Accommodation in Japan
Accommodation in Japan is very expensive, and follows a distinct trend: the larger the city, the fiercer the competition, and the smaller the living quarters. Japanese rooms are measured in tatami mat units (jous), with one jou equalling 1 by 0.5 meters.
The average room is around six jous. If you are teased abroad by an expat package and fortunate enough to have been offered company accommodation in Japan, it’s often well worth accepting even if it seems expensive.
If nothing else, this will allow you time to work out where and how you would like to live, and it will also give you some cushion to save for the supplemental expenses of renting property in Japan. It is standard practice to pay a damages deposit (around one month’s rent, refundable, although hardly ever in full), a 'key money' gift to the landlord (usually about two months’ rent), and two months’ rent in advance.
In order to apply for a flat/house you will need to provide your gaijin card, hanko (an official stamp with your name in characters), an income statement and a reference from your guarantor, usually your employer. The more luxurious the accommodation, the more key money and the more damages deposit you will be expected to pay.
Another popular option is the gaijin house – shared accommodation in large houses. The set-up at these houses varies from house to house, but usually it is inhabited by young expats and Japanese people who are looking to save money over the course of a short-term stay. In some gaijin houses the rooms are mini flatlets, with their own bathrooms; while in most others you will have your own room but will share a kitchen, bathroom and living areas with the other inhabitants.
The average room is around six jous. If you are teased abroad by an expat package and fortunate enough to have been offered company accommodation in Japan, it’s often well worth accepting even if it seems expensive.
If nothing else, this will allow you time to work out where and how you would like to live, and it will also give you some cushion to save for the supplemental expenses of renting property in Japan. It is standard practice to pay a damages deposit (around one month’s rent, refundable, although hardly ever in full), a 'key money' gift to the landlord (usually about two months’ rent), and two months’ rent in advance.
In order to apply for a flat/house you will need to provide your gaijin card, hanko (an official stamp with your name in characters), an income statement and a reference from your guarantor, usually your employer. The more luxurious the accommodation, the more key money and the more damages deposit you will be expected to pay.
Another popular option is the gaijin house – shared accommodation in large houses. The set-up at these houses varies from house to house, but usually it is inhabited by young expats and Japanese people who are looking to save money over the course of a short-term stay. In some gaijin houses the rooms are mini flatlets, with their own bathrooms; while in most others you will have your own room but will share a kitchen, bathroom and living areas with the other inhabitants.
