Im moving tokyo in april to start 2 years of language school and im struggling with the question of where i should be looking to live.im 28, male, American. I like the idea of having my own apartment and privacy but im told its a process you not only have to be present in person for but also im worried about furnishing costs and having to navigate everything new to living in a new society on my own.
On the other hand ive looked at alot of social residences aswell because thats what my contact at the school suggested i like the advertised community theyre supposed to foster aswell as the shared amenities they seem to all have. But im anxious about living with so many strangers sharing the same toilets and showers and never having any time to be alone unless im locked in my tiny room.
I know with most leases in japan being 2 yrs once i make a choice im locked in for the whole time im on my student visa until i can get a working visa, since if i choose apartment im on a 2yr lease and if i choose a social residence i wont have the required time left on my current visa to sign a apartment lease if i want to move. So if i could have input from people who have lived the experience it would be so helpful!
Ive done as much looking and research as i can think to do ive looked at several sites including oak house, borderless, fontana, begood japan, apts.jp, and a few other sites ive read through this sub reddit and a couple other message boards, but after all that what im really lacking is the testimony of someone whos gone through this and can point me in the right direction to either try and ramp up my saving to eat the cost of furnishing a place or settle for a shared space.
by External-Break1304