How to Rent an Apartment in Japan

 Planning to visit Japan?

So you want to take a trip to Japan, right? I know from personal experience that this can be both exciting and daunting. The excitement is likely to be bogged down by thoughts about where to go when you reach Japan, where to stay, and what to potentially do there.

Through this article, we would like to offer some insights to make the thought process easier for you. These insights could help you determine places to stayin Japan, how long you could be there, the type of accommodation to go for, and how you should manage yourself when you are there.

Places to stay in Japan

Before you start thinking about where to stay in Japan, try to clear your mind of any preconceived notions you may have about the country. Then think about how you would like to feel about your trip when you’re back at home.

Think about the stories, adventures, accommodation, places, sights, and sounds you want to tell your family and friends regarding your trip to Japan. That should provide you with some guidance in your planning for the trip because thinking about and forming some idea of what your takeaway memories will be after you’re done visiting Japan will definitely make your planning before you go easier and more fun.

As you plan, keep in mind that Tokyo is not Japan! Whereas it will be great to sample what Tokyo offers, know that the real Japan lies beyond the confines of Tokyo. In fact, it will be advantageous to plan your accommodations in Japan around this fact.

When considering the places to stay in Japan, think about how long you plan to visit the country, the budget you have, and the experiences you want to sample. If you’re travelling from far, you may probably consider a duration of stay of about two weeks, which means that you need to manage yourself in a way that lets you explore as much of what Japan offers as possible while sticking to your budget.

When I used this approach, it helped me to consider the houses for rent Japan has as part of its accommodation ecosystem for visitors. That was after I was advised by a friend to plan for more days visiting Nozawa Onsen because of the area’s exciting skiing and snowboarding experiences. Staynozawa had impressed these sensational experiences upon her during the buildup activities leading to the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan.

Choosinga rented apartment during your stay in Japan

One of the biggest benefits of renting an apartment when traveling or living abroad rather than staying in a hotel room is the added level of privacy that is often granted by the former form of accommodation.

You’ll find a huge difference between staying somewhere where people live and staying somewhere where people just visit. An informed decision about choosing between these two forms of accommodation could make a significant difference in your desired experience when you visit or live abroad.

My experience in Nozawa Onsen was that, after a short stint at the Nozawa Onsen Hotel as well as the Schneider Hotel Nozawa Onsen, I rented an apartment. I initially sought accommodation at these hotels because they were habitually associated with exquisite customer care and fun, by my friends who frequently come for skiing and snowboarding in Japan.

Renting an apartment in Japan

Here is how I went about in renting an apartment in Japan:

Decided on my accommodation needs and preferences
The fist thing I did was to sit down and decide on the accommodation needs I had as well as the preferences that best suited me. This led me to a real estate agency that acted as an intermediary between the property owner and me. The agency helped me to understand the available properties that could meet my expectations within the budget I had.

Handling the paperwork
Once I made my decision about the property I wanted, the agent prepared the application for me. Being a non-Japanese individual, I needed to provide my passport, visa or residence card to facilitate the making of a lease agreement.

I was also asked to provide color copies of my passport and the visa page and demonstrate my activities in Japan through the certificate of eligibility, letter of employment, past months’ pay slips, or pay slip/withholding slip.

Guarantor
I was asked to provide a guarantor, which was not a problem for me because of the reference at Nozawa Onsen Hotel that my friends that come to the hotel on a regular basis gave me. The agent, however, informed me that there were some properties that did not demand one provide a guarantor.

Initial payment
Once the lease contract was ready, I signed it and had to pay the initial payment. The payment included appreciation money, security deposit, brokerage fee, fire insurance, guarantor company usage fee, and the first month’s rent. After this, I was given the keys to my apartment.

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