With burdens like language barriers and “key money”, finding an apartment in Japan is not a pleasant business. One of the blessings of the JET Program is the Contracting Organizations (CO) usually arrange housing for participants. Of course, that means we get plenty of questions about housing.
Common Apartment FAQs
My friend’s apartment is better/cheaper than mine.
Depending on where you are placed in Hyogo, your CO may or may not provide participants with housing, so anything you receive is at their discretion. Depending on the area you live in, you may arrive in Japan to find anything from a palace of a two-storey house to a tiny, run-down studio apartment, or perhaps teacher accommodations. Try to make the best of it!
Of course, if you arrive in Japan to find a serious problem with your housing (holes in the wall, large-scale mold infestation, etc), please let your CO know and try to work with them toward an acceptable solution.
My fridge is broken! Will my CO buy me a new one?
Unless the fridge is owned by the CO, it is not their responsibility to buy you anything. If something in your apartment breaks that is not the property of the CO, please do not expect them to replace it. Some CO’s and your predecessor will provide you with furniture out of the kindness of their own hearts, but it is important to remember that your home is not their responsibility.
My school wants to charge me a lot of money for new tatami.
Things like tatami mats and shoji (those sliding paper doors) need to be replaced periodically. Tatami mats are usually replaced once every three years, though some places change the tatami mats for each new tenant. Unfortunately, replacing tatami isn’t cheap, as the price of one mat can vary from ¥3,000 to ¥7,000.
If you have a tatami room, we highly recommend you talk to your CO about costs. Some will charge their ALTs a monthly fee, others only ask for money from the ALT who is living in the apartment when they change the tatami. One of the former PAs used to live in an apartment with tatami and, as it cost about ¥40,000 to replace the tatami every three years, each ALT was asked to pay ¥13,000 a year. Talk to your CO about how they do things, and if you think it’s unfair, try to convince them to try a different approach.
Can I move?
Your CO is probably involved in a one-year lease with your landlord, and it probably won’t be possible to move out during that period without incurring some substantial headaches and costs for yourself and your CO. As such, changing apartments is not encouraged. If you feel strongly about moving, talk to your school about it, giving them your reasons for wanting to move (filthy carpeting, holes in the wall, bug infestations etc). They might try to come up with other solutions (cleaning the carpeting), or they might try to find you a new apartment.
If your school tells you that they won’t move you, and you believe your situation is absolutely intolerable, you do have the option of finding and moving into a new apartment by yourself (subject to the terms of your contract, of course). In this case you will be responsible for any and all costs concerned, which can add up to a mind-boggling amount of money. You’re probably looking at a figure of between ￥300,000 and ￥500,000 and that doesn’t include all the other setup fees (furniture, appliances, internet etc). If you are moving without financial support from your CO, we would recommend having savings of around ￥800,000.
Landlords are also legally allowed to discriminate based upon race in Japan, and many do not want foreigners living in the housing they provide. This makes finding new accommodation a real struggle, and unfortunately being an English teacher will probably also do little to improve your chances. You are also required to have a guarantor, and this must be someone in Japan (realistically someone who is Japanese, and in a senior position to you). Your CO is not required to be your guarantor, and coworkers are generally not willing to do this, especially if you’re new. Asking coworkers to be your guarantor will not be a pleasant task.
All of this adds up to something that is going to be difficult (or impossible) for you to deal with by yourself. As well as being very time consuming, it’s such a huge task that it will be stretching your friendships with Japanese friends (or friends who are very fluent in Japanese) to the limit if you ask them for help. This is not a case of going to the real estate agent near your local train station and walking out with a new apartment in 3 hours. It’s something that will likely take weeks, multiple trips, and will probably require that you go to more than one real estate agent.
If you do move, the trouble you cause your CO (who may have to continue paying rent for an empty apartment) may cause some bad blood between you and your coworkers, and in some cases, moving out of CO-provided housing means there will be no housing available for your successor.
The final decision is yours, but moving out without the support of your CO is not advised.
Our advice would be that, if you really want to move, have a really good reason in mind as to why and keep hounding your CO about it and try to convince them to let you. Don’t expect to be able to move right away, as they probably need to draw up a budget for it, which will happen in March.
Further tips from past JETs
1. Comparing does not a happy JET make
Try not to compare your arrangements with other JETs because someone will always have it better than you do. This is your home for at least the next year, so make the best of your situation.
BUT…talk to other JETs about what your predecessor left you, some people might inexplicably have hundreds of coat hangers while you have none. You can save money (and hassle) by swapping things with other people. Getting rid of unnecessary items from your predecessor in the first few months will help you settle in and make the place feel like it’s really yours.
2. Daiso is your friend
It is not wise to skimp on household possessions because you want to save money. There will come a time when you’ve had a rotten day and are feeling especially down. Even the smallest of extras at home will help make you feel better. So, find a few things that will make your place more comfortable. You don’t have to spend a lot of money – check out the ¥100 shops for things that will make you laugh or be useful around the house.
Decorating your place makes a huge difference. Simply by putting up your personal belongings around the house, like pictures, posters, books, magazines, and anything from home, your house or apartment will begin to feel more like a home. It’s your home, and it’s worth the investment- make it a place you like being in.
3. More expensive items
If you had a predecessor, hopefully you already have a TV, electric heater, electric fans, etc. For anything else, check out Sayonara Sale pages on Facebook, or second hand shops like Off House or Second Street if you want to save money.
Nitori, MUJI and IKEA are also good options, but make a list before you go there to avoid spending impulsively!
4. The Sounds of Gaijin
For many of us, this is our first experience living alone. Playing the radio, podcasts, music, whatever background noise you prefer, can help a lot with adjusting to this. Do note that most apartment walls are thin so in order to avoid conflict with neighbours, be mindful of the time and noise level. Using headphones is a good way to avoid such trouble.
Some TVs in Japan are bilingual, which means that at the push of a button you can switch between English and Japanese if a show is being broadcast bilingually. Look for the 音声切換 (on-sei-kiri-kae) button on your remote. The NHK channel usually has bilingual news at 7pm and 9pm. Foreign films generally can be viewed bilingually as well.
Head to the next page to read a personal account from a former JET.
