Getting an Apartment in Japan

Boy Howdy, this was so hard.  The first time we came the preschool took care of all our living arrangements.  Honestly we were extremely unprepared when we moved the second time. I didn't even make hotel reservations for us until a few days before we moved. 
We stayed in a hotel for a few days.  After realizing that finding an apartment was going to be much harder than we initially thought I found a Guest House for us to stay in.  The Guest House was an interesting experience by itself.  The room had a bunk bed and a small TV and that was it.  The three of us slept on the bottom bunk and put our luggage on the top, there wan't really any room for the luggage anywhere else in the room.  The management was really nice and let us put a few of our suitcases in an empty room as well.  I think they could tell we were poor, lost gaijin.  I learned early that if all else fails it's okay because we're gaijin :)  Most Nihonjin understand that we don't "get" everything (this does not mean that some aren't irritated by this fact, but most Nihonjin are really kind, nice, genki people).
After a few days in the Guest House we were able to go to church.  Our church really has been the biggest blessing in our lives. We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which has a really amazing organization system that allows us to find members in most areas of the world.  I felt that if we went to church someone would be able to help us find an apartment.  It was true.  After I told some of the ladies of our struggles a member volunteered to go to the chintai place with us, and make a contract.

About Chintai
If you are thinking of moving to Japan understanding Chintai is critical.
In order to rent an apartment in Japan you have to make a contract with a chintai company.  Chintai companies are basically real estate companies.  They deal with getting people into an apartment and sometimes managing the apartment. 
Some of the chintai companies out there are: LeoPalace, エイブル(Able), MiniMini, D-Room, MAST, and tons of others.  We ended up going with LeoPalace because they were the most gaijin friendly and spoke English. 
We also learned that in Japan there are LOTS of fees that you are charged in order to rent an apartment.

Chintai Fee- several manen (tens of thousands of yen, usually around one or two months rent)

Insurance- Everyone has to pay for insurance that covers things like fire and natural disasters.  You can often opt for a cheaper insurace that covers less if your budget is tight.  You just need to ask about it.

Co-Signer- Every renter in Japan needs a co-signer.  This person must have a good credit history and reside in Japan.  Unfortunately if you are gaijin you may not have a co-signer (if you work for an awesome company they may be your co-signer). If you don't have a co-signer then you are required to pay for a co-signer company.  It seems like this was about 20,000 yen. (A note about your co-signer--they are legally and finacially responsible if you skip town, it's not the same as having a reference in the US)

Key Money- Who would have thought that getting the locks changed was so expensive... but it is.  Fortunately sometimes a chintai company will forego this fee if you aren't worried about the locks being changed.  It seems like this was about a months rent as well.

Security Deposit- This is just like a deposit you would pay if you were renting an apartment in the US.  It basically gives the chintai company or owner (not sure who this money goes to) some insurance if you skip town.  If you finish your contract you should get this one back at the end.

Cleaning Deposit- Pretty much the same as in the US but you may not get any back, it depends on the chintai company, even if your apartment has only been lived in for 2 months and is spotless :(

Month's Rent Up Front- Usually only one or two months up front.


Some Considerations When Looking For An Apartment
Distance from the Eki (station) or Bus Noriba (bus stop)- Think about how far you want to walk every day you need to go somewhere.

Location in the City- Some areas of the city are more expensive than others.  For example: if you live by the main station your rent will probably be more expensive than if you lived in a comparable apartment, that is located by a smaller station.

Tatami vs Flooring- Tatami keeps your house warmer but requires some upkeep.  It can be a little more expensive too.  It is also hard to take care of with kids.  Many people opt to cover it with a material similar to linolium so they don't have to worry about it.  Flooring is more common in newer apartments but newer apartments can be more expensive to get into and it is colder during the winter.

Grocery Stores in the Area- You may want to check out what grocery stores are in the area.  Some stores are cheaper than others. If there are a lot in the area, you may find that it's cheaper overall because the stores compete with each other and lower their prices. I'll write a post about grocery shopping in the future.

Which floor?- First floor apartments are generally cheaper, because Japanese people worry about thieves. Which is great for gaijin with kids! You don't have to worry about bothering anybody downstairs, and you don't have to deal with stairs if you have an armload of groceries, kids or a stroller.

Building Age- Older buildings have roaches. It's just a fact of life. Newer buildings have roaches too but there are usually fewer. Usually a newer apartment is going to be a little more expensive.

Light- This may not seem very important but if you are trying to save money then how well lit your apartment is can make a big difference in how warm it will stay during the winter. 

Air Flow- Another consideration is how well the air flows through your apartment.  Japanese summers are brutal.  If your apartment has good air flow then you may be able to get by without running a fan or the aircon (airconditioner) as much during the summer.

Other Features- Some nice features I have seen in apartments are: intercom, boiler temperature control, water heater for the kitchen sink, extra storage under the floor for food stuffs and a built in range. 

Other Things to Consider- If you are a mommy with kids you may want to think about how close you will be to shopping, schools, parks, and oyako de hiroba or hotrooms (some cities have indoor play facilities where mommies and kids can go to play and socialize).   Being a housewife in Japan can feel very isolated, espcially if you don't have many friends or if your friends live far away.

About Me and Blog Purpose

Konnichiwa.  My name is Becky.  Yoroshikuonegaishimasu.
I wanted to start by telling you a little about myself.  I am a gaijin ;)  My husband and I live in Japan with our two children.  My son L is two and my daughter G is six months.  We started our journey in Japan in 2010 before L was born.  We came to Japan because my husband had an internship at an international preschool in Hirakata-shi (just outside Osaka). I came and volunteered at the preschool for a month then went back to the US to give birth to L.  After returning to the US I was put on bedrest and FINALLY gave birth 9 weeks later (my husband had luckily finished his internship at this time and returned to the US).  L was born at 33 weeks and was in NICU for a month before coming home.  After living in Japan for that month my husband and I were pretty sure we would be returning after my husband finished his degree. 
In June of 2011 after I finished my teaching contract (I taught elementary school) and my husband graduated from BYU we moved back to Japan.  My husband had gotten a job teaching English with NOVA.  So that's how we got here. 

Blog Purpose
I have wanted to help other gaijin in Japan by sharing things I have learned.  When I gave the blog its title my husband kind of laughed but Frugal, Mama and Japan sum me up really well ;)  I hope you enjoy my blog and that my experiences can help you, and hopefully make you smile :)