Moving In (Having your own space in Japan)

After living for a couple of years with my family here in Japan, I finally got my own place.

For a foreigner like me one of the toughest hurdle you`ll face in living in Japan is accommodation. Communication is one of the factor but other than that most landlords are naturally reluctant to rent their apartments to foreigners. There are 3 things you’ll need to get your own private apartment in Japan. They are cash, a bit of perserverence and finally a Japanese national to serve as your gurantor.

Let’s start with cash. Firstly, realize that so many foreigners start their career in Japan in “gaijin houses” or guest houses for a good reason. It takes lots to get set-up your own private apartment. Money wise, here’s what you can expect with a typical 1 year lease contract.

Real Estate Agents Fee “Chukai Tesuryo”

Because you don’t rent directly through the landlord, you have to go through a real estate agent or “fudosan.” He gets the first cut for listing the apartment, signing contracts etc. This is non-refundable and is typically 1 month of rent.

Security Deposit “Shikikin”

Next, stop on the pain train. 2 sometimes 3 months of rent is held as a security deposit. One thing to note is that leaving your apartment in pristine condition doesn’t guarantee that your deposit will come back. Often routine preventative maintenance is done with this money –i.e repainting etc.

Landlord’s gift “Reikin”

The landlord gets the next cut. This as you might have guessed is non-refundable. Typically it’s 2 months of rent. If it’s only 1, consider yourself lucky. (It’s addin' up ain’t it)! Keep in mind that setting yourself up takes some capital but if you're living in an apartment from Aeon or Geos (they paid your key-money), if you get the ax, you're on the street!) Given this, if teaching in Japan is going to be a long-term thing for you, take the financial pain bath and get yourself set-up.

Reservation Fee “Tetsukeikin”

Still another month of rent is charged for holding the apartment. It’s refunded as soon as you sign contracts. It’s the agents way of making sure you’re serious about the deal – a guarantee if you will.

Japan: Accommodations and Finding a Guarantor

Yet another hurdle in finding an apartment in Japan is the guarantor. This is basically a co-signer to the rental agreement. This person needs to be a Japanese national with a good credit history.

The Importance of Perseverance

Finding an apartment in Japan is no easy task. Landlords simply don’t want to deal with foreigners – especially foreigners who don’t speak Japanese. (After all, if you don’t speak English, how can they tell you that you threw your garbage out on the wrong day)?

It’s not the real estate company that makes this such a task it’s the landlord. The landlord stipulates the policy like “no foreigners please”. The real estate company just takes a cut of money for renting the apartment out. They serve "the man" so to speak. So this means you’ll be turned away many times before you find a landlord who will rent to you.