air conditioners in every bedroom and in your main living area.

Snow on the ground Nov-March, maybe? I've f...See MoreMy old Japanese style house had room heaters (gas) and room air conditioners (electric, wall mounted high on ceiling). Newer housing targeting Americans have radiant heat floors and wall mount electric air conditioners. You will want air conditioners in every bedroom and in your main living area.

Snow on the ground Nov-March, maybe? I've forgotten. Learn to snowboard or ski. Go to the Hirosaki and Sapporo snow festivals. Wear boots with good traction soles to/from work every day because entries always get iced over from roof icicles dripping. Find gloves and hat/scarf and coat you like. Travel southward over Christmas break if you want warmer temperatures. Tokyo residents get all excited about a dusting of snow that quickly melts. Reserve the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo over the Martin Luther King 3 day weekend ASAP and buy tickets to see sumo then.

You'll want to buy snow shovels and ice breakers to maintain your home entries. People on base have to clear their sidewalks by 730 am if I remember right. Offbase if you got dumped on overnight, you can just wade through it in the morning and wait until you get home to dig yourself out. It's worth it to find a house with a garage so you don't have to waste so much time cleaning off your car.

On 8/09/16, Insight wrote: > Wandere Thank you so much for the information. I too want > something reliable and really need to budget what I am going > to need. The winters are long???? What do you consider long > and do the houses have central heat and air??? > > Wow. Thanks so much > > WandereOn 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >> You will want your own 4WD car with fairly high road >> clearance and and good winter tires. Misawa is in the most >> agricultural prefecture in Japan and things are spread out. >> Winter is pretty long and very snowy and they don't plow >> the roads offbase like they do on base. The snow can get >> deep and if you have a low-slung car, you will be >> dragging/plowing. The train station is NOT close to base. >> Most of the newer off-base housing developments are far >> to bicycle and you can't bike in the winter anyway. If you >> buy anything bulky anywhere, cabs are expensive and the >> buses are a pain. They have great used cars in Japan: >> $5K for a 4WD car in excellent condition with two sets of >> tires on rims and only 30K miles. I recommend going to >> Lucky's just outside of POL gate because they buy cars at >> the Tokyo auctions that are in excellent condition, Ryoko >> Noro co-owner speaks English very well, she does the bulk >> of the paperwork (you have your part to do through the >> base) and can do the insurance as well and her husband >> and his mechanics do their own repairs if you have issues >> down the road. Most car sales places do not also do >> repairs. You can easily get cheaper cars with more mileage >> at other places offbase that usually have no repair > options. >> The onbase lemon lot is another place to shop. I absolutely >> wanted reliability because I was on my own. >> >> On 8/09/16, Insight wrote: >>> Any insight into Misawa? How long did it take for most to >>> get their government and original passports back once >> fedex >>> to HR? Last but not least is it difficult to find a car or >>> is a car necessary in Misawa do they have great >>> transportation?

Aug 9, 2016

report post

wanderer PS. If money is tight, go ahead and do the paperwork to
get an advance loan on your wages as soon as you get
there. It worked out well for me because first year
teachers get 21 pay periods instead of 26 pay periods.
That means that if you get the loan, you get used to about
the paycheck amount you will be getting in your second
ye...See More

Aug 9, 2016

report post

haha Great advice all around. Misawa is nice but I've only been there in summer and fall.

On 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: > PS. If money is tight, go ahead and do the paperwork to > get an advance loan on your wages as soon as you get > there. It worked out well for me because first year > teachers get 21 pay periods instead of 26 pay p...See MoreGreat advice all around. Misawa is nice but I've only been there in summer and fall.

On 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: > PS. If money is tight, go ahead and do the paperwork to > get an advance loan on your wages as soon as you get > there. It worked out well for me because first year > teachers get 21 pay periods instead of 26 pay periods. > That means that if you get the loan, you get used to about > the paycheck amount you will be getting in your second > year anyway. They will deduct loan payments out of every > paycheck so you are paid up by the end of the first school > year. You will have to limp through your first summer > financially either way. (They still will pay you for your > housing & utilities, & post allowance, etc.) Your loan > will come through in 4ish? weeks and then you could buy a > car in cash, have the big deposit for your house, etc. > > On 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >> My old Japanese style house had room heaters (gas) and > room >> air conditioners (electric, wall mounted high on >> ceiling). Newer housing targeting Americans have radiant >> heat floors and wall mount electric air conditioners. You >> will want air conditioners in every bedroom and in your >> main living area. >> >> Snow on the ground Nov-March, maybe? I've forgotten. >> Learn to snowboard or ski. Go to the Hirosaki and Sapporo >> snow festivals. Wear boots with good traction soles >> to/from work every day because entries always get iced >> over from roof icicles dripping. Find gloves and >> hat/scarf and coat you like. Travel southward over >> Christmas break if you want warmer temperatures. Tokyo >> residents get all excited about a dusting of snow that >> quickly melts. Reserve the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo over >> the Martin Luther King 3 day weekend ASAP and buy tickets >> to see sumo then. >> >> You'll want to buy snow shovels and ice breakers to >> maintain your home entries. People on base have to clear >> their sidewalks by 730 am if I remember right. Offbase if >> you got dumped on overnight, you can just wade through it >> in the morning and wait until you get home to dig >> yourself out. It's worth it to find a house with a garage >> so you don't have to waste so much time cleaning off your >> car. >> >> On 8/09/16, Insight wrote: >>> Wandere Thank you so much for the information. I too >>> want something reliable and really need to budget what I >>> am going to need. The winters are long???? What do you >>> consider >> long >>> and do the houses have central heat and air??? >>> >>> Wow. Thanks so much >>> >>> WandereOn 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >>>> You will want your own 4WD car with fairly high road >>>> clearance and and good winter tires. Misawa is in the >>>> most agricultural prefecture in Japan and things are >>>> spread out. Winter is pretty long and very snowy and >>>> they don't plow the roads offbase like they do on base. >>>> The snow can get deep and if you have a low-slung car, >>>> you will be dragging/plowing. The train station is NOT >>>> close to base. Most of the newer off-base housing >>>> developments are far to bicycle and you can't bike in >>>> the winter anyway. If you buy anything bulky anywhere, >>>> cabs are expensive and the buses are a pain. They have >>>> great used cars in Japan: $5K for a 4WD car in >>>> excellent condition with two sets of tires on rims and >>>> only 30K miles. I recommend going to Lucky's just >>>> outside of POL gate because they buy cars at the Tokyo >>>> auctions that are in excellent condition, Ryoko Noro >>>> co-owner speaks English very well, she does the bulk of >>>> the paperwork (you have your part to do through the >>>> base) and can do the insurance as well and her husband >>>> and his mechanics do their own repairs if you have >>>> issues down the road. Most car sales places do not also >>>> do repairs. You can easily get cheaper cars with more >>>> mileage at other places offbase that usually have no >>>> repair >>> options. >>>> The onbase lemon lot is another place to shop. I >>>> absolutely wanted reliability because I was on my own. >>>> >>>> On 8/09/16, Insight wrote: >>>>> Any insight into Misawa? How long did it take for most >>>>> to get their government and original passports back >>>>> once >>>> fedex >>>>> to HR? Last but not least is it difficult to find a >>>>> car or is a car necessary in Misawa do they have great >>>>> transportation?

Aug 9, 2016

report post

Insight BIG THANK YOU Great Info and I appreciate all the advice...

THanks so much Wanderer and Haha

On 8/09/16, haha wrote: > Great advice all around. Misawa is nice but I've only been > there in summer and fall. > > On 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >> PS. If money is tight, go ahead and do the paperwork to >> get an ...See MoreBIG THANK YOU Great Info and I appreciate all the advice...

THanks so much Wanderer and Haha

On 8/09/16, haha wrote: > Great advice all around. Misawa is nice but I've only been > there in summer and fall. > > On 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >> PS. If money is tight, go ahead and do the paperwork to >> get an advance loan on your wages as soon as you get >> there. It worked out well for me because first year >> teachers get 21 pay periods instead of 26 pay periods. >> That means that if you get the loan, you get used to > about >> the paycheck amount you will be getting in your second >> year anyway. They will deduct loan payments out of every >> paycheck so you are paid up by the end of the first > school >> year. You will have to limp through your first summer >> financially either way. (They still will pay you for your >> housing & utilities, & post allowance, etc.) Your loan >> will come through in 4ish? weeks and then you could buy a >> car in cash, have the big deposit for your house, etc. >> >> On 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >>> My old Japanese style house had room heaters (gas) and >> room >>> air conditioners (electric, wall mounted high on >>> ceiling). Newer housing targeting Americans have radiant >>> heat floors and wall mount electric air conditioners. > You >>> will want air conditioners in every bedroom and in your >>> main living area. >>> >>> Snow on the ground Nov-March, maybe? I've forgotten. >>> Learn to snowboard or ski. Go to the Hirosaki and > Sapporo >>> snow festivals. Wear boots with good traction soles >>> to/from work every day because entries always get iced >>> over from roof icicles dripping. Find gloves and >>> hat/scarf and coat you like. Travel southward over >>> Christmas break if you want warmer temperatures. Tokyo >>> residents get all excited about a dusting of snow that >>> quickly melts. Reserve the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo over >>> the Martin Luther King 3 day weekend ASAP and buy > tickets >>> to see sumo then. >>> >>> You'll want to buy snow shovels and ice breakers to >>> maintain your home entries. People on base have to clear >>> their sidewalks by 730 am if I remember right. Offbase > if >>> you got dumped on overnight, you can just wade through > it >>> in the morning and wait until you get home to dig >>> yourself out. It's worth it to find a house with a > garage >>> so you don't have to waste so much time cleaning off > your >>> car. >>> >>> On 8/09/16, Insight wrote: >>>> Wandere Thank you so much for the information. I too >>>> want something reliable and really need to budget what > I >>>> am going to need. The winters are long???? What do you >>>> consider >>> long >>>> and do the houses have central heat and air??? >>>> >>>> Wow. Thanks so much >>>> >>>> WandereOn 8/09/16, wanderer wrote: >>>>> You will want your own 4WD car with fairly high road >>>>> clearance and and good winter tires. Misawa is in the >>>>> most agricultural prefecture in Japan and things are >>>>> spread out. Winter is pretty long and very snowy and >>>>> they don't plow the roads offbase like they do on > base. >>>>> The snow can get deep and if you have a low-slung car, >>>>> you will be dragging/plowing. The train station is NOT >>>>> close to base. Most of the newer off-base housing >>>>> developments are far to bicycle and you can't bike in >>>>> the winter anyway. If you buy anything bulky anywhere, >>>>> cabs are expensive and the buses are a pain. They have >>>>> great used cars in Japan: $5K for a 4WD car in >>>>> excellent condition with two sets of tires on rims and >>>>> only 30K miles. I recommend going to Lucky's just >>>>> outside of POL gate because they buy cars at the Tokyo >>>>> auctions that are in excellent condition, Ryoko Noro >>>>> co-owner speaks English very well, she does the bulk > of >>>>> the paperwork (you have your part to do through the >>>>> base) and can do the insurance as well and her husband >>>>> and his mechanics do their own repairs if you have >>>>> issues down the road. Most car sales places do not > also >>>>> do repairs. You can easily get cheaper cars with more >>>>> mileage at other places offbase that usually have no >>>>> repair >>>> options. >>>>> The onbase lemon lot is another place to shop. I >>>>> absolutely wanted reliability because I was on my own. >>>>> >>>>> On 8/09/16, Insight wrote: >>>>>> Any insight into Misawa? How long did it take for > most >>>>>> to get their government and original passports back >>>>>> once >>>>> fedex >>>>>> to HR? Last but not least is it difficult to find a >>>>>> car or is a car necessary in Misawa do they have > great >>>>>> transportation?

Aug 10, 2016

report post