Hi folks,
I’m looking for recommendations for places to go apartment hunting in Tokyo. I’ve got a wishlist of things I’m looking for:
A place for a single, 25 year old introverted occupant, that isn’t ridiculously small. Since I am only going 9 months it would be great if it was furnished with at least the necessities like a bed, desk, fridge and a washer, bathroom.
Budget is around 200,000 yen per month.
Would like to be in Central as I would be attending a language school in Shinjuku, but am open to other options as long as I can get there within 20-30 mins.
Am looking for a place that is close to good restaurants and shops, but isn't just straight flooded with tourists. It would be nice if there was bars as well. I heard Gakugei Daigaku was really nice as it had a good mix of some modern but also had a lot of mom and pop shops nearby. Would be nice if there was some greenery or parks to walk in as I like to watercolor / draw outside. I enjoy dancing along with listening to music so maybe live music or just has a music scene in general would be quite nice.
Good coverage for food delivery services
I’ve been looking around and have been given some options in the Higashi Nakano area as well as the Gakugei-Daigaku area. Did some research and it seems like Meguro, Koenji, Kichijoji, Shin-Okubo and Shimokitazawa are also nice areas. I've been to them in passing and really only spent time in Shimokitazawa and Shin Okubo. Really enjoyed how nice Shimokitazawa was, lots of nice cafes, coffee spots, clothing shops, etc. It was really beautiful there and I really enjoyed it. Shin-Okubo I stayed at during my first visit to Japan and enjoyed how less noisy it was, just a lot more of a chill area with some pretty good food near it.
by XxSniperDeathAngelxX
13 comments
How are you going to rent for 9 months though?
I live Kōenji and love it. Kichijōji and Shimo-Kitazawa are both great to visit but potentially too busy to actually live in IMO.
I have some worries about the part of renting for 9 months only, note that the move in cost is usually between 4 to 6 months worth of rent and most contracts have a penalty for breaking the contract before the 1 year mark if they even will accept you.
at that money I would advise to rent a monthly apartment. they come furnished and include all the utilities and the move in cost is only around 50,000 yen on top of the rent. the rent is around double than normal apartments but you wont have problem signing a contract and all the other costs mentioned above.
I have used “21 tokyo monthly” company for 1 month before I moved for a long term one and they were super easy to sign with.
**Azabujuban** is a nice area to live in. supermarkets and restaurants and a lot of places to go to and shop. also the metro station have two good main lines to take you easily to most places in tokyo.
Ive been living in koenji for the last month because my school is also in shinjuku i like it it’s really calm and not as busy (definitely still busy just not like big city) the vibe it’s self is really nice there’s a lot of shines near by and a whole lot of restaurants and idk if you’d be into it but there’s a lot like probably over a hundred thrift shops and boutiques near the station where people like to go and hang out
Why not ask your school? They should have connections.
Live in a sharehouse with an ensuite kitchen and bathroom, they are good for short term let and foreigners. Your budget should absolutely cover it. https://tokyosharehouse.com/eng/
Toyoko line is good, oimachi line in setagaya is nice, central but more suburban and green. The stops on oimachi line from futako tamagawa to jiyugaoka are nice but a bit pricey but still in your budget. It’s in walking distance of Tama river whenever you want to go somewhere a bit quieter for a walk. Chofu is good, not too crowded but still close enough to the city.
Maybe better look for a sharehouse? So you don’t need to buy furniture and stuff, and can move out easily without too many fees after few months. Gakugei Daigaku area is amazing tbh super convenient and chill.
Because the stay is so short you should probably look at share homes, or home stays. Your chances at an apartment are very slim with that
If it’s your first time living in Japan, it might be a good idea to choose a line that doesn’t require a train transfer to get to school. Japanese trains are tiring because they are packed with people during rush hour in the mornings and evenings.
You can try section L. They have numerous locations. I stayed there when I had to quarantine for COVID.
I think it will be difficult to find an apartment that will rent for only 9 months. You should look into minpaku or long-term rentals, those usually also come furnished and have less strict rules about renting.
I don’t know where to live, though, just wanted to throw that out.
You’ll probably need to be looking at monthly mansions over your own apartment (they come fully furnished with all the fixings and most of the time all inclusive with internet).
Here rental leases are 24 months with big fees to break them (1+ months rent), and the chances of getting a 24 month lease on a year- visa as a foreigner is next to nothing unless you have a Japanese person to sign on as a guarantor. Even then it’s likely a no.
Check out weekly and monthly mansions! Unfortunately, because of your budget, if it was your own apartment you could get a bigger spot, but because it’s an all-inclusive monthly mansion, you might still be looking at a tiny 1LK.
They’re not that bad though! I’ve lived in a couple of them and they have their quirks. Nice to experience new neighborshoods without all the billions of move in fees that are normally charged here.