Some quick tips for changing your residence in Japan

I went through a very challenging and difficult time last month.

That’s right, at the beginning of April, I had to endure the utterly draconian experience of two weeks without any home internet! I believe this is what the Twitterverse would call #firstworldproblems.

Anyway, with normal service now resumed (thank you SoftBank), I thought I might share with you my experience over the past month or so, as I upended my entire life from Osaka and set down new foundations in Nagano.

They say that moving house, getting married (or divorced) and changing your job are three of the most stressful experiences a person can have in their everyday life. Trying to do two of them at the same time was far from straightforward. However, it needn’t be as stressful or as costly as you may think.

Join me today as I guide you through the process. Hopefully, this step by step guide will help you avoid some of the pitfalls I came across.

1. Know before you go

Given the rather last-minute nature of my decision to take this job (I didn’t formally accept this job until mid-March), I had to rush much of my preparation. If possible, I recommend giving yourself at least two months to prepare everything. You may need to make several trips to your new base of operations before you actually move there. You’ll need to search for apartments, view them and then finally sign the contract on your place of choice. Remember, too, that all deposits and fees will need to be paid there and then, plus one or possibly two months rent. Make sure you have the necessary funds set aside.

In my case, I was lucky that, in working for city board of education, I was offered a kyouin jyuutaku (faculty housing). Basically, this is municipally-owned accommodation specifically for teachers working in the city. Not only did I not have to pay any deposits or fees, but also the rent is 85 percent lower than what I was paying in Osaka for a property of similar size.

If you are offered a job with a city board of education — especially in a more rural area — it’s certainly worth asking if such accommodation is available. They tend to be older and unfurnished, but with an unbelievably low rent.

However, this may not be an option for all. In that case, you can have a look at GaijinPot’s Housing Services, which has a selection of English-friendly apartments around Japan.

Click here to read more.

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