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I'd pick up some inexpensive paperback novels, unless you have a local source. Well, that's what I do when I visit, actually. Two years is a lot of study time. Electronic dictionaries might (or might not) be a bit cheaper there, too.

Some glossy magazines, perhaps? Something general about lifestyle etc. should be fairly easy to read and enjoyable (to me, at least, they are.) I don't know what their prices are in Japan, but they're usually really expensive outside of the country

There is no point in buying electronic dictionaries now that decent smartphones exist...

Are the dictionary apps for smartphones really as good as decent electronic dictionaries though? Can you input words/kanji reliably by pen(touch) input on an iphone?

They are the same data, and yes.

You get more data on an electronic dictionary since they normally bundle in 100+ "contents", but you will almost never use more than three of them (J-J, J-E, kanji).

Buying an app for your smartphone is not only cheaper, but it's on a device you always carry and has some integration with your existing computing stuff (unlike an electronic dictionary which will be an island). Actually iPhone /w IOS5 already has professional Japanese dictionaries built in so you don't need to buy anything unless you want more functionality than just lookups.

I used to be a big supporter of denshi jisho, but they are obsolete technology now. I haven't touched my very high end 70,000en model in almost a year.

Ok, good to know about the touch input.
Not everyone wants/needs a smartphone though, and you get a good enough dictionary for way less than 70,000en (mine was about 15,000en including an extra card loaded with chinese dictionaries). So I wouldn't call them obsolete just yet.

They can be used sure, but they are obsolete in the same way that word processors (hardware not software) are obsolete. They have been superseded.

iPod touch with ios5 has the same built in dictionary afaik, so that brings the price to about the same as a low end denshi jisho, but it does way more. Though if you carry a phone already it makes more sense to upgrade it to a smartphone (even if you don't use a smartphone contract) as it will be something you're always carrying.

@OP: You can get books easy enough online, and really you probably won't be reading a TON in two years unless you are already are the kind of person who reads a lot of books in your native language. What I always bought before I permanently moved here was food like instant curry etc.

I can't get over these ipod touch and iphones not having buttons, touch screens are too fiddly for me... I still prefer my electronic dictionary. :/

Then again I'm old fashioned and resistant to modern technology lol.

dizmox Wrote:I can't get over these ipod touch and iphones not having buttons, touch screens are too fiddly for me... I still prefer my electronic dictionary. :/

Then again I'm old fashioned and resistant to modern technology lol.

I feel exactly the same way which is why I bought a Droid 2 (it has a physical keyboad).

you're in silicon valley?
doesn't j-town in san francisco have a japanese bookstore?
i only know they have crepes, lol