So I got offered a job in Tokyo, @ 10 million yen annual. I’m likely to move in a few months, as we sort out paperwork, etc. I expect to be there by late summer at most. I am a single person, and I will (eventually) bring over my 2 cats, when their 180 day period is up.
I’ve been researching the living costs and trawling through some of the housing websites, including the ones on this reddit’s wiki, as well as some I came across (plaza homes, gaijinpot, coupla others)
I’m wondering:
1. If i’m right in assuming that the money offered would afford me a reasonable middle-class life in Tokyo? I’m not expecting high-luxury at all, but I’m not longer at an age that I can slum it out, or live in shared houses or a super cramped studio (would’ve done it in my twenties, honestly not up to it in my 30s)
2. Is 100k + yen the starting range for apartments that are bigger than studios? I really did want a proper bedroom … even if small.
3. It’s realistic to hope for a decent apartment in and around Meguro (that’s where work is), that’s Pet friendly and not …. entirely exhorbitant? Or should I look at other suburbs? I was hoping for the least amount of commute possible, but I’ll settle for commuting if it makes financial sense to live farther away.
INFO: Office on the map seems super close to Meguro station, which … seems to be a like a hub of Mita, Namboku, Yamanote and Meguro lines? does this mean I could live along any of those lines for an easy commute?
Am I thinking on the right lines? should I change/temper expectations? anything else I should absolutely know before I jump into this?
24 comments
1. Yes. 10 million is a solid salary. You’re not going to be living in a Roppongi penthouse, but you’ll be able to live solidly middle-class.
2. Yep. You could get something bigger for the same money if you lived further out and extended your commute. But 100k is definitely a decent lower bound for what you’re looking for.
3. Ehhhhhhhh…. The biggest problem is the pets. You have *multiple* cats, which is going to severely limit your housing options. Most “pet friendly” apartments (Of which there aren’t many to begin with) mean a *single* pet. Finding a place that allows multiple pets (especially cats which are more destructive) will be interesting. It’s definitely doable, but it’s probably going to be less “this is where I want to live” and more “this is the closest place that will allow my pets”
/u/dalkyr82 has answered your questions accurately, but I’d just throw in that you should start hunting down a real estate agent ASAP, even if you might not be coming over until late summer. With that salary, finding a cat-friendly place is absolutely a problem you can afford to throw money at until it’s solved – but it will still take time and you might get burned if you put it off.
I’ve lived in Meguro-ku (Nakameguro) for a long time so I know the market somewhat well. With 10M before tax I’m assuming you’re willing to spend around ~15-20万 per month on rent? Or what will be your budget?
I depends on what tradeoffs you are willing to make. Building age, size, distance from station, area, etc. You can certainly find something bigger than a studio for that amount if you are willing to live in either an older building, or in an area that’s further removed from the city center or a station. However, with the pet requirement it will be somewhat of a challenge.
> Office on the map seems super close to Meguro station, which … seems to be a like a hub of Mita, Namboku, Yamanote and Meguro lines? does this mean I could live along any of those lines for an easy commute?
Yes. Personally I would optimize for living close to a direct train line connection. Do you want a shorter commute or bigger place? With the pet requirement I would recommend casting a wide net and don’t expect to find something in Meguro-ku for that price.
EDIT: Just saw the 100k+ yen number. You’re going to have a very hard time finding something in that range in a central area that is bigger than a studio and pet friendly. Look at the train lines and expand your search to further away places.
Myself and my partner are in the exact same boat as you and looking to move out this summer. Now that the initial excitement has turned to planning I’ve found the apartment hunt to be a bit challenging. We’re from Scotland and the high up front fee in Japan was a surprise to say the least! I guess it’s just something we need to build into our planning.
Someone recommended the site apts.jp which is apparently foreigner friendly and seems to have a lot of good options for our price range which is broadly in line with yours.
Good luck to you and yours cats!
Congratulations on the offer. It’s a fairly good offer for Japan and you’ll have a comfortable life in Japan. However, if you had an upper class life in your home country, then it might be different for you. It sounds like you have real expectations though, so Japan might be a good choice for you.
I agree with the other comments on this. A decent apartment in Tokyo central is around 100K for 1 room (one single room for living and sleeping together). If you go up higher (which you should be able to do on your salary) then you can get a 1LDK (1 bedroom, living room, dining area and kitchen)…which I think this is what you mean by having a proper bedroom.
As someone else mentioned, depending on how old, how far away from the station and how nice you want it to be will really affect the costs. Also having two cats will make it difficult to find a place. I was looking for a place that allowed two cats in Tokyo, but most places only allow one. You also have to be careful about older places because cats like to destroy tatami, shoji screens and wallpaper. It’s limiting, but not impossible. I recommend you talk with a realtor, but most realtors won’t help you until you have a date and potentially when it’s closer to your moving date.
In the meantime, you can look around at online listings to get an idea of the costs of certain areas.
10 mil for two adults and pets is VERY comfortable. (Spent the last few years on ~8 mil, now make 12 mil; we are two adults and pets as well.) Enough to live somewhere/someplace nice and close to a good station. Enough to stash money away into savings or pay student loans/bills back home. Enough to travel and do fun stuff.
You’ll be fine, financially. (Also, thanks to the “first year” rule, you won’t get taxed as high as you will in subsequent years — meaning more cash in your pocket.)
> Is 100k + yen the starting range for apartments that are bigger than studios?
That’s pretty average/high for a 1K / 1DK / 1LDK in most parts of Tokyo (including outside of the 23 wards), excluding swanky building or expensive parts of town. Studios can be found as cheap as ï¿¥40,000. You’re definitely over estimating.
> It’s realistic to hope for a decent apartment in and around Meguro (that’s where work is), that’s Pet friendly and not …. entirely exhorbitant?
Anywhere from ï¿¥120,000 – 180,000 for a 1LDK. Depends on which station, how far from said station, how old the building is etc. Of course, there is cheaper and more expensive. However, I did a ~10 sec. search of pet-friendly 1K / 1DK / 1LDK places in Meguro on homes.jp and that was the average range for non-tiny places.
2 cats is fine(ish), more than that is going to be a big problem
also you probably need to start the cat import process yesterday
hi! may i ask what you’re job is and how many years of experience you have? i’m currently in college and would love to have some insight!
Sorry, I know this is completely unrelated, but do all cats need to undergo a 180 day quarantine? I thought it was only for those that don’t pass the inspection.
1. 10 million yen is perfectly reasonable salary. If you are able to adjust to Japanese lifestyle (especially when it comes to food), you will do just fine
2. 100k yen plus is pretty standard. But keep in mind that the further from Meguro you go, the cheaper it will be. And sometimes ridiculously cheaper if you will agree to walk to the station 15-20 minutes – because in Tokyo everybody wants to live next to the station. You can search in SUUMO or Homes in a specific way – put your desired station (office area). Put your train commuting time. Put walking distance that you can accept. And put the price you are willing to pay. This way you can discover areas close to Meguro, maybe even with direct connection, but way cheaper than in Meguro. Trains in Tokyo are great, although crowded.
3. Pets usually mean very old houses, or very expensive houses. Very old = bad because of earthquakes. It’s a generalization, but anything built before 1981 is too old to be safe during strong earthquakes. If you are not sure if structure was reinforced, I wouldn’t rent anything older than 1982. Japan has earthquakes on regular basis, so it can really get into your head that your house might collapse when the alarm starts. Even if chances are super low, it’s better to feel safe in your house than panic each time you feel an earthquake.
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Congrats OP! I’m jealous, but happy for you. It all sounds really exciting.
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Money isn’t an issue. The problem I see: Finding a place that’s both cat and foreigner friendly, in the area you want. You’ll need a guaranteer or a pay more for a place that doesn’t require them–my JP wife had to ask her father to sign on even for a cheap apartment outside Tokyo, well within her salary.
Also keep in mind sticker shock. Deposits, realtor fees, required insurance; utilities, internet and required “installation fees” even if all they do is send you shit or flip a switch; you must buy appliances yourself and they can cost a pretty penny. Overall cost to get an apartment up and running can be quite expensive, so prepare to pay quite a bit upfront and take that into consideration despite the cheap rent you might pay.
there’s a building that I always see nearby that was built to have cats if u wanna check some specific places https://www.comforia.net/mishuku/roomplan.html
There are some cat specific real estate agents, my friend used one when she moved (in Saitama) and discovered there are even complexes that are designed just for cat owners, so the apartments have like wall shelves for cats to climb on and space for litter trays with ventilation.
https://necotofudousan.com/residence/
The problem might come when you’re looking for a place that will accept cats AND a foreigner.
What might work best for you, since the cats won’t be coming for a little while, is to get a temporary place (eg. Airbnb) and then do the house hunting when you’re in Tokyo, as the usual process is to find an agent and get them to show you a bunch of places.
You will be on 10mil so you are the kind of gaijin who can actually afford to live in Meguro .
Being within walking distance of work is massive, vastly superior to having to cram into the train every day.
Also frankly, a lot of the suburbs kinda suck and you will end up spending most of your free time in central Tokyo anyway.
There are over 1000 apartments in Meguro that are pets OK, and the price range is very wide:
[https://sumaity.com/chintai/theme/pet/tokyo/meguro_ku/?cid=smt_o_pc_ss_ca_gekw_citypet&yclid=YSS.1000160122.EAIaIQobChMI1uuA2uuR9gIVsdpMAh1r2gbAEAAYAiAAEgIQLPD_BwE](https://sumaity.com/chintai/theme/pet/tokyo/meguro_ku/?cid=smt_o_pc_ss_ca_gekw_citypet&yclid=YSS.1000160122.EAIaIQobChMI1uuA2uuR9gIVsdpMAh1r2gbAEAAYAiAAEgIQLPD_BwE)
However, as another post said, I’d wager that many of them will turn you down when they learn you have 2 pets. I apartment hunted with 2 cats and of the 12 places I short listed most of them refused me because gaijn + pet + 2nd pet was a 3 hit combo of demerits.
Additionally, how’s your Japanese? A lot of landlords refuse tenants who aren’t capable of at least basic Japanese conversation.
However, now to the real point of my reply to you…
If you actually care about your cats you will find them a decent alternate local home together rather than putting them through the bizarre torture of being moved to another country and all that that involves.
Your cats didn’t take a new job in another country, you did.
Either have pets, or swan around working internationally.
Do not force your cats to move internationally, that sucks for them, and that level of stress will harm them and could kill them.
Also, once you get to Japan, do not get a new cat (or cats, or other pet(s)) until you are certain that you will actually stay in Japan for as long as they live and/or be able to find them a decent alternate home if you leave – and I don’t just mean posting something on social media and seeing if you can find some rando to take your pet(s), I mean you actually get to know decent people whom you could trust to properly look after your pet(s) if you leave.
Welcome! I actually live right next to Meguro station, and I know a friend who lives in Mita which is a direct line, and has cats.
I don’t have too much advice but 10M yen a year is certainly enough to get you a reasonable place, maybe 30-50 sqm near a station. For reference I pay 20万円for a 50 sqm place in an older but decent building almost right next to the station. I’m doing so on purpose for the space and location though even though I could find a cheaper place. Get a few stations out or few more minutes away and that should become more like 10-15万円.
10 mil? Damn… I need a career change lol im lucky if I can pull in 4mil. If you dont mind me asking, what do you do?
Congratulations on the job offer! Would you mind telling me what sector you work in? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to of course.
just in regards to money. JET English teachers (probably making the most money for entry level English teaching) make 3-4 million yen a year, no bonuses, and I’m living comfortably with my husband and dog, but nowhere near tokyo. (rent about 70k yen pm) so you should have plenty of money, but make smart decisions anyway. check around for the math about how much percent of income rent should be (a general thing, not just a japan thing) and use that to find a good place to live.
Also – bonuses are a thing in corporate Japan so check that you are getting and understand all about that (I hear sometimes its bundled in with annual salary and sometimes its on top of it)
That’s over 87K USD a year. That’s crazy. You’ll easily be able to afford a decent place to live that was built in the last decade. If you feel like having a slightly longer commute, you can get an even bigger place for the same price as whatever you might have been looking at.
Wow that’s a hell lot of money. I would be thankful if I could be hired for half of that.
What kind of job is it? How did you get it if i may ask?