In this installment of our popular series on where to live in Chiba, I’d like to introduce a great station in Chiba that isn’t very well known among foreigners.
Gyotoku Station
Gyotoku station is located in the city of Ichikawa, Chiba. Very importantly for those of us looking for a commutable location close to Tokyo, it’s on the Tozai Line. “Tozai” means “East-West” in Japanese and indeed, this very convenient subway line runs east-west, all the way from Nishi Funabashi station in Funabashi, Chiba (at the eastern terminus) to Nakano station in Nakano ward, Tokyo, in the west.
One of the main reasons to consider living near Gyotoku is that it’s on the Tozai.
On this line you’ll find super convenient stations like Myouden. Nathan, from the GaijinPot Housing Service, discusses Myouden in-depth in his article on 3 stations to consider and apartments you rent right now in Chiba. Gyotoku is adjacent to Myouden, where you’ll find a large AEON shopping center, with a cinema.
Urayasu (4-minutes direct) and Nishi Funabashi (8-minutes direct) are also within a short ride of Gyotoku.
Nishi Funabashi is a large station and has tons of shopping, including a the Dila Nishi-Funabashi shopping center right in the station and a large Don Quijote, just a few minutes walk from the station, as well as branches of many Eikawa (English conversation) schools.
Urayasu is, also a major hub station, which connects to the JR Chuo-Sobu line.
Being on the Tozai will also give you direct access to downtown Tokyo locations like Nihombashi, Otemachi, and Iidabashi. You’ll also be able to commute directly to western Tokyo locations like Takadanobaba and Nakano.
Gyotoku itself is not a huge station but within a few minutes walk of the station is a branch of SEIYU (a discount supermarket chain) and a couple of conbini. It’s also a short walk from the station to a branch of the Edo river called the Kyu-Edo, along which is a small, paved walking and cycling path. There are also a couple of small parks near the station.
As we’ve discussed in previous articles on Chiba, one of the best reasons to live in Chiba is value for your yen. You can get a much more spacious apartment without having to sacrifice very much in terms of commute time. For example, it’s a 23-minute direct ride from Gyotoku to Otemachi.
What you can rent right now near Gyotoku station
Below are our Top 3 recommendations for apartments available NOW in the Gyotoku neighborhood.
For more information on any of the these apartments, please click on the appropriate link and fill in the inquiry form to get in touch with the agent.
Spacious 2DK near Gyotoku Station – No deposit, no key money!
Total Monthly Cost: ¥77,000 ($744)
This is a really spacious 2DK, even by Chiba standards, clocking in at 40.75-sqm. This apartment gets great natural light, since it’s south facing, and has A LOT of closet space, as well as pre-installed wiring for CATV and a high-speed fiber optic line (but you will have to set up the actual internet service by calling your provider of choice).
Large 2DK near Gyotoku Station – No deposit, no key money, no agency fee!
Here is another great apartment near Gyotoku! And this one has no deposit, no key money, and no agency fee.
The Total Monthly Cost is ¥87,500. There is a guarantor fee to move into this apartment equal to one month’s rent but because the other move-in fees are negligible, your total to move in is an estimated ¥175,000, which is very low by the usual standards in Japan (where the move-in fees can equal four to six months’ rent).
This apartment also has tons of storage space, a system kitchen, and is a corner unit, which is a plus for privacy and low noise.
Family-size 3DK apartment near Gyotoku station – No key money, no deposit, no guarantor fee + FREE Internet
Total Monthly Cost: ¥101,500
This is a really excellent value apartment for a spacious 57.24 m² home that would be great for a couple who wants a lot of space or small family.
For more information on this apartment, please click here to visit the property detail page.
Smart Relocate Inc.
The properties above are offered by Smart Relocate Inc., a bilingual real estate agency located in Urayasu, Chiba. They specialize in finding homes for people on Tokyo’s east side and in Chiba. They also offer an excellent bilingual, all-inclusive concierge service as part of their brokerage services. Their concierge service includes:
- Orientation tour
- Lease contract contract by phone and Internet
- Help with setting up your utilities
- Help with settling into your new home
- Concierge services in case you have any issues with the property after you move in
Please contact them if you are looking for a home in Chiba or eastern Tokyo. You can also check out their current listings here!
Lead photo: Nakayama Hokekyo-ji temple, Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan; April 2014, photo by tokiwa*2 fukamidori – 2 via Flickr licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license on Wikimedia. Author: torne (where’s my lens cap?)