Students arrange their own flight to Tokyo. Detailed information on what to do on arrival is provided by each university. The
starting dates at ICU and Nanzan vary slightly, but students should plan on arriving in Japan about September 1. A series
of required orientation meetings in the spring before departure gives detailed information on Japanese customs, homestay
deportment, cultural differences, and such nitty-gritty matters as application procedures for obtaining student visas.
There are four distinct seasons in Japan. It is not as cold as Canton in the winter, but it is hotter and damper than Canton in the summer. The scarcity of central heating in private homes, however (the Japanese heat people rather than spaces), can make winter seem colder than it is. Students should pack accordingly. Unaccompanied baggage can be sent before you depart to your host family in the case of Nanzan University, or to the office of International Student Exchange at ICU.