 Private Apartments
There are a number of homes, apartments and rental condominiums (manshon) one can choose from when relocating to Japan. The monthly rent will vary depending on size, location and amenities of the rental unit. When finalizing the lease, a rental deposit (shikikin) and key money in addition to the rent are expected as payment (some of which will be refundable).
Change of Address
When relocating, persons should notify the following offices of their change of address:
- The city office of the place they are moving to
- To the extent they exist, the Alien Registration and National Health Insurance office within 14 days after moving in
- The bank where they have opened an account
- The nearest post office
- The person's local Embassy or Consulate
Schools, Financial Advice
If the person relocating has children of school age, local schools will need to have been contacted in advance about the children's potential attendance. There may be potential local and foreign tax and other fiscal ramifications associated with the relocations in particular if the person relocating is relocating on an expatriate package. It is advisable to obtain tax and accounting advice in advance of relocating.
Japan has a number of companies who specialize in providing relocation assistance to foreigners relocating to Japan. They can assist with neighborhood selection, the moving-in process, school selection, tax advice, introducing you to the expatriate community, etc.
| 
