Packing and Preparing

How do you pack for 9 weeks with 3 kids in a small apartment in another country with no clothes dryer and cold weather and no car and airline luggage limitations?
That's been challenge we've been dealing with recently. It all started months ago as we began to think about and gather items for the boys schooling that would be easy to take along. Then we began "The Pile" of things to go to Japan. One corner of our room was taken over with luggage, books, warm clothes, and much more.
At this point, we're feeling pretty confident and relieved. With the exceptions of a few items being washed and dried, everyone's clothes are packed, luggage is all chosen, and even the carry on bags are mostly packed. This is actually very good for us because most times we take a trip we are up till 1:00 the night before packing and preparing.
Some people have asked how we plan and pack for such a situation. One thing we have going for us is we are familiar with Japan and what is available, so we know what we can and can't get there. For example, we know there is a great chain of stores that sell inexpensive fleece jackets for the whole family. We know that the Japanese version of anti-itch cream is much better than the American version. We know it is better to get winter pajamas for the boys in Japan if they don't have enough. We also know that shoes are critical because we will be doing a lot of walking, and shoes in Christy's and Terence's sizes are virtually unavailable. We know the clothes we pack need to be warm for cooler temperatures, but not too bulky so they will air dry faster, because we won't have a clothes dryer in Japan (most people don't).
In the last week we found out that we will have a different, slightly bigger apartment with three total rooms (not including bathroom) instead of the two room apartment we had before, so the boys will have their own room. We learned we'll be going by bus from the airport, which is a bit of a disappointment for the boys who were looking forward to their first train adventure. It is a relief for us, however, as we won't have to worry so much about maneuvering luggage and 3 sleepy boys through train stations. We also learned that our church family in Japan will be cleaning and preparing our apartment for us before we arrive.
Things are coming together.