Job Discussion Forums

naujokaitis · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 32 Location: london, ontario

i do know for the most part in Japan housing is not covered, or sometimes just subsidized. my question is, for the most part through the schools and organizations, do they arrange an apartment and pay for key money etc, and are most of these sorts of apartments furnished? i don't really care about the size. and i do know that for the most part work related transportation is reimbursed, am i right?

thank you

gwynnie86 · Joined: 27 Apr 2009 Posts: 159

I know that JET and Interac sort out accommodation for you (I think JET pay for it, too, while Interac help you find it) although if you speak Japanese it should be easier for you to find something on your own. You need a guarantor, too, and your school *might* act as that... but it's good to have some Japanese friends who can vouch for your character. As for furnished... all I know is that LeoPalace apartments come furnished and internet-ready!

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:41 pm Post subject:

Most companies/schools will help to find you a place to live.

Not many will pay for key money since many have been hit in the pocket when they forked out only to have the foreigner bail on them.

If the school permanently rents or owns the apartment and simply hands it on from one worker to the next, there shouldn't be any key money or moving in charges, but don't expect it to be subsidized (expect the opposite for many of the more unscrupulous employers).

If the place is owned or permantly rented by your employer, then it probably will have some furnishing either supplied by them or left by previous tenants. Places like Leopalace come ready to move in.

And as to reimbursement for transport; read your contract. Not all employers reimburse. Not all branches within the same companies have the rules for things such as reimbursement. Keep an eye out for limits on how much they will pay per month for transport.

If you really need to save then your best bet is to apply for JET. Then you will get higher pay, your furnished apartment, likely heavly subsidised rent (but not always the case), no key money, all transport costs paid including flights, etc. But you will have to wait until autumn to apply for 2011 summer departures.

naujokaitis · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 32 Location: london, ontario

so through JET i would only be able to get a job for 2011, this is right?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

seklarwia · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:36 pm Post subject:

Interac does find apartments for overseas employees but will not cover any setup or moving in costs.

Interac doesn't really recycle apartments. All leases are in the employees name between them and the rentor with Interac only being guarantor. This is good in that employees are not tied to the place for the duration of the contract and that they are not required to leave should they quit early or choose not to continue with Interac once they complete a contract.

It does mean that all new recuits are being hit in the pocket with setup costs when they initially come.

naujokaitis · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 32 Location: london, ontario

exactly how do the set up costs work in general?

naujokaitis · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 32 Location: london, ontario

also, those of you who know, if an apartment comes advertised as "furnished" what is that usually consist of? will it include basic kitchen utensils and things like pans and that? what sort of appliances? i don't care if there is no tv or microwave since i never use them even if i have them. but a stove with oven would be nice as well as some pans and pots and that

or will i have to be bringing my own kitchen stuff, cos if so that will eat up my kg for luggage real fast.

also, what are prices like in japan for basic kitchen stuff? not high quality but not very low quality dollar store type either.

i would like to buy some nice japanese chef's knives to bring home, but i do understand that would be rather pricey even bought locally.

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

naujokaitis · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 32 Location: london, ontario

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

I sent you a personal message.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Links to housing details and terminology (some in Japanese).

http://www.jobmonkey.com/teaching/asia/html/long_stay.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2207.html
http://jafnet.co.jp/manual/chintai/migigawa/apart.htm

I have rented only one place through an employer, but I have rented 4 others in my time in Japan. Only the one through the employer was furnished, and it was done with typically secondhand, mismatched, old stuff from several previous teachers. If this is the way your employer lines things up for you, then "furnished" means back to college days when you raided Mama's kitchen for the things she didn't want. Your employer should be able to tell you what the furnishings are. They'll be enough to get you started. Then make trips to the 10-yen and secondhand shops as needed.

Places like LeoPalace21, as I explained earlier, are different and better quality.

LaniB · Joined: 28 Jan 2010 Posts: 35

Last week I had my group interview/ one on one interview with AEON and they said the cap is 55,000 yen. They said you only pay what it's worth however, so if you're lucky enough to find yourself in an apartment that's 42,000, that is how much you'll pay.

And the single occupancy thing is set in stone. They reiterated throughout the group interview and again the following day - if you move into your own place you will still pay for the AEON apartment as well as your own.

naujokaitis · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 32 Location: london, ontario

Glenski ...

i took a look at the links you posted. wow, the prices are high for private apartments. can i assume this is within tokyo? how about in suburbs or other cities, can you get an apartment, i don't need a large one, all i really need is a place to sleep, a desk to work, a place to cook/eat, and a place to wash, for a decent price or are we still looking at > 50,000 yen?

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:10 pm Post subject:

A shoebox room with shared bathrooms and cooking facilities can set you back in excess of 30,000/month. So having your own apartment for 50,000/month is really not that much. Anything that isn't in a rice field and not old is likely to cost you 50,000+. I live in a small city that is quite suburban in nature, am 5 mins walk from the local station and about 15mins walk from the Tokyo-Nagano shinkansen and it still costs me just over 50,000/month. I pay the same as others living in similar apartments in the more rural outskirts so my rent is quite cheap in comparison.

What are you calling "high" and what is that getting you?

You probably should get used to the idea of not comparing what you can get for the same amount in your home country/town.