Feeling anxious? A Beginner’s Guide to Living Alone
2022.09.16
Many international students may feel uneasy about living alone in a foreign country where they don’t know anyone. It’s natural to feel anxious about living alone, especially if you’re a student who doesn’t speak much Japanese or if you have just arrived in the country with not many people to rely on. I hope this guide will help you feel more confident about living on your own in Japan.
I’m an international student from China, and I started living on my own for the first time after arriving in Japan. Although this is only my second year living alone, I already moved twice – first, from my hometown to Osaka, then from Osaka to Kyoto -, so I’ve got a lot of experience on this topic. I hope my experiences will be useful to you.
Why did I decide to live alone?
I have lived in school dormitories in China during high school and college. Having privacy is really important to me, and the lack of it put a strain on my personal relationships. When I heard that there are plenty of rooms available for rent in Japan, where I could live on my own, I decided to give it a try. If you’re like me and you would like a space for yourself, please give it a try!
Preparing to start living alone
〇Rental housing system in Japan and important keywords
The rental housing system in Japan is probably different from that in your country, so it’s helpful to first have a general idea of what steps you’ll have to take in order to have your own apartment in Japan.
On Kyoto Housing Search for International Students’ website, you can find information about how to find a room to rent and signing a lease.
In past articles, we’ve also explained the rules unique to Japan and key words such as “guarantor”, “guarantor company”, “security deposit (shikikin)” and “key money (reikin)” that you need to know when looking for a room. If you’re unsure what they mean, please refer to this article.
〇What kind of place would you like to live in?
Before you start looking for a room, first think about what’s most important to you.
For example, what do you value most about the place where you live? Is it the distance from school? Proximity to supermarkets or stations? Students who have a lot of classes and have to go to school every day will find it easier to live near the school. On the other hand, I’m a graduate student, so I spend more time focusing on my research than on classes, so distance from school is not so important to me. I also prefer living in a busier area, so I decided on a place that is a bit farther from the school but has convenient access to multiple transportation options.
What about room size? Would you prefer a bigger room? Or is a small room enough for you? If you’re an international student living alone, the average size of an apartment is around 20-30 m2. However, if you enjoy inviting friends over or hosting home parties, you might want an apartment over 40 m². Rent often increases with larger spaces, so you need to consider your lifestyle carefully before deciding.
For students who are not working yet, it’s important to consider how much the apartment will cost. Before signing a contract, make sure to confirm with the real estate agent not only the rent, but also the common area maintenance fee and electricity bill. Even if the rent is 40,000 yen, the actual cost may exceed 60,000 yen due to various other fees. Also, there may be fees required when you move in, so be sure to check them carefully.
〇How to look for an apartment
When looking for a place to live in Japan, it is common to find one through a real estate agency.
There are many real estate agencies in Kyoto, and most of them have their own websites. These sites list details of each apartment and their rental fees. You can also search by location and other criteria. Before actually going to a real estate agency, it’s a good idea to look around online to see what kind of real estate agencies are available and what kind of rooms they offer. In addition to major real estate agencies, there are also some real estate agencies in Kyoto that are open to helping international students. You can find them listed below.
House Navi https://housenavi-jpm.com/
Sakura Rent http://sakurarent.jp/
Unilife https://unilife-apartment.jp/
Flat Agency https://flat.chintai-kyoto.jp/
In addition to these agencies, I have one more recommendation. Have you ever heard of University Co-op? It’s an organization that supports students. They cooperate with numerous real estate agencies and provide room search services, so feel free to contact them.
If you’re a student at a Japanese language school, you can’t use the university’s services, but some Japanese language schools have affiliated real estate agencies, so you should ask your teacher or school staff about it.
Otherwise, you can also use the website “Kyoto Housing Search for International Students,” created by Study Kyoto, to find an apartment for rent near your school.
For more information please refer to this article.
