Looking to get some honest feedback on how easy (or difficult) it would be for my family and I to rent apartment, given out situation. Backstory: plan to move to Tokyo with wife and child in spring 2024 to take care of elderly parent for one year. I have JP passport, but never lived in Japan (ethnically half Japanese, culturally American). Wife is not JP. I will be working for my US-based company for first 6 months (paid in USD in a US bank acct).
For obvious reasons, we’d like to stay is a fairly small area (near nezu to machiya stops on chiyoda line, possibly nishi-nippori or ueno). For various reasons we’d like to rent a “regular” apartment, not a share house or short term mansion. Doing my research, being a “foreigner” (while I have JP passport, I have limited language skills, so would likely be considered a foreigner in many ways) is a big limiting factor, and probably not having a JP-based job isn’t ideal. However, we could pay for the year up front (ideally looking for a 2DK+ for 15万円/month or less… Seems doable based on suumo app).
We have family to help a bit with the search before we arrive, but I assume not much they can do if we aren’t in Japan. Likely we’ll stay in a short term rental for one month to look for place.
Any thoughts, tips or recommendations for our situation? I know about UR House that allows for payment up front, but most are further out then we’d like. Thanks!