Whether you’d like to be in a double room, individual room or in a dormitory, Tokyo offers many housing options. To rent a room of this type in the centre of Tokyo, allow at least ¥ 75,000/month. This price usually covers the rent of a furnished room in a shared apartment as well as common areas that include all the necessary materials to live and cook, such as a fridge, a stove, a TV, showers, toilets and a washing machine. These fees also include water, electricity, gas, and most of the time, an internet access as well.
Find an accommodation in Tokyo
When starting to think about staying in Japan for a while, accommodation often ends up on the first place of list of things to do. This is hardly a surprise as Tokyo’s accommodations are often described as expensive, small, and hard to rent, especially for foreigners.
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It may be true that looking for an apartment in Tokyo without a good knowledge of Japanese culture and language can quickly turn into a real battle. In magazines, websites, or in real estate agencies’ storefronts, advertisements are mostly written only in Japanese and according to norms, usually different from your own country’s. On top of this, the staff rarely speaks English, which explains why it can be so difficult to find a place to stay in Tokyo. However, there are still many housing options in Japan and most of them are available to anyone, even those who don’t speak Japanese.
Share houses in Tokyo
Share houses usually offer a private room or dormitory, on top of shared common areas (kitchen, toilet and bathroom). Shared houses are very popular in Japan for various reasons. First of all, they allow you to move in directly in a place that is already furnished. You can also avoid the (pretty high) fees that come with renting an apartment in Japan. If you want to meet new people, they are the best place to stay at, especially if you’re new to Japan. Finally, as they are foreigner-friendly, they usually offer services in English and in many other languages.
Staying in Tokyo: Share House recommandations
SNG has been welcoming foreign students for more than 40 years. Every year, more than 650 people choose to put their trust in our institute. Many of them seek our support in order to find a lodging in Tokyo. Below this paragraph, you will be able to find a list of share house companies we have been working with for a long time now, and that we usually recommend to our students. Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to pick one of them if you feel like none is the right fit for your needs. You are free to keep looking for other options on your own. The options listed below sometimes offer lodging located right next to our school. However, as you can imagine, the closest rooms are usually very demanded. Therefore, if you’re coming to study at SNG and would like to stay in one of them, make sure to book it as early as possible.
Be Good Japan: share an apartment with Japanese people
Be good Japan offers furnished rooms in shared apartments in Tokyo for a stay of at least 1 month. Rooms are entirely furnished with: a desk, a chair, storage space, a fridge, curtains, a bed or futon and AC. Be Good Japan’s rooms are individual and each of them have a lock on the door. It distinguishes itself from other share houses as it aims at fostering cultural and language exchange between Japanese people and foreigners residents in the share house by organising several events. All the shared areas include internet and some elements, necessary to your daily life in Japan: living room, TV, washing machine, vacuum cleaner… Rent starts from ¥ 54,000/month. You will also need to pay utility, cleaning, and insurance fees on top of the monthly rent. Total rent generally reaches about ¥ 75,000/month. If you’re thinking of coming to study at SNG, note that Be Good Japan has a share house located 15 minutes away on foot from school.
Rent a room in Tokyo with Sakura House
It’s probably one of the most famous companies offering share houses in Tokyo as well as one of the biggest, as it manages more than 1,200 rooms. Sakura House offers accommodations ranging from 1 to 20 people capacity, that can be rented for 1 night only, and in various options such as apartments, houses and dormitories. Individual rooms are furnished with a desk, a chair, a bed and AC. Shared areas all include an Internet connection, a fridge, a microwave, a kettle, a TV, a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, etc. Renting a room with Sakura House will cost around ¥ 75,000/month. This price includes rent, security deposit, and utility fees. Finally, know that Sakura House provides multilingual support. You’ll be able to exchange with their staff in English and other languages as well. If you’re coming to SNG to study, Sakura House has apartments located only a few minutes away from the school.
Live in a share house with Neo House Tokyo
More recent and not as known as some other share house companies, Neo House Tokyo is based on a project consisting of renovating old houses to create new living spaces. But it’s not only about rooms: the company also wants to encourage cultural exchange between foreign and Japanese tenants through events. Last but not least, Neo House’s project is also an art project. Living rooms are turned into galleries where minor artists and residents can choose to exhibit their own pieces of art. Neo House Tokyo offers single or double rooms furnished with beds, desks, chairs and closets. You will also have access to shared areas that include a living room, kitchen and bathroom. The monthly rent is about ¥ 75,000 and you will need to add about ¥ 15,000 of monthly utility fees, as well as a security deposit corresponding to a one-month rent (without utility fees). Neo House Tokyo’s apartments are located in the cities of Nerima and Suginami, in Tokyo. If you’re coming to study Japanese at SNG, commuting from their apartments to the school will take around 40 minutes.
