apartment/condo prices in Japan

[miyakoji]

Just in case anyone's considering permanently relocating.  I'm still formulating my plan to reside in the mountains of Nagano or a seaside town in Okayama

 

http://resources.realestate.co.jp/buy/price-of-an-apartment-in-japan-by-prefecture/

[JR 500系]

Interesting. I've always wanted to stay in Japan, but I guess the Mrs. probably wont agree...

 

Nevertheless, Tokyo apartments are really expensive, even more so if you are near stations. Outskirts may be another case...

[railsquid]

Once you get out of commuting distance of the major cities, prices go waaaaay down (with some exceptions). In some really desperate communities they may even give you or subsidize land, provided you commit to building on it and living there for quite a few years.

 

Compared to other major cities Tokyo itself isn't really expensive anymore.

[bikkuri bahn]

As railsquid said, Tokyo and even more other cities in Japan are more affordable than other major world cities such as San Francisco, New York, or London.  The fact that the transport system is well developed also provides a wide choice in housing given commute distances.  It helps that if a neighborhood becomes trendy and rents rise, you can move downmarket, but it won't be a ghetto or "neighborhood in transition" where going outside alone at night is a calculated risk.

[JR 500系]

Hhmmm... But is it true that foreigners cannot buy properties in Japan?

[railsquid]

railsquid gazes around at the rolling acres of Chez Railsquid

 

Errm, nope.

[Kabutoni]

Living in a neighbourhood-in-transition myself in Japan, I can say the most threatening signs of it being a hood are the 'beware of pickpockets' and 'lock your door when going out' signs. Aside from the occasional biker gang trotting around, there really isn't much going on. Much different from back home, where I grew up in the 'upper-class' city centre with homeless folk, druggies and prostitutes lingering around.

 

And yes, anywhere where the commuting time is long towards Tokyo, the prices drop like a dense brick. I don't see much benefit of living in the vicinity of Tokyo for ourselves, as my wife's commute is actually away from Tokyo, towards the mountains. xD

[nartak]

Hhmmm... But is it true that foreigners cannot buy properties in Japan?

 

It is possible foreigner to buy land/house in Japan.  One thing is that all the documentation is in Japanese, so you have to deal with reliable person.

 

If anyone looking for affordable room in Tokyo neighborhood, just go Saitama or Chiba.  Just crossing prefecture border between Tokyo (normally called as 都県境 "Tokenzakai"), price goes down 20 to 30% as people prefer to have "Tokyo" address.  Sorry it is my stereotype but it may be a similar case for New Yorkers to avoid New Jersey or something like that.  But this scheme doesn't work for Kanagawa prefecture...

[bikkuri bahn]

But this scheme doesn't work for Kanagawa prefecture...

 

Haha yes.  Yokohama residents in particular have a pride about their domicile, even looking down on the latest "it" neighborhood in their own prefecture, Musashi Kosugi- "after all, it's still in... (snigger).. Kawasaki!"  Matsuko Deluxe likes to take the piss out of Hamakko for this.

Edited May 20, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[bikkuri bahn]

I don't see much benefit of living in the vicinity of Tokyo for ourselves, as my wife's commute is actually away from Tokyo, towards the mountains

 

It really helps that in Japan, the train service is also geared for reverse commutes.

[Nick_Burman]

 where going outside alone at night is a calculated risk.

 

I wish I could find a reason to move to Japan... coming from a country with rampant violence like Brazil, one of the things I liked best from my trip in Japan was the fact that I could go out late at night without having to crane my head backwrds every two minutes...

 

Cheers NB

[Kabutoni]

Kanagawa has a really high pride status. It's close to Tokyo, but doesn't bear the low-class stigmata Saitama and, especially, Chiba have. The economic powerhouse of Yokohama, the military stronghold of Yokosuka, the desirable tourist destinations of Shonan, Miura, Hakone and Oyama, the leisurely living conditions and fast connections to the metropolitan area, etc. all contribute to a very strong image of the prefecture for its residents.

[railsquid]

I wish I could find a reason to move to Japan... coming from a country with rampant violence like Brazil, one of the things I liked best from my trip in Japan was the fact that I could go out late at night without having to crane my head backwrds every two minutes...

 

If it's any help, two of the 10 houses in our street were broken into in the middle of the night a couple of years ago. Though apparently in at least one of them they "weren't sure" whether they locked their front door at night. We've also had a small ornament go missing from by the front door and my wife's bicycle was stolen from our drive a few months ago (though that was kind of helpful as it was a piece of junk we'd have had to pay to dispose of as we were getting a proper mamachari anyway). Not much compared to some countries, but it's not that there's no crime at all. Violent crime is very rare, thankfully.

[velotrain]

 my wife's bicycle was stolen from our drive a few months ago

 

I had the idea that bikes were regularly left unlocked at stations, etc. - is that false?

 

Or, does it depend on the neighborhood?

[bikkuri bahn]

Here is a map of average apartment rents in the Kanto region.  I wish it was more detailed, but you can see by the gradations where the rent tends to be higher or lower.  As others have mentioned, Kanagawa Prefecture has pockets of high rent areas (greater than 80000 yen a month), while other neighboring prefectures do not.  Especially notable is the dark blue spot in the interior of Kanagawa Prefecture close to Tokyo- this is roughly matching the path of the Tokyu Den'en Toshi Line.

 

http://tmaita77.blogspot.jp/2015/03/blog-post.html

Edited May 21, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[bikkuri bahn]

I had the idea that bikes were regularly left unlocked at stations, etc. - is that false?

 

Or, does it depend on the neighborhood?

No, people lock their bicycles.  Nowadays the police advise you use two locks on your bicycle- the wheel lock that comes with the bicycle, and a separate lock to go through a wheel and the frame.  In days back, people would typically only use the wheel lock, which thieves (typically juvenile delinquents) would jimmy, and take your cycle for a joyride before dumping it elsewhere.  I don't know the profile of bicycle thieves nowadays, however.

 

Most bicycles used in Japan are the utilitarian mamachari type, which are cheap and disposable, so likely the incentive to steal is quite low.  Probably most thefts are those of opportunity- an unlocked or inadequately locked bicycle in plain view, for example.

Edited May 21, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[railsquid]

I had the idea that bikes were regularly left unlocked at stations, etc. - is that false?

 

Or, does it depend on the neighborhood?

 

Maybe out in the boonies, but otherwise if you place any value on having the bike there when you come back, you lock it. The chances that it will disappear are much lower than elsewhere, but it's not like Japan is crime free.

[railsquid]

No, people lock their bicycles.  Nowadays the police advise you use two locks on your bicycle- the wheel lock that comes with the bicycle, and a separate lock to go through a wheel and the frame.  In days back, people would typically only use the wheel lock, which thieves (typically juvenile delinquents) would jimmy, and take your cycle for a joyride before dumping it elsewhere.  I don't know the profile of bicycle thieves nowadays, however.

 

Somewhat drunk salaryperson seeing an easy opportunity to speed up the long walk home from the station late at night. Which is our theory as to what happened with my wife's bike.

[railsquid]

Here is a map of average apartment rents in the Kanto region.  I wish it was more detailed, but you can see by the gradations where the rent tends to be higher or lower.  As others have mentioned, Kanagawa Prefecture has pockets of high rent areas (greater than 80000 yen a month), while other neighboring prefectures do not.  Especially notable is the dark blue spot in the interior of Kanagawa Prefecture close to Tokyo- this is roughly matching the path of the Tokyu Den'en Toshi Line.

 

http://tmaita77.blogspot.jp/2015/03/blog-post.html

 

By the way, lest anyone think 80000 yen a month is "high rent", this is an average, probably skewed by large numbers of small one-room apartments. Something approaching a decent-size (for Tokyo conditions) in a reasonably modern building with windows which aren't too draughty will set you back easily 2 or 3 times that, assuming it's a private rental. On the other hand you can still rent "apartments" for 30000 ~ 40000 yen in surprisingly central locations, but good luck finding one with a bathroom or even a toilet, and prepare to freeze in winter.

[bikkuri bahn]

probably skewed by large numbers of small one-room apartments.

 

A good thing IMO, is that in Japan, living with a roommate (other than a sibling), is still not common practice.  So you have an almost unending supply of rooms for single people- albeit of varying quality and location. Try living in the San Francisco Peninsula for USD750 a month- you're looking at shacking up with four or five campesinos in a two bedroom stucco walled apartment in Mountain View.

[cteno4]

That would be lucky!

 

Jeff