Monday - Stay a while

So, you have decided to stay for as long as you can?  Really?  you willing to give up your home, familiar customs, and food and live in the srange, new world that is Japan?

Well, then go for it!

Living in Japan is actually quite easy.  If there is one thing that Japanese people do well, it's making everything as convenient as possible. (Well, almost everything...)

EVery bill you have (Water, Gas, Electricity, Cellphone, Internet, TAxes) can be paid at any of your local convience stores.  (Like 7/11 for example)

Also, since Japan is reletively small, at least compared to countries like China, America, etc, getting things by mail is VERY fast and you can COD everything!

When my computer died, as I stated last post, I ordered everything via a website called http://www.dospara.com/ and had it delivered to my house within 24 hours!  And I just paid the mailman cash and I was good to go. 

It's the little things that make all the difference.

Now, if you want to live in Japan for a long time, you need to find a good place to live.  By good, I mean one that you can stay in for as long as possible.  In Japan, there are two kinds of security deposits when you move into an apartment.  One is called 礼金　(reikin) which roughly translates to THank YOu money.  this money you do not get back!  This practice started in Japan after WW2, when no one had any money or anything and to get a place to stay, they would 'Thank' the owner of the house/room with money.  70 years later, they still do it.  It will typically be about 1-2 months rent.

Something to look forward to, however, is that the practice of charging 'Thank you money' is disappearing.  (What?  you mean people don't like paying for nothing? Imagine that...)

Then there is 敷金 (shikikin) which is just like a regular security deposit.  This is also typically 1-2 months rent.

So, everytime you move to a new apartment, you end up paying about 5 months rent in advance.  That is why is it VERY important to find an apartment that you feel you can live in for a long time.  Of course cost is an issue but also be sure to check for cracks and hole for cockraoches etc. 

I was once living in a rural place and had an apartment that cost 330 bucks a month.  (In or near Tokyo, that the cheapest I have ever found)  But, the space between to door and the floor was rather wide, and every night was like a cockraoch barmitsva!

So, be sure to check for things like that.

Stay frosty!!!