Blog Archives

Housing

Finding a comfortable place to live is one of the most important tasks in ensuring your pleasant stay in Japan. Allocate sufficient time to research the market and to find a place that matches both your requirements and your budget.

Below, you will find categorized lists of companies that provide the services you may need. Please visit each page for more detailed information.

▶Furniture Lease & Sales Companies
▶Moving Companies
▶Real Estate Agents
▶Relocation Companies
▶Serviced & Unfurnished Apartments

We also have prepared helpful Living in Japan Tips pages for each category below, and offering practical advice and useful information to support your daily life in Japan.

Household Appliance Commands

Home Appliance Settings The famous washlet has its place in advanced household appliances along with others, but you can’t read what it says, and it’s risky to try out all the buttons without further confusion. To help, the following is…

Leaving house for a while

Going away for a while? Here are some tips and points for when you will be leaving your home, so that you can leave comfortably and stress free. Contact information and postage procedures Provide your building’s management company with emergency…

Housing Areas

Popular Expat Areas The following neighborhoods are known to be comfortable and foreigner friendly, making them popular among expats. In Tokyo these are Minato-ku (Aoyama, Azabu, Roppongi and Shirokane), Meguro-ku (Nakameguro and Jiyugaoka), and Shibuya-ku (Hiroo, Daikanyama and Ebisu). In…

Housing Types and Terminology

(original photo by 箱板; CC BY 3.0)

Japanese Mansion and Apāto The most common forms of housing in Japan are mansions and apāto. A is typically a concrete apartment/condominium complex of three or more floors. Buildings with at least five floors usually have elevators, and more modern…

Foreigner-Friendly Housing Contracts and Agencies

Serviced Apartments Serviced apartments include all the furniture, linen, cutlery and electrical appliances you need, as well as regular cleaning and concierge services, providing the comfort of home with the convenience of a hotel. Many people stay here with their…

Renting through a Japanese Agency

(original photo by Scott Robinson; CC BY 2.0)

If you are planning to stay in Japan for a long time and have enough funds to pay the initial fees, it may be more cost-effective in the long run to get a traditional Japanese-style contract. You may need a…

Moving In, Moving Out

Moving to a new residence takes a lot of time and energy. Whether you are relocating to Japan from abroad, or moving to a new property within Japan, there are many resources available to help you make the transition to…

Furnishings

(original photo by jurgen borgers; CC BY-SA 2.0)

Leasing & Buying Furniture Furniture lease companies offer various services such as total coordination of furniture, linen and electrical appliances upon your request. They also offer full support for repair and replacement. Items can be purchased at the end of…