Find an Apartment in Japan: What You Need to Know Before Signing

Renting an apartment in your own country can already be complicated… so renting an apartment in Japan, when you are a foreigner, can be even more confusing.

Between the specific fees, the sometimes different rules, and the documents that are entirely in Japanese, many newcomers feel a bit lost.

But don’t worry: once you understand how the Japanese system works, everything becomes much simpler.

Let’s take a look at what you need to know.

Searching for an apartment in Japan

When you start looking for an apartment in Japan, especially in big cities like Tokyo or Osaka, you will quickly realize something: there are a lot of options.

Sometimes even too many. Obviously, just like in France, the price of a property varies greatly depending on the location, so first of all be curious. You don’t necessarily need an apartment right in the middle of Shinjuku. Japan is huge and beautiful. Personal recommendation: Hiroshima.

Between agencies, real estate platforms, private apartments, and share houses… it can be difficult to find your way.

The main criteria remain the same everywhere:

• budget

• location

• size

• distance from the train station

• equipment (bathroom, kitchen, washing machine, etc.)

But in Japan, some details are a bit unique.

Location: the key factor in Japan

In Japan, location is extremely important.

The closer your apartment is to a train or subway station, the more expensive it will be. It makes sense: the Japanese transportation network is incredibly efficient, so living near a station allows you to go almost anywhere.

But everyone wants the same thing.

So prices rise quickly.

A common strategy is to live 10 or 15 minutes walking distance from a station, rather than right next to it. Rents can already become much more affordable.

Another important detail: if possible, avoid apartments right next to railway tracks. Trains in Japan are frequent… very frequent.

Understanding apartment sizes

When you look at Japanese real estate listings, you will often see things like:

1K
1DK
2LDK

These letters correspond to the layout of the rooms:

L = living room
D = dining room
K = kitchen

For example:

1K → one main room + kitchen
1DK → one room + dining area + kitchen
2LDK → two bedrooms + living room + dining room + kitchen

But be careful: Japanese apartments are often much smaller than what people expect.

An apartment for one person is often 20 to 25 m².

Another particularity: Japanese people sometimes measure rooms in tatami (畳). For example, a 6 tatami room corresponds to roughly 9 m².

Manshon or Apaato?

Another thing you will often see:

マンション (Manshon)
アパート (Apaato)

Even though the word “manshon” looks like “mansion” in English, it absolutely does not mean a luxury house.

Generally speaking:

Manshon → concrete building, stronger construction, often more recent
Apaato → smaller building, usually cheaper but sometimes less insulated

Manshon buildings are usually quieter and better built.

Fees to expect

This is where many foreigners are surprised.

In Japan, several fees are required when renting an apartment:

Shikikin (敷金)
The deposit. Usually 1 or 2 months of rent.

Reikin (礼金)
The famous “key money”. It’s a gift to the landlord… yes, really. And this money is not refunded.

Agency fees

First month of rent

As a result, when moving in you may sometimes need to pay 4 to 6 months of rent upfront.

So prepare your budget.

Agencies and foreigners

Let’s be honest: some agencies in Japan still refuse to rent apartments to foreigners.

It happens less than before, but it still exists.

Often they require:

• a guarantor (often Japanese)

• a valid visa

• sometimes a minimum level of Japanese

And this is where one detail becomes extremely important.

Japanese is essential

When you rent an apartment in Japan, everything is in Japanese.

The contract.
The building rules.
Administrative documents.
Explanations from the agency.

You will need to:

• read a contract

• understand the conditions

• sign documents

• sometimes call the agency or the landlord

There is no way around it.

There are agencies specialized for foreigners, but they are usually more expensive.

The reality is simple: if you live in Japan, Japanese quickly becomes essential.

Learning Japanese to live in Japan

When you live in Japan, Japanese is not only useful for working.

This is exactly why I created YumeGO.

YumeGO allows you to learn Japanese in a natural way, by watching anime or dramas on Netflix, YouTube and other platforms while analyzing Japanese subtitles.

You can:

• understand vocabulary used in real life

• analyze sentences

• save useful vocabulary

• improve every day

If you want to live in Japan, Japanese is your best investment.

And daily immersion remains the most effective method.

Conclusion

Renting an apartment in Japan may seem complicated at first, but once you understand how the system works, everything becomes much easier.

The key things to remember:

• location is crucial

• apartments are often smaller

• you need several months of rent upfront

• and most importantly… Japanese is essential.

If your goal is to live in Japan long term, start learning the language now.

And if you want to learn Japanese in an immersive way while watching your favorite shows, try YumeGO.

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