5 Things You Should Know Before Renting an Apartment in Japan

Having your own apartment in Japan may sound very appealing, but finding one doesn't always work the way you want it to. There's a lot of paperwork involved, and doing it in your non-native language can be overwhelming.

In today's post, I will talk about the five things that I had most trouble with when renting apartments in Japan. During my two-year stay in Japan, I have lived in three different apartments so I want to share with you five pointers that will hopefully be helpful to you.

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Accommodation Costs for Exchange Students in Japan

If you're planning to go to Japan as an exchange student, you're probably going to have to find some place to stay at. Most students have three accommodation options: apartment, dormitory, or homestay. The following rates are approximations appropriate to the Osaka area.

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10 Reasons Why Homestay Could Be Better

Last time I gave you 10 reasons why homestay could be a bad choice. This time, in contrast, I will list down 10 good reasons to enroll in a homestay program.

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10 Reasons Why Homestay Could Be Worse

Here are 10 reasons as to why homestay in Japan could be a worse choice than having your own apartment.

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3 Bothersome Facts about Japanese Dorms

To supplement my gaijin house post I wrote three weeks ago, I'd like to tell you something about Japanese dorms. I have never stayed in one but some of my friends have, and I heard their horror stories...

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Cheap Gaijin House in Osaka

There are various cheap housing options available in Japan: hostels, guest houses, capsule hotels, homestay families, dorms, et cetera. Although I've never tried any of those, I did stay in a gaijin house for seven months. It was the perfect first home for me in Japan.

In September of 2007 I came to Osaka for my exchange program, and wanted to get an apartment of my own. Not a dorm room where I'd have a curfiew, or a host family that I'd have to call everytime I wouldn't be back for dinner, but an affordable private room with no babysitting bullcrap or other annoyances. Of course I had to sacrifice some things such as getting my laundry done by the host mom or getting two meals per day in the dorm cafeteria. But what I really wanted was a place that allowed me to be independent.

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