Tokyo Apartment

We decided to get an apartment in Tokyo as it looks like we will be spending 5 - 6 months a year here. This is easier said than done as there are many, what seem to be weird, rules about getting apartments that make it very difficult for a part time, retired, non-japanese person to get one. A few of the rules are:

• Require income equal to 3 months rent (kind of hard as we have no income)
• Require a guarantor who is local - this is someone who will pay if you cannot. 
• Require a residence card
• A Japanese phone number
• Japanese bank account
• Emergency contact in Japan

But where there is a will, there is a way.  Sawako found a non-profit rental corporation called UR that will waive the income and guarantor requirements if you pay for a year up front.  We got a 3 bedroom apartment so Joichi can live there with us which takes of the next 3 items.  Finally, Lisa is the emergency contact.

The apartment is in Hikarigaoka which is a planned development on an old military base in Nerima City (heart icon) on the Northwest side ot Tokyo. 

It is at the end of the Toei Oedo subway line which loops around Tokyo so it has easy access to pretty much everywhere in Tokyo (only 30 minutes from Shinjuku).

The apartments are built around a large mall that pretty much has everything you will need.  We are in the pink square apartment building. The pink area to the right of us is the mall and the subway station is just below us on the map.  

Hikarigaoka park is at the top of the picture above.  It covers 149 acres and has many different activities such as archery, tennis, running tracks, etc.  In the map below, the apartments are to the right.

By planned I mean that all garbage is incinerated in a local incinerator that then provides heat for heating and hot water to several large apartment buildings.  Our apartment is at the pink square in the lower picture.

Our apartment is called a 3LDK (3 bedroom, living, dining, and kitchen) and is 76 sq meters which is 818 sq feet.  This is considered a large and nice apartment in Tokyo.  Notice on the picture that some room areas are measured by tatami mats.  It even has a Tatami mat room that we plan to outfit for futons so our guests can have the authentic Japanese experience.  We have a nice view onto a small park from our large balcony.

The area is full of families and kids.  This is from one afternoon where there was a bicycle parking jam of people waiting to for bike parking spaces to open up at the mall.