Job Discussion Forums

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

LaniB,
Thanks for that more exact figure. I knew I was close with 52,000.

As for single occupancy set in stone, that's a sad state of affairs, especially if people are willing to share a tiny apartment. I think I have heard of a few very rare exceptions to people having to pay double rent, but otherwise AEON seems to want some sort of stranglehold on its employees by stating where they will live.

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

well, i am not comparing to what i can get here in canada, i understand that it's totally different. maybe it's just being overwhelmed with all the information i have been reading up on the past week. i am looking for ideally a private apartment. i wouldn't at all mind a small 6 tatami studio apartment somewhere out in the suburbs of a city that is not too big but not too small, just average. i don't know what i would be paying for something like that.

also, i don't know if it makes any difference in price or difficulty in finding but i would prefer a japanese style apartment rather than a western style one.

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

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

What I meant by Japanese style apartment to me is something looks like this ...
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/4384333/2/istockphoto_4384333-japanese-style-apartment.jpg

I do admit though that my knowledge of Japan and things like housing styles and so is not extensive. In general something that would make me feel like I'm living in Japan.

The more research I do, the more I come to understand the prices. Some of the housing I saw on one of those sites (I forget which now) they were advertising guestrooms with shared kitchen and that for up to 50,000 yen and apartments from 80,000 if I remember correctly, these were in Tokyo though, so it does make sense.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Only very old apartments in Tokyo, or perhaps those specially commissioned, are going to look like the picture you posted. In larger apartments there is often one room that is Japanese-style like the one in the picture, but the rest of the apartment will be "western-style"- really it's still very Japanese though, just modern Japanese as opposed to traditional.

You probably won't be able to afford more than one room unless you are way out in the country somewhere where rent is very cheap, and you will drastically reduce your choice if you insist on tatami flooring only in a one room apartment.

Make sure the apartment isn't too old if you go for tatami- anything more than about 25 years old in Tokyo usually has almost no insulation and little earthquake proofing- this is one reason you don't find many old style apartments here any more. Older tatami can often be full of dust mites, which is not good for those with allergies.

You can get thin tatami to put over the flooring very cheaply if you want to make the place feel more Japanese. I don't think you'll need to worry about feeling like you are living in Japan- no matter what kind of apartment you live in that aspect will pervade pretty much your whole life once you are here!

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

That picture looks like a hotel room. I agree with Apsara that only old apartments these days look like that. My first apartment here in 1998 had a bedroom that looked similarly, and the building was over 40 years old. Same thing with a company apartment where I stayed in 1987.

Those kinds of places are often quite cold and damp. Most apartments these days also have just a kerosene space heater (no central heating) to keep it warm, and unless you pay to have a second one in a bedroom (or if you ONLY have one room), it'll be quite cold in there. You can't turn on the heater while you are away, either, because of the earthquake risk.