Finding a Home

If my Mom hadn't nagged me about searching for a new place, I would have held it off to the last hour (Thanks, Mom). I was still job searching and had a few weeks to move out of my teacher's housing. Besides, I was planning on moving to a sharehouse and that's easy peasy, in comparison, to committing to an apartment. It tends to be cheaper and as a foreigner,  much less of a hassle*. Well, I wasn't completely wrong, but when you factor setting up appointments, clearing out the old apartment, travel time, ect...it's a lot. And at the last minute, I had decided to live in an apartment instead.

Perhaps the universe is on my side, as I managed to get an apartment in suburban Tokyo.  Still job hunting, but at least in a more comfortable space, a land of opportunity and among good company. I give thanks to my friends and former JETs who stayed in Japan for paving the way. I wouldn't have thought this was possible. There's a lot of paperwork I would have missed. A big thanks to my Mom and sis for being my #1 supporters every step of the way!

Anyway, here was the moving process for me. I don't think I've become an expert on moving to Japan, though the experience has given me more confidence to live on my own.

Setting up appointments

After spending my usual 9-12 shift of applying to jobs, I opened up a new tab to the real estate agency Oakhouse.  They have a wide range of options for sharehouses and some apartments. Their clientele is--if not almost all--foreigners. Being foreigner-friendly was essential for me since my Japanese is at the baloney level, among other reasons. And again, at the time I was looking into exclusively sharehouses--or so I thought. I set up a bunch of appointments for the following week near Yokohama, and Kawasaki, and some at the far end of Tokyo. I think I ended up visiting 5, including my apartment.

I already knew my criteria:

mainly in Kanagawa

If Tokyo, outside the 23 wards.

On the second floor or higher

A women-only or majority women sharehouse

Kanagawa prefecture was my first love, coming to Japan four years ago. In my first days, I remember eating soufflé pancakes by the beach near Fujisawa, and walking along Minatomirai in Yokohoma as the sun was setting. Still, an hour and a half away, I have fond memories of day trips with friends to Kamakura. Tokyo on the other hand?  I almost avoided it like the plague (and up until recently, literally). It resembles a cleaner New York with unfriendlier people.   Although, undeniably that's where the most opportunities are.

It goes without saying that my reasoning for #3 and #4 was for personal safety. It sucked though since I did find some nice places that were ground level or happened to have higher men to women ratio. However, I wouldn't have been comfortable.

Viewing places and my realization

The week commenced my daily two-hour commutes into the surrounding Yokohama area (and eventually Tokyo).  They were scenic rides with the Tokaido line passing along the Sagami bay. Leaving Shizuoka was a breath of modernity. With my notebook, I was ready to take notes, eager to see these new spots.

Coming back in the evenings every day

The first sharehouse I visited had a very quaint neighborhood, but I wanted to see other places.  The second had a complicated layout, though seemed social. The most memorable one was in Kawasaki. Not only was it a twenty-minute walk from the station, but it was also a journey to get up there. It was comical.  The sharehouse had a beautiful view and rooftop, but I knew once I was up there, I wasn't going down to the konbini anytime soon. Imagine hiking up a mountain that required an overnight stay.

There's always a tradeoff. For me, it was that I didn't want to live with other people. Hence, I didn't want to live in a sharehouse anymore. Most of the places checked off my boxes, I just wasn't ready to share a space with others. Having talked with family, my sister also brought up the fact that--given the pandemic--living with strangers would not be wise. After this realization, I felt more eager to visit the apartment viewing I booked, which shortly became my new home

Landing my Apartment

I was already familiar with the area, as a friend of mine lived nearby. I remember visiting her neighborhood last year thinking Wow, this is Tokyo? I could live here. Western Tokyo is away from the hustle and bustle, surrounded by greenery.  Inaka by Tokyo standards but a hell of an upgrade compared to where I lived (No offense, Numazu).  The apartment is modern and built for a single person--a stark contrast to my family-sized Showa era apartment. By the time I set foot in the genkan, I was sold. The downside was the kitchen size, but hey there's always a tradeoff. I sent in an application.

Perhaps the pandemic plus the low season for apartment hunting worked in my favor since I was able to get approved for it in a week.  It felt like a birthday present. I got approved and began to call kuroneko (a moving service)

*I should add that apartments through Oakhouse are particularly unique. Unlike renting most apartments in Japan, with Oakhouse, you typically don't need to pay extra fees, get a guarantor,  and can stay for one month.

Moving

I waddled through offices and phone calls with my very nonbusiness level Japanese and Deepl--a more advanced translating website. I had to notify places and hanko away: that I'm moving, when, where, ect. My bike was the biggest hassle since I had to update my registration.

I lucked out though in the time I moved out. Here's why: There are more services offered in English. For one, Kuroneko had English customer support. Though limited, I was able to ship my bike, two suitcases, and seven boxes with ease. My only regret is that I didn't ship more.

Still, the more Japanese you know, the better. Even my negative N4 was better than nothing. I still had to tell the movers myself, what time to come, where ect. Same with getting new furniture at Nitori or the second-hand stores.  In hindsight, I could have asked one of my friends for help, but I felt bad about doing so.

Clearing out my apartment in a heatwave was rough. I must have taken a shower four times in the same day: wagoning off my apartment junk to the neighborhood dump. Oh, the Japanese garbage disposal system, giving me one day in the month to throw away miscellaneous things that can't be classified as burnable or non-burnable. By the time it was move-in day, I was ready to leave.  I lugged two suitcases, a crate, and a large shopping bag onto the Shinkansen boarded for Tokyo.

Influence of the Pandemic

My frequent inter-prefecture travel put me in a moral dilemma: I wanted to spend my final weeks with people I'd be leaving, but also hanging out all the time wasn't wise either. I felt just as uncomfortable telling people about my personal affairs as I was spending time with them. I came up with a resolution: not see anyone for a few days/weeks, only tell people if necessary, or sacrifice not seeing them at all. Though I wasn't saying all my formal goodbyes, it didn't bother me that much. I wasn't moving that far.

In Covid times, going to/from the greater Tokyo area carries a stigma, especially in the inaka. It's generally frowned upon. It makes sense since Tokyo has the highest number of reported cases. Kanagawa is second. At the same time, leaving Shizuoka wasn't the kiss of death. There are people daily who commute from Shizuoka to neighboring prefectures. In principle, if you take precautions you shouldn't have a problem. Granted these trips were essential, but not everyone is understanding. I've heard stories of people getting ostracized for going to Tokyo. I've also heard stories of people suspected of Covid getting doxxed and harassed. I feared the deeper countryside the more unforgiving the community. Among other reasons, I wasn't vocal about moving or my whereabouts unless necessary.

Final words

And that's how I ended up in suburban Tokyo. It was a big surprise, considering how I've tried to avoid it.  But I think I was fated to live here. In retrospect, the times I went to Tokyo, I usually stuck to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku--the main hubs. With Covid, I try to avoid those areas if I can, as they have large crowds. In my downtime, I've ventured out to different areas like Kichijoji or Koenji. Most of the time though, I'm in my apartment with the aircon blasted (woot woot utilities included).

My apartment feels homier. It came with some furniture, though I've decked it out with paintings, plants, and recycle shop finds. It feels more me, compared to my old apartment. While living near a lake and cherry blossoms was lovely, I inherited so much junk that it didn't feel like my place at times.

It's not certain how long I'll stay here though. If I find a job that's further away, I might have to move. I really hope not though, since this neighborhood and apartment are a sweet deal.