My company US based company has a branch in Tokyo and I planning on transferring to. There is a no Japanese language requirement though I am in a Japanese class already and planning to reach N4 by the time the JPLT test happens in December.
My question is about finding housing. I heard that foreigners often have a hard time renting places because landlords are worried they will leave. Does it make a difference if I have multi-year residence status due to working for the Japanese branch?
I understand that I would need to have my residence card to sign a lease anywhere so what do people do while apartment hunting in Japan when they first arrive? Should I stay at a hotel for sometime then find a place or would I need to have an address when I enter the country like when you arrive as a tourist?
I am open to going in advance and looking at apartments as a tourist and potentially putting down a deposit to reserve an apartment but I don’t want to get scammed or run the risk of people not being willing to work with me.
I ask because I would want to bring some of my belongings with me to Japan so I am curious about the logistics of where to keep my stuff while I look for an apartment.
Any advice or tips are appreciated.
by ScaredSweet