Review: “From Tatami to Tokyo: The Foreigner’s Handbook Apartment Hunting in Japan” ★★★★☆
“From Tatami to Tokyo: The Foreigner’s Handbook Apartment Hunting in Japan” by Brian Takahashi is a 54-page guidebook for foreigners hunting for an apartment in Japan. The book covers the essentials, such as using a realtor, the apartment search process, financial considerations, finding a guarantor, and using a moving company once you have secured an apartment.
It also gives some cultural context to rental housing in Japan, with entries on the historical evolution of landlords and apartments, cultural expectations, and even dealing with the dreaded visits from NHK officials. The book’s main focus is to assist foreigners in understanding and overcoming the unique challenges of the Japanese housing market.
Moving to Japan can be both exciting and challenging, especially when it comes to finding suitable accommodation. There is a ton of information online, including some helpful YouTube videos, but this book is handy as a one-stop-shop to dealing with the rental process. Understanding the history of landlords and apartments in Japan may seem a bit academic in what is a hands-on, practical process, but actually I found it useful to understanding the dynamics of the housing market. The evolution from traditional Japanese houses to modern apartments, the differences between private and public housing, and what sort of relationship people tend to have with landlords is all good background info that can help iron out some of the bumps in understanding.
The book puts a lot of emphasis on using a realtor for first-time visitors, particularly for those unfamiliar with the language or rental procedures. I think that’s also good advice. But then there are realtors and realtors. The book highlights potential pitfalls in the client-realtor exchange. Finding a foreigner-friendly realtor will help speed up the process. There are still a fairly large number of landlords in Japan who prefer not to let properties to foreigners. This is usually not about issues of race and ethnicity, but more about not wanting to deal with the miscommunication and misunderstandings that can arise when you don’t speak Japanese and you don’t understand the paperwork and legal guidelines. A good realtor will take all that into consideration.
The book discusses why the search process can be time-consuming and stresses the importance of understanding factors such as location, accessibility, and safety when selecting an apartment. It also breaks down core rental costs, deposits, maintenance fees, and hidden expenses, emphasizing the importance of understanding rental contracts to avoid unexpected financial burdens.
Another big hurdle in the rental process is finding a guarantor, usually a Japanese national (friend, colleague etc.), who can officially vouch for the tenant’s financial responsibility. The book explores different types of guarantors available, such as family members, friends, or guarantor companies, outlining their pros and cons.
Finally, the book gives some good tips on dealing with NHK TV licensing, and cultural practices like punctuality, gift-giving etiquette, greeting neighbors, and bowing customs to help foreigners adapt smoothly to their new environment.
Overall, “From Tatami to Tokyo: The Foreigner’s Handbook Apartment Hunting in Japan” is a methodical and approachable guide that would be of use to anyone renting in Japan for the first time. It covers all the major issues involved in the rental process and goes above and beyond with contextual information.
“From Tatami to Tokyo: The Foreigner’s Handbook Apartment Hunting in Japan” is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.