We will be sending out contact information for alumni, and all have agreed to participate in this orientation process. There is also a possibility that NSF is already supporting a research fellow at your host institution. We suggest you utilize the information that will be sent to you on current NSF fellows in Japan and then make contact with the individual. Suggested Reading Lists Books and other materials particularly appropriate for reading prior to departure are available in the Orientation Handbook and are mentioned by alumni in their letters. What to Bring to Japan One of the more practical issues that new participants raise concerns that of what you need to bring to Japan in terms of clothes, toiletries and such.
Several things are worth mentioning at the outset.
First, there will not be porters to carry your suitcases while you are in Japan, and thus you will frequently have to carry your things from place to place. Remember this as you pack. Second, remember that all of you will be living in rooms not much larger than a very large walk-in closet in the United States, and that there is limited space for clothes and other goods. Third, the clothes you are required to wear to your lab will vary depending upon the lab, with some being rather formal and others being quite informal. Check with your host scientist on this issue before you leave.