Living in Osaka
Where to Buy Foreign Groceries in Osaka: Supermarket Guide
By Martha Knauf I moved to Japan from Vietnam three years ago, and at first I was amazed at the options I had at standard Japanese super markets like Life, Aeon, and Kohyo compared with what I’d had in Southeast... More
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Area Guides
Harajuku Area Guide - Living Guide for Foreginers
Harajuku in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo is made up of bustling world famous fashion centers wrapped inside quiet, cozy residential areas. The neighborhood’s vibe differs drastically depending on whether you live there or whether you see it as a destination. Main... More
Sakai Osaka Guide - Living Guide for Foreigners
Sakai's proximity to Osaka but relatively inexpensive real estate makes it ideal for families looking for more space or for those looking for somewhere peaceful that’s not too far from the beaten track.
Shibuya Area Guide - Living Guide for Foreigners
Shibuya is everything to everyone. Every little neighborhood around the station has its own vibe. It runs the gamut from low cost single-room micro-apartments to massive, luxurious seven-bedroom manors. Street food to Michelin-starred gourmet dining. Back alley smoking areas to young, fashionable vape cafes. Mass market department stores to one-of-a-kind designer boutiques. It’s every aspect of Tokyo life distilled into one location.
Guides to Tokyo Residential Neighborhoods
Tokyo area guides to residential neighborhoods popular with foreigners.
Azabu Juban Area Guide
Home to numerous embassies, excellent public and international schools, quiet narrow streets, expat-dense, international influences vie with Edo-period appeal. Popular with expats and cosmopolitan Japanese alike, this family-friendly suburb boasts top-class amenities.
Jiyugaoka Area Guide
Jiyugaoka is a neighborhood and train station on the southern edge of Meguro Ward. With its leafy tree-lined streets, fashionable boutiques, and many small restaurants and cafes, it is known as Tokyo’s Little Europe and is synonymous with “calm and sophisticated.”... More
Hongō Area Guide
Hongō is a neighborhood located in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, west of Ueno Park and north of the Imperial Palace, that is synonymous with Japan’s top institution of higher learning, Tokyo University. It is also home to Juntendo and Toyo Gakuen... More
Chitose Area Guide
Chitose City, with a population of about 96,500, is located about 45-km southeast of Sapporo. Its main claim to fame is its proximity to New Chitose Airport, the main airport serving Hokkaido, but it is also known for being surrounded... More
Ōokayama Station Area: Tokyo Neighborhood Guide
Ōokayama (大岡山) Station in Ota Ward, Tokyo is a relaxed and student-friendly neighborhood. Near the station is the area's most famous landmark, The Tokyo Institute of Technology. Not to be confused with Okayama Station in Okayama Prefecture.
Kyobashi Area Guide
Kyobashi is as central as you can get in Osaka. It has the distinction of being one of the city's largest business districts while being close to many tourist attractions, most notably Osaka Castle Park. It is known for its shopping and nightlife, especially its numerous izakayas and tachinomi, or standing bars.
Kyobashi Area Guide
Osaka is the second largest metropolitan area in Japan after Tokyo and one of the largest in the world with a population of more than 19 million. It is located in the southern portion of Honshu, Japan’s main island, on... More
Living in Roppongi
Famous for its iconic nightlife scene and more recently the upmarket Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown mega-complexes. Home to many foreigners living in a microcosm of Tokyo's many urban delights.
Living in Nagoya
Nagoya is situated about midway between Tokyo and Osaka. Many foreigners who have lived in both Tokyo and Nagoya will tell you that Nagoya offers everything Tokyo does, only on a much more liveable, convenient, and affordable scale.
Living in Kichijoji
A youthful and creative neighborhood situated in Musashino City, just west of Tokyo. Close enough to the central wards to be convenient but far enough away to have a relaxed and bohemian atmosphere. Its diverse and vibrant shopping center is surrounded by peaceful residential areas and home to the famed Inokashira Park.
Living in Meguro
A residential area that’s as well connected and convenient as anywhere in the world’s largest city can be. But distinctly calmer, quieter and far more liveable than many other parts of Tokyo.
One Month's Rent Cash Back Campaign
Sign a lease contract with a start date of February 28, 2018 or earlier and get one month's rent cash back!
REJ Room Finder
Finding the perfect apartment in Japan can be stressful. Let the REJ Room Finder do the work for you!
REJ Room Finder
GaijinPot Moving Service
Moving can be stressful and costly in Japan. Let the GaijinPot Moving service handle it for you!
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Living in Osaka
By Martha Knauf I moved to Japan from Vietnam three years ago, and at first I was amazed at the options I had at standard Japanese super markets like Life, Aeon, and Kohyo compared with what I’d had in Southeast... More
Living in Osaka
By Jeff Wynkoop The Suruga Bank share house forgery scandal is entering a new chapter. A second share house operator and client of Suruga Bank called “Golden Gain”（ゴールデンゲイン）applied for bankruptcy protection on May 23rd. This follows the April 2018 bankruptcy... More
Living in Osaka
To lower your expenses when moving into an apartment in Japan look for properties that don’t require a deposit, key money, or agency fee. Agents and landlords sometimes waive some or all of these fees, especially when they are trying... More
Living in Osaka
In this article, we give a few examples of single-family homes for sale in Japan’s smaller cities with a list price of about $200,000 (¥21,800,000). To understand what the $200,000 price point means, it’s useful to compare it to housing... More
Living in Japan
This article is part of our series on how to live in a Japanese apartment. In this chapter we present a basic English-Japanese glossary of useful words having to do with the kitchen, cooking, and cleaning up. Room Basics First,... More
Living in Tokyo
In this article we take a look at the foreigner population of Tokyo to see what nations are most represented and where in Tokyo most foreigners live. The data comes from a recent survey by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. What... More
Tokyo Market Trends
New condominium sales in greater Tokyo had a banner year in fiscal 2017, as the average sales price for a newly constructed apartment hit ¥59,210,000 ($552,300), the highest level seen since 1990. This was also the sixth straight year of... More
Tokyo Market Trends
By Jeff Wynkoop Buying a vacant house in Japan and fixing it up is the dream of many city dwellers. With the price for a new condo at all-time highs in most Tokyo neighborhoods, many people are considering purchasing a... More
Living in Japan
Do not despair if your apartment in Japan does not have as much space or storage as you might like. Below are nine simple and inexpensive ways to organize a Japanese studio apartment, using mostly items available at 100 Yen... More
Living in Japan
Buyer interest in “for sale” properties on Real Estate Japan has been strong this month. Inquiries have been especially strong for properties located in Tokyo’s 23 wards and in secondary markets like Osaka, Aichi, and Sapporo. As we noted in... More