When Stan and I were planning to move to Tokyo, we didn't really have time or money to come to Tokyo and properly hunt for an apartment. So, we found a temporary apartment, and decided to look for a longer-term one once we were in Tokyo.
In September we used a company called Tokyo Rent to look for an apartment. One of their employees showed us 3 places on a very, very rainy night.
Here they are:
Apartment 1
This one is around 50 square meters (538 square feet) on two floors, in a two-unit building. It's good points are an open floor plan, a toilet on each floor, a double vanity, and nearby supermarkets and restaurants. The possible bad points are that the open floor-plan could make it hard to heat.
Apartment 2
This one is about 40 square meters (430 square feet) on the second floor of a two-unit building. The good points are a big kitchen-dining room, and an oven and clothes dryer included with the apartment! Clothes dryers and ovens are a rarity in Japan. Very tempting! The bad points are that the living room and bedroom are one room, and the entry hall smells like cat pee!
Apartment 3
This one is also about 40 square meters (430 square feet) on the third floor of a 6-unit building. This place has a kind of quirky design with lots of red metal in the apartment. The good points are the design and a bed is included with the apartment. The bad points are the TINY kitchen and fairly small living space.
Can you guess which one we chose?
Well, we were debating between numbers 1 and 2. The neighborhood around number 1 was vibrant with a lot of interesting looking shops and cafes, while the neighborhood around number 2 was very residential without much shopping or places to eat.
In the end we chose number 1, and we haven't regretted it at all! We love the neighborhood, and it's very quiet. Of course, it seemed much smaller once we filled it with furniture and stuff, but it feels like home!
