Hey folks, I’m coming from reading a post about a parent who was threatened with vodoo dolls for having toddlers running around. That got me thinking wether I’m being an “asshole neighbor” as well.
I’m living in a apartment building in a residential area of tokyo, and I like to play acoustic guitar during the day. I avoid playing in the evening, and never after 9pm. Is this acceptable, or should I expect to get complaints from my neighbors soon?
Thanks!
16 comments
Most apartment has a clause in the contract that forbid playing musical instruments. Check yours.
I was told by the real estate agent during the contract signing it was prohibited.
Check your contract because it’s usually prohibited.
>should I expect to get complaints from my neighbors soon?
Yes, it might not even have anything to do with playing your instrument but read the sub, the answer to this is obviously yes.
Is it *Puff the Magic Dragon* or *Mutilate the Stillborn*?
Depends on your building. Mine allows a playing period between 10am to 8pm. I play classical music on my Yamaha UX upright piano (acoustic) daily for 1+ hours (Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven) and have never had a noise complaint for the 7 years since I’ve moved here. I heard there’s other piano players and even a trombone player residing here, but I’ve never heard anything. The noise isolation must be pretty darn good.
If it lasts until noon, I think it will be fine. Unless you have nervous neighbors. But there are plenty of apartments for musicians, so if you live there you can play anytime you want.
Like everyone else has said, this is almost always mentioned in your rental agreement (and usually prohibited). In reality though, depending on what type of area you live in, how decent the building and its management is, you can honestly get away with a lot. Doesn’t only apply to music instruments by the way, but also keeping pets, having people stay over for extended amounts of time, etc. For all the stereotypes about Japanese people being sticklers for the rules, they sure do like breaking them (at least in Osaka).
If you have a park or a school nearby with a lot of yelling kids, I can assure you nobody’s gonna care about you playing finger-style guitar at a normal volume during the day. Same thing if you have loud neighbors in the first place.
I’m a musician myself, play piano/bass/guitar for god knows how many hours a day, and I’ve never had a single complaint despite always living in buildings that don’t allow it. Same goes for all of the (Japanese) musicians I know here. You do have to be aware of how to set things up and control your volume so that you don’t piss off anybody though, so wind instruments, acoustic percussion, acoustic pianos, etc. are definitely off the table.
Depends on the apartment. If it’s a new concrete build, probably OK. I play music and guitar often, never too loud and I don’t make noise after 10pm. Never had any complaints.
Try playing something other than Tie Your Mother Down.
It’s acoustic man, nobody could hear that shit unless u plug it in an amp or smthing
I would complain for sure. Maybe if its only perhaps once a week for like 30mins, but I don’t pay to live here to listen to what the guy next door is doing. Noise is a pollution and a community is meant to be people working together, not against each other.
A few years back I would take strolls underneath an express way. Some kid had a drum kit set up there and was going to town. Perhaps you could find a space like that. Down by the river. A park. I think if your music is pleasant it wouldn’t be so bad, but there is always someone to disagree with everything.
New houses in Japan do have paper thin walls too?
Yes.
Get a plug for the guitar hole.
P.S. sorry I don’t know the lingo
Paper thin walls. I lived in a place where my neighbor would complain if I played my electric guitar unplugged. She would bang on our shared wall.. In the afternoon. Notes were put in all the buildings mailboxes by management about noise and being a good neighbor soon after. Kills the mood.