Comments on: Started…

By: mark hill

mark hill — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:39:03 +0000

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.

By: La Flor

La Flor — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:11:00 +0000

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.

By: Lulu

Lulu — Wed, 16 May 2007 04:58:46 +0000

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.

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 16 May 2007 00:52:23 +0000

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

By: katie

katie — Tue, 15 May 2007 03:05:50 +0000

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?

By: Lulu

Lulu — Tue, 15 May 2007 00:58:24 +0000

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….

By: katie

katie — Tue, 15 May 2007 00:13:51 +0000

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..

By: sushi

sushi — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:41:58 +0000

Oh yes yes yes a house warming party…then we can really confirm that foreigners are noisy, reckless drunks I love it!

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:31:29 +0000

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!!

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 14 May 2007 13:19:53 +0000

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!