Here is some useful tips to make your long-term Stay in Japan more enjoyable.
We strongly recommend you to plan stable mobile data access before your departure.
In our apartment, REW Village Hashimoto, you have free WiFi access. You can also connect your PC with an Ethernet cable provided. Zoom-ing and WhatsApp-ing with your family and friends are therefore free of charge.
However “Free WiFi” in many public places in Japan does not work for Gaijin-Smart-Phone. Verification mail does not arrive at Gaijin-Mail-Address by whatever the reason, or sign-in is only possible with a Japanese mobile phone number (starting 070/080/090 plus 8 digits number).
Another obstacle is that you will be blocked from many online services if you don’t have a Japanese mobile phone number. When you try to reserve a restaurant or tickets, or order something by an internet shop, you may be stacked because a mandatory "telephone number" field accept only a Japanese mobile number.
Then you may decide to reserve something or order something by a phone. Many Japanese businesses offer a free dial number starting 0120. However a free dial number often reject international calls (as in many other countries), and you may not find any other number to call.
If you have a spare mobile phone or a tablet, you may wish to consider taking this device and buy a traveler’s SIM in Japan.
If you land on Narita Airport, there are three options to reach Hashimoto.
(1) Take direct bus to Shin-Yokohama station (110 minutes, not covered by JR Pass), then change to JR Yokohama line (40 minutes). The least transfer and least people, but there are only 4 service per day from Narita to Shin-Yokohama.
(2) Take Narita Express to Yokohama (90 minutes), then change to JR Yokohama line up to Hashimoto (50 minutes). All covered by JR Pass.
(3) Take Narita Express to Tokyo (55 minutes), take Tokaido Shinkansen to Shin-Yokohama (20 minutes), and change to JR Yokohama line to Hashimoto (40 minutes). All covered by JR Pass. You need to climb escalators from -5th floor to the ground level, and compromise Tokyo Passengers.
Once Maglev is open after 2027, then the best way would be taking Narita Express up to Shinagawa (60 minutes), then take the Maglev to Hashimoto (10 minutes)
The least stressed route to Hashimoto is, taking a Shuttle Bus to Shin-Yokohama (45 minutes, not covered by JR Pass), change to JR Yokohama Line up to Hashimoto (40 minutes)
Regardless of which station you use, better avoid peak time. If you must take a packed train or subways during the peak time, respect “women’s only” cars, and, with all your might, try to avoid any chance to be caught with molesting on a train. Watch a Japanese movie called “I Just Didn’t Do It (original title: Soredemo boku wa yattenai)” before your departure to Japan. How this young man was treated is no exaggeration.
Eating or drinking something in local trains or subways is considered as a rude manner. But eating in Shinkansen, and even drinking alcohol, is perfectly acceptable. You will find a variety of Lunch-Box or sandwiches in the shops of major stations.
Eating or drinking in certain suburb local trains is also acceptable. But distinguishing such trains from others requires more expertise. Better stay with a simple rule: Eating in Shinkansen is OK, but not in other trains.
As mentioned, we recommend you to consider a day-trip to “the Must but compact” places. When you decide to adapt this idea and visit “the Must” using Shinkansen, leave Hashimoto before 7am, then buy a lunch-box in a station, and enjoy this charmingly prepared lunch-box in Shinkansen. Then you can utilize the whole afternoon for sightseeing.