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The 'goal in this tutorial is to present a program of practical learning that will allow you to go through the process of becoming familiar with Japanese culture, even before you get there. The crucial aspect of "becoming familiar" with a culture is that the experience centers on you. Through a process of trial and error you must learn the appropriate things to say and do. But you must also survive the learning process. There is no way to steer you clear of all potential mistakes, but this tutorial can at least help you identify and learn from them.         The learning process in this tutorial replicates the trial-and-error process of "being there". The tutorial maps a critical minefield in the learning process, the things that no one thinks to tell a newcomer. These are not mentioned, precisely because it is assumed that everyone must already know them. Yet ironically, these are the very things one most needs to know in order to successfully adjust, and they may not be obvious to the newcomer at all. While this minefield exists for all cultures, in Japan it is compounded by cultural expectations of not speaking directly; because others are expected to intuit what one is not saying. It goes without saying that this is difficult for newcomers to manage.           The tutorial consists of a series of interactive modules, which allow the learner to be a fly-on-the-wall, and to watch others going through the process of trying to acclimate themselves. The tutorial is set in the context of student homestays, which consists of three parts. '

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