Housing areas for families

[jadetiger]

I am considering taking a position in Tokyo this year, but would like to know what are the better neighborhoods to consider renting housing for a family of 3 and how much I can expect to be paying per month.

[synthia]

Welcome to the forum! Your new employer should help you find housing, because it can be a difficult process. Western executives with good expat packages are usually placed in Roppongi.

Are your children of school age? Will your employer pay for them to attend an international school? That is a really important benefit.

[jadetiger]

Thanks for the reply Synthia Not school age...toddler.

[synthia]

International nursery school, then? Before you enroll your child in a Japanese program of any kind, be sure you look into the Japanese education system. It's a bit rigid, and teachers may actually encourage bullying and teasing of students who are in any way 'different'. Also, Japanese children are toilet-trained quite young, by 18 months, usually. I've heard it can make it difficult to find diapers, among other things. Not something I can verify on my own, though.

[jadetiger]

Sounds interesting. Thanks for the heads up? Definately food for thought. I was looking at information about Roppongi and it looks pretty "lively". Any thoughts about locations outside of the city? I'm not against a short commute if it means a larger more cost effective living arrangement.

[synthia]

I don't think there are any 'short commutes' to the suburbs. I had a 20 minute commute, and I only went a few stops on the subway, from Ikebukuro to Shinjuku Even a short commute can be unpleasant because the trains are so jammed. I used to try to stand on the right side of the train on the way to Shinjuku, because that way I could see trees!

You will be living in an apartment, even in the fairly far out suburbs. I only met two people in Tokyo who had a private house. One was quite rich, and even then had no yard at all. The other inherited the house.

[jadetiger]

I'd like to be able to search for some places now to get my expectations in line. We will have some support to find a place prior to moving, but I'd like to be able to also suggest a couple of locations with 2 or 3 bdrm apartment options. Know of any good websites I can peruse in the meantime? If Roppongi is the first choice, what would be the top 5 locations I should consider? The office is located in Chiyoda-ku, but not important that I'm close.

Thanks

[synthia]

You might not think it is important that you are close, but a spouse jam packed onto a Japanese commuter train might think differently.

I haven't been in Japan for a while, so the only thing that comes to mind is Roppongi. Because it is an expat enclave, apartments there are larger, and more expensive.

Apartment sizes are specified as a number and DK, meaning the number of rooms plus the dining and kitchen area. They always have, as far as I know, only one bathroom, which will be separate from the room for the toilet. Rooms are specified in mat sizes, as in a 6-mat room, referring to the number of tatami. Maybe that only applies to traditional apartments, but I don't remember it that way.

I wouldn't worry about being able to make suggestions of areas. Be more concerned about what you want in an apartment and know where you are willing to compromise.

Will the company lease the apartment and sublet it to you, and if not will they pick up the substantial up-front expenses?

[crosslec]

Couple (age 52 and American) about to move to Japan. Office in Kawasaki. Good Expat Package, previously lived in Kobe (Entente Apt) Want best expat apartment near Kawasaki. Guess this is Yokohama area. Advice ??? Arigato

[crosslec]

Oh, we lived in Kobe 2000-2002. No kids with us, 2 back in usa on own