“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“Since I didn’t bring that much stuff to Japan, I stayed at the house of a Bangladeshi friend and stayed a few days at a youth hostel near the school.”
How do you like living there?
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“There’s a co-op in my university. They recommended some apartments where I could go to school without changing trains and where the rent was cheap. Among them, I decided on an apartment close to a train station with some Bangladeshi food stores nearby.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“Since I didn’t bring that much stuff to Japan, I stayed at the house of a Bangladeshi friend and stayed a few days at a youth hostel near the school.”
How do you like living there?
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“Japan’s 100 yen shops and convenience stores are amazing! You should check out if there is any 100 yen shop around the place you want to live.”
"I chose to live near the station where I could go to school without changing trains."
Nationality: Bangladesh
Place of Residence: Tokyo
Rent: 47,000 yen
Size: 14m2
Room layout: 1 studio room
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“Rent price was the most important factor.”
How did you find the apartment?
“There’s a co-op in my university. They recommended some apartments where I could go to school without changing trains and where the rent was cheap. Among them, I decided on an apartment close to a train station with some Bangladeshi food stores nearby.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“Since I didn’t bring that much stuff to Japan, I stayed at the house of a Bangladeshi friend and stayed a few days at a youth hostel near the school.”
How do you like living there?
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“It’s quite comfortable! Japanese and international students live together here, and they help me a lot. Especially when I first came to Japan, they helped me a lot by teaching me where to buy things. The rent is not that cheap, but I feel it is reasonable since I can live in a nice and clean place at this price (including internet, utilities, water, etc.).”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“Japan’s 100 yen shops and convenience stores are amazing! You should check out if there is any 100 yen shop around the place you want to live.”
"I chose to live near the station where I could go to school without changing trains."
Nationality: Bangladesh
Place of Residence: Tokyo
Rent: 47,000 yen
Size: 14m2
Room layout: 1 studio room
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“Rent price was the most important factor.”
How did you find the apartment?
“There’s a co-op in my university. They recommended some apartments where I could go to school without changing trains and where the rent was cheap. Among them, I decided on an apartment close to a train station with some Bangladeshi food stores nearby.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“Since I didn’t bring that much stuff to Japan, I stayed at the house of a Bangladeshi friend and stayed a few days at a youth hostel near the school.”
How do you like living there?
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
“I first applied from their website, and after that, we had an online interview on Skype. Since the company usually provides services for foreigners, I could communicate with them all in English and had no problems.”
How do you like living there?
“It’s quite comfortable! Japanese and international students live together here, and they help me a lot. Especially when I first came to Japan, they helped me a lot by teaching me where to buy things. The rent is not that cheap, but I feel it is reasonable since I can live in a nice and clean place at this price (including internet, utilities, water, etc.).”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“Japan’s 100 yen shops and convenience stores are amazing! You should check out if there is any 100 yen shop around the place you want to live.”
"I chose to live near the station where I could go to school without changing trains."
Nationality: Bangladesh
Place of Residence: Tokyo
Rent: 47,000 yen
Size: 14m2
Room layout: 1 studio room
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“Rent price was the most important factor.”
How did you find the apartment?
“There’s a co-op in my university. They recommended some apartments where I could go to school without changing trains and where the rent was cheap. Among them, I decided on an apartment close to a train station with some Bangladeshi food stores nearby.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“Since I didn’t bring that much stuff to Japan, I stayed at the house of a Bangladeshi friend and stayed a few days at a youth hostel near the school.”
How do you like living there?
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
Special thanks to Micha, Sayeed, and Lan!
We had online interviews with three international students living in Japan to find out what factors they valued when deciding where to live!
Table of Contents
"I chose a shared house that was equipped with home appliances."
Nationality: German
Place of residence: Osaka
Rent: 60,000 yen
Size: 7.5 m2 for my private bedroom
Room layout: 1 bedroom for myself
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“For me, it was how much I could save on the initial cost. So I first searched for apartments that came with furniture and home appliances. It turned out that shared houses were cheaper options than apartments in my target area, so I decided to rent a shared house.”
How did you find your shared house?
“I found this place when I searched on the Internet before coming to Japan. I selected this place because it had good access to my school, and I thought it would be a good environment to learn the Japanese language because Japanese people were living here as well.”
How was the procedure?
“I first applied from their website, and after that, we had an online interview on Skype. Since the company usually provides services for foreigners, I could communicate with them all in English and had no problems.”
How do you like living there?
“It’s quite comfortable! Japanese and international students live together here, and they help me a lot. Especially when I first came to Japan, they helped me a lot by teaching me where to buy things. The rent is not that cheap, but I feel it is reasonable since I can live in a nice and clean place at this price (including internet, utilities, water, etc.).”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“Japan’s 100 yen shops and convenience stores are amazing! You should check out if there is any 100 yen shop around the place you want to live.”
"I chose to live near the station where I could go to school without changing trains."
Nationality: Bangladesh
Place of Residence: Tokyo
Rent: 47,000 yen
Size: 14m2
Room layout: 1 studio room
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“Rent price was the most important factor.”
How did you find the apartment?
“There’s a co-op in my university. They recommended some apartments where I could go to school without changing trains and where the rent was cheap. Among them, I decided on an apartment close to a train station with some Bangladeshi food stores nearby.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“Since I didn’t bring that much stuff to Japan, I stayed at the house of a Bangladeshi friend and stayed a few days at a youth hostel near the school.”
How do you like living there?
“Well, the room is very small, but I don’t have many complaints. If I dare to say one thing, I wish it was a little closer to the station so I could sleep longer in the morning. The long walk itself (between the station and my house) is not that tough because there is a big shopping street. I found the shopping streets in Japan very interesting and fun. There are Bangladeshi and other halal food stores and restaurants, so I have no trouble finding something to eat.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“If you are a Muslim like me, you should look for a place with a mosque nearby. Because there are many restaurants and stores around mosques that serve food we can eat.”
"Since I share a room with friends, I needed to find a place that allows more than two people to live."
Nationality: Vietnamese
Place of residence: Saitama
Rent: 104,000 yen (shared by 3 people)
Room Size: 62㎡ (shared by 3 people)
Room layout: 3LDK (shared by 3 people) *3LDK stands for “3 rooms + Living room + Dining room + Kitchen”.
What was your most important factor when looking for a place to live?
“I wanted to share a room with two friends, so it was an important factor to find an apartment that allowed more than two people to live in. At first, we thought three of us could just live there if the house was big enough. But the real estate agent told me that in Japan, in such cases, we have to look for an apartment that allows more than two people to move in.”
How did you find the apartment?
“We first went to a real estate agency in our neighborhood (near our dormitory). There, we were introduced to a real estate agency for foreigners (because Japanese real estate agencies require a Japanese guarantor and tenant screening). The person at the real estate agency for foreigners was very kind and suggested several good apartments, so we decided on the one with the shortest commuting time.”
Where did you live before you moved to the apartment?
“For the first year after I came to Japan, I lived in the school dormitory. Since I wanted to try the lifestyle as Japanese people live, I left the dormitory and started living with my international student friends before the new semester started.”
How do you like living there?
“Even though it is a city right across the river from Tokyo, it is much calmer, and I realized that this city is more suitable for me. The transportation is convenient, so I don’t have to worry about commuting to school. (I still don’t like crowded trains, though…) Unlike my dormitory area in Tokyo, many families are living in Saitama, and it’s fun to see how they spend their free time on weekends.”
What advice would you give to international students who are coming to Japan?
“I noticed, after I started living in the current place, many cities are offering free Japanese language classes for foreigners and cultural exchange events with Japanese people. Those cities also have good information in English and other languages, making it easy to live there. When I went to the city hall to apply to move in, I was impressed to see that there was a guide in Vietnamese.”
