Accommodation

Exploring your housing options.

Renting an apartment in Japan for a short-term stay can be tricky, as most landlords require guarantors, large deposits and “gift money” and some may even require JLPT test certificates, or even have their own Japanese exam for foreigners. However, there are several solutions to this problem, and the MIT-Japan Program provides resources and advice for housing. 

The MIT-Japan Program promises up to 80,000 yen/month for housing, and rent rarely exceeds this amount.  (As with airfare, however, you are welcome to rent a more expensive apartment, but you will only be given up to 80,000 yen/month.)

 

Dormitories

Many Japanese companies, universities, and research institutes have dormitories for their employees, and if your host has a dorm, it should be your first choice.  Contact your host to ask if they have a dormitory, and if so, whether they will have an opening.  Even if your host does not have a dorm, they will often help you find housing, so you should first discuss your options with them.

Share Houses

These can be large houses with rooms for rent and shared kitchen and living space, or they could simply be short-term apartment rentals.  Because they do not require large deposits, guarantors, or “gift money,” they are popular among foreign visitors and exchange students. Many companies have different policies on who can live in their share-houses, which some compnaies attempting to balance the number of native Japanese and foreigners in any one share-house.

Some of the companies known share houses are: Borderless, Sakura House & Oak House.

Be sure to check out reviews of the share-houses extensively online, both with the company and the individual share-house you are interested in. Inquire about the tenants, company policies (fees), and its location relative to nearby stations. Being closer to train or bus station will certainly help with commute during the hot summer months in Japan.