Hello! This is the unofficial isak packing list, made by our alumni Lydia Jane!

It is for people who

are interested/curious, while you wait to get access to the yokoso website. This does not come
directly from administration, and is really just from her personal
experience/memory/conversations with friends. The information here is purely for those
of you who have started to think about what to bring, it is not the ultimate packing list.

Don’t be too stressed if you are coming soon or later. We all hope everyone will come to ISAK
as soon as possible. Personal tip, start packing early and add up as you will remember things
you need.

If you have any questions, email [email protected] or dm me in

instagram @arvvzhan (Aru, she/her/hers) :)) I would love to help you

***The numbers I have given on the list are based on an average. You can obviously survive on
less, and if you have space in your suitcase you can bring more, but I’m giving you what I think
is a comfortable amount!

Clothes
ISAK has all four seasons, which you may not be used to depending on where you are from!
Make sure you pack for warm and cold weather, and pack layers.

Tops:

● 7-10 short sleeve shirts

● 6 long sleeve shirts
● 3 sweaters/hoodies
● 3 sporty shirts (more if you like working out a lot)
● 1 jacket for wind/rain
● 1 parka (If you own one, bring it. If not, don’t worry, there will be options for you here!)w

Bottoms:

● 3 pairs of shorts (for regular day activities)

● 5 pairs of pants (for the ladies: I highly suggest bringing up at least 3 pairs of leggings,
they were my saving grace)
● 2 pairs of sporty shorts (more if you like working out a lot)
● 1 pair of sporty pants (more if you like working out a lot, leggings can also work here)

*IN GENERAL*: Winter is long at isak. Bring lots of things to keep you warm :-)

Other:
 ● Cultural dress (there will be a few occasions throughout the year where you can wear
this. If you do not have cultural dress, bring clothes that represent your country!)
● 5 regular bras (if you wear them)
● 2 sports bras (if you wear them, more if you like working out a lot)
● 14 pairs of underwear (you do NOT want to run out if you’ve been putting off doing your
laundry)
● 20 pairs of socks (have a combination of long & short, thick & thin, but bring more socks
than you think you’ll need. You will lose them, and again, see above for not doing your
laundry and running out)
● 2 pairs of pjs (one for warm weather, one for cold weather)
● 1-2 formal/nice outfits (we have a thanksgiving dinner and 2 dress up dances in the year,
as well as any formal situations with other people you may find yourself in)
● 5-6 binders (if you wear them)
● 5-6 hijabs (if you wear them, also remember to have some for winter and some for
summer)

Shoes
YES this needs its own section, welcome to Japan.

● 2 pairs of running shoes (one for indoors, one for outdoors.) - Black hand me
down(outdoors), new balance (indoors)
● Crocs/flip flops/something quick and easy to slip on to wear around campus (you’ll be
taking your shoes on and off a lot) - Birkenstocks
● 1 pair of hiking shoes (you NEED these, I know it sounds optional but it’s not) - Need
● 2-3 pairs of indoor shoes (ideally you have a pair in each building, and there are three:
KAC, Asama, and TAC) - Yea im fucked
● 1 pair of slippers/comfy shoes for your house (optional) - Grey comfy slips
● 1 pair of boots (for rain & snow) - Snow boots which i have
● 1 pair of nice shoes (for those fancy events, optional) - Sydney's shoes
● Shower shoes (if you want, but not everyone uses them)

Toiletries
● Toothbrush & toothpaste (obviously)
● 1 towel
● Hair brush/comb
● Whatever you use in the shower (soap, shampoo & conditioner, etc)
● 1-2 Razors
● Deodorant (Japanese deodorant is different from what you may be used to, so you may
want to bring a couple!)
● Pads/tampons/menstrual cup (because we don’t know how long we’ll be quarantined, I’d
suggest packing enough for 5 cycles just to be safe.)

The rest are not crucial to your survival, but are useful to have

● Moisturizer & lip balm (TRUST ME)

● Q-tips (you don’t realize how much you use them until you don’t have any)
● Makeup/hair products (bring whatever you use at home that will make you feel
comfortable)
 ● Shaving cream (if you use it)
● Nail kit (tweezers, clippers, file)
● Reusable masks
● Refillable sanitizers

School Supplies
● Notebooks or paper & binders: G11s have 7 classes, G10s have 11(but G10 don’t need
notebooks for each of them. Bring around 6-8. You can also always buy them in
Karuizawa)
● Pens/pencils/highlighters: You know yourself fairly well. I probably used 8 muji pens over
the year (from the ink running out or losing them) and then had a different colour
highlighter for each class. So figure out a system that works for you! And don’t forget a
couple pencils for math ;)
● Graphing calculator (here is a list of the approved calculators as of 2019:
https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/e3e2d5a7b79e48f7a47f8973e7873a10/use-of-
calculators-in-examinations-2019_en.pdf . It’s recommended you get a Texas
Instruments instead of a Casio, because teachers know TI more than they know Casio.
Unless you already have a calculator, I would say to be safe, don't get one yet,
because I’m not sure if the above list is up-to-date. You can always order one online
once you get to the school as well!)

● A computer (if you cannot afford one, the school will give you one, but make sure you
are eligible for a school one based on your personal financial aid package. A macbook is
recommended, because the school is very Apple-based, but I have lots of friends who
manage just fine with a PC)
● A socket converter. Japanese sockets are the same as North American ones, so if you
have different sockets than that, you’ll need this.
● Some kind of backpack or book-bag
● Scissors, tape, mini stapler (these things are optional but are handy to have because
they can be hard to find)

Food
Ah yes, the best section. Here is the thing about food: BRING IT! You will miss food from your
home country a lot, and when it’s 11pm and you suddenly get hungry, the only food you have is
what you brought from home or what your kind housemate is willing to share. Here are some
tips on the kind of food to bring:

● Non-perishables (this is kind of obvious)

● A combination of foods that can be prepared (like pasta, ramen) and foods you can grab
quickly between classes (like granola bars)
● Things to share with others! Snack food from your culture, tea, chips, these things are
great for getting closer to your housemates
● Things that will last you awhile (your chips will be gone after a week. Bring some foods
that you won’t use up right away, like ramen packages or soup)
 ● Spices/sauces/things you can add to food to make you feel more at home. (I always
bring my own maple syrup to the caf)
● Cultural food

Other things
These things are just very handy to have in general. Again, you can survive without all of this,
but these are just some suggestions.

● Your flag! Feel free to bring as many as you want (from as many countries as you want)
but make sure you at least have one.
● A blanket. I know lots of people that brought their own soft blanket that made them really
happy! (consider how much space it will take). School does provide a personal blanket
for 2 years
● A power bar. The sockets at isak are kind of weird and a lot of them don’t fit the standard
Mac chargers, so having a simple power bar is really useful. It’s also helpful to have it so
you can charge multiple things at once!
● Extra earbuds. You’re going to lose your earbuds. I’m sorry, I don’t make the rules.
● Some books (don’t overestimate how much time you will have to read. I didn’t read a
single book that wasn’t for English class this year. But that’s just me)
● A deck of cards, games
● Room decorating things! Photos, posters, your flag, etc. DON’T FORGET to also bring
tape/blu tack/push pins to put these things up!