I came to Japan to study at the age of 20. For the first month I shared a room in a guesthouse in Saitama. It was run by a Korean, so there was no language barrier and I entered into a contract with no problem, but leaving that place and looking for a rental by myself was difficult. I think I went to about 6 different real estate agencies, but I just couldn’t get as far as signing a contract. I wasn’t good at Japanese back then and I wasn’t able to negotiate very well.

The Japanese system involving guarantors, security deposit, and key money confused me. I think that when a non-Japanese is looking for a rental, finding a guarantor is the biggest issue. At the time (2006), there weren’t very many businesses that served as guarantor, so it was really difficult. In the end, I could only choose a so-called “zero-zero property” that didn’t require a guarantor, security deposit, or key money. There wasn’t a brokerage fee either, so when I think about it now, it seems a bit fishy (laughs). But, the agent that handled it kindly explained the security deposit and key money system to me, so I signed a contract with them.

Later, I traveled between Japan and Korea and moved several times. During that period, I got a job in Japan and my creditworthiness improved, so my rental choices also increased. However, you’re still asked to submit a visa and passport, and recently there have been instances where, even if you contract with a agency that acts as guarantor, you still must have a Japanese guarantor, so the hurdles remain high.

I lived in a variety of places during a 5-year period. Japanese rentals are very well kept. Even old rentals are cleaned before you move in, including the kitchen and bath, so you can start your new life with a good feeling. However, if you get the rental dirty, a maintenance and repair fee is subtracted from your security deposit when you leave. In Korea, we usually change the wallpaper, etc. even in rentals, so I feel kind of restricted. Rules and customs are totally different from my own country and non-Japanese can’t help but stand out, so I think we must be careful.