Hello everyone,
I’m moving to Japan via J-Find starting in late March or early April, and I could really use some advice on living and housing arrangements. I’m job hunting in the sound-media industry in Tokyo but will be working part-time initially without a stable income. My plan is to find a low-cost, small 1K or 1DK apartment.
A few things I’m unsure about:
- Location: Do I need to live directly in Tokyo, or could I stay in neighboring prefectures while job hunting? I’ll be attending networking events, but they aren’t frequent enough to require being in the heart of Tokyo. Would other areas like Osaka or Nagoya be more affordable and suitable for my situation?
- UR Housing: I’ve looked into UR housing because of the no-guarantor requirement and lower initial fees. However, I noticed that I might need to pay 12 months' rent upfront since I don't have a steady income yet. Is this 12-month payment a full prepayment, or is it more like a deposit? If it’s the former, would it be wiser to go through private realtors so I can move more flexibly once I secure a job?
- Temporary Accommodation: I understand that I can’t move into a permanent apartment immediately upon arrival. What are some good options for temporary housing that would allow me to register my residency and address to begin the apartment application process?
For reference, I hold a JLPT N2 certificate and feel confident handling conversations and consultations in Japanese.
I’d really appreciate any insights or advice you could share!
by fuuuujiko-chan
4 comments
I don’t have answers to your first two questions since I don’t have enough experience to speak confidently on them, but for your last point about not being able to move into a permanent apartment, unless that’s something weird to do with your residence status under J-Find visa, you can absolutely move into your permanent apartment immediately upon arrival.
When I landed in Tokyo I went straight from the airport to my apartment with a 2 year contract. I could probably die here if I wanted to, unless to landlord sold the property.
If you’re looking to job search in Tokyo, living in a completely different city like Osaka seems like a bad idea, especially as you want to keep things low cost – it would get expensive to buy a shinkansen or plane ticket every time you needed to attend an interview! The outskirts of Tokyo are cheaper than the centre and you should be able to find somewhere with decent connections into the city centre.
> Location
Unless your job hunting can be done 100% online, I wouldn’t recommend renting in places as far as Osaka or Nagoya. Neighbor prefectures of Tokyo like Saitama, Chiba, or Kanagawa on the other hand are completely fine. Many people live in one of those prefectures and commute to Tokyo everyday.
> UR
The 12 months of rent upfront is a prepayment.
> Temporary Accommodatiom
I had good experience with Oakhouse. One of my former employer frequently rent their share houses when temporary sending people to Japan.
Neighboring prefectures are Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa. Not Nagoya or Osaka. That said, you say you’re looking for jobs in the sound-media industry. Maybe it’s just the kinds of jobs I have in mind, but when would you usually get home? The trains stop running after a certain time, so saving money by living further away and taking a taxi home several times a month could cancel each other out.