Hello all! I’m an incoming jet assigned to Tokyo, and while I’m obviously very excited I have concerns about housing and rent prices.
An agent has contacted me from GTN and have sent me some suggestions. They’re all in the 80000¥ – 87,000¥ per month range. All the apartments look nice, they’re close to my school, and decently sized 1Ks (I didn’t really want to live in a shoebox tbh). The one I like the most is the most expensive at 87000 per month. This seems like an awful lot though, especially on JET salary.
I have some savings, but I don’t know how far that’ll go especially factoring in moving and furniture costs. And I have utilities to pay on top of that. Should I ask them to look for something cheaper, or is this normal in Tokyo? I want a bit of space primarily for hobbies, I’m big into sewing & crafts and want to keep that up while in on JET, so that’s why having the extra room matters to me, but I am definitely willing to go a bit smaller & make it work somehow.
The only thing is I definitely do not want to do a house share, I really value my own space & privacy so it’s not an option for me personally.
How did other Tokyo JETs find rent & what sort of prices were you paying? If it was similar to the above prices how was your QoL, were you still able to live comfortably, go out & travel without concerns? Was money particularly tight or was it manageable? This will be my first time living totally on my own so I’m still quite nervous about the whole thing, especially with finances.
Any advice is really appreciated, thanks!
7 comments
Living in any major city will cost more that’s just a fact of life. Maybe look into smaller places, to pay so much just fo an extra room to see seems a bit much, you have to be a bit more practical
Hi OP. I’ve never lived in Tokyo so I won’t comment on that aspect, but I am a sewist and into other crafts and fiber arts, and lived in a 1K for three years. You say you’re willing to go smaller and make it work, so maybe this is a non-issue, but here’s my 2¥ anyway.
The more mobile you keep your big furniture, the more options you will have. Extending or fold-out tables, futons you can tuck away, laptop over desktop etc. All my belongings could tuck into in my tatami room closet because I didn’t want to clutter my space with immovable furniture.
The thing about sewing for me is that, yes, it requires space but not all the time. I didn’t have sewjo every single day, so busting out my tools and machine was more of something I did once I had organized a project. Sewing can seem to take over any sized room, can’t it? I did most of my patterning and cutting on the floor and used my little kitchen table for my machine. Other crafts can fit in smaller baskets or bags and aren’t so much an issue. The more shelving you have in it, and more ways to use the depth of your closet, the more you can have and also tuck away. I know sewing in particular is a very space-intensive activity (heck, I have a whole room for it these days), but if you keep things mobile it only ”costs” you the space to store your equipment.
From my experience, as an introvert or someone who generally utilizes their home often, it can be really nice having a bit of extra room. But I think with planning, not keeping a huge stash, and being ok with setting things up and putting them away, it could totally be done in a studio apartment. I think I value saving money more than being extremely comfortable, so in your position I’d probably choose a studio and make it work for my hobbies. I feel for Tokyo JETS because your housing costs eat up a chunk of your income regardless, so your choice in apartment makes a bigger difference than someone in the Inaka who’s only paying 1 man for a bigger space. (Yet somehow people with cheap rent can still walk away from JET with no savings… it really does make a difference how you manage your money and budget.)
But, also, you’re going to be living in Tokyo! How awesome is that! You might spend less time at home than you imagined. Maybe you’ll find a co-op for makers or some sort of membership-based creative space for you to sew at. There are so many options there! Good luck!
If you look for places further away from the city center and probably your school, the price will drop some! Else if you want something in the same vicinity, then it’s definitely going to be smaller for a cheaper price. But it’s all pretty ESID based on your lifestyle and requirements. I got a buddy who got an apartment a little further out for the same price as another friend in the city center. They both pay the same and are fine on the JET budget though the first friend does have a larger apartment.
Price goes up every year here in Tokyo. Don’t forgot all the move in costs. That 87k place will likely set you back 350,000 or more. Best bet is to move out a bit further. Luckily you are paid transportation so as long as you can stomach it try going out about 40 mins or so commute.
I’m not sure what the first year JET salary is these days, but that’s a very reasonable price range for Tokyo. I’m moving back to Canada this year and I wish I could get that price in Toronto. Much less likely to be murdered, too. You should be able to manage it as long as you have no dependents or crippling debt back home. If you want something cheaper, you’ll need to go further out like others have said.
I’m a Tokyo jet that came last year! I live very central and pay 81600 for a 1k. Im still able to afford everything I want/need to do. My school is in walking distance aswell. Make sure you check if that price includes maintenance fee and the guarantor fee. Companies do deals on electricity, internet, phone etc so you can save some there.
I have a 21m squared apartment and it’s honestly fine like I was able to fit a bed, two desks, a mini couch and a tv cabinet and still have space to walk around hahaha. If you’re practical about what you need/want it’s very manageable. The kitchen area is separate and has room for a fridge and washing machine but not a table which doesn’t matter as much to me as I have the desks in the main room. It’s surprising how much you can fit into the small apartments hahaha.
I came over in 2019 and that doesn’t sound uncommon. My rent is about 70000 for a 26m^2 1K including the maintenance fee, and I really like it. I’m 30 minutes from my school via a short train ride and walking, and about 20 minutes from Shinjuku station. I have a desk/chair, decent sized tv/tv stand, semi-double bed, kotatsu table/chair, full mirror, and there’s still a decent amount of room for me to exercise in my room if I wanted. My place has basically everything I wanted – in what I consider a nice neighborhood, within walking distance of supermarkets, convenience stores, bus and train station, some restaurants, etc. so even though it’s not as big as some of my friends’ apartments, it works very well for me.
If you’re able, maybe see if there’s places a little further from your school or train lines but still within walking or biking distance if that’s something you don’t mind. Otherwise, you can check out places a little further on the nearest train line, but keep in mind the morning rush crowd. I think it really does depend on the area the housing is in, some wards are a lot pricier than others.
I rented furniture my first year so I had a little bit of wiggle room. I still did stuff locally with my friends like concerts, events, festivals, etc. then without issue. I think if you have student loans or other debt that will impact whether or not money feels tight – I do, so I have less disposable income than some of my other friends, but I still have an alright amount. If I wanted I could have done day trips my first year to neighboring prefectures with a little planning once or twice a month and still have a bit left over.