Job Discussion Forums

[Mark]

Hi folks,

Bit of a housing question here. I'm looking to move to Kichijoji, but I've been unable to find a guesthouse. Does anyone know of any places to live in Kichijoji? I've found a couple of houses, but they're full, and it seems that as Kichijoji is quite popular, there should be more places to live in than I've found so far.

Also, since Kichijoji may prove difficult to move to, can anyone recommend any areas that might be similar, i.e. a fun place to live where many of the people walking around probably live in the area. I'd like to live in a fun place that isn't a magnet for people from all over Kanto. It'd be nice to see some of the same people twice.

Thanks.

[Sweetsee]

Have you tied Shimo-kitazawa? Fun, young, artsy neighborhood but probably hard to find a place, as well.

Good luck,
s

[azarashi sushi]

There are a lot of nice areas but whether or not they have guesthouses is another matter. I would have said Shimo Kita aswell but you'd probably have a hard time finding a place... and it's a bit of a magnet. Places like Ikejiri-Ohashi and Sangenjaya (Den-en-toshi line) are quite nice and I think there are some guesthouses there. It's a convenient location aswell.

If you particularly want to be near Kichijoji, you could try other places along the Chuo line like Ogikubo or Nakano. They're OK places (nothing special though) but at least you would have easy access to Kichijoji and I'm sure you could quite easily find a guesthouse.

[Brooks]

my wife`s nephew lives in Shimo-Kitazawa but he doesn`t like it because it is too crowded. But then, he is from Shikoku.

On the plus size, you can get to Shinjuku and Shibuya directly from there, and there are many restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. Many university students hang out there, and the stores cater to them.

[Mark]

Actually, someone on another post recommended a rental agency and since most apartments they offer only charge 1 month deposit and 1 month rental agency fee, I've decided to switch from guesthouses to apartments. I live in a guest house in a very expensive area of Shinjuku, so it looks like there wouldn't be a huge difference in rent. That'll probably eliminate Kichijoji and Shimo-kitazawa though. I guess I'll have to find something nearby.

Anybody know a decent place with easy access to Kchijoji, Shimo-kitazawa, shinjuku and shibuya, or is that asking for the moon?

[azarashi sushi]

Even though the rent is the same, remember that you're going to have to furnish your apartment.

Regarding rental agencies that charge little or no key money/deposit ... If you're totally not at all fussy about where you live, you'll have no problems. Unfortunately though, very often it's a case of "you get what you pay for" and the cheap apartments are not in areas that you want to live in. If it's a popular area, you're gonna have to pay.

How long are you staying here? If it's only for one year, then it's probably best just to take the cheapest option but if you're staying for more than one year, you might aswell just bite the bullet, spend the money and live in an area where you actually WANT to live. If you look hard enough, you can find cheap places in Kichijoji. Remember too, that the price will be cheaper the further you go from the station.

Alternatively, living somewhere like Meidaimae (Keio line/Inokashira line) would give you easy access to all those places and probably be a lot cheaper. In Nakano, there often tends to be a lot of cheaper places, especially around Nakano Shimbashi and Shin Nakano.

There's also a real estate agent on Koshu Kaido just near JR Shinjuku station south exit... I can't remember the name but it's just across the road from First Kitchen and they have a sign in front of the big drug store (same building as Mambo internet cafe and ECC) advertising a few places with no key money or deposit. I didn't check out any of the places but there seemed to be quite a few places around Nakano and the Keio line.

Anyway, good luck!

[Mark]

Thanks for the tips, Mr. Sushi.

I was thinking of Meidaimae, just for the location, but I've never been there so I'll have to check it out. What I really need is to live somewhere with lots of people in their 20s and 30s, so I can go out, have a pint somewhere, and actually see some of the same people if I go back. I find it discombobulating to never recognize anyone I see in my neighbourhood.

Thanks also for that other real estate agency tip. I'll check that place out too. I'm reluctant to pay the full 6 months moving in costs, just because I don't know how long I'll be here. I've been here almost a year, but I don't imagine staying for more than another year. I'd like to live in Kansai at some point.

[azarashi sushi]

I checked out that real estate again on my way home last night. The building is called Sunsei Building on the Yoyogi side of Koshu Kaido near JR Shinjuku minami guchi... And they are still advertising no key money/no deposit apartments. They're not exactly the cream of the crop but for a short term might be OK. There's a lot of cheap places in Nakano especially around the Marunouchi line stations.

I think any area that's not too far from Shinjuku or Shibuya has lots of young people... And every area has it's locals, even Shinjuku.

Good luck!