Job Discussion Forums

[Rob1209]

Hi all, first time poster here. I'm currently applying for teaching positions starting in April in Japan. I've never been before and would like some info on the following related questions:

1. How much money do I really need to take with me when I go? I've seen Interac recommend around 500,000 Yen to cover key money, deposits and expenses until the first paycheck comes in. Is this realistic? I'm only going to have around 180,000 at best, and my partner, who is coming too, will be pulling in around 100,000 Yen per month from her part-time online work. Lets assume it'll be around 8 weeks before my first paycheck, and my rental costs are no more than 80,000 Yen.

2. I've been looking at potential rental apartments and noticed that some of them specify no key money, no deposit and no guarantors needed. Does this mean all you need to do is cover the first months rent and you can move in?
Are there any other "hidden" costs other than fire maintenance and service charges?
If so, are these types of apartments widespread throughout Japan, including rural areas? Are there any obvious downsides to this type of agreement?

3. Are the rules for 2 people sharing an apartment any different to the UK? Specifically, if an apartment is listed as 50,000 Yen monthly will there be any problems with 2 people sharing and splitting the cost? Or will it cost more to have more than one person living there?

4. Is it possible to use Mastercard to cover most essential expenses, such as food and transport in most areas?

5. How easy is it to get high-speed Internet access set up in Japan? It's essential to my partners work and we'd need to be able to guarantee a good fast connection within around 2-3 weeks of arriving, even if we're in a rural area.

I understand my questions are very general and the answers will vary massively with the geographical spread, but any advice will be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance for your time and wisdom,
Rob

[Rooster_2006]

1. 500,000 yen is an optimal amount to bring, but 300,000 ~ 400,000 yen will probably do in a pinch if you're somewhat careful with your money. How much money you need to live for x months is a very personal matter. Personally, I brought about 200,000 yen, because that was all I had (I was just finishing up a contract in Taiwan and the only way to get more money would have been to sign another one-year contract in Taiwan -- no thanks). Fortunately, I found a job in less than two weeks, so my limited funds weren't an issue. However, I would not recommend bringing only 200,000 yen like I did.

180,000 is not enough in my opinion. I mean, I'm not saying you'll go bankrupt, but it's very risky, and I don't like the sound of relying on your partner for economic assistance. What if your partner ends up hating Japan and bails out? Or finds a job, but 500 kilometers away? Then you'll be stuck with only the 180,000 yen that you brought -- which just isn't enough of a safety net.

2. If you ask me, anyone who pays key money/deposit etc. before the first paycheck rolls in is an over-optimistic chump. There are two reasons that I hold this belief:
- In EFL, things often don't work out, and I don't recommend on making any long-term commitments like key money or deposits until you have been working for your employer for at least a few months and know that he/she is legit. You could get fired/let go during the probationary period. Or you could find yourself in an unworkable situation and be forced to quit. No point in tying yourself down to one geographic location until you're sure that your job is a decent gig.
- Your prospective employer, particularly if he/she isn't in one of the main metropolitan areas, might expect you to move into the company-leased apartment. If you already have an apartment elsewhere, you've just wasted several hundred thousand yen on a piece of real estate that is now worthless to you.

Get a room at a gaijin house. They don't require key money, and usually there is only a minimal deposit (which you get back when you check out). In Tokyo, that's Sakura House. In Osaka, that's Banana House. There are others in other cities.

People go on and on about how expensive Japan is, but if you're careful and buy big bags of rice and cook at home (or heat up food from pouches), it's theoretically possible to eat acceptably on 500 yen a day (yes, I have done this).

The tricky part is transportation -- trains are very, very expensive in Japan. So the key is to get a Seishun 18 Kippu, which will allow you five days of travel (on any day of your choosing within the validity period) for a mere 11,500 yen. This will allow you to job hunt all over your area for a fairly low price!

3. I have no idea about what the deal is on two people sharing a flat. I can't stand living in the same space with other people, so I haven't researched this. All I can say is that when my friend evacuated Tokyo after the earthquake and moved in with me for a couple of weeks at the gaijin house, she was able to stay in my room at the gaijin house for a very nominal fee (I don't remember how much, but I don't think it was more than 10,000 yen).

4. No, your MasterCard will not work at most places. Many supermarkets and transportation systems will not accept credit cards. Some will accept credit cards, but only Japanese credit cards. A few will accept all major credit cards including foreign ones, but they are the minority. My local Sanshi (supermarket) only accepts J-credit cards, and my local train station is cash-only.

5. Easy to get Internet installed? Maybe. Cheap? No. I find that in Japan, high-speed Internet costs me a great deal of money compared to Korea or Taiwan. Probably upward of 10,000 yen per month. Almost outrageous if you think about it. The good news is that if you're in a gaijin house, there will likely be free Internet (though the quality is another issue).

[seklarwia]

[Glenski]

Depending on when you come, it may take a long time to get hired. If we go by your hypothetical 8 weeks:

Rent at a guesthouse can run 50,000-80,000 per month (sometimes with a refundable 25,000 yen deposit). Guesthouses will also rent by the week, which is why I mention them.

You will save on utilities that way and installation of a land line phone.

You will have to shell out for transportation, though. If you interview only within one city, it might be about 20,000-25,000 yen/month. Go further away, and it'll cost more.

You'll probably want to get a cell phone so employers can contact you. Lots of service options here, but on average expect to pay 10,000 yen to open an account (phones can cost 1 yen or far more depending on the newness of the model), and then 5000-8000 yen/month (with various Internet options).

Food will be the next largest bill. Depending on how you eat, you might pay 30,000-40,000 yen/month.

Laundry and haircuts are necessities that you will have to somehow afford. Not all that expensive, but something to factor in.

Nobody can guarantee you'll get a job in 2 weeks or 2 months, so use the above as a guideline to average monthly expenses, then factor in a 4-8 week period from your first day on the job to first paycheck. Also factor in the fact that it takes 2-8 weeks to process a visa. (Some employers allow people to work while the visa is in process, but this is not legal. Immigration won't tell you about this, but you may even get lower wages than when your visa arrives, and you might even be scammed by an unscrupulous employer who strings you along then dumps you after you have overstayed.)

Hidden rental costs.
Ask about insurance and any cleaning service fees.

[Rob1209]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Rooster, some really good information. I should perhaps make clear some points that weren't obvious from my original post.
I'll only be coming to Japan if I manage to get a job before I arrive, via Interac/iTTTi/Aeon etc. So I'm not expecting to be going up and down the country looking for work.
My partner is my long-term girlfriend. We've been relying on each other for 8 years. She's half-Japanese and moved from Tokyo to England with her family when she was 5. She wants to go as much as I do, so I think the chances of her bailing on me are non-existent.
She won't be searching for work initially until we are settled in an area, she has a job in the UK she will be able to continue with by working online. In our situation, sharing an apartment is a requirement more than an option.
My partner has family that live in Tokyo as a safety net, and our parents have offered to lend us money rather than take a loan from any despatch companies, but we'd prefer not to have to use these options if possible.

[Rob1209]

Thanks Seklarwia & Glenski too!

[Apsara]

[Dissolution]

I got my 2 cents here too:

1. My wife and I brought ~400,000 Yen and used almost all of it up. 180,000 won't cut it, no way.

2. I find it hard to believe there are apartments out there with no key money or no deposit. Ask many, many questions.

3. No further information.

4. My Visa/Check Card worked in a few places, but I stopped relying on it after 2 days here, because it was random.

5. Our high-speed took 3 weeks to get installed, and we were led to believe that is the norm. We are basically in a city, though.

[Ryu Hayabusa]

@dissolution

You can find plenty of apartments with no deposit or key money--it just depends on where you live in Japan. When I was in rural Hiroshima, there were none because there was little to no competition among real estate agents. In Osaka, there are many apartments that don't require those upfront costs. For example, I was able to find an apartment through a company called Flat Osaka. I paid first month's rent (52 000yen), the fire insurance cost (insurance for two years at 20 000yen), and a guarantor fee (15 000yen) upfront. Regular monthly rent payments followed after 30 days.

That's probably less common in Kanto I imagine...

[rxk22]

[Apsara]

There are definitely "no key money" places around in Kanto, but "no deposit" places would be much rarer. If they exist at all I'd expect the monthly rent to be quite inflated- this is often the case with "no key money" apartments- in Tokyo at least.