Practical Information

What to Bring

• A mobile phone with sim card is required. It can take some time to get a Japanese sim card, so we recommend getting one through Mobal and then converting it to a local carrier, if you wish, after obtaining your residence card. (See note 1 below.)

• Bed sheets (Single mattress size: 90x200 cm)

• Blankets (suitable for both cool and cold weather)

• Pillow and pillowcases

• Towels

• Hair dryer (if used)

• Laundry basket

• Hangers

• Garbage bin (person for room use)

• A set of earphones or headphones

• A reusable water bottle: the dorms are going "plastic-free". Kobe's tap water is safe to drink.

• Students in Physical Education classes (all grade eight and nine students, as well as some juniors and seniors) are required to have two pairs of sports shoes: indoor (or court) shoes and outdoor shoes.

Optional:

• Slippers (Outdoor shoes are not allowed in the residential houses)

• Bicycle

• Decorations

• Extra storage containers

Notes:

1. For students under the age of 18 and younger, you can purchase the Mobal contract in the parent's name and have the sim card shipped to your home address. Some students in the past also used Sakura Mobile.

2. Whatever you bring with you must also leave with you.

3. In Kobe, the electric current is 100 volts, 60 cycles. Appliances of 110 volts, 60 cycles, including computers, will operate without difficulty.

4. In addition, many of the essential items are easily purchased locally. Many parents create accounts with Amazon Japan and/or IKEA Japan to have necessary items shipped directly to the dorm.

5. We recommend that you purchase two fitted sheets. Students do their own laundry, and they are usually good about that, but the washers and dryers get busy on the weekends. Here is an example of the single bed sheets at IKEA Japan site.

What NOT to Bring

• Televisions

• Heaters, electric blankets

• Appliances that produce open flames

• Large furniture

• Pets

• Knives, guns, or weapons of any type

 Please ask the dormitory parents if you have questions about specific items.

Shipping Items to and from School

Campus residents use the school address for receiving mail/packages. Regular mail will be distributed by the dorm parents on duty at dinner time. Packages are usually delivered to the lock box at the main building and the recipients will receive email notifications with QR codes. Large items will be kept at the reception but you will receive a notification for pick-up. You may use a cart to carry large items from the reception area. 

The shipping address is:

Student's Name

Canadian Academy

4-1 Koyo-cho Naka

Higashinada-ku

Kobe, 658-0032

Japan

For shipping items home, please use Japan Post or Yamato Transport. The students and their families are responsible for making shipping arrangements.

Finances

Students in the boarding house will require some spending money for items such as occasional weekend outings, transportation and toiletries. Many parents provide their children with a cash card, credit card, or Post Office account to enable the students access to funds as needed. If your child is responsible with money, this is an easy option.

Alternatively, parents may open a personal account for boarding students and deposit an appropriate amount (usually ¥100,000 at a time) into this account at the school’s Accounting Office. Students can withdraw funds from the Business Office with a dorm parent's signature.

Parents will receive a monthly report from the Accounting Office reflecting account activity. Parents are asked to replenish the account as needed as Canadian Academy is unable to offer credit for allowances.