{"id":7102,"date":"2022-02-28T18:40:56","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T18:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/?p=7102"},"modified":"2022-02-28T18:40:56","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T18:40:56","slug":"renting-an-apartment-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/renting-an-apartment-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Renting an apartment in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the post-COVID-19 time, you may have a chance to go to Japan, and you need to find a place to live. If you are an expatriate (\u99d0\u5728\u54e1 chuuzaiin), your company can hopefully handle all these headaches (\u982d\u75db zutsuu) of finding a home and dealing with the Japanese real estate (\u4e0d\u52d5\u7523 fudousan) practice. If you are a Study Abroad student, your hosting university hopefully has dorms (\u5bee\u00a0 ryou).\u00a0 If you are neither a student nor an expatriate, you need to find a place of your own.<\/p>\n<p>The most common way is to visit a neighborhood real estate office where you would like to live. Unlike the US, the closer the property is to a train station, the more expensive the rent is.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some important things to remember:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Almost all Japanese rentals (\u8cc3\u8cb8 chintai) come unfurnished\u2013 no refrigerator (\u51b7\u8535\u5eab reizouko), no washer (\u6d17\u6fef\u6a5f sentakuki pronounced as sentakki), no microwave or (\u96fb\u5b50\u30ec\u30f3\u30b8 denshi renji). You will need to buy them.<\/li>\n<li>Japanese homes do not have a clothes dryer (\u4e7e\u71e5\u6a5f kansoki) or dishwasher (\u98df\u5668\u6d17\u3044\u6a5f \u00a0shokki araiki), so there are no places to put them. If you read a flyer, it always says whether it has a sunny terrace to dry your laundry (\u6d17\u6fef\u7269sentakumono). During the rainy season call \u201ctsuyu\u201d (\u6885\u96e8), your apartment may get full of washed clothes hanging from the ceiling! Nowadays, you can purchase a front-loading washer\/drier combo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_7103\" style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft post-item__attachment\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7103\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7103\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-350x233.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/ja\/users\/kalhh-86169\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=706621\">kalhh<\/a>\u306b\u3088\u308b<a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/ja\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=706621\">Pixabay<\/a>\u304b\u3089\u306e\u753b\u50cf<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Japanese apartment layout is different from that of the US. In the US, you describe an apartment as, for example, 2 bedrooms with 2 \u00bd baths. In Japan, it is described differently.\u00a0 LDK means a living, dining, and kitchen are all in one room. DK type means a dining and kitchen are in the same space with a separated living room.\u00a0 If you see 1LDK, it means 1 room (possibly a bedroom) and one room which is a combination of living, dining, and kitchen. It looks like a one-bedroom apartment in the US. Japanese toilet is independent of a bathroom, but many budget rentals in Tokyo may come with a unit bath (\u30e6\u30cb\u30c3\u30c8\u30d0\u30b9 yunitto basu), which means the bathtub, toilet, and sink are all in one room. There may not be a space or wiring for a washing machine, and you may have to place it outside. AND a very important thing \u2013 you cannot put a pin (\u753b\u92f2 gabyou) or nail (\u91d8 kugi) into the wall!\u00a0 You pay for your rent, but it is not yours, I guess.<\/p>\n<p>Here is an apartment that this student lived in for 4 years in Tokyo. The monthly rent (\u5bb6\u8cc3 yachin) is \u00a540,000.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u90fd\u5185\u5bb6\u8cc34\u4e07\u5186\u4ee3\u306e\u30dc\u30ed\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8\u306b\u4f4f\u3080\u5927\u5b66\u751f\u306e\u90e8\u5c4b\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4_hE1nZofUI?start=1&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Here is a high-end 1LDK rental in Tokyo.\u00a0 Monthly rent \u00a5120,000, 43.83m\u00b2 = 472FT\u00b2.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b2rwXTYVlpU<\/p>\n<p>Now you decided on a rental apartment. Then the confusion time will follow.\u00a0 You are asked to pay fees such as reikin, shikikin, chukai tesuuryou, which are collectively called the initial costs. The initial costs have been a source of problems between an owner and an international renter.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shikikin (\u6577\u91d1): it is like a security deposit and is usually one-month worth of your rent. You will get it back after subtracting costs to make the apartment to its original condition before rent.<\/li>\n<li>Reikin (\u793c\u91d1): gratitude money, one-month\u2019s worth, to an owner. This one, particularly, has been a source of problems for international renters. Some owners do not require \u793c\u91d1.<\/li>\n<li>Mae-yachin (\u524d\u5bb6\u8cc3): a prepayment of the first month&#8217;s rent<\/li>\n<li>Commission (\u4ef2\u4ecb\u6599 chukairyou): payment to a real estate agent<\/li>\n<li>Songai hoken (\u640d\u5bb3\u4fdd\u967a): similar to renter\u2019s insurance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There may be more items, and it is important for you to know them before you sign the contract. Initial costs can be worth the value of five-month\u2019s rent!<\/p>\n<p>Many apartment rooms are rather boring box-type. There are, however, many interesting apartments now available in Japan \u2013 some look ridiculous, while others are wonderful. Yukkuri Fudosan is one of my favorite YouTube channels which shows some interesting apartments in Japan. Small apartments do not need to be old and depressing. And there are apartments for those who share some hobbies (\u8da3\u5473 shumi). Here are some interesting ones. They are not for everyone, and I am sure that some apartments will not be approved for occupancy in other countries. By accident, I chose three apartments that require a washer\/dryer combo. \u00a0In the last video, you will see a space for a laundry pole (\u7269\u5e72\u3057\u7aff monohoshizao) on the veranda. Because you need to have your own washing machine, microwave, and refrigerator, it is important to purchase them in standard size in case you plan to move in the future.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010\u5909\u308f\u3063\u305f\u9593\u53d6\u308a\u3011\u5929\u4e95\u9ad8\u3059\u304e\uff06\u8d85\u6025\u659c\u9762\uff01\u524d\u4ee3\u672a\u805e\u306a\u30c7\u30b6\u30a4\u30f3\u306e\u7e26\u9577\u30ef\u30f3\u30eb\u30fc\u30e0\u3092\u5185\u898b\uff01\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J2AjreUNZPM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Apartment houses for those who love motorcycles and cars.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010\u500b\u6027\u6d3e\u7269\u4ef6\u3011\u8eca\/\u30d0\u30a4\u30af\u597d\u304d\u304c\u30e1\u30ed\u30e1\u30ed\u306b\uff01\u9ed2\u5857\u308a\u30ac\u30ec\u30fc\u30b8\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8\u7fa4\u3092\u5185\u898b\uff01\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dcLnMEwm_fw?start=797&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Old company dorm (\u793e\u5b85 shataku) for a single employee converted to apartments with shared bathroom, kitchen, and other amenities.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010\u5171\u7528\u90e8\u3059\u3054\u3059\u304e\u3011\u81ea\u5b85\u306b\u5168\u90e8\u3042\u308a?!\u5922\u306e\u3088\u3046\u306a\u4e00\u4eba\u66ae\u3089\u3057\u7cfb\u30b7\u30a7\u30a2\u7269\u4ef6\u3092\u5185\u898b\uff01\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wAujVNsRsBU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Japanese residential qualities, except for traditional old houses, have been anything but attractive. But when you look, I am sure you will find something that fits your needs. May COVID-19 and the aggressions in the world disappear soon and we can move around the world freely to learn and understand from each other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"233\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-350x233.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/02\/laundry-706621_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>In the post-COVID-19 time, you may have a chance to go to Japan, and you need to find a place to live. If you are an expatriate (\u99d0\u5728\u54e1 chuuzaiin), your company can hopefully handle all these headaches (\u982d\u75db zutsuu) of finding a home and dealing with the Japanese real estate (\u4e0d\u52d5\u7523 fudousan) practice. If you&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/renting-an-apartment-in-japan\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":173,"featured_media":7103,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[550955,550959,550956,550957,550958],"class_list":["post-7102","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-apartment","tag-initial-costs","tag-layout","tag-ldk","tag-real-estate-agent"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/173"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7102"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7105,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7102\/revisions\/7105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}