Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
want to meet at fmd_good Funland
want to meet at fmd_good Nature Park
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
[For Exchange/International Students] What's your budget for rent in Tokyo?
I looked up some… I recently received a few comments from my exchange student friends about how their share-house apartments in Tokyo was really terrible, with deceiving pictures and tiny tiny spaces.
I looked up some myself and these accommodations ns offered to students were either tiny rooms, too expensive, or really far from the center.
It made me want to start a business in share-house apartments or just apartments for Exchange/International students because I think a living condition can really break or make your life in a new country.
It's still very initial step but I wanted to gather some insights into what the ballpark/budget is and what people were looking for when searching for an apartment in Tokyo as an exchange/international student.
I'd appreciate any comments on this, thanks :)
The whole share house trap is real, especially the ones marketed directly to exchange students. I've seen places in Takadanobaba charging 90,000 yen for what's basically a closet with a shared bathroom that smells like mildew. The issue is these companies know students are on a time crunch and don't know the market.
If you're serious about this, the sweet spot for most international students seems to be 60,000 to 80,000 yen for a private room in a decent share house, or 70,000 to 100,000 for a small 1K apartment within 30 minutes of Shinjuku or Shibuya. What people actually want isn't luxury, just honest photos, a bed that isn't a futon on a plywood board, and a landlord who won't ghost them when the AC breaks in August.
The biggest gap I see is that most student-focused places put four or five people in a 20-square-meter room and call it a "social experience." If you can offer a real private room with a lock, a proper kitchen, and a reasonable commute, you'd have no shortage of takers. Just don't use the same tactic of photoshopping the windows to look twice their actual size.
been through this myself as an exchange student in shinjuku last year. the thing nobody tells you is that most of these share houses are run by the same 3 or 4 companies just under different names, so the quality is pretty consistent across the board. i ended up finding a place through a small local realtor in nakano who didn't normally deal with foreigners but took a chance on me, paid 72k for a 1K near nakano-sakaue station. if you're starting a business, the real value is in the lease flexibility and the honesty about the space, not just the photos. also, 80k for a private room in koenji with a month-to-month contract would genuinely be a game changer for most students i knew
honestly if you're gonna do this, focus on the contract side not just the room. most of these student share houses lock you into a 12 month lease with no early exit clause, then if u wanna leave early they hit you with a penalty equal to 2 months rent. i've seen friends stuck in moldy places in Nerima because they couldn't afford to break the lease.
the real pain point is that regular Japanese rental agencies won't deal with students who have no guarantor, no Japanese bank account, and no income. so these student-specific companies have a captive market and they know it. if you offered month-to-month contracts with a 30 day notice period, even at like 75-80k for a private room in Ikebukuro or Koenji, you'd swipe their whole customer base.
also please don't use those fake wide-angle lens photos that make a 6 tatami room look like a loft. everyone hates that and it just leads to bad reviews and refund demands within the first week.
load 2 more replies
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.