A complete guide to essential items for foreigners living alone in Japan

First, we will explain the basic knowledge and necessary items for foreigners to secure housing in Japan.

Japan's unique rental contract rules

Japanese real estate contracts have unique rules regarding deposits, key money, guarantors, etc.

It is important to understand these business practices in advance in order to find your home smoothly.

For more information on rental contract rules unique to Japan, please refer to the linked article.

• Is it okay to live without a guarantor? A complete guide to renting properties in Japan for foreigners
• What are security deposits and key money in Japan? A complete guide to successfully completing a rental agreement.
• Any others (please provide links for each)

Required documents and points to note

A real estate contract in Japan generally requires the following:

• Passport: Copies of the photo page and visa stamp page
• Residence Card: Identification card for foreigners staying in Japan for a medium to long term (3 months or more)
• Company or school enrollment certificate: Obtained from your workplace or school
• Income certificate or employment offer letter: Pay slip or tax certificate. If you are not working yet, you can use an employment offer letter instead.
• Certificate of Eligibility for Employment: Required for those with a work visa
• Phone number: A phone number within Japan
• Bank account: in Japan
• Emergency contact: Preferably a person living in Japan

The documents required may vary depending on the real estate company, so be sure to check in advance.

Opening a bank account

Rent is often paid by direct debit, so it's best to open one to make things smoother.

If you are a foreigner opening a Japanese account for the first time, we recommend Japan Post Bank, where the procedures are relatively simple.

The documents required to open a Japan Post Bank account are as follows:

• Residence card
• Company employment certificate or student enrollment certificate

Japan Post Bank has a multilingual account opening application page. Please see here .

You can also apply via a smartphone app. For more information, please click here (supported languages: English, Chinese, and Vietnamese).

Rent and living costs by region

In Japan, average rent and living costs vary depending on the region.

Below are the average rent and living expenses for single people by region.

[Rent market price]

• Hokkaido and Tohoku: 40,000 to 50,000 yen
• North Kanto (Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki): 40,000 to 50,000 yen
• Tokyo: Around 70,000 yen
• Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa: 50,000 to 60,000 yen
• Tokai and Hokuriku: 40,000 to 50,000 yen
• Kansai area excluding Osaka: 40,000 yen to 60,000 yen
• Osaka: 50,000 to 60,000 yen
• Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa: 40,000 to 50,000 yen

[Estimated living expenses (including rent)]

• Hokkaido and Tohoku: Approximately 140,000 yen
• Kanto: Approximately 180,000 yen
• Tokai and Hokuriku: Approximately 150,000 yen
• Kansai: Approximately 160,000 yen
• Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa: Approximately 150,000 yen

These are just guidelines, but if you have the choice of where to live, use them as a reference.

Even if you live alone in Japan, the internet is essential.

Here we will introduce Japanese internet lines and how to sign up for them, which are recommended for foreigners.

SIM

There are many network operators in Japan, but it is a good idea to choose a SIM card that supports multiple languages and is reasonably priced.

For example , Rakuten Mobile offers plans starting from 1,078 yen per month, and 3,278 yen even with unlimited data. Calls made from the dedicated app are free, and if you sign up for the optional "unlimited international calls (1,078 yen per month)," calls to 65 designated countries are also free.

You can apply for Rakuten Mobile online or in-store by providing your residence card or special permanent resident certificate.

• Apply online here (English)
• To apply in-store , search for a store that supports foreign languages here and make a reservation to visit.

Home Internet

If you want a fast and stable internet connection at home, we recommend fiber optic internet.

If your apartment already has fiber optic cable installed, you can start using it immediately by applying to your fiber optic cable provider. If not, you will need to have the cable installed in your room.

In any case, it is a good idea to consult with a business that provides services for foreigners.

For example, GTN Mobile supports English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, and other languages.

However, fiber optic lines often have two-year contracts, so if you think you might move in the near future, you should consider a home router that requires no construction work and can be used at your new home (provided your new home is within the service area).

For example, if you are applying for SoftBank Air , you can apply at a shop by bringing your "Residence Card" or "Special Permanent Resident Certificate."

Rental properties in Japan tend to have compact floor plans overall, so choosing the right items to start living alone is extremely important.

Consider the size and functionality that best suits your lifestyle.

Furniture and appliances

You may be tempted to bring the home appliances you use in your home country to Japan and use them, but many overseas home appliances cannot be used in Japan as they are because the voltage and plug shapes are different.

You can use foreign home appliances in Japan by using a transformer or converter plug, but this will increase the amount of luggage you will need, so it is recommended that you purchase new ones in Japan.

To make the most of limited space, it is a good idea to choose furniture that is functional and multipurpose, such as a folding table or a bed with storage.

Also, Japanese homes tend to have more storage space than homes overseas, so you may only need the bare minimum of shelves and cabinets.

Before you move in, inspect the room thoroughly and buy only the things you need.

[List of furniture and appliances necessary for living alone]

Daily necessities and items

To make living alone in Japan more comfortable, be sure to stock up on basic living items such as kitchen utensils and cleaning supplies.

[List of daily necessities and items for living alone]

Disaster prevention and crime prevention items

Japan is a country prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and heavy snowfall, so it's important to prepare as many disaster prevention items as possible just in case.

Japan is also known for its good public safety, but recently crimes such as burglary have been on the rise. Women living alone, in particular, should prepare crime prevention products to increase security.

[List of disaster prevention and crime prevention items necessary for those living alone]

bicycle

If you do not have a Japanese driver's license or live in a rural area, a bicycle is an essential item.

When purchasing a bicycle in Japan, it is required by law to register it for theft prevention.

If you purchase in a physical store, the store will register it for you, but if you purchase online or receive it from someone else, you will have to go through the process yourself.

Bring your bicycle along with your ID to a hardware store or other store that sells bicycles and register it.

Additionally, some local governments, such as Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures, require everyone to have bicycle insurance. Even in other areas, we recommend taking out bicycle insurance just in case.

When you start living alone, you have to purchase a variety of items, so you want to keep costs as low as possible.

Here are some recommended places to buy items for living alone in Japan.

reuse shop

If you don't care about new or brand new products, make good use of reuse shops, commonly known as recycle shops in Japan.

For example, Second Street and Treasure Factory , which have locations nationwide , sell not only clothing but also second-hand furniture and home appliances.

100 yen shop

If you're looking for household goods and everyday items, we recommend 100 yen shops such asDaiso andSeria , which have expanded overseas .

Many of the household items, such as kitchen items like dishes and detergent, as well as plastic wrap, toothbrushes, towels, and toilet cleaning products, can be purchased for as little as 100 yen (excluding tax), making it extremely convenient for people starting to live alone.

Online Shop

For items that are difficult to carry yourself, such as large furniture or appliances, it is a good idea to purchase them from an online store.

For example, Amazon , the largest online store in Japan , is available in English and Chinese.

Social Media

Social networking sites such as Facebook have groups where members of specific races can buy and sell items privately.

One way to do this is to search for something like "Japan Buy Sale XX (nationality)" and consider exchanging information and buying and selling within the community.