This is a 360 video walkthrough of a 2DK (two-room apartment plus a dining/kitchen area) apartment currently for rent in Yamato-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, about an hour commute from Tokyo Station.
The monthly rent for this 34-sqm (365-sqft) apartment is ¥55,000 ($494) plus a monthly maintenance fee of ¥3,000. There is a one month deposit and one month agency fee as part of the up-front costs, but no key money.
360 Video Walkthrough
The video takes about 15 to 20 seconds to load and is compatible with most VR 360 glasses. Thank you for your patience as the video loads!
There are ten scenes in this 360 video walkthrough. Once you click on a scene, it takes about 5 seconds to load. You can return at anytime to the index screen by clicking on the icon of the house in the lower-right hand corner of the screen.
In the top row from left to right:
玄関前: (genkan mae): In front of the genkan (entryway or vestibule)
DK: DK means “dining kitchen” area
キッチン: (kittchen) Kitchen
風呂: (furou) Bath
トイレ (toire): Toilet
Bottom row from left to right:
洋室 1: (yōshitsu): Western-style room
洋室 2: (yōshitsu): Western-style room
押入 (oshiire): Closet
バルコニー (barukonī): Balcony
ゴミ置き場 (gomi okiba): Garbage disposal area
In front of the genkan (entryway)
Let’s take a look at the area right outside the apartment.
On thing you’ll notice is that the door is opened with a door handle, rather than door knob, which is the case in many apartments in western countries.
When you move in to a new apartment, you will have to pay a number of up-front costs. One of these is the lock-exchange fee, which is usually about ¥20,000 ($180).
There is a mail slot in the door, but this is almost never used by the postal service to deliver your mail. In most cases, the post office will deliver your mail to your mailbox located in the common-area, if your building has one. The mail slot in your door is sometimes used by the water and gas companies to deliver your monthly usage readings and bill.
To the right of the front door is a thin metal door. This is where the meter and gas boxes are located.
Please click on the arrow icon to walk inside.
Inside the entryway
Once inside, you’ll be in the genkan (entryway) itself. This is where you take off your shoes! Almost all Japanese rental apartments have a small cabinet in the entryway where you can store your extra shoes, but this one does not.
One thing you’ll notice right away is that you are in the dining/kitchen area. It is not uncommon in smaller rental apartments for the front door to open directly into this area.
Dining/Kitchen Area
Washing Machine Hook-Up and Stove
Bathroom and Unit Bath
To your left, as you walk in the apartment, is the bathroom. In this case, the literal “bathroom” is separated from the toilet. In many Japanese rental apartments, the bath is a unit bath, like this one. The entire unit bath (tub, ceiling, walls and floor) is pre-fabricated and then installed as a unit in the apartment.
If you are bathing the traditional Japanese way, you would rinse and soap up outside the actual tub then rinse again. The tub is only meant for soaking in hot water once you have thoroughly cleaned yourself, and not meant to have soap or shampoo touch it. This is because traditionally, the entire family shared a single tub of water for soaking in.
Toilet
In this apartment, the toilet is separated from the bathroom. This is considered a more desirable arrangement than a unit bath where the toilet is situated immediately next to the bathtub, which is often the case in budget apartments.
You’ll notice that this toilet also has a washlet dashboard attached to the wall. This is considered a desirable amenity because it allows you to control the temperature of the toilet seat (helpful in the winter) and a bidet function.
Western-Style Rooms
There are two western-style rooms in this apartment, which you can use as two bedrooms or use one as a bedroom and the other as a living room.
As you scroll around this room you should note two other things.
First, there are no curtains or ceiling lights; you will have to buy these after you move in. This is not uncommon in rental budget apartments, and something you should keep in mind when you are budgeting your move-in costs. Please see this article for other “hidden” upfront-costs you should watch out for: The Other Hidden Costs of Living in a Japanese Apartment.
Second, this apartment has fairly large windows, which maximizes the amount of natural light you will get.
Closet
Balcony
Garbage Disposal Area
For more details on this apartment, please see the listing here: 2DK apartment for rent near Tsuruma Station.
You may also be interested in: Photo guide to a Japanese apartment
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