After massive layoffs at my company I’ve been reassigned to the Japan office in Tokyo for the next three years. I landed in Narita yesterday and I’m currently staying at an Airbnb in Daikanyama.
I will start searching for apartments to live in Tokyo next week. I’ve done some research in the short time I had (I was given 2 weeks to relocate). I liked areas like Jiyugaoka, Yoyogi, Ebisu, Kichijoji, and Naka-Meguro. My mother’s recommendations (Japanese but she was born and grew up in Akita) are: Nerima, Bunkyo, Arakawa, and Ota. I’m half-Japanese I’ve never lived in Japan and this is my first time visiting/living here (as an adult).
Can you recommend neighborhoods based on my lifestyle choices/preferences (see below)?
Want the home to be silent so I prefer to live in residential foreigner friendly neighborhoods. Size: 1LDK + S 20-30 tsubo home should be sufficient. I’ve budgeted 250,000 yen as the maximum rent per month. I love to cook and prefer to live near a farmers market if possible (or near grocery shops like Ozeki). I also like gourmet food when eating out. I have a very active sex life and may bring both men and women home often so prefer not to live in conservative areas. I also speak business level Japanese. Commute is not a problem as I travel a lot for work, preferably don’t want to spend more than 45 minutes each way. I don’t mind crowded trains but not a fan of getting groped (happens often where I lived). My office is Chuo city, very close to the imperial palace but I’ll be there only 3 days a week.
Thanks for your advice!
11 comments
I recommend the Odakyu line, at Higashi-Kitazawa, Shimokitazawa, or Yoyogi-Uehara Station. Shimokitazawa Station has a lot of restaurants and Ozeki (walkable from Higashi-Kitazawa, which is very residential in comparison). Yoyogi-Uehara does as well, and is closer to Yoyogi Park. Some Odakyu Line trains become the Chiyoda Line from Yoyogi-Uehara, which leads to near the Imperial Palace in 20-30 minutes, so you’d be able to ride one train without transfers on your commute. Also 10-20 minutes to Shinjuku. Shimokitazawa has Keio Inokashira Line as well, which leads to Shibuya within 20 minutes. Plenty of opportunities to find someone to bring home at bars or clubs there.
Shimokitazawa would be a great choice. Lots of great food options, a vibrant night life and easy access to other night time hotspots like Shibuya or Shinjuku via express train opitons. Approx. half an hour to get to Chuo-Ku
Futakotamagawa? Budget might be stretched a bit though.
Sangenjaya can be an option
20-30 tsubo for 1LDK+S is insanely unrealistic for one person. 4-person houses in Tokyo often don’t have 30 tsubo. you can get a good 1LDK that’s completely sufficient for one person in any of those areas for under 20万 (even under 15万 fairly easily I think) Jiyugaoka/Oookayama area is fantastic, basically anything on Toyoko-sen or Meguro-sen there is great.
Daikanyama and Shirokanedai are my recommendations based on your preferences.
If you like more foreigner-friendly areas with a vibe like Shimokitazawa, Gakugei-daigaku or Jiyugaoka is great. A similar, more upscale option would be Azabujuban (though not much thrift shops here).
You basically guessed everything right.
Ebisu, Nakameguro, Jiyugaoka, Kichijoji are good neighbourhoods.
Nerima, Arakawa, south of Ota and north of Bunkyo are kind of working-class neighbourhoods… not quite bad, but you won’t impress anyone by living in any of them. Yes, I hate too how condescending it sounds, but come on, they’re boring.
Everything else hangs on that. Better hoods have better access (apart from Kichijoji), better shops and eateries, more pleasant atmosphere and nicer people in general.
I’d recommend anything in Shibuya-ku, Minato-ku apart from its office areas, the non-rural part of Setagaya-ku and perhaps the livelier areas of Nakano-ku.
First of all, and I will definitely be downvoted for this, but Shimokitazawa is overrated. Look at a map of the area. Setagaya Ward is the greenest of the 23, but Shimokitazawa itself has very few parks, and the streets are narrow without the same appeal of the narrow alleyways full of bars on the east side of Tokyo. Its main appeal is that you can travel directly to both Shinjuku and Shibuya station from there, but several other stations have the same set up. There are a few decent restaurants in the areas, but similar ethnic and foreign foods can now be found all over central Tokyo. Unless you like to sew and remake old fabrics from the US yourself, then Shibuya, maybe even Meguro, has better fashion.
Of your mother’s recommendations perhaps Bunkyo Ward is the best, if you can find something near Mejiro. There are some cool pockets over there.
But your original list has the best options, especially Naka-Meguro, Ebisu and Yoyogi. The Platinum Doori area of Minato Ward has some excellent shops and restaurants. But for your budget you will be living in a renovated apartment in a funky older building with a dodgy elevator.
Just a note about your options versus your mother’s options. Definitely go with your choices. The places where your mother suggests are not the kind of place where it sounds you want to live.
how about Koenji?
Listen to your mom. Shimokitazawa is nice but cant hold a candle to Daikanyama imo.