apartments
One of the first things you’ll have to familiarize yourself with when apartment hunting in Japan is the unique terminology used to describe Japanese apartment layouts. On GaijinPot apartments, we offer apartments across Japan to suit your needs. Each unit is listed with numbers and letters to help prospective tenants understand the size. However,the actual apartment size must be understood beyond these numbers and letters using tatami mat (traditional woven straw mat) sizing. This article will review the basics of understanding standard Japanese apartment layouts and types. Japanese Apartments...
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Everyone wants to live in Tokyo, but not everyone can afford a high-rise apartment in Shibuya. Not everyone is willing to commute from the inaka (countryside) either. To help you get the most out of your rent money, let’s go through the average cost for different neighborhoods in Tokyo and some tips for finding the right place to live—for the right price. Is Tokyo expensive?Average cost by wardWhich ward should I live in?Can I afford central Tokyo?Central Tokyo’s border wards are a good middle groundWhat are the cheapest wards in Tokyo?Outside the 23 wardsIs Tokyo expensive?Tokyo is no longer ...
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When we first found our previous apartment in Minami Asagaya, my partner and I were thrilled. It was near a lovely park and gave us an easy commute to work. And then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Suddenly the apartment felt very, very small. Both of us were working from home and neither one could get space away from the other. After a year of making due, our lease came up for renewal. A few months later, we finally found the perfect house for rent and moved from urban Tokyo to a semi-agricultural area located a 25-minute walk from Mitaka station in the western region of the city. This has impr...
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Moving to Japan can be a big change in someone’s life. You’ll have a lot of big choices to make, such as finding the perfect place to live—somewhere that fits your budget, your lifestyle, proximity to work or school or even just somewhere close to the action. The experience can also be a bit overwhelming for first-timers. It isn’t always easy making friends or connections, and knowing just where to look for a place to stay is almost as much trouble as moving in. Thankfully, you don’t have to go it alone. For 30 years, Sakura House and Sakura Hotel have provided foreigners with accessible livin...
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Life can be tough for us gals, especially when you’re on your own trying to find somewhere to live among Japan’s seemingly endless bureaucracy. So, here’s a guide to help all the single ladies find a place they can feel safe and comfortable. The first thing to consider is what type of place you want and where you want to live. That being said, let’s look at the pros and cons of share houses and apartments for single women in Japan. Living in a share houseShare houses are a popular option for first-timers in Japan, mainly because of their lower initial move-in and monthly costs. You have a bedr...
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The average size of a Tokyo apartment is typically pretty small, especially for single residents. For example, a typical 1K apartment (one room and kitchen) is around 25-meters. When I lived in a 17-meter place with my partner, what drove us up the wall wasn’t sleeping on a futon or a tiny balcony—it was making dinner in the one-meter-long kitchen. My life consisted of one-pot meals, stacking cups like Jenga and appliances like our microwave doubling as a cutting board. Don’t even get me started on the no-oven situation. After moving to a bigger place, I am now blessed with a—ahem—generous two...
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You may have seen some viral headlines over the years about “free” or cheap abandoned properties available in Japan. Everyone from CNBC to CNN has talked about it. While Japan’s government is trying to entice new residents with cheap or even free property, it’s not as simple as walking up to an abandoned home and claiming it for yourself. Realistically speaking, these homes aren’t 100 percent free. They require renovation, investment and come with strict terms and conditions to make the home livable—the kind of terms and conditions that should make any potential buyer reconsider before putting...
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Air conditioners or エアコン (eakon) in Japan can help you through sweltering heat waves and blistering snow storms because each unit operates with both air conditioning and heating settings. As the text written on the リモコン (rimokon) are written in various combinations of Kanji characters and Katakana, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to distinguish one setting from another. Accidentally blasting the heater on an already sticky June afternoon or having the air conditioner circumvent a cool breeze in the dead of winter are common occurrences that have happened at least once, even to the best of ...
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Japan’s initial fees for a new apartment are expensive. While some budget-friendly apartments come furnished, it isn’t the same for most places. You might not even have curtains. Every day, neighbors will get a birds-eye view of you walking around in your empty humble abode. That’s no way to live! Thankfully, there are lots of places to find furniture in Japan that won’t break the bank. Here are the six best ways to find furniture that won’t break the bank in Japan. 1. Recycle shopsJapanese second-hand stores are known as “Recycle shops” and can be found pretty much everywhere. Most will have ...
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When looking for an apartment in Japan, there is a constant temptation to save money by cutting as many corners as possible. With relocation and transportation fees all stacking up, it can be annoying to even think about paying the ridiculous 敷金 (security deposit) and 礼金 (“key money”) fees that most apartment owners want. However, if you’re on a budget, one way for foreigners to save a bit of cash is by renting in “incident apartments,” or 事故物件 (Jiko Bukken) in Japanese. There are the things that will definitely make you reconsider your options. Jiko Bukken can often be found in convenient loc...
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