Reddit reviews Recipes of Japanese Cooking

Yamato does have a Computer Shipping service that I used when bringing a tower to Japan, so even if you're not making a large shipment through them, that's still probably an option. Alternately, I've also seen people take the components they want in static bags inside hard cases and just buy the case/PSU/Monitor in Japan. This route is a lot cheaper and safer, TBH.

Your company isn't going to give you any support for the moving process? That seems a bit odd.

As for staples... If you don't know how to cook Japanese food you'll need to start there and then figure out what you like, which will dictate what you need. Keep in mind that a lot of Japanese cookbooks are written for a western audience and tend to use ingredients readily available in the west, rather than being tailored for Japan. This book is one I was gifted and it's pretty basic, but also pretty authentic, and may be a good place to start.

THIS BOOK! NOW!
英語でつくる和食 (eigodetsukuruwashoku)/ Recipes of Japanese Cooking

http://www.amazon.com/Recipes-Japanese-Cooking-Yuko-Fujita/dp/481633677X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345055381&sr=8-2&keywords=recipes+of+japanese+cooking

This book is the best cook book I've used. It has it all; the basic everyday recipes, like miso soup, sukiyaki, simmered dishes, AS well as some more traditional, tougher dishes. It also covers seasonal ingredients/dishes AND cooking technique in depth, explaining enough to make it easily understood, but with no overkill.

The best thing of all is that every recipe, and ALL the content, is in Japanese and perfectly translated/converted English. Amazing little thing to help you study while you cook.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Hell, I just about need to buy another one, since the spine on mine is destroyed, I used it that much.

If you can't cook amazing Japanese food with this book, there is no hope, period.