It’s been just over a week since I officially arrived in Japan, and while it’s now been multiple days of chaos, it feels controlled, educational, and most importantly, fun.

The first order of business was becoming official. A trip to the local ward helped make my official residence in Japan, well… official. Paperwork was signed, systems were activated, and suddenly I existed in the eyes of the government complete with state health insurance and my very own “My Number” – which is sort of like a Japanese version of an SSN?

A bank account was next on the list, pending employer documentation, but in the meantime I’ve been building something just as important: setting up my apartment, piece by piece. Utilities had to be turned on. Furniture had to be found. Essentials had to be purchased.

You’d be surprised to find out just how much you need to make an apartment livable.

In just 109 square feet, I’ve somehow assembled a fully functioning, 100% me living space. Two bookshelves and a kitchen rack from Amazon. A wardrobe and two tri-fold mattresses from Nitori, one of which has been transformed into a surprisingly comfortable lounge chair. Rounding out some food storage solutions from Daiso, everything just kind of came together.

My kitchen is made of up Rainbow Brite dinnerware from Silver Buffalo: Two ramen bowls (with matching chopsticks and a spoon), two 9″ Ceramic Dinner Bowls, the 17oz Ceramic Pottery Mug, and I finally broke the Spencers pint glasses from 2010 out of their packaging. I also picked up two thermoses, a water bottle and some acrylic decor from the Sailor Moon Store. Nakano Broadway offered up some Studio Ghibli hand towels and dishcloths, along with a pair of insanely comfortable Totoro house slippers as well as some non-essential, but still must have items like the complete Blu-ray set of Sk8 the Infinity, the 2022 Japanese edition of the 2gether soundtrack, Sailor Moon and Ah! My Goddess singles, and the previously reviewed, Japanese version of LYKN’s debut album.

Basically it’s a magical girl / BL lover’s tiny dream house.

Living alone again after so long has been… revealing. There’s a quiet accountability to it. The only one to remind me that I need more toilet paper for dish soap is me. It’s also incredibly quiet. Having roommates, there was always conversion, now there’s just me and the rain – it’s been falling almost every day since I arrived. It’s soft – persistent. But I love it. It feels symbolic, like everything I was before is being rinsed away, making space for whatever comes next.

Next week, training begins. A new routine. A new rhythm. Another layer of the necessary scaffolding of building a new life.

This is only the beginning. There will be more tales from Into the New World soon so…

Stay tuned.