Time flies and this year is going to be my third year living in Tokyo. You usually sign a 2 years contract with a real estate agent when you rent an apartment in Japan, so it is time to either renew my contract or move to a new place.
What is interesting about living in Tokyo is that each station in this ultra-dense mega city has its own characteristics. For example, stations along the famous Chuo line attract millennials to live there because of the vibrant sub-culture; stations like Daikan-Yama and Naka Meguro are known for their premium environment; Ikebukuro and Ueno are the more multicultural town because of their high foreign population; Yanaka and Nezu are known for its retro old downtown quality and so on...
As a first-timer, I decided to live in Yoyogi Uehara in Shibuya city for its convenience when I first came to Tokyo 2 years ago. The apartment is located above the hill in a peaceful neighborhood occupied by young families which is really comfortable to live. The thing that I loved the most about living there is the accessibility to Yoyogi Park and the mountains in Kanagawa where I often go for hiking during the weekend. Living here, I have developed a habit to jog at the park and sometimes picnic with my friends during my day off. It has literally provided me with the experience to own a huge garden while living in the city center.
Nevertheless, to experience and explore more of this city, I have decided to end my contract to move to another part of Tokyo. If anyone who is looking for an apartment to rent or a property to purchase happens to read this blog, I highly recommend you spend a few hours on your weekend walking around the area that you are looking at and try to imagine how your days would be like if you were to live there to see if it fits your ideal lifestyle. Once you find the area that you like, you can either go to websites like
https://www.homes.co.jp
https://suumo.jp/kanto/
to check on the available properties in that area. Or you can also walk into the local real estate office, usually in front of the train station to ask for recommendations.
So, I will update the journey of my apartment hunting in my next blog. Wish me luck!