Thursday, May 14, 2009

How did you find a place to live in Japan

How did you find a place to live in Japan?
I'm going to immigrate from Korea to Japan. I didn't make any reservations for an apartment. I speak fluent Japanese. How to find a place to live after you arrive in Japan.
Japan - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
That depends on a few things. How long will you be there? What area do you want to live in? How much do you want to spend. How much money do you have? There are short-term shared housing arrangements for foreigners in the larger cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and others. These are small, plain and inexpensive. Also, they usually do not require any money up front. The up front money is several times the monthly rent in some cases. Also, the smaller, older apartments often don't require a guarantor. The guarantor is a local (Japanese) resident who signs a binding agreement, promising to pay your rent if you don't. There are professional guarantor services but they can be expensive. You might try searching the internet for "Tokyo apartments" or whatever city you want to live in. There are lots of resources out there to help. Many have pictures and availability dates.
2 :
In my case, I was transferred by my company. All visa issues were taken care of in advance. Upon arrival, we registered at the city hall, then opened a bank account. The next day, I was introduced to a real estate agent from the Ken Corporation. Before I left the US, they had sent me a questionaire regarding my housing needs. Based on these needs the Ken Corp agent had a list of places to show me that fit my needs. In my case, (and probably your case also), we stayed in a hotel for two weeks. When we arrived from the US, we stayed in a hotel because, even though I chose my apartment, it takes the about two weeks to setup the rental contract and payment methods. So in order to rent a place, you must have a visa, foreigner registration card, bank account, employment and an agent to help you find a place. Even if you were to look on your own for an apartment, you will still need to contact an agent. That is the way the rental business is run in Japan.
3 :
You should have an alien card, a job and a bank acount. If you have a job, maybe they can help set you up ahead of time. For specifics ask the Japanese Embassy.