Moving to Tokyo

[anthon]

I am planning to move to Tokyo in January for 6 months to a year. I am not looking for work, i have investments and savings that should get me by. I am wondering if anyone had any advice on finding an apartment to lease and what my budget should be? I do not speak a word of japanese, only english and a little spanish, would this create a problem? I have never been to Japan before but I am looking to experience all that tokyo has to offer and have heard only good things, especially about the nightlife!

[tilla_07]

i cant give you any info regarding the aprtment issue, however, i know in tokyo most people do understand or speak english. even if it is broken english, you should not have any trouble communicating with the japanese people. however, if you decide to live outside of tokyo, like around the country side, then you will definitely need to know japanese since almost all the people other than foreigners do not speak english.

[Joppa]

If you are a British citizen, you can only stay in Japan for 6 months - initially for 3 months on entry, and further 3 months on application to immigration bureau afterwards. You can try a visa run after 6 months to a nearby country like Korea, but you risk being turned away if you return too soon. If you want to stay longer, you should get a longer stay visa in advance. There are many categories other than work, such as cultural (studying martial arts or tea ceremony, for instance), study etc. MOFA site will give details.
As for finding somewhere to live, there are several options. Gaijins without spoken Japanese gravitate towards expat agencies, but they are expensive and mainly deal with corporate clients. Most normal rental agencies - there are loads - usually require foreigners to have a Japanese guarantor, which will be a problem for you. Gaijin houses are probably your best bet - essentially a house or flat share with other foreigners. Details on Tokyo Metropolis and other online bulletins.
Don't expect to get by even in Tokyo without any Japanese. While a lot of Japanese read and understand basic English, speaking and listening doesn't come easily to them and you should attempt to learn some Japanese prior to arriving. Some good online resources.
Tokyo on the whole is reasonable by UK standards in terms of cost of living, though the falling pound doesn't exactly help at the moment. Nightlife can burn a hole in your pocket, other than in basic, neighbourhood izakaya (notionally similar to pubs).

[DerekA]

Originally Posted by anthon

I am planning to move to Tokyo in January for 6 months to a year. I am not looking for work, i have investments and savings that should get me by. I am wondering if anyone had any advice on finding an apartment to lease and what my budget should be? I do not speak a word of japanese, only english and a little spanish, would this create a problem? I have never been to Japan before but I am looking to experience all that tokyo has to offer and have heard only good things, especially about the nightlife!

Hello, I am currently working at a real estate agency in Tokyo. I would be more than willing to help you out with your search for an apartment while you are in Tokyo. I can help you find a place that meets your needs and that stays within your budget.

Feel free to send me a message and I'll be in touch.

Derek

[april]

Just a couple of things - I recommend living in a nice guest house over renting an apartment. You will meet people and it is convenient to move in.

Renting an apartment will be a pain in the bum. You have to go through the hassle of finding a place, find a guarantor, then the mountain of paperwork, fork out a load of money upfront, sign a 2 year lease, get furniture, blah blah blah.

Or another alternative could be to move into a share apartment.

btw. I also second the need to learn basic Japanese for Tokyo life. Sure there are some people who are patient enough to try and guess what you are talking about or even speak a little English themselves, but then there are heaps of others who have no clue and no interest to try and communicate with you.