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You've got three months.

Here's my recommendation: Get a copy of Pimsleur. It is an audio only course which teaches basic Japanese phrases and communication. If you use it at a consistent pace, you can do all three stages of it before you arrive here (I wrote this based on the 3rd edition, which had only 3 Stages and was audio only. I'm not sure about the most recent edition. If you can find the 3rd edition online somewhere I think that would be sufficient). It will give you enough polite Japanese to dazzle your contracting organization (assuming your predecessor wasn't fluent).

Immediately start learning how to write and read hiragana and katakana. I recommend using JalupNEXT but really whatever resource you want to use is fine. Learn to write it. It makes it easier to memorize and eventually you'll have to fill out forms in Japanese and it is embarrassing to reference your phone because you don't know how to write even the basics. This should only take you a few weeks.

After you finish learning hiragana and katakana, immediately move on to learning kanji. You've got two choices here: You either learn kanji with an English keyword, or you learn a kanji along with its readings and related vocabulary. I highly recommend (for your situation) to just go with the keyword route and learn as many kanji as possible. Either get a copy of Heisig's Remember the Kanji and use associated Anki decks, use JalulNEXT's "Kanji Kingdom" course, or find a Memrise deck that has kanji and keywords. Memorize as many as possible before you arrive. If you decide to go the full route (learning kanji along with readings and vocab) I recommend either Kodansha's Kanji Learner's Course or WaniKani.

Do not focus on grammar before you arrive in Japan. At least, don't focus on it beyond the grammar which is introduced mostly passively in Pimsleur.

The reason I suggest this is that writing and kanji are the things that take the most time. They aren't hard. They just take time. Try to get as much of that out of the way before you get here so you don't waste your time in Japan doing them here.

Pimsleur is suggested because it'll give you quite a bit of language ability without making you focus closely on grammar. It is very practical. It gets you speaking and listening to the language as part of the course.

I suggest keywords as opposed to memorizing everything about the kanji because I think that being able to recognize a vast number of kanji (and especially write, if you learn that) before you arrive will be more valuable to you than being able to read, write, and understand the associated vocabulary of only a few. If you focus on keywords and if you finish hiragana and katakana in the first month, you could conceivably learn to recognize between 1000-1500 kanji before you arrive in Japan. Once you are able to recognize and write the kanji (the hard part), as you see them in context living in Japan you'll be able to pick up their readings. After you arrive in Japan, I suggest starting over with Kodansha or WaniKani and learning them with vocabulary, but before you get here the keywords are more important.

After you arrive in Japan, join a language course or buy a textbook. Then you can go through it and as you learn grammar points you can incorporate them into your day and try to find opportunities to use them.

This is what I would do.

I think the best technique will depend on your educational background.

In my opinion the Heisig method is one of the most efficient for learning from scratch. It's certainly not for everyone, but if you consider yourself imaginative, it's incredibly effective.

It doesn't work so well for those who already have a semi-solid Japanese background. Traditional classes teach kanji from the most basically useful first, whereas Heisig arranges everything by radicals, and sort of requires you to forget everything you know.

For me (I've studied since high school), I've had the most luck with a combination of the Obenkyo app for Android (it's free, amazing, and as far as I know has no Mac equivalent) and this workbook, which you can grab at Junkudo once you arrive.

Think about the following questions:

1. Do you need it right away?
   
2. Have you already bought it?
   
   If you don't need it right away, and you haven't already bought it, take a look at https://amazon.co.jp (Amazon Japan) before you arrive. Even things like Canadian maple syrup are probably cheaper than you'd think. You don't even need a credit card to buy things on the Japanese Amazon. As soon as you get your bank account (first week for most JETs), you can order off Amazon and pay at the ATM.
   
   Also, shipping from https://amazon.com (Amazon America) is pretty affordable (but you need a credit card to do so). For example, I wanted a few board games (Sushi Go, Scrabble, ...) and picture books (We're all Wonders, Triangle, ...). While I could have bought them on the Japanese Amazon, it was about 50% cheaper to get them shipped from America. If you don't need something right away, it's always good to check.

Great question! I hope somebody else can help answer.

Might only give you a few ideas where to look but read the book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. It's the memoir of a Japanese author (my favourite author), whose other main hobby is running, marathons, and triathlons. More just something to read for fun, but he mentions a few he competes in in Japan. https://www.amazon.ca/What-Talk-About-When-Running/dp/0385681917

I'm JHS and ES and normally don't need to bring a ton of materials. Bought this during my last trip home:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CG1OKYC/ref=twister_B071H6C17N?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Sort of water-resistant and sturdy (not that I necessarily needed the anti-theft protection, but it's nice); suits my needs perfectly. Whether your bag is "appropriate" depends on how many teaching materials you'll be expected to bring every day (and your commute), but that's something that changes weekly for me so I didn't plan around that. Not something you need to stress about!

(Edit: OP, welcome to Oita!!!!!!!)

I’ve been using a textbook called “Japanese from Zero” and it’s a dream. It’s so, so easy to learn from and it teaches you how to read, write, and speak in a natural way.

Japanese from Zero! 1: Proven Methods to Learn Japanese with Integrated Workbook and Online Support https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0976998122/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xbk7Cb5AD6WWV

You would be better served with cooking.nytimes.com than this book. It is quite thick and heavy, and most of this book's recipes amount to "Cook a fish with a lemon". For Japanese food, starting with Itoh or a more general cookbook might be better, but personally, if you can read Japanese at all, I would recommend purchasing a Japanese-language cookbook at BookOff for 100円.

Someone recommended this cookbook on the facebook page, and I wound up purchasing it because if nothing else it has vocabulary for ingredients. I love to cook, so I'm looking forward to shopping in Japanese grocery stores and learning new recipes.

OCN is good for me at the moment, it is run by and uses NTT Docomo's network so you get good coverage. The only concern is that they have been campaigning heavily to get new customers so hopefully this does not lead to a decline in speeds.

Oh, I forgot to mention many MVNOs have an "activation fee" when you sign up. The cost is usually negligible (1-3000 yen) but the networks with the most generous cancellation terms often have the highest activation fees (see: Sakura Mobile), which sucks if it turns out their service is terrible. If you look on Amazon you can often find MVNO activation kits for a fraction of the price. For example, I paid about 1,800 yen to sign up for OCN in a store, but you can buy the kit on Amazon for like 200 yen. The only problem here is you have to buy the kit, have it shipped to you (1-2 days) and then sign up using it. Then you have to wait for a few days for them to send you the SIM, while a store can do it then and there. Whichever way you do it, the cost of signing up is nothing to be concerned about.

Examples:

OCN

Line Mobile

First thing, I have never heard of a "foreigner's discount" unless you are talking about buying it a duty free store or something.

It is almost never cheaper to buy computers or computer parts in Japan. I just bought a 3K USD system in the winter, and nearly the entire PC was ordered in from Amazon global because local prices were terrible. Woulda cost me another 1k USD if I had bought it locally.

Now to your specific case,
https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%AF%E3%82%B3%E3%83%A0-Windows10%E6%90%AD%E8%BC%89-MobileStudio-DTH-W1620H-K0/dp/B01MFELPBC/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=mobilestudio+pro&qid=1554719843&s=gateway&sr=8-5
287,000 yen

https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-DTHW1620H-Mobile-Studio-Windows/dp/B01M5BBZ2E/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=mobilestudio%2Bpro&qid=1554719832&s=gateway&sr=8-2&th=1

2700$ = 300,000 yen

It is cheaper for you to buy your top end product here. Now you will have to compare what you actually want to buy and make a choice.

As for Camera technology, you will find better bundle deals abroad then here. I was blown away by the cost of camera equipment, especially lenses in Japan. Also, my Canon kit that I purchased abroad was cheaper than just the body here, but that was years ago.

I wish I were kidding. The cheapest box is 500 + shipping. Nooooope.

Amazon 300 yen

https://www.amazon.co.jp/CHOLULA-%E3%83%81%E3%83%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9-12-350-%E3%83%9B%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%82%BD%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B8%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB-150ml/dp/B003QWN62S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491368320&sr=8-1&keywords=Cholula+hot+sauce

Green chillis most larger supermarkets

https://www.amazon.com/Vibe-Danbocchi-Wide-Cardboard-Soundproof/dp/B00YR8J4QC

Here is the mobile version of your link

No I haven't heard of any companies that only require one. Are you in the US? I used Inquiries and paid the 70 dollars to get them checked within 4 days and mailed to my address. If you need another card Amazon sells them, I bought these and if you have prime it gets there in 2 days:
https://www.amazon.com/FD-258-Applicant-Card-Kit-pack/dp/B00G3KBB9K/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492122811&sr=8-4-fkmr0&keywords=finger+printing+cards+FD+258