Hi all!
I will be moving to Tokyo for 1 year and my office will be in Shibuya. I will live alone and am in my early 30s. I like easy access to cafes and restaurants and a fun neighbourhood – being near, but not too near the centre (so places like the centre of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Harajuku are out). Within 30 mins to work. Budget is \~JPY\`160,000 for a fully furnished place that is relatively new and short-term lease of 1 year.
Some questions. Many thanks in advance!
**On Sangenjaya**
I am very keen on a place in Sangenjaya as it seems to fit the above.
1. Any general thoughts on what it is like living in Sangenjaya? The vibe and all? Anything you dislike?
2. Work will start at 10 am. Will taking the Denentoshi Line still be uncomfortable at say 9.30 am?
**Other places**
3. My back-up options are in Shinjuku-Gyoemmae and Nakano Shimbaishi. Any thoughts on those too?
**Random questions**
4. (Hope this isn’t too silly) For smaller places without a balcony or a dryer, how would you usually dry your clothes? Do you just run a clothing line within the apartment?
5. I go for jogs quite often. In Tokyo, is it the norm to just go for a jog around your residential estate, or would that actually attract strange looks?
6 comments
Given you need a furnished apartment for a year, the typical rental process doesn’t really apply, which will limit your options.
That said, there are companies that rent furnished units, usually aimed at foreigners that’ll be staying less than 2 years. I think you’ll have to increase your budget though, as they usually charge around ¥6500/day, and the buildings usually aren’t new. You might be able to negotiate a lower rate for a longer stay. One such place is [At Inn](https://en.at-inn.com/).
Another option is a sharehouse, but if you don’t like sharing common spaces, this may not be for you.
Best of luck!
[removed]
If we put aside that the definition of the “center” of Tokyo is kind of subjective (if you put aside the palace), both Sangenjaya and Nakano-Shinbashi are outside the Yamanote, and would be considered less central than Gyoenmae. However, in terms of commute, Sangenjaya is definitely your best bet. The other two would require some transfers (nothing too bad, though, and almost direct with the Fukutoshin).
Sangenjaya (in short Sancha) is kind of a sub-center for a very residential area of Tokyo, with some parts (the tip of the triangle around [here](https://g.page/sanchafarm?share)) that are bordering the “hipsterish”.There are shopping, second hands shops around [here](https://goo.gl/maps/EV9QCTuZkBCz9nBt5), French restaurants, cafes, etc. It’s a “young” city, quite energetic and busy. Depends if you like that sort of vibe.
Sangenjaya is a great area to live for what your looking for. Good mix of cafes during the day and drinking spots at night as well as karaoke. Also there are many parks around and it’s not too far from the city centers such as Shibuya and Shinjuku as well as the really nice shopping area of Futakotamagawa.
As far as the cons, as you pointed out the main train line denentoshi is packed. It’s a main artery between Kanagawa and Tokyo and so sees lots of traffic.
Most small apartments will have some type of window apparatus that you can still use to Hange outside just be careful not to drop your clothes.
Jogging is absolutely normal but you should still wear a mask. They have these athletic type masks that are useful.
An important thing to note is your Japanese skills, you will find better deals, and easier to work with companies if you do. 160,000 for a fully furnished place near Inner Circle with a short-term lease will be difficult as I looked for something similar. Expanding your budget to 180k seems to really be the sweet spot in these areas and will get you a similar space but in a much newer building!
On point 5, Hello fellow runner! Running in Tokyo Public streets is pretty well frowned upon and you will find it is much too busy to do so, also drivers in back streets don’t tend to look for runners which means you will have some close calls.
I live in Shinjuku and I usually take my bike 10 minutes to one of the like 10 running parks around me, or the paths near the main road (Usually 4-5x bigger sidewalks and low foot traffic). There are specific signs that say no running on a lot of streets, as well as no running in the bike lanes.
I will be moving to Tokyo for work in a just a few days and will be staying temporarily at a friend’s spare apartment in Sangenjaya. I did ask myself the same questions and, even though I haven’t experienced that area myself yet, I can tell you that I like the proximity to Shibuya Station (I will work in Otemachi) plus the fact that all of my friends described it as lovely. Will see.