Started…
It has started…we are officially apartment hunting. Today we picked up some brochures, we also went into one place to have a look at what they had on offer and ended up going out to see three apartments. Apartment hunting in Japan is crazy…I was so wrecked by the time I found my apartment last time and I was reminded today why I hate it so much…
Real estate agent: `So are you married?`
us: no
Real estate agent: Do you both have guarantors?
Us: Yes, shumpei`s parents
Real estate agent: Well because you are not married she (meaning me) can`t use your parents. She will need to go to a company and pay for a guarantor since she doesn`t have any other Japanese family right?
Us: But his parents are willing to be our guarantor?
Real estate agent: sorry that wouldn`t work…
We thought about this for a bit, and apparently if only Shumpei`s name goes on the lease, we can still live together but I won`t need a guarantor then.
We filled in a couple of forms saying what we wanted etc…
Real estate agent: You realize, before I can show you any apartments I will need to ring and mention that an unmarried couple, one of which is foreign, might want to rent their apartment.
me: Ok, I guess. (I couldn`t really say no now could I?)
Real estate agent then started to do this in front of me.
Real estate agent (to owners): . I have a couple looking for a place, they are not married is that ok? (He would wait for them to say ok …..none of them said no at this point…although one did say as long as we weren`t planning on having kids it was ok???)
Real estate agent: Oh and the girl is foreign…….
Some people actually said no straight out….and he would say `Ok I understand` and hang up. Some would ask more questions…like whether I spoke Japanese, where I was from, whether I had a job, what job I had etc.
The couple of places that said ok, would receive this reaction from the real estate agent ` Oh thank you so much for, thank you so much` As if them thinking about renting an apartment to me was nothing short of a miracle.
TO tell you the truth, the guy that helped us today was actually pretty good. Some people I dealt with last time, especially if Shumpei or Shun`s mother weren`t with me, some of the things they would say to me were terrible….One guy refused to even show me places I wanted to see because I was foreign…he wouldn`t even ring the owners and ask if it was ok. Shun was with me that time, and by that time I was so over apartment hunting that I hadn`t even wanted to go into the place because I had said to them they were always so mean and he said they wouldn`t be mean to me if he was there. And that guy that time was the worse…
We saw three apartments today, two of which I liked ( I could ride to work from both of them in less that 30 minutes). The thing is we really need to get the 7000 dollars we will probably need to move together first….We were hoping to move by the end of June but it doesn`t look like it will happen….That is a lot of money, money that we don`t have lying around. In fact I have no savings at the moment and Shumpei only has a little….
I really want to move though….I am so sick of our little cramped apartment!!! We were talking about money today and if we live really tightly we might be able to get the money together before end of July…then it would be just a matter of finding an apartment.
Oh the joys of apartment hunting!!!!!!
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I don’t envy you!
It just sucks that they’re so rude - like honestly, what difference does it make?!
You’re kidding me?!
I’m speechless…. I don’t understand!?
Why is Japan so backwards?!!?
ha ha How weird Masao and I were doing exactly the same thing today (and for the past two or so weeks!!) We got quite a few flat out NOs! Everyone asked us if we were married.
I just don’t get it…I am paying these assholes so much money - most of which I will never see again.
I almost had a melt down today and that nearly lead to a fight in the main street of Koenji. Masao would say “It’s ok” and I would reply ” No it is absolutely NOT O-f#@king-K” Perhaps we will just stay in Okubo… there are so many options everyone is foreign here - it seems to be OK.
Best of luck, it is probably worse for you because you understand everything they are saying - I understand gaigin and kibishi…Iget it, I get it!
Good luck to you both, keep on keepin on you will find something…don’t let them get to you!
ps I am just going to keep ranting about this because I am still slightly wild. I felt myself at some points in todays hideous adventure hanging my head in shame, shame of being rejected, shame because I was a dirty outsider and shame because I was not Japanese. How sick and twisted is that!? Masao said if he went to Australia he would be treated the same but I don’t think so and if he was there would atleast be something that could be done about it. Apartment hunting in Tokyo leaves you feeling completely and utterly helpless, speechless and shamed. I hate it! But no matter how many racist, discriminating and out right foul remarks or blows we (you, me and the rest of the foreigners in this city who can’t afford to buy their way around such vularness) we will win I am not giving up (even though I could have cried so many times in real estate offices) don’t you either - GOOD LUCK!
Enny: It drives me crazy. The only difference is I am foreign.
Jac: I have no idea why they are so backwards. Like I said, it drives me crazy. I usually love Japan, but it is times like this (or when I am dealing with visas, the bank and other places that have stupid RULES) when I think been home would be so much easier!!!
It makes me feel so inadequate and stupid because I let it get to me when really I should just shake it off. At least the guy that talked to us today was not actually rude to me, he just told me the facts and was actually quite nice about it.
Sushi:Oh Sushi, I feel your pain!!!! Firstly I did cry last time I looked for an apartment…3 times…and one time did result in a huge fight between me and Shumpei…I blamed him cos he was Japanese and he just didn`t get it! (and the apartment I have now, I rented out by myself since Shun and I were not living together yet…and I ended up using a company that rents to foreigners and has no key money but problem is I pay outrageous rent really for the place we live in)
The money gets to me too. I will finally save up the amount and will have to put up with all that crap then give it all away to the people that were rude to me!
I really want to move but sometimes it really isn`t worth the trouble!!!
Masao sounds a lot like Shun. Shun tried to tell me today that the reason they are wary of foreigners is because they must have had foreign tenents before who left the place in a mess. Well who fucking cares…I am sure they have had japanese people do the same….
Masaso (and Shun) would not have this problem in Australia. It would be illegal for sure…
Sushi: Oh and good luck to you too!!!!! House warming parties once we are both settled in are in order I think…
Wow, I had no idea it was so tough!!
My friend got a new apartment when I was in Korea and he had found one and moved in within two days. The area he lived in was one of the big foreigner places though, does that make a difference in Japan?
I can’t believe people can be so rude!! Could you buy a cheap ring and just say you are married or do you have to provide documentation as well?
Hope you sort something out, Dearest!
I had the same problems trying to rent an apartment to share with a female friend. We both had money, secure jobs, guarantors (the shacho of our companies), and could speak Japanese, but 9 out of 10 landlords the agent asked said no as soon as they heard we were not Japanese. A few people also said gaijin were OK but they wouldn’t accept us because we weren’t related to each other. It was totally depressing and made us really angry, but eventually we found a great place through Able (エイブル). Don’t give up! Good luck!!
Oh yes yes yes a house warming party…then we can really confirm that foreigners are noisy, reckless drunks
I love it!
Well my friends actually got married because of that problem!.They wanted to move out of the Gaijin House in Higashi Koganei…so they went and got married at city hall…moved in together…and then waited to have their wedding celebration. Btw the gaijin in that relationship is a guy. The police are just as bad. I got questioned for 30mins coz they thought I’d stolen a $50 bike and then scolded coz I was there on a holiday visa and wasn’t carrying my passport. Hello! I didn’t think i’d need it to pick up my bike and buy ice-cream at my local station!. Btw, I’m thinking about starting a blog soon Lulu..not enough time yet though..
jen: I am not sure what it is like in Korea. He works as an english teacher right, your friend? IF he was working for a larger company then they could be his guranter and probably helped him find a place.
There are a lot of companies that help out foreigners renting, unfortunately none of them seem to have nice places to live on their books in the area we want to live.
We`ll have to keep trying!
Jess: I am pretty sure we will find a place eventually. I am worried more about money at the moment than the racist comments to tell you the truth.
That said though I will never rent through able, just because one guy from the kichijoji able said to me ` You may speak Japanese, but you will be never Japanese so we can`t rent to you`…….On principle I will no longer even look at able ad`s….
I think everyone has experiences like that here…it is unfortunate…it is also kind of sad that we have ALL had experiences like this. Terrible really!
Sushi: Exactley!!! Give them something to complain about….
Katie: Can`t wait for you to start a blog Katie! It willbe great! Luckily I have never really had TOO much problem with the police here. Just been `carded` a couple of times to show my gaijin card. I think some of the police man in the kobans around here are just bored….
Yes!Ping-Pong!I always thought the police in the koban looked bored…they never look to be doing much…that’s why they could afford the time to send one of them to wait for me in the parking lot behind 99…heaven knows how long he was there for!. They were nice enough the let me have a photo with them the next day to show my Mum!. They are always handy with the maps and pointing you in the right direction when you get lost! i’ll give them that!. Ahhh! I miss this time of the year in Japan…any taifuns yet?
oh my gosh! i had no idea it was like that over there! what an education.
i really hope things work out and you guys find a neat little apartment that doesnt cost the world asap! good luck!! oxox
Katie: I can`t beleive you got a photo with them. I am so going to try that! I wave (or nod…Actually I nod more than wave…it is japan after all) to one of the cops always at my koban…he`s in his 30`s I guess and once I was waiting to meet friends there and he was just staring at me…so I nod to him now. I walk past it everyday now and 3 out of 5 times he is there!!! hehehe…
No taifuns yet!!! I am waiting though…it is the only good thing about summer in Japan really (That and hanabi!!!)…Summer has definitely started to kick in though!!
Deb: I hope so too!!! Now that I know we will be moving I stop to look at every ad I see. I can not wait to actually find (and have the money to pay for) an apartment!!!
Not looking forward to the packing but it will be worth it.
gosh, i knew the rest of the world did not exists for the japanese not that long ago. but i never thought foreigners could be that huge of a problem.
there are things you can do if the agent won’t rent to you because you are Gaijin. You can go to the city hall and report the agency. If they get a few of these reports they loose their liscense. The thing is people are usually in a hurry to get a new apartment so they don’t do anything about it. It’s totally racist. they have folders that have apartments for pets/gaijin. They should just hang a sign outside saying “no niggars allowed” that is the extent of it. They don’t see it that way of course. It’s just a cultural thing. The cultural concept is “proper place” every race has a place in society and of course the Japanese are at the top and everyone else is below. Now can the world understand why they were such good buddies with the Nazis? They are still living in 1947.