There are so many comments! Thanks for the people who have shared the stories and sorry I can’t individually reply to all of them. I did want to make this comment in response to a few of the things I’ve seen written. Japanese are racist. Yes, there are some Japanese that are racist, but for the people that are saying that, do you not realize how that’s a racist thing to say? By generalizing and saying all are racist that’s racist in itself. Hopefully if you watch the whole video, you’ll understand a bit more of the nuance. One thing I thought about was that rental housing discrimination totally happens in Canada, although it wouldn’t be out in the open so much like it is in Japan. One example I have is that when I used to live in Whistler (this is almost twenty years ago now), my wife was able to rent a really nice place for cheap along with other Japanese girls because they were Japanese. The landlord specifically wanted to have Japanese girls rent his place. As a Canadian, I could hardly find any accommodations and what I ended up with was the bottom of the barrel. Nowadays, because Vancouver has very little vacancy in it’s rental housing stock, you need to interview for places (at least with private landlords). It’s like a job interview except they can reject you for any reason. Of course they won’t say it’s because you’re from a certain country or don’t have a job they like or that you don’t look clean cut, but it happens. Although, I think the good thing about Canada is that I think we have decent racism and hate crime laws, so if you get caught in the act, you’ll get into trouble. Discrimination based on race, gender, religion, and other things is not allowed (but everyone knows it can still happen). I really wish Japan had stronger laws like Canada does, and more Japanese willing to stand up and say that things should be different, but that’s how things are at the moment. If you look a the studies that I linked to in the description, you can find a lot more subtlety in what foreigners have issues with in Japan. Interestingly, for some things, like getting stopped by police, Westerners (as opposed to people from East Asia or South-East Asia) face this more. There’s this myth that Westerners are treated better than other foreigners in Japan but current studies don’t support this www.davidchart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Discrimination-in-Kawasaki.pdf. So, there are racists in Japan, there are racists in Canada, and actually in the linked study above, the overall level of discrimination in Japan is similar to that in Europe. Discrimination is worldwide issue because it’s a very human thing to do. As for places that are foreigner friendly, UR Housing, which stand for Urban Renaissance, rents on a first come, first serve basis. I actually interviewed them for a separate video and will show you what that’s like. They also do away with a lot of the annoying costs, like key money, renewal fees, agency fees, and guarantors. They used to be completely public, but now the are semi-public / semi-private as far as I’m aware (but someone please correct me if it’s not really like that). But the point is that since they were/are a public corporation, they have a fair system for renting. Actually, Kyde and Eric got into a UR unit, and that’s the apartment they had just moved into when I filmed them (and that’s why it was so empty). All the best everyone, Greg
Life Where I'm From Never heard of UR housing before and would love to know more about it since now I am searching for a place to live in Tokyo myself :)
(@ Life Where I'm From) Dear Greg-Sensai, I have been wondering about where I should start to look for purchasing and even developing land in Japan for commercial and for residential. What types of companies and places assist with this in Japan? What written laws pertain to someone not on a mortgage and perhaps will be immigrating from say the United States? I am saying this because I am really curious about what the actual differences are in land development contract laws with both commercial and residential development. I did notice that zoning in Japan seems to vary from place to place from other videos I have seen and that it would be good to cover what types of expenses there are including tax if any. Presently my biggest hurdle could be the japanese language even though I understand some if the basic linguistics and really have a keen understanding of Japanese cultural practices and even certian Japanese laws. I am looking to buy and I know that it has a cost typically accompanying it that it would be super nice to have a bit of direction in where I should start to look in Japan. Sincerely, Awesome-Sama Note: I also know that while I am not yet married to someone in what is 'present day' Japan when typing this here that it potentially can be both benificial and helpful with certain circumstances in the event they are native to Japan.
@@win541 This is only based on my personal experience but I think UR Housing is terrific. Previously, I lived in the same apartment for eight years and wanted to move. By happenstance I came across UR Housing when I was surfing the net. I wish I found them earlier. After a little research I discovered there were basically three real estate firms that work with UR and specialize in helping foreigners. They are the middlemen and they get paid by UR, maybe one month's rent. You use them but don't have to pay a thing. I picked a r/e company called Whitestone. Here is their address. (www.ur-housing.com). I told them what I wanted and the next day they had a place to show me and I took it. And I've been here for five years now. :-) There is no key money, no agent fee (as mentioned), and no guarantor needed. I only had to pay a security deposit of either 1 or 2 months (I forgot which) - and I was told on average tenants get back 94% of that when they decide to leave. I think you have to commit to staying for at least one year before going month-to-month. From the time I contacted Whitestone to the time I moved in was three weeks, I think, and I didn't have to worry about being ripped off or being rejected by a dozen fudosans which happened to me before. The place I live at now was around 5-6 years old when I moved in and it's well-maintained and only 2-3 minutes from the station. There are a surprising number of older people where I live but they are quite nice and it's a quiet building (12 stories) which I like. To my surprise there have always been vacancies available and there are two reasons for that. First, UR does a poor job at marketing. Sometimes you can see their adverts on the trains, for example, but so many foreigners I've spoken to never heard of it. Second, I live in Saitama-ken, not central Tokyo. As a result, it was easy for them to find a place for me. Many if not most UR places in Tokyo probably have a waiting list (first come, first serve as Greg said). I've heard some places in central Tokyo have a waiting list of more than a year but I haven't confirmed whether that's true or not. I paid 66K yen for my previous place (26 sq. meters) and now I pay 85K/month for 43 sq. meters, plus it has a nice veranda. My rent hasn't been raised once. All said, I have had no complaints other than the fact my current place is still smaller than what I can get back home. I suggest you contact Whitestone (or one of the others) and see how they can maybe help you. Good luck!
Hi i'm from philippines and if you live near the road, then prepare to hear loud motorcycles and trucks that are speeding at midnight. Sometimes there are loud musics or loud people. It's pretty much the opposite of japan. I want to live in japan than philippines if I can :( but the price of rent and cost of living in the philippines is much low cost than in japan.
Absolutely not. I rent out 4 apartments in Glasgow. My prerequisites are paying the rent, respecting the property and being peaceful. If people want to fit in with the community? That should never be required.
Konstantinos Implikian he’s not talking about simple respect, “harmonious” in this context is talking about the small things like the specific way trash must be organized or the ability to speak Japanese to greet each other. It’s not simply “respect” in its western context
Wooo you’re back! I have rented for 3 years in Japan.. and no term longer than 6 months. If and when I can secure an apartment there’s always the burden of not knowing how long I’ll actually be there. Then, then there’s the neighbors. ANYTHING you do is always wrong. Just the other night I was playing my PlayStation with a headset, not even talking and at 10pm my neighbor came knocking to tell me to shut up. The next night they were watching the baseball(?) and partying until 2am Little things like that happen all the time. Apparently when I’m getting ready in the morning I slam cupboards and doors and wake up all the neighbours. I have had often maintenance requests ignored. Spent the whole summer without air conditioning. There’s even signs at my new apartment block to say “If you see any foreigners please report to management” The discrimination and racism is horrendous here. Mainly middle and older aged. I have genuine friendships with a lot younger or my age tenants and workmates. Japan is interesting. I think this is the only thing I hate about Japan. And I’m N2 certified so language for me is not the issue.
I keep telling people... The Japanese aren't friendly at all to foreigners. They just put on this facade that they're friendly and courteous. But that's all just social pressure. They have to act that way or they risk embarrassing themselves.
Their manners,some of the systems like the subway system,or their foods can be very nice. But realistically,Japanese (not all,ffs...) people are taught to keep rude comments to themselves. I'm guessing this is why they treat foreigners differently. That's why Japan is very homogenous and Japan probably won't stray from that anytime soon in the future. :/
that is why i was hoping some kind of war in japan so bad that they got displace to other country as refugee. so that they learn to live with others in this planet.
A Vietnamese RUclipsr "Giang Vu" is an international student in Japan. She recalled working in a store as a clerk. When a man saw that she was a foreigner (her name tag "Giang"), he said "Foreigner?" and switched lane even though he queued very long. She was also told a lot in store by her manager that "You don't know how to do this right?" and blamed whenever there was an issue in the store.
Not exclusive to Japan. I'm pale white in a country full of brown people (rude but quick way to paint the picture for you, to keep it simple) I was literally working as a helper in a grocery/bread store, couldn't last long because there were people going to the boss complaining about ("allegedly") the way I was packing the products (the most simple, fool-proof, mindless activity there could possibly exist under the sun) Let alone all the weird stares all the time and people with angry faces. Brown people looove to brag how they are receptive of everyone and how white people are "evil" but they are the ones you see most often ganging up and gaslighting.
@Kazuma Kawamura's Wife sorry for the way you feel in my country but trust that we not all the same. Think it's because the coast your in. Nyc totally different Blessings my friend
@Kazuma Kawamura's Wife Wait what? US is by far better than Japan in terms of protections against racist practices among employers. Your anecdotal experience isn't evidence that Japan and America conduct similar racism.
@@alexandercrush Yet they have more older people than young, which will become a problem as the current generation matures. The US does have restrictions, but we are a melting pot and I believe that is a good thing. Where else can you get great food and music from so many different countries in one spot?
Majority of landlords in the U.S. will let you in as long as you can pay and don't cause any trouble. You have the money, they have the space. Let's make a deal - usually how it works. From my experience, just as long as there is basic understanding and there's money involved - it's usually not a problem renting out property.
I remember living in this really new, fancy apartment. Someone wasn't taking their trash out on the correct days (not my family - I am actually so psychotic about things being the proper way). Management put up signs, warnings, etc. Nothing changed. I just knew that everyone was going to think that it was us, and so I also put in a complaint to management, just to sort of show that it wasn't us. Then, there came the signs in English only (we're the only non-Japanese in the building). Everyone still thought that it was us. They finally checked the security footage, found out it was a young Japanese guy who was always away on business and so just put his trash out when he felt like it... although everyone knew we were innocent, we never received an apology from either neighbours or property management (who had contacted us directly, and although we were all speaking in polite Japanese, strongly recommended that we look at the English version of the city's garbage disposal website...)
Did they continue to blame you? If they stopped thats great. Maybe its just me, but I rather they kept quite and avoid the awkward moment where we trip each other with apologies >_
@@zam023 Actually, imagining that... you may very well be right XD I think that it just bothered me that they continued to think that it was likely us, even after we said very clearly that it wasn't. I understand that it could have come from a place of concern, as in, "they think they're doing it correctly, but they might still be making a mistake." Once it was discovered who it truly was, of course the notices and warnings in English stopped. Actually, though, that neighbourhood was truly the least friendly in which I've ever lived in Japan. Mostly, our neighbours have been nothing but kind and wonderful!
@@Gollumfili ...thus causing relations to worsen further and proving their point that we as foreign people don't fit in? I see and respect your point, but truly think that it's most effective either in a place where you don't have/need/want community relationships. Personally, however, I wouldn't do that even then, as I find it somewhat unkind, tbh
That sucks and I would feel so offended. But thinking to myself, even though Brazil is super mixed, if some of the “races” that are not so inserted in our society here (eg Chinese, some African countries) lived in an apartment complex and the same issue happened, people would jump to the conclusion they are the ones doing it too. It really sucks, but it’s easier to blame on the “weaker” and keep the group mindset.
I’ve been living in Japan for 7 years and my Japanese neighbors have been so incredibly noisy, especially kids and older men. It may be a structural issue but I never heard my neighbors in Canada. I’ve also heard stories about Japanese neighbors having parties until 3 am, etc., so it’s pretty awful to assume that only foreigners would make noise or be bad tenants. There are good tenants and bad tenants everywhere, race has nothing to do with it.
"it *may* be a structural issue?" you obviously didn't know anything before moving to Japan. Any apartment complex has VERY thin walls; this is also why love hotels are a thing...
I agree, but race = culture & up bringing as well, race actually plays a big role ! for example, In a shared house someone in japan would be quiet and use headphone while others will use max volume and talk like as if he is back in his country
Scared Folks Don’t let it dampen your outlook on the country as a whole! I want to study abroad in japan for a year and have been hearing more and more about the prejudices they have towards foreigners. It seems more like they just worry we’ll be all over the place disrespecting their traditions and everything they value. In a way you have to “earn” your respect by showing them you do respect their culture and way of life. That will undoubtedly take time but it’s not impossible. The level at which you may experience any of these things also depends on where you live and who you’re around.
@@BlissfulMartini So in a way its basically fear in a sense?, i live in England so there system is realy weird to me. But i can understand if its fear/distrust considering how things can happen with disrespectful people, i just hope one day they realsie there fear is a bit over the top one day.
@Mourning Star yeah they are low because you live in fear of random incarceration with no lawyer and lengthy time limits for police to harass a confession out of you honestly it reminds me of the witch trials that happened in the us
I work for a large global corporation and have lived all over, been in Japan now for a few years and I have to say this has been one of my more stressful assignments. The country is beautiful but being a foreigner you really do feel second rate, something I was not at all prepared for and have never really experienced in any other country I have worked in. I'm getting ready to move on to another assignment here in a few months and can honestly say I would come back to visit but I would never want to live here again.
@@sschevmale24 This totally dishonest a lot of countries are NOT like that. It’s more than likely fairly easy to find rental housing in other countries throughout the world whether it’s is in the UK, Canada, The USA or several countries in Africa. The average person earning a decent living will easily be able to find rental housing in a foreign country. In this regard Japan is unlike most other countries.
I am sorry you have had a hard time in Japan because my guess is you did nothing to cause this. (If you did, great - now you know how to live more easily in Japan and have grown as a person but I doubt this is the case) You are obviously a generous person: you would visit Japan again in spite of having what sounds like an awful time in certain areas of life. Sometimes the wrong people pay the price for bad behavior in the past: from the Japanese point of view their experience with the west has not been wonderful. (I am making an assumption you are western if I am wrong apologies and ignore the rest of this message....) Westerners also prioritize individualism in our cultures (some more than others) often at the expense of respect for those around us. Then there is colonialism: the memories of colonialism are nasty and last for generations. It's only been a century since my country regained its independence and we are still not done with the traumas and various messes left behind. Does not justify what you've gone through however. I like your generosity: makes the world a better place if we can manage not to retaliate.....G
my Japanese friend raised in the UK thought Japan was such a bother and uptight and he couldn't WAIT till he moved back to London MUCH happier having moved
This is a bit misleading. MOST Japanese refuse to rent to foreigners. And most foreigners who rent in Japan are never made aware of this. The few real estate agents that accept foreigners will only show them apartments that are foreign friendly.
@@TyTy-kg3fd Considering it's a tiny island with heavy resource consumption, one has to wonder if one should pay their xenophobia back by cutting off trade.
Yes, that's what the video discussed. Real estate agents showing foreigners apartments that they should know only accept natives. That's why the woman in the end said Taka didn't waste their time.
I used Taka after seeing Kyde and Eric's video. He was awesome! He was able to get me an apartment in Nerima that was great and they accepted pets. The landlord and his wife didn't speak English and I did speak much Japanese at first, but by the time I moved back after 3 1/2 years the language barrier wasn't too bad. Also the landlord always asked if I needed anything or wanted to travel to Costco. I highly recommend Taka to anyone looking at a place in Tokyo
Don’t do airbnb. There’s a homeless problem, and people have extra houses that they rent out for premium prices. Think about it. Also, you could be getting spied on with spy cameras. They can put them in any benign looking every day object. I made one Whisper about what if there were spy cameras in the fire alarms, and guess what! It is already a thing 😐 I got called a paranoid stoner. I’m not paranoid. There are actually awful stories of this happening with Airbnb customers. I didn’t know that when I Whispered or the last time we did airbnb in January. We kept feeling watched 😑 Ex-green beret owned our airbnb. I mean, there are devices that you can buy that search for cameras or video recording devices. But what’s really scary is a lot of these cameras are live streaming, so literally the airbnb owner probably is watching you on their phone live or something...
Went to Japan twice in 2018. Stayed at AirBnB’s in Tokyo both times as well as Sapporo part of the second time. Prices were great, lots of availability and zero discrimination. Plan to go back once the world returns to normal again and will use Airbnb.
I actually have a really heartwarming story about my family's current landlord... Our place is rented by our company, as this makes the rental process much smoother. When the landlord, who also resides in the building, found out that it was a foreign couple moving in, he couldn't really have done anything even if he'd wanted to protest. Well, after having met him, he expressed to us his relief (especially at our ability to speak Japanese) and admitted how nervous he had been. Although it's sad that he was so worried, I'm glad that by actually meeting us in person, his fears were allayed. I somehow feel that if the landlords could meet the potential tenants directly, instead of just hearing "they're foreign" from the rental company's middleman, there might be fewer problems.
You have a good point there. I had made a post suggesting that rental companies should do a profile on the potential tenants so they could show it to the landlords. It would atleast give the landlords some idea who are trying to rent their property.
I also suspect that this is the case. My sense is that the vast majority of Japanese really, genuinely do not care whether someone is foreign. They do, however, really genuinely care about Japanese language ability, ability to fit into the culture, and likelihood of causing problems, and a lot of them use "foreigner" as a sign of someone who cannot speak Japanese or follow the rules, and who will cause problems. But they do not really care about the foreignness, so when they actually meet foreigners, the problems can all disappear, at least for that person. How do we stop them using "foreign" as a marker for problems? I wish I knew.
@@zam023 Yes, and also avoid situations like the one that the couple described, in which there was a lot of (probably not legal) changeover in tenants... However, they do get somewhat of a profile. At least for us, they've always known our workplace and income, our marital status (including how many years together), our resident status, our nationalities, our university degrees (from Japan, so it matters to them lol), that we're non-smokers with no pets... But, once, we had a landlord who wanted to rent to us, but it was the management company who didn't like our profile (we were students at the time). Anyway, I still think that it's a nice idea!
@@DavidChart I agree wholeheartedly. I also think that there are places where it's easier to integrate than others, and also cultures from which, whether economically or socially, it's less difficult to thrive here... Of course, it's only my opinion, but as the issues surrounding discrimination in Japan seem to reside less and less with Japanese individuals, and more with systems that have (or have not) been put in place, I think that the way to repair relations is likely to be changes in the legal and social systems (this includes media, of course, which still influences our opinions greatly).
@@sarahberlaud4285 The legal systems are almost never overtly discriminatory, although they rarely forbid discrimination. I am wary of trying to legislate against discrimination, for a lot of reasons, but I do suspect that forbidding landlords from discriminating on grounds of nationality would help. It would force them to be explicit about what they are really worried about, and that, in most cases, would make them more accepting of many foreigners. The more general issue of racism/xenophobia in Japan is, I think, a lot more complex. I've come to believe it is fundamentally different from racism in the US or Europe, and even from the anti-immigrant attitudes we see in the UK at the moment, which are mainly directed against white people (specifically, people from Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe). Apart from being convinced that almost none of the analysis done of the US or European situation is applicable or helpful, I don't really have very much positive to offer.
Me: whispers Japanese land lord : *knock* *knock* You got a complaint from your neighbors pls be quiet *Japanese neighbors at 3 am having friends over and are drinking* Me: OxO noisy Japanese land lord: I don’t hear anything Me: XnX
These anecdotes about foreigners failing to follow the “rules” of Japanese society are interesting as a sociological study but they don’t in any way justify racist discrimination. If you took the same situation and placed the foreigners in a western country and tried to justify denying them housing because they were culturally different, most people would have no problem seeing that treatment as wrong. For some reason, Japan is given greater deference for its culture than other places.
One doesn't need to justify racist discrimination. As a prospective tenant, you have to understand that you aren't the owner of the property. You will only be granted the privilege of living there by the owner. The racism card doesn't work here. I can be as racist as I want, and that's my right. Don't like it? Too bad.
@@pinnokino If I'm the owner of the property, I have a few more rights than that. The discrimination card just doesn't work here. You can try playing it, but you'll lose.
@@TheShrededward there's laws in many countries (mostly Western ones) that make it illegal to deny services to clients as a business due to their ethnicity/culture. So unless you live in one that doesn't have such protections you're wrong.
I’m fluent in Japanese, work at a Japanese company, and have lived here for around 10 years. I was rejected from a majority of apartments just because I look foreign. They call up the landlord and ask if a foreigner can rent, and then it’s an immediate “no.” I finally got an apartment after being turned away at the door (phone) by at least 20 apartments. There is racism everywhere, the difference is that this kind of discrimination is legal, as opposed to the United States.
@@nerolost4347 Yeah people just assume everyone loves paying rent and they never try to get access without paying. WFT if everyone pays rent in full each year in advance I don't think any landlord would reject them ever!!!!!
@@nerolost4347 If that is the case, landlords can always rent to someone else as soon as the apartment is vacant. But I guess having to post an ad online is too much work for landlords (not something exclusive from Japan though).
Japan is a great place to visit NOT to live in. I've been wanting to live in Japan since I was 10 but it's shocking how they need people yet make it super difficult for foreigners. The passive racism is a big issue but I don't care, I'll still visit with good intentions and treat them as nice as possible however I don't think I would like to live there anymore. Thanks for the comments glad to hear other's opinions and thank you for the video Greg :)
It all depends on what expectations you have. And yes, if you are not a japanese person, living there may be a little more difficult. But compared to other countries, Japan does have a lot of good things. It all depends on whether or not the good things in Japan outweighs, the good things in other countries.
I remember slapping the shite out of a Japanese dude in toyko for callin me a foreigner. Those little dudes bow down quick when you slap the crap out of em.
@@CunnyRape yeah he called me a Gaijin and gave me a dirty look, so I beat him silly. I was pretty drunk but I still think he was the one in the wrong.
Yeah, so I'm a U.S. citizen, but speak pretty good Japanese, and my wife is Japanese. It was nearly impossible finding a decent place to live together in Japan. We went to several realtors and discussed open apartments only to have them be "taken" once we called. I also distinctly recall hearing in Japanese, "No, but he speaks really good Japanese, and his wife is Japanese", only to hear that the place had been rented 2 minutes later. I had a good job, and my wife's parents to be our guarantor. I remember joking with my wife that we are unrentable because I'm foreign and she didn't work. It became a bitter gag that many apartments allow dogs, but not foreigners. Finally, we went to a realtor who called in the branch manager who then got out his magic book of landlords who would rent to foreigners, and we found a good place (great landlord in a nice area), but I was so downtrodden by then. Pretty terrible, but a great experience if your a white American man: a chance to know racial profiling and discrimination first hand (although still, Americans are looked on rather favorably among foreigners in Japan).
It would have been different if your wife had a job in Japan. Without a job, no one can find a place to rent (unless you're a student renting a student apartment). It's all too easy for you to divorce your wife and run back to your home country without paying the rent so your having a job is irrelevant.
I basically punched this japanese dude in the face and made him rent to me. Told him I was with some mafia as I have tattoos all over the place. Yakuza.
that sucks but i doubt your japanese is actually good enough to make the japanese trust you. im a single french guy and this has never happened to me. work on your pronounciation more.
Can you read lease contract written in Japanese and fully understand? Just speaking Japanese may not be enough when it comes to contracts. Signing a contract without reading/understanding well can cause problems, so that might be a big obstacle in Japan because many foreigners speak Japanese but cannot read/write well due to Kanji.
Well, the quietness is a myth unless you live in a very expensive place. Japanese will be noisy to you and two-faced complaining about everything and anything you do.
I had a Japanese roommate who I thought we were really good friends. He said to me if you were Japanese we'd be better friends. My jaw dropped, but I have other Japanese friends who don't care that I'm Japanese. They are an extremely polite culture but I did notice the slight from them at times. So yes if you are not Japanese they will treat you differently.
I can understand your roommate. I'm not Japanese, but when I'm with people from my country, I'm a lot more intimate than with people with other nationalities. Language and culture connects people deeply. Even if you learn Japanese and get to know the culture, you will always stay behind because you had less time to 'mature'. A bit depressing, but it's the reality. They're in a kind of bubble and want to stay within it. You're from outside the bubble, so they would need to hold certain things back to prevent offending you or to prevent bothering discussing certain things.
they didn't mean to be racist because that's how Japanese culture works. I had a Japanese girlfriend and it was full of surprises. i thought the things she said were mean and after talking about it she seem like she had no idea that's considered racist in the west
Honestly, I get the not speaking Japanese being a determent for property managers. Where I live, they give us a lot of flyers and a lot of things go on with our apartments (cleaning, construction, general notices). It'd be incredibly frustrating to have a tenant who cannot speak the language of the country they live in and just ignore or not understand something important. I mean I know people are and can learn the language but I definitely understand why they get rejected. However, being rejected DESPITE speaking Japanese has always rubbed me the wrong way about Japan.
@@elijahmartin5291 Like the risk factor that might be present in accepting a foreigner. I definitely understand that, and getting along with neighbors and such. That is all reasonable in my opinion.
@@Etheral101 No you would be classed as racist because that is racist :D. Rejecting someone without any reason just because of personal issues isn't an objective reason. It is just prejudicial.
The collective difficulty the global human culture has in acknowledging racial discrimination by non whites is quite distressing. I genuinely believe that this inability for us to say, as a species that "anyone from any culture can be racially biased" is a huge hurdle in solving the problem of racial discrimination for all. This entire video is full of rationalizations and justifications of the biased stereotypes and overall xenophobia of the people from a specific nation. I see similar justifications given for the racism of Indians (my country) against people with black skin living in India. Do we truly believe that the fictitious white people who are infact being racist are just doing it with no justifications in their minds ? They are just mindlessly and thoughtlessly evil? No. They too have their justifications and when examined , the justifications like "They are not sending their best, they are sending murderers...." , "They take our jobs" are not that different from: "Oh they make noise" (here is an anecdote) , "Oh they don't know how to integrate". The only way we will be able to resolve the problem of racism is by acknowledging it and calling it out. No matter who the perpetrator is. I loved the little diatribe by the president of the Kanagawa housing district at the end. She is unafraid to call her own people out. It's important that we all call our own people out.
This comment means so much to me. I've felt nothing but hate for being white everywhere online and none of it gets called out to the point where I've ditched social media all together because it just makes me depressed. Seeing someone actually take an objective view of all this makes me feel less like the world hates me because of my skin. Bless.
"Xenophobia" is a justified response to the threat of immigration or replacement against a culture and people. We are not diverse without nations and without races and without differences, for one to claim otherwise is lunacy.
Thanks Nikhil. I am from Yugoslavia and we love to hate people. Hopefully India will improve and I will be able to say Jai Hindh. It's a nice place to visit.
This is an interesting topic. I’m an Indonesian, and currently enrolling in Post-Grad study with an option of a Double Degree with foreign uni. Just so happen that i’m aiming to join a uni in Niigata. The campus itself is 100% english, and they don’t find it a problem if you don’t speak Japanese at all. But they do give emphasis on how the Japanese live, Including how to handle the garbage! They literally have 6 pages full of information on how garbage disposal work. And they take no jokes in doing so. It’s almost intimidating for first timer So fingers crossed, if i do got accepted there, i might share some of my point of view 👍🏻
A six page pamphlet on garbage in Japan is comparable to the 42 page book that was prepared for employees when I lived in Saudi Arabia, explaining how to live, work and behave, and the cultural norms! There was also a long off-the-record briefing on the more controversial aspects of life, such as alcohol, sex and your social life. Every aspect of your life was controlled, your passport was saved in the personnel department of your company, travel more than 40 km from your registered address needed a letter of permission, unless you were a senior staff member, and to leave the country you had to apply for and obtain a re-entry or exit visa, not the automatic application that you get here. I guess for many people, Japan is the first foreign country that they have lived and worked in, the non-alphabetic language is a challenge, so it is a massive culture shock for them, but Japan does provide a lot more information than many other Asian countries to enable you to assimilate.
I'm a bit late to the party, but I just wanted to note this is a really really good video. The way you cut the interviews, so it fits with what the interview partners are talking about and switches between them - it's almost like a real, high-production documentary. I love it, thank you very much.
The only rule I find... not stupid, I guess, but just laughable is the rule about being quiet. Yes, of course you should respect your neighbours and keep noise down, but honestly if they actually insulated their buildings PROPERLY, half of these noise issues wouldn't be issues at all. It's ridiculous how thin the walls are. In the Leopalace apartments I lived in, you can literally hear your neighbours do anything and everything. Flushed the toilet? Heard it. Drop a pin? Probably heard it. Having sex? Definitely heard it.
@Tesla-Effect "Badly" doesn't even cover the extent of it. No central heating. Drafts of air immediately fill your living space, making cooling/healing pointless almost. I implore you to go on some Japanese real estate websites like suumo and look for apartments. Literally 8 out of 10 apartment floor plans make no sense. Absolutely zero thought put into the design. Fun part is that if you go to look at the these apartment yourselves, half of them don't even accurately match the floor plans themselves. Speaking of Leopalace, a recent news report said there were a bunch of buildings that didn't mean building regulations at all. It's seriously laughable.
And this comment explains why the Japanese have problems with foreigners. You do not like the Japanese rule about being quiet? Why are you in Japan? Respect their culture or get out.
@@daichicarlton4674 it doesn't "explain" anything. Just because I outlined something I don't like about their rules doesn't mean I don't follow them. I have so many problems with your comment I don't even want to get into it... I'm going to assume you are Japanese because you seem to be a cultural expert of Japan?
@Tesla-Effect They are built to last 5 decades, not 1. And that has mostly to do with earthquake regulations, the regulations are constantly getting stricter with new developments, so it doesn't make sense to build longer lasting houses. Japanese people also don't like to buy old houses.
@@BLY99 Japanese people also don't like to buy old houses. from what i recently was reading,they cant even give their old houses away,and more and more people are moving into the city. before you know it the cities will have walls with hates to let you in and out b/c other wise between towns will be nothing but wild life
Lol I'm from the Philippines and this is sooo true! People here loves to play music and celebrate. We have lots of holidays including the local ones where its a custom to celebrate fiesta all night long or Christmas season starting on -Ber months. It's difficult to file or report a noise complaint since there's an unwritten rule that if you're the one whose going to make a noise or host a party they should not complain too. Only in subdivisions/fancy housing area are the ones with *sometimes* strict noise compliance rules.
Asia in general is a bit like that - some countries more than others. Thailand is also very discriminatory with foreigners living there, not tourists. Singapore being the one exception since it's a very new territory so it's very multicultural.
Tesla-Effect ? Horrible behavior? Are you stupid? They mostly only turn away people who can’t speak Japanese, and don’t have good enough financials. There’s no problem with wanting to keep your culture in tact, and when you have a bunch of ignorant foreigners coming in who do not respect or understand such culture why would you want them there?
Yeah, and they are not mad at them. They just decide not to go through the trouble to teach them and said no. Make me really scared of ever going to Japan lol.
@@coal1987 Then Japan will die. Their population is maturing rapidly with death rates far exceeding that of birth. Isolationism cannot survive in this day and age of mass transportation.
Japan sounds like the only nation that doesn't care to share how things are done in their own land. Every other nation shows and teaches foreigners how things are done, especially Europeans, Spaniards love showing off to foreigners "No... This is how you do it!" They're awesome. Japan is just another nation, but apparently they are too special to do the job of sharing tips to make living as Japanese and not as a foreigner harder. Fine! Die already! Nation has low birth rate due to its isolation and set ways without sharing. Just like that self-centered know-it-all kid in the playground who doesn't share his crayons... he has no friends for a reason. >_>
@ボイス It's just very awkward here if someone stranger comes too close to someone in open space... People try to go to free double seats in bus by default, never sit next to someone, even if they do they might be elderly. It's mainly to keep "open space" for elderly. Even on road everyone has unspoken rules, like always let pedestrians pass if no lightpost saying otherwise. If there are no cars on the way, always walk past the crossroad even when lights are red. Always wave at pedestrians if they wave. Etc. Well, I believe quite many countries have said unspoken rules, we just don't take it to account too much. Like Egypt's way of bravecrossing a busy street when there are no crossroads to pass from.
@ボイス Here, I find it obtrusive if my neighbour askes _me_ a question. I have nothing to ask from her, so it is rude from her to ask me anything, especially which floor I live in. None of her business. I find it very annoying when she does vacuuming, that makes irregular noise. I'm happy she keeps it down for the 95% of the time. I'm happy there is still a country in this world whos residents do not want noisy and unstable neighbours to move nextdoors. Including me. Makes me feel there's still hope in this world. Japan is unique due to the fact it is a closed society, and is highly regarded because of that. If you want to move abroad and still speak your mother language and take your habits with you, move to Sweden for Christ sake. Accept the fact that different cultures do exist, this is the definition of diversity.
@ボイス It is true. However, it's also fine to sit next to a random person if there is no room, nobody expects you to remain standing if it's crowded. 99% of the time nobody will talk to each other though, unless they're friends or otherwise know each other. If I see people talking with each other, I automatically think they're friends. I've mainly just used trains, but even if you sit "next to" someone else there (I mean in the sense that you have 3 seats, and you and the random sit there and leave the middle one free), nobody really cares that much, at least if you're silent or mind your own business. People may look at you for a few seconds if other seats are (fully) available, but then they will delve back into their phones.
@ボイス I don't and it's not a thing in here. On the other hand, alcohol does the trick and makes people do small talk. Even if you are the only one drunk at the bus stop, haha. I find it very hard to stay silent under influence and the earlier rant I wrote is a product of just that. If you want to make friends with a finn, it'll be easier if he or she is UI.
Actually, it is something in the past now, Suumo even marketing them as a cheaper option for single people. And a lot of second-hand realtors hide that fact and rent them to unaware foreigners.
Excellent video. This feels like a national media level of quality in production and research, something I'd expect on BBC4, PBS, etc. The direct commentary on racism and xenophobia in David's segment and the unedited delivery there was a powerful choice. The housing commission interviewee sums things up very nicely, I think. She is eager to help foreign residents integrate, but recognizes that the societal standards at play are poorly communicated to non-natives and extreme relative to global standards. It's notable that she represents a relatively liberal viewpoint in Japan, but even she is not advocating for any actual change in how the Japanese live - just trying to be more open to molding foreigners into local standards. I say this not to take a stand on whether that's a positive or negative thing, just to note this is very likely to be the case for a long, long time, considering Japan's demographics. Conservative nationalists have been in power forever and the upside-down age pyramid means middle-aged protectionist attitudes are here to stay. I think this video will continue to be relevant for a long time, as cultural leverage and political leverage are both working against younger japanese who would be more open to tolerating (or even adopting) foreign home life practices, renting to foreigners, or changing immigration policies.
If an American landlord outright refused to accept a tenant because the tenant has poor English language abilities or is a foreigner, it would cause a huge commotion. Why is it accepted in Japan? It shouldn't be acceptable anywhere in the world
Ughh, I hate moving in Japan. I've lived in Japan for almost 16 years and moved about 6 times. Probably, the thing I hate the most about it is the cost. There's the guarantor company fee, the realtor fee, the shikikin, the reikin, key change fee, etc. In Tokyo you can easily end up paying 4 times the monthly rent in these various fees, and then the first month's rent itself. Then there's just being flat out refused by landlords for being foreign, and then there's the noise thing. In my case, it's always been problems with noisy neighbours. Parties at 3am on a weekday, a neighbour using her hairdryer at 2am every day, etc, etc. I've never had a noise complaint directed at me, ever, but many of my other non-Japanese friends have. Even when they're not even in the country let alone the apartment at the time of the complaint. This happened just recently to a friend of mine. Luckily, he showed his airline ticket to his landlord as proof that he wasn't even there when he was apparently being noisy. I'd like to think the person who complained got wrapped on the knuckles for that, but probably not. We had one situation in my building a few years ago where the building's water system was on the fritz. Anytime someone used their hot water at nighttime, a really fast, loud banging noise could be heard throughout the entire building. A few hours later at around 2am the police arrived and questioned my Italian neighbour from a few doors down. The person downstairs had told the police he "must be working out or something" even though anyone with half a brain could understand that it was way too loud and far too fast to be someone pounding dumbells. But, seeing as my neighbour was foreign (and a well-built guy), he was the easy target. The guy who filed the complaint did his best to avoid myself and the Italian guy from that point on. Okay, a little bit of a rant incoming, but as a long-term resident here, some of it might be useful for anyone coming to live in Japan. I hate to say it, but as a foreigner, you're always the soft target in Japan. Someone in the building isn't sorting their trash correctly? Question the foreigner. Someone's being noisy? Probably the foreigner. If you're coming to Japan, be ready for this. Whether it's at home or at work, or even if there's been a crime committed in the area - the police will question any foreigners they find in the area first. I like Japan and I have family here now, but at times I do feel as if I'm walking on eggshells here. There are certain situations, like housing, in Japan where you will absolutely feel the "us" vs "them" attitude. Just be mindful of what you're doing, how you're acting, don't give people any reason to target you, and you'll be okay. With the government's plan to allow more foreigners to live and work here coming into effect this year, it makes me worried. They want more foreigners to come here, spend money here, prop up the labour force here, and pay taxes here, but I feel the govt isn't doing enough to combat racism in Japan. Whether it's intentional or unintentional, it's still racism and I haven't seen a lot of change in this area in my 16 years here. Maybe the influx of these foreign workers will eventually bring about change, but I think any changes will come slowly and clumsily.
very interesting account. Thank you for being so frank. I wonder if the 2020 Olympic Games will make any change for better or worse? Conveniently the Government has just levied a visitors tax
You never lived in NYC haha you’re talking same stuffs I were in Japan, all’s depends of the luck and researching, I mean what the right mind I will move to manhattan if I know the prices of rent are skyrocket cause I want to live in Manhattan, you or anyone who want to live in Japan could easily live in the nearest prefectures, as I know some friends live there, seriously if you dislike much Japan why you were 16 years, for me if I dislike a place I’ll try to move in the next couple years or just been transferred to other place. Japan isn’t a multi cultural country why people can’t understand that 😂 they’re expecting they will change in 2020 being open borders like EU America’s continent.
@@sirguilhaume1964 Xenophobia is the leading cause of racism. Xenophobia turns into racism when a foreigner is targeted for unequal treatment because of their foreign status.
I've lived in several countries including Vietnam and Singapore. I would not live in Japan. It's an interesting country, but the racism is just too much. I imagine lots of people feel like me. (Even worse for my wife who has a PhD in mathematics but gets treated like crap because she's Vietnamese.) It's Japan's loss, honestly.
Never had any of the issues you're describing. I spent six years in Hawaii (Waikiki) and dated many Japanese women and met lots of Japanese people. Nothing but great things to say. Started learning the language a year ago and it's been a blast. I plan on moving there.
Well Japan isn’t a multi cultural country as well China, so you know where you are going on and expecting the worse not the better, some I know have luck with their Japanese colleagues so doesn’t it. That’s life I guess
@@ThomasAffoltertevis May be a fair point. I have traveled to Japan twice since then and I've had the same pleasant experience. Going to check out Osaka next for a week. I've lived and some of the most diverse cities and went to the most diverse undergrad. I don't mind it but I also don't mind the homogeneity in Japan.
We had a hard time trying to rent. But we lucked out and bought a ghost house in Yokohama as the owners took there own lives in the 3DLK. they had a hard time selling it. For what has happen in it.We got it for 40% off the land value as the home has no value. Because it is consider a ghost home now. Down side is it's 15 min bike ride to station
If I understood it correctly, as long as one owns land they have to pay tax for that piece of land. Since the land/property is supposedly "haunted", the owner could not do anything with it but still have to pay tax. So if an opportunity to sell the property comes up they would definately jump on it. It is the same case for ancestral homes that has been left in villages with a shrinking population. The current generation might be living somewhere else and there is no one to take over or live in the old house or its just that no one wants to live there. Properties like this would also be sold at discount. But properties like this are usually in the country side so there are fewer buyers.
Haha the first thing I did was to search for a database that contains information about these 'haunted' apartments. Apparently landlords in Japan are legally obliged to inform prospective tenants about any suicides, murders or deaths that occurred from natural disasters (fires, earthquakes etc.) during the time of the previous tenants. Owners are more than willing to shell out these places on cut-prices.
Skip the rent, buy a place. Problem solved. Joking aside, this is one of the biggest things I am worried about, and most of what keeps me from attempting to move there.
Little Foot Actually is much easier buying a house that renting one, but you might require to be permanent resident and have a very good income. If you want to apply for a loan yes or yes you have to be permanent resident. But as long as you have the money no problem. That’s what many foreigners do after living for a long time they buy the land and build the house or keep the original house.
Little Foot That’s just straight-up not true. My grandmother lives there and owns her own home and land and is white as a wedding dress on Labor Day. There are two types of “ownership” in Hawaii: fee simple and leasehold. Fee simple works pretty much exactly the same as a traditional sale and is in no way restricted by ancestry. 90%+ of properties are fee simple on the islands. Some leasehold properties (land where you only own the improvements) are reserved for those of Hawaiian ancestry under DHHL programs - however they are certainly not common. Don’t talk about matters you don’t understand.
@Little Foot Lol are you stupid? Money is money. If you are buying a property out of someones hands and you paid good money, do you actually think they care what you do with it? You can trash it if you want, its your own house, they dont care. Good riddance is what they will tell you.
You can buy an apartment but none wanna lease your room when you're foreigner. They dont wanna be insecure when you can always change your mind about how you treated your apartment as you like.
As an American resident in Japan, I think this is an excellent video. I think the whole "Alleviate Risk" thing is going to apply to many other things as well, and generally great advice for several "foreign issues." Trying to get my Japanese drivers license now, and yes, it's a factor to my failures.
In the past, I had moved to Japan for work for a while (expat). Luckily for me, it was an easy process because the company took care of everything. I just showed up basically, hah. Expat perks really are nice. A new hire (local salary) from Canada came maybe four months after I did. Needless to say, I had a couch surfer at my place for a couple months until he finally got someone to rent to him. No expat perks for you bro. We would always laugh whenever Japanese folks would go out of their way to avoid being in the elevator with us at the apartment, acting like they forgot something every time, check the mail, or go take the stairs. Dude, I saw you last week press floor 8, you ain't taking no stairs. It ain't easy for foreigners in Japan to rent, period. Hard stop. His experience of random denials is like many. He's a top notch engineer, outside Tokyo, so there's no salary concerns.
its quite interesting the fact that if people of colour or from undeveloped countries go to other countries they re immigrants..but if you r whit from a first world county then you re an "expat " honestly thats disgusting..
@@Kiki123-k5r I am not quite sure how this is relevant, nor is it accurate in the slightest - my "couch surfer" roomie was both white and from Canada, and I specifically mentioned that he was not an expat with the "no expat perks for you bro". Not sure how this could be more clear in the previous statement. Rather, with "expat", I was referring to someone who has an expatriate contract (me) from the company. This is a standard and accepted definition of the word. I had one. He didn't. Simple. Life will be more difficult when actively searching for double standards and/or discrimination. It's really not worth it.
*it ain't easy for foreigners who aren't fluent in japanese (with no goofy accent) and no guarantor to rent, period. There, fixed it for you. I'm a French guy who has been 12 years in Tokyo, rented 5 apartments and has only been denied once.
@@coolbones sounds like France. If you are not a 100 percent fluent in French and certainly no accent whatsoever, no one will ever say Bonjour to you.....oh yes, you may be a French guarantor too....this is extremely discriminatory...but hey, some people find it normal....
Very detailed and informative video once again, thank you for all the effort you put into your videos. We know first hand how long putting all this together takes! 😁
Been in Japan almost twenty years and yes had this issue a few times, the agent tends to call the owner from the agency, tells them they have someone interested in the apartment, everything is fine, the agent then mentions that the interested party is 'gaikoku-jin no kata', with which the reply is almost immediately 'no'! even with an explanation that the person speaks Japanese, or has been here a long time. The most frustrating thing is that once you do find a place, you never ever have any reason to actually meet the owner of the place. Be a decent tenant, be aware of noise issues, and rules around the apartment, eg maybe no smoking etc And ffs, separating the garbage takes one hour to figure out, if this is something you continue mess up, you are an idiot. If you work for a big famous company, this will help you!
After watching this video, I still think that renting in Japan as a foreigner can't be a worse experience than renting in the Netherlands. JFC people, you need more houses.
That's not true. Here's a little secret how I beat everyone in the US - when I see an ad I like, I email the landlord with literally all the paperwork they need such as the rental application, job history, finances, whatever. 99% of people don't do that and that's how I beat most people.
In Canada this is called discrimination and the companies running the building would be putting themselves at risk for refusing to rent to someone for being foreign.
We are two Canadians from Vancouver who got our first choice in apartment on our first try (with THREE CATS!). I think we are very lucky and now live in one of the famous Sanaa houses in Shakujii Koen. We actually choose to move to Japan after seeing one of your videos about how you can own in Tokyo for so much less than in Vancouver!
Language, proof of funding, local guarantor is really all you need. I rented an apartment at Koto--ku in Tatsumi with a college mate from the states and having all three made the process smooth. I literally landed in tokyo and moved into the apartment the same day. The most important thing is proof of funding and local guarantor - language is a huge plus however and opens up more properties.
I really want to live in Japan for a few months, but I could never live their permanently. The culture is fascinating and has many positive aspects, but it also seems fundamentally flawed to me.
this channel is by far the most thorough in everything it covers. very well-done and informative. my relative, who speaks perfect japanese (he was told by japanese that they can't tell that he wasn't born in japan), was told that he needs a guarantor to live and study in japan. this was maybe 50 years ago and he decided to give up his study in japan.
I lived in Japan for a summer and stayed in an airbnb in Kyoto for about 3 weeks, then had plans for an airbnb in Tokyo for about 8 weeks. The airbnb in Tokyo was canceled and unlisted, so I had about a week to find a different housing solution asap. We found a small apartment online, maybe 200sq ft, and in order to rent we had to know Japanese or have someone Japanese back us up as trustworthy individuals. Luckily our airbnb host in Kyoto was kind enough to look over the contract and got us approved. Once all that was approved and we arrived in Tokyo, we signed the contract at the apartment and paid the first month, then had to go to their office in Shibuya to pay the pro-rated remainder of the rent. It was definitely a stressful situation, not to mention the apartment was challenging to find (a random door in between two restaurants) and it was pouring rain the day we arrived. Luckily, a woman was kind enough to stop and help us look for the address after seeing us soaked. 😅 I'm so thankful for all the help we received along the way.
Having lived in India, I can tell you it's like the polar opposite when it comes to noise there. But also renting, people in India generally doesn't care where you're from if you rent. I think if you're European with money it's possibly _easier_ in many places in India.
My wife and i bought a house in Japan and the empty property next to it (so I could park my car). Most of the neighbors aren`t friendly..look the other way. I would describe it as a bit of jealously.
It's definitely an issue for those of us with Japanese spouses also (well at least for myself and my Japanese wife it has been) - wife has been told directly "we don't accept foreigners" quite a few times when enquiring about rental properties - basically shown the door once she mentions she has a foreign husband. This is for properties advertised via very well known real estate companies in areas of Tokyo where foreign residents are not uncommon.
You do know Greg has a Japanese wife. John Daub has a Japanese wife. Peter von G has a Japanese wife. Maybe its like John said, you must have given them a reason to say "No".
Yes I know all that, I'm a patreon of John. For the record, I wasn't even in Japan yet, wife was here finding a place to live before I came over. The only reason was "your husband is a foreigner, sorry" - they didn't even ask a single thing about me or my background. Wife herself is Japanese and has no hesitation in calling it out as a racist/prejudiced situation. No need to make excuses for reality.
I don't think this is true in most cases. I'm an American woman. My husband is Japanese. We rented two apartments & bought a house with no issues whatsoever.
This was my exact issue recently. I started the search for an apartment with my foreigner-friendly realtor and had soooo many issues finding an apartment because they wouldn't rent to foreigners. I've finally found a place and moving in soon but I needed to have a Japanese guarantor AND pay for a guarantor company. Ironically, my current apartment building is just like the one the couple described with noisy, inconsiderate university students having karaoke parties late at night during the week and frying fish with their front door open so the smell fills the hallway. Glad to be moving out!
I feel like the main problem with most Japanese people is not really racism or discrimination, but rather that they hold to the belief that foreigners can't learn "only Japanese things", from kanji to garbage disposal rules. I think that's because there's so few Japanese people living in other countries so they never have anyone sharing their experiences. Like, take garbage: in some cities in Italy the rules are harder and (I swear!) stricter than Tokyo. The same with noise complaints: in some places you can get thrown out of your apartment even if you have ONE party. They would never guess that, because they only visit Italy as tourists and go to touristic areas (which are of course noisy and, unfortunately, with a bad garbage situation more often than not). It's a bit sad to say, but they really have a limited knowledge of other cultures and countries and that of course leads to prejudice (and overjustification of Japanese people doing the exact same things they complain with foreigners).
@hyenapeptic But they usually don't hate you. They just expect you to be unable to understand some things, which I admit can be frustrating at times (especially with reading kanji), but it's something that also people in other countries do, albeit to a lesser degree.
@hyenapeptic Is racism a sticker you desperately want to stick on anything and everything that is inconvenient for you because you were taught that once you do you can hate it without restraint?
Excuse me? " there's so few Japanese people living in other countries" , that's a frekin fallacy. I live on the west coast of Canada, Victoria B.C. the Japanese( Canadians) have been coming to live here since 1877, more then 4-5 generations. We know about how life was in Japan, just like my culture left their home country to come also, to find a better life here.
A good way to probably move to Japan is through your employment, getting your company to send you to japan, either for training or department transfer.
I'm renting a house directly from the Japanese owner. It's about 220m3 with a 2-car garage, located about 10 minutes from the subway. The house was about 25 years old when I started renting and the rent is 100,000 / mo. He gave me a budget of 2 million yen for renovating the place any way I like when I moved in. 6 months after that he came by and said he wanted to re-shingle the roof and wanted to know what color I preferred. How did I find this place? I searched in the area I wanted to live, and asked the people in the neighborhood. They gave my contact info to the owner, I met him a few days later and bingo-bango-bongo I got me a place to live. It's quiet, great neighbors, I can be noisy if I want because my neighbors are all old and they can't hear. LOL And I can have bbq in my backyard any time without worrying about somebody complaining.
Its funny how landlords are strict with foreigners in terms of noise and disturbance and here I am, a foreigner with a Japanese neighbor who is loud, having a kid trampling around (room right above my room), and smokes outside his room despite the no smoking sign all over the place.
I think its better to hear children running around and playing, people singing, or playing an instrument, rather than hace everyone stuck on their gadgets in complete silence.
Anyone moving to Hiroshima, our company Ryowa House IS getting very high success rates for renting to foreigners in Japan. My colleagues and I help foreigners in the Hiroshima and Okayama area find apartments. The main hurdles we can help them overcome are not being able to speak Japanese (providing interpreters), no guarantor (help with sponsorship), and not understanding the whole real estate system (detailed explanations of everything so nothing is unknown or hidden). Check out our channel for more info on the cities here as well as information on finding apartments. There are many other great companies doing the same in Osaka, Fukuoka, Tokyo and many other cities so keep looking!! :)
I live in Germany, we have 3 kinds of foreigners: EU foreigners Out of EU immigrants Refugees EU foreigners can just rent an apartment, you pay 2-3 months of rent as insurance, should the apartment get damaged by you, and have a bank account. An immigrant has to have permanent residence or temporary allowances to get an apartment, additional to the first things. Refugees get a housing unite from the state and a small payment. They're checked for refugee status, get language school and therapy, if they need to, they can make new degrees or get a job allowance once they can stay and turn into the second kind. Extraordinarily are Wolgadeutsche, people who have German ancestors and moved to the wolga they are treated as EU/German citizens after a short formality. (that's what I learned in school.)
Really interesting interviews (especially Kyde and Eric). Years ago my ex and I visited Apaman Shop (realty agency). Agent was nice n' showed us some places, but none that caught our eye. Then I brought my Mom (full Japanese, born n raised) the next day to negotiate n' low n' behold a brand new apartment option popped up, with an extra room and two new air conditioners on the house lol XD. To be fair though, I didn't wear a suit.
It depends on your nationality too!! I‘m living in a building not accepting foreigners. I am German, and as soon as they said „sorry“ , I said „I‘m German“ in Japanese. Suddenly, they were like OMG GERMANY! And they told me: „Most foreign people don‘t seperate trash. It‘s bad, but you Germans do recycling.“ They told me when signing the contract
'Murican here: I found it was easier to buy than rent a place here in my neck of the woods in the US too. Not sure why, but my bank approved me for a larger loan than what I needed, while I got rejected a few times for an apartment.
Because essentially what you're doing is using the house as collateral. when you rent you have no property or collateral. so any lost money is lost money. but if you get the house, then the bank owns it till you pay them back and if you miss 3 payments they take the house. it's safer for them that way.
I laughed when he showed the Philippines. Hahaha Really now, that is so true even in the residential areas if there's someones birthday then the whole community will know because of people drinking and having karaokes till 1am 😂
I have just moved to Japan this week. My company is renting my apartment so that wasn't an issue. I am however, extremely anxious about living here with my 4 year old. I worry he will be too noisy. I will obviously do my best but kids will be kids, they have good days and bad days like anyone.
Having lived in Japan, 80 Having lived in Ageo-shi Saitama-ken, for 4.5 years of the 6 years total and in the same apartment, everything that was explained here is true and accurate. Good job with making this video. Though I've been back in th US for 20 plus years, it sounds like Japan is roughtly the same as when I was there.
Excellent video and a real eye-opener. As a landlord in Glasgow I'd never want my letting agent to apply such stringent criteria. For me, rent security is the overriding priority. After that? Well just be polite neighbours. As for which nationality you are? 'Not British' is always interesting. Diversity is a bonus.
An acquaintance of mine recently stayed in japan for almost 4-5 months. Being a fan of Japanese culture and cuisine this video is an eye-opener, there is a lot to do before I plan for a trip, and then again COVID-19 will make it even harder now.
Ear plugs or headphones and a white noise app on your phone. It can take some time to get used to using them but once you do sleeping in a noisy apt, hotel, airplane, train, etc is never again a problem. It can make life a lot less stressful. Worrying about being able to sleep and not getting enough sleep because of noise can cause a ton of stress.
When I was getting apartments in Japan, my agent first called a few landlords and said "外国人" (Gaikokujin, Foreigner) to describe me, and they immediately said no. I told him after seeing two failed phone calls that he should say "日本語が喋るアメリカ人" (Nihongo ga shaberu America-jin, Japanese-speaking American) and the next few places he called said OK. There is not unsurprisingly a lot of racism in Japan and prejudice against foreigners, but it also varies by the home country of the foreigner- just saying "foreigner" doesn't provide any background to where the person is from, so landlords probably think it's the current enemy-of-the-week foreigner (usually people from other Asian countries). Being a white American, I was able to abuse that card and was able to look at a lot of places. Obviously, not everyone can do that. The advice in this video is great, and is definitely a good watch if you are considering living in Japan (or moving from your University or Company provided apartment).
I'll admit I've been thinking about Japan a lot lately. I admired Japanese, anime, art, tech, etc. for a long time. As I've been thinking about moving out and starting my own life, trying out living outside of the US, has crossed my mind. And honestly Japan would is the top of the list. There is so much I'd like to learn about Japan and see for myself. But this has really discouraged on that idea. Living with such strict (largely unspoken) rules in close quarters for what could be years on end until I could buy seems like a real downer. But then again, so does buying a cheap house/apartment 100 miles away from work and losing +10 hours a week commuting downtown in my old little Camry, bickering with +10k cars going the same direction every rush hour. Would like to hear more on the new Immigration laws and efforts to increase foreign workers. Living with close, abundant public transportation that's unheard of here in the Midwest, national healthcare and top tier restaurants and food quality is a still tempting offer for me. Not sure if I would go, but it would be tempting offer, even if its just temporary.
One way to see if it is a stability issue, or confidence in ability to pay (rent, repairs, etc) would be to create a home-based insurance company that formally serves as financial and legal guarantor for a foreigner looking to rent. So the company could setup simultaneous offices in US and Japan for example, and would serve to provide confidence for financial security of landlords. For this service, the renter would retain their payment information on file in both US and Japan, so even if they suddenly fled Japan the company could immediately pay the landlord and recoup their costs back home.
There are so many comments! Thanks for the people who have shared the stories and sorry I can’t individually reply to all of them. I did want to make this comment in response to a few of the things I’ve seen written.
Japanese are racist. Yes, there are some Japanese that are racist, but for the people that are saying that, do you not realize how that’s a racist thing to say? By generalizing and saying all are racist that’s racist in itself. Hopefully if you watch the whole video, you’ll understand a bit more of the nuance.
One thing I thought about was that rental housing discrimination totally happens in Canada, although it wouldn’t be out in the open so much like it is in Japan. One example I have is that when I used to live in Whistler (this is almost twenty years ago now), my wife was able to rent a really nice place for cheap along with other Japanese girls because they were Japanese. The landlord specifically wanted to have Japanese girls rent his place. As a Canadian, I could hardly find any accommodations and what I ended up with was the bottom of the barrel.
Nowadays, because Vancouver has very little vacancy in it’s rental housing stock, you need to interview for places (at least with private landlords). It’s like a job interview except they can reject you for any reason. Of course they won’t say it’s because you’re from a certain country or don’t have a job they like or that you don’t look clean cut, but it happens. Although, I think the good thing about Canada is that I think we have decent racism and hate crime laws, so if you get caught in the act, you’ll get into trouble. Discrimination based on race, gender, religion, and other things is not allowed (but everyone knows it can still happen). I really wish Japan had stronger laws like Canada does, and more Japanese willing to stand up and say that things should be different, but that’s how things are at the moment. If you look a the studies that I linked to in the description, you can find a lot more subtlety in what foreigners have issues with in Japan. Interestingly, for some things, like getting stopped by police, Westerners (as opposed to people from East Asia or South-East Asia) face this more. There’s this myth that Westerners are treated better than other foreigners in Japan but current studies don’t support this www.davidchart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Discrimination-in-Kawasaki.pdf.
So, there are racists in Japan, there are racists in Canada, and actually in the linked study above, the overall level of discrimination in Japan is similar to that in Europe. Discrimination is worldwide issue because it’s a very human thing to do.
As for places that are foreigner friendly, UR Housing, which stand for Urban Renaissance, rents on a first come, first serve basis. I actually interviewed them for a separate video and will show you what that’s like. They also do away with a lot of the annoying costs, like key money, renewal fees, agency fees, and guarantors. They used to be completely public, but now the are semi-public / semi-private as far as I’m aware (but someone please correct me if it’s not really like that). But the point is that since they were/are a public corporation, they have a fair system for renting. Actually, Kyde and Eric got into a UR unit, and that’s the apartment they had just moved into when I filmed them (and that’s why it was so empty).
All the best everyone, Greg
Life Where I'm From Never heard of UR housing before and would love to know more about it since now I am searching for a place to live in Tokyo myself :)
hi greg.i'm from the philippines.i think i saw here in binondo philippines in divisoria?
(@ Life Where I'm From)
Dear Greg-Sensai,
I have been wondering about where I should start to look for purchasing and even developing land in Japan for commercial and for residential. What types of companies and places assist with this in Japan? What written laws pertain to someone not on a mortgage and perhaps will be immigrating from say the United States? I am saying this because I am really curious about what the actual differences are in land development contract laws with both commercial and residential development. I did notice that zoning in Japan seems to vary from place to place from other videos I have seen and that it would be good to cover what types of expenses there are including tax if any.
Presently my biggest hurdle could be the japanese language even though I understand some if the basic linguistics and really have a keen understanding of Japanese cultural practices and even certian Japanese laws. I am looking to buy and I know that it has a cost typically accompanying it that it would be super nice to have a bit of direction in where I should start to look in Japan.
Sincerely,
Awesome-Sama
Note: I also know that while I am not yet married to someone in what is 'present day' Japan when typing this here that it potentially can be both benificial and helpful with certain circumstances in the event they are native to Japan.
@@win541 This is only based on my personal experience but I think UR Housing is terrific. Previously, I lived in the same apartment for eight years and wanted to move. By happenstance I came across UR Housing when I was surfing the net. I wish I found them earlier. After a little research I discovered there were basically three real estate firms that work with UR and specialize in helping foreigners. They are the middlemen and they get paid by UR, maybe one month's rent. You use them but don't have to pay a thing. I picked a r/e company called Whitestone. Here is their address. (www.ur-housing.com). I told them what I wanted and the next day they had a place to show me and I took it. And I've been here for five years now. :-) There is no key money, no agent fee (as mentioned), and no guarantor needed. I only had to pay a security deposit of either 1 or 2 months (I forgot which) - and I was told on average tenants get back 94% of that when they decide to leave. I think you have to commit to staying for at least one year before going month-to-month. From the time I contacted Whitestone to the time I moved in was three weeks, I think, and I didn't have to worry about being ripped off or being rejected by a dozen fudosans which happened to me before. The place I live at now was around 5-6 years old when I moved in and it's well-maintained and only 2-3 minutes from the station. There are a surprising number of older people where I live but they are quite nice and it's a quiet building (12 stories) which I like. To my surprise there have always been vacancies available and there are two reasons for that. First, UR does a poor job at marketing. Sometimes you can see their adverts on the trains, for example, but so many foreigners I've spoken to never heard of it. Second, I live in Saitama-ken, not central Tokyo. As a result, it was easy for them to find a place for me. Many if not most UR places in Tokyo probably have a waiting list (first come, first serve as Greg said). I've heard some places in central Tokyo have a waiting list of more than a year but I haven't confirmed whether that's true or not. I paid 66K yen for my previous place (26 sq. meters) and now I pay 85K/month for 43 sq. meters, plus it has a nice veranda. My rent hasn't been raised once. All said, I have had no complaints other than the fact my current place is still smaller than what I can get back home. I suggest you contact Whitestone (or one of the others) and see how they can maybe help you. Good luck!
Hi i'm from philippines and if you live near the road, then prepare to hear loud motorcycles and trucks that are speeding at midnight. Sometimes there are loud musics or loud people. It's pretty much the opposite of japan. I want to live in japan than philippines if I can :( but the price of rent and cost of living in the philippines is much low cost than in japan.
I have zero intention to ever rent an apartment in Japan, but this video is stressing me out!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lol same. Even foreigners who were born and raised in Japan can't rent because of their ethnic background. Totally unacceptable.
lol
Same..
Rendall 😂😂😂agree with u but i want to live in the countryside
"Being a harmonious part of the community and not disturbing your neighbors" should be a renting prerequisite *EVERYWHERE*.
Stay in your own country is ok, and may be better.
Absolutely not. I rent out 4 apartments in Glasgow. My prerequisites are paying the rent, respecting the property and being peaceful. If people want to fit in with the community? That should never be required.
Konstantinos Implikian he’s not talking about simple respect, “harmonious” in this context is talking about the small things like the specific way trash must be organized or the ability to speak Japanese to greet each other. It’s not simply “respect” in its western context
@@Alan_Mac Peace/quiet equals harmony.
@@KonSimpl72 You said, "Being a harmonious part of the community". This should never be a prerequisite.
The lady with the scarf had such a deep kindness in her words and in her eyes..
I'd like to talk to her if I knew Japanese, she probably has some really tasty recipes.
@@Razgork both culinary and jinsei recipes i bet!
Agreed
Literally the first thought I had too lmao, I was like "she just looks like a super nice person"
Wooo you’re back!
I have rented for 3 years in Japan.. and no term longer than 6 months. If and when I can secure an apartment there’s always the burden of not knowing how long I’ll actually be there.
Then, then there’s the neighbors. ANYTHING you do is always wrong. Just the other night I was playing my PlayStation with a headset, not even talking and at 10pm my neighbor came knocking to tell me to shut up. The next night they were watching the baseball(?) and partying until 2am
Little things like that happen all the time. Apparently when I’m getting ready in the morning I slam cupboards and doors and wake up all the neighbours.
I have had often maintenance requests ignored. Spent the whole summer without air conditioning.
There’s even signs at my new apartment block to say “If you see any foreigners please report to management”
The discrimination and racism is horrendous here. Mainly middle and older aged. I have genuine friendships with a lot younger or my age tenants and workmates. Japan is interesting. I think this is the only thing I hate about Japan. And I’m N2 certified so language for me is not the issue.
Thats the kind of attitude that ruins other people chances who comes later.
@A Girl Has No Name And most likely would be used as proof that foreigners are bad, further justifying blaming foreigner for all problems.
Labyrinth9000 no wonder people have problems finding places
just how paper thin are your apartment walls that people are able to hear you make even the slightest noise
hey u should blame this Labyrinth9000 guy. he is the cause you all foreigners are being discriminated by your neighbours.
I keep telling people... The Japanese aren't friendly at all to foreigners. They just put on this facade that they're friendly and courteous. But that's all just social pressure. They have to act that way or they risk embarrassing themselves.
op3l Asians do it in America too. Specially to black and Hispanic people. It’s quite unfair they get a pass on it.
Their manners,some of the systems like the subway system,or their foods can be very nice. But realistically,Japanese (not all,ffs...) people are taught to keep rude comments to themselves. I'm guessing this is why they treat foreigners differently. That's why Japan is very homogenous and Japan probably won't stray from that anytime soon in the future. :/
that is why i was hoping some kind of war in japan so bad that they got displace to other country as refugee.
so that they learn to live with others in this planet.
That’s your perception.
@@nightingale00 Well I hope war finds you one day and then we will have on less idiot on the planet...
A Vietnamese RUclipsr "Giang Vu" is an international student in Japan. She recalled working in a store as a clerk. When a man saw that she was a foreigner (her name tag "Giang"), he said "Foreigner?" and switched lane even though he queued very long. She was also told a lot in store by her manager that "You don't know how to do this right?" and blamed whenever there was an issue in the store.
Not exclusive to Japan. I'm pale white in a country full of brown people (rude but quick way to paint the picture for you, to keep it simple) I was literally working as a helper in a grocery/bread store, couldn't last long because there were people going to the boss complaining about ("allegedly") the way I was packing the products (the most simple, fool-proof, mindless activity there could possibly exist under the sun) Let alone all the weird stares all the time and people with angry faces. Brown people looove to brag how they are receptive of everyone and how white people are "evil" but they are the ones you see most often ganging up and gaslighting.
@Kazuma Kawamura's Wife But in America they have laws against race discrimination. Most companies would educate their employees not to commit that.
@Kazuma Kawamura's Wife sorry for the way you feel in my country but trust that we not all the same. Think it's because the coast your in. Nyc totally different
Blessings my friend
yeah and generalizing the whole Japanese based on an experience of a single RUclipsr is ok and NOT racist at all. Very very rational thinking.
@Kazuma Kawamura's Wife Wait what? US is by far better than Japan in terms of protections against racist practices among employers. Your anecdotal experience isn't evidence that Japan and America conduct similar racism.
If they had that language rule in America, landlords would have a lot of empty buildings
If America was a tiny island it would probably have more restrictions. Japan is tiny yet has too many people trying to live in it.
@@alexandercrush Yet they have more older people than young, which will become a problem as the current generation matures. The US does have restrictions, but we are a melting pot and I believe that is a good thing. Where else can you get great food and music from so many different countries in one spot?
@@alexandercrush Japan doesn't want to end up like Western Europe.
@@alexandercrush swap American with England then.
Majority of landlords in the U.S. will let you in as long as you can pay and don't cause any trouble. You have the money, they have the space. Let's make a deal - usually how it works. From my experience, just as long as there is basic understanding and there's money involved - it's usually not a problem renting out property.
I remember living in this really new, fancy apartment. Someone wasn't taking their trash out on the correct days (not my family - I am actually so psychotic about things being the proper way). Management put up signs, warnings, etc. Nothing changed. I just knew that everyone was going to think that it was us, and so I also put in a complaint to management, just to sort of show that it wasn't us. Then, there came the signs in English only (we're the only non-Japanese in the building). Everyone still thought that it was us. They finally checked the security footage, found out it was a young Japanese guy who was always away on business and so just put his trash out when he felt like it... although everyone knew we were innocent, we never received an apology from either neighbours or property management (who had contacted us directly, and although we were all speaking in polite Japanese, strongly recommended that we look at the English version of the city's garbage disposal website...)
Did they continue to blame you?
If they stopped thats great.
Maybe its just me, but I rather they kept quite and avoid the awkward moment where we trip each other with apologies >_
@@zam023 Actually, imagining that... you may very well be right XD
I think that it just bothered me that they continued to think that it was likely us, even after we said very clearly that it wasn't. I understand that it could have come from a place of concern, as in, "they think they're doing it correctly, but they might still be making a mistake." Once it was discovered who it truly was, of course the notices and warnings in English stopped. Actually, though, that neighbourhood was truly the least friendly in which I've ever lived in Japan. Mostly, our neighbours have been nothing but kind and wonderful!
I would have confronted them and made it embarrassing for them. A lot of people can't handle embarrassment
@@Gollumfili ...thus causing relations to worsen further and proving their point that we as foreign people don't fit in? I see and respect your point, but truly think that it's most effective either in a place where you don't have/need/want community relationships. Personally, however, I wouldn't do that even then, as I find it somewhat unkind, tbh
That sucks and I would feel so offended. But thinking to myself, even though Brazil is super mixed, if some of the “races” that are not so inserted in our society here (eg Chinese, some African countries) lived in an apartment complex and the same issue happened, people would jump to the conclusion they are the ones doing it too. It really sucks, but it’s easier to blame on the “weaker” and keep the group mindset.
I hope Taka gets a boost in business from this video, seems like a cool and reasonable dude.
I’ve been living in Japan for 7 years and my Japanese neighbors have been so incredibly noisy, especially kids and older men. It may be a structural issue but I never heard my neighbors in Canada. I’ve also heard stories about Japanese neighbors having parties until 3 am, etc., so it’s pretty awful to assume that only foreigners would make noise or be bad tenants. There are good tenants and bad tenants everywhere, race has nothing to do with it.
magesticbaby you probably live in the slum area...
magesticbaby I hear my neighbours in Canada running all the time after 11 pm. And dropping items and being noisy.. I live in Toronto
"it *may* be a structural issue?" you obviously didn't know anything before moving to Japan. Any apartment complex has VERY thin walls; this is also why love hotels are a thing...
Fancy why are you bothering to speak on something you admitted you know nothing about?
I agree, but race = culture & up bringing as well, race actually plays a big role ! for example, In a shared house someone in japan would be quiet and use headphone while others will use max volume and talk like as if he is back in his country
Bummer. This kind of ruins my dream of living in Japan, even if just for a couple of years.
Scared Folks Don’t let it dampen your outlook on the country as a whole! I want to study abroad in japan for a year and have been hearing more and more about the prejudices they have towards foreigners. It seems more like they just worry we’ll be all over the place disrespecting their traditions and everything they value. In a way you have to “earn” your respect by showing them you do respect their culture and way of life. That will undoubtedly take time but it’s not impossible. The level at which you may experience any of these things also depends on where you live and who you’re around.
@@BlissfulMartini So in a way its basically fear in a sense?, i live in England so there system is realy weird to me. But i can understand if its fear/distrust considering how things can happen with disrespectful people, i just hope one day they realsie there fear is a bit over the top one day.
@@mazerswift If Japan removed their rules Chinese immigrants would quickly take over their country.
you want a real bummer look at the Japanese criminal justice system
@Mourning Star yeah they are low because you live in fear of random incarceration with no lawyer and lengthy time limits for police to harass a confession out of you honestly it reminds me of the witch trials that happened in the us
I work for a large global corporation and have lived all over, been in Japan now for a few years and I have to say this has been one of my more stressful assignments. The country is beautiful but being a foreigner you really do feel second rate, something I was not at all prepared for and have never really experienced in any other country I have worked in. I'm getting ready to move on to another assignment here in a few months and can honestly say I would come back to visit but I would never want to live here again.
@@swp5528 a lot of countries are like that. Where you been ?
@@sschevmale24 This totally dishonest a lot of countries are NOT like that. It’s more than likely fairly easy to find rental housing in other countries throughout the world whether it’s is in the UK, Canada, The USA or several countries in Africa. The average person earning a decent living will easily be able to find rental housing in a foreign country. In this regard Japan is unlike most other countries.
@@sschevmale24 Not really
@@sschevmale24 like which ones lol
I am sorry you have had a hard time in Japan because my guess is you did nothing to cause this. (If you did, great - now you know how to live more easily in Japan and have grown as a person but I doubt this is the case) You are obviously a generous person: you would visit Japan again in spite of having what sounds like an awful time in certain areas of life. Sometimes the wrong people pay the price for bad behavior in the past: from the Japanese point of view their experience with the west has not been wonderful. (I am making an assumption you are western if I am wrong apologies and ignore the rest of this message....) Westerners also prioritize individualism in our cultures (some more than others) often at the expense of respect for those around us. Then there is colonialism: the memories of colonialism are nasty and last for generations. It's only been a century since my country regained its independence and we are still not done with the traumas and various messes left behind. Does not justify what you've gone through however. I like your generosity: makes the world a better place if we can manage not to retaliate.....G
6:45
"... and I don't know if he specialised in foreigners" - "I think he does"
Narrator: "He does."
A very Arrested Development moment right there
Glad you got the reference :-)
@@kombinatsiya6000 GOLD!!!!
Thanks for having us, Greg! Good work putting this all together!
Loved seeing you guys here!
Thank you for sharing the stories about your apartment block.
Did you have any idea where those people upstairs were from (the ones making the noise)?
@@zam023 Yep, I talked with them quite a few times.
Heyloo, Kyde and Eric
. It was a real nice surprise seeing you guys on Greg's channel.
Loving to see both of you~
my Japanese friend raised in the UK thought Japan was such a bother and uptight and he couldn't WAIT till he moved back to London MUCH happier having moved
Weird flex but ok
How's that even a flex it's not like I was the world traveler lol
@@oshbaaya I want to know as well. xD
@Cold Water In think social freedom is underrated in the uk and racism was a real issue and way more accepted in Japan
This is a bit misleading. MOST Japanese refuse to rent to foreigners. And most foreigners who rent in Japan are never made aware of this. The few real estate agents that accept foreigners will only show them apartments that are foreign friendly.
Little Foot considering 96% of the people in Japan are Japanese that isn’t going to change anything
@@TyTy-kg3fd Considering it's a tiny island with heavy resource consumption, one has to wonder if one should pay their xenophobia back by cutting off trade.
Yes, that's what the video discussed. Real estate agents showing foreigners apartments that they should know only accept natives. That's why the woman in the end said Taka didn't waste their time.
Yeah that’s an absolutely believable statement with no evidences or statistics just words. If only science was that easy.
@@misbegotten3508 That's some quality 8 year old thinking right there.
Can you do a video on garbage sorting?
Simon and Martina here on youtube did a video about just garbage if you're interested in it.
ruclips.net/video/OafCWKqwgpY/видео.html
That's same as germany totally similar
He made it several years ago: ruclips.net/video/OafCWKqwgpY/видео.html
Greg have already done it before.
Found it! Here you go: ^_^
ruclips.net/video/OafCWKqwgpY/видео.html
I used Taka after seeing Kyde and Eric's video. He was awesome! He was able to get me an apartment in Nerima that was great and they accepted pets. The landlord and his wife didn't speak English and I did speak much Japanese at first, but by the time I moved back after 3 1/2 years the language barrier wasn't too bad. Also the landlord always asked if I needed anything or wanted to travel to Costco. I highly recommend Taka to anyone looking at a place in Tokyo
It was even hard to get an Airbnb in japan for me. And you pay upfront. I got rejected many times.
Don’t do airbnb. There’s a homeless problem, and people have extra houses that they rent out for premium prices. Think about it. Also, you could be getting spied on with spy cameras. They can put them in any benign looking every day object. I made one Whisper about what if there were spy cameras in the fire alarms, and guess what! It is already a thing 😐 I got called a paranoid stoner. I’m not paranoid. There are actually awful stories of this happening with Airbnb customers. I didn’t know that when I Whispered or the last time we did airbnb in January. We kept feeling watched 😑
Ex-green beret owned our airbnb.
I mean, there are devices that you can buy that search for cameras or video recording devices. But what’s really scary is a lot of these cameras are live streaming, so literally the airbnb owner probably is watching you on their phone live or something...
The most xenophobic nation in the world... they only have a facade of welcoming foreigners so outsiders can do business with them.
@@bakarangerpinku no my problem
@@bakarangerpinku 😨 well there goes my airbnb plans
Went to Japan twice in 2018. Stayed at AirBnB’s in Tokyo both times as well as Sapporo part of the second time. Prices were great, lots of availability and zero discrimination. Plan to go back once the world returns to normal again and will use Airbnb.
I actually have a really heartwarming story about my family's current landlord... Our place is rented by our company, as this makes the rental process much smoother. When the landlord, who also resides in the building, found out that it was a foreign couple moving in, he couldn't really have done anything even if he'd wanted to protest. Well, after having met him, he expressed to us his relief (especially at our ability to speak Japanese) and admitted how nervous he had been. Although it's sad that he was so worried, I'm glad that by actually meeting us in person, his fears were allayed. I somehow feel that if the landlords could meet the potential tenants directly, instead of just hearing "they're foreign" from the rental company's middleman, there might be fewer problems.
You have a good point there. I had made a post suggesting that rental companies should do a profile on the potential tenants so they could show it to the landlords. It would atleast give the landlords some idea who are trying to rent their property.
I also suspect that this is the case. My sense is that the vast majority of Japanese really, genuinely do not care whether someone is foreign. They do, however, really genuinely care about Japanese language ability, ability to fit into the culture, and likelihood of causing problems, and a lot of them use "foreigner" as a sign of someone who cannot speak Japanese or follow the rules, and who will cause problems. But they do not really care about the foreignness, so when they actually meet foreigners, the problems can all disappear, at least for that person.
How do we stop them using "foreign" as a marker for problems? I wish I knew.
@@zam023 Yes, and also avoid situations like the one that the couple described, in which there was a lot of (probably not legal) changeover in tenants... However, they do get somewhat of a profile. At least for us, they've always known our workplace and income, our marital status (including how many years together), our resident status, our nationalities, our university degrees (from Japan, so it matters to them lol), that we're non-smokers with no pets... But, once, we had a landlord who wanted to rent to us, but it was the management company who didn't like our profile (we were students at the time). Anyway, I still think that it's a nice idea!
@@DavidChart I agree wholeheartedly. I also think that there are places where it's easier to integrate than others, and also cultures from which, whether economically or socially, it's less difficult to thrive here... Of course, it's only my opinion, but as the issues surrounding discrimination in Japan seem to reside less and less with Japanese individuals, and more with systems that have (or have not) been put in place, I think that the way to repair relations is likely to be changes in the legal and social systems (this includes media, of course, which still influences our opinions greatly).
@@sarahberlaud4285 The legal systems are almost never overtly discriminatory, although they rarely forbid discrimination. I am wary of trying to legislate against discrimination, for a lot of reasons, but I do suspect that forbidding landlords from discriminating on grounds of nationality would help. It would force them to be explicit about what they are really worried about, and that, in most cases, would make them more accepting of many foreigners.
The more general issue of racism/xenophobia in Japan is, I think, a lot more complex. I've come to believe it is fundamentally different from racism in the US or Europe, and even from the anti-immigrant attitudes we see in the UK at the moment, which are mainly directed against white people (specifically, people from Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe). Apart from being convinced that almost none of the analysis done of the US or European situation is applicable or helpful, I don't really have very much positive to offer.
Me: *breathes*
Japanese neighbours: TOO LOUD!!!!
Me : ...........
Japanese neighbours: TOO LOUD!!!!
Sir Bentley Gray aha!
Jamie M sorry! *nods*
😂😂😂
@@Buzzzy-bee please keep your nodding down. it's too loud and I'm trying to sleep.
Me: whispers
Japanese land lord : *knock* *knock* You got a complaint from your neighbors pls be quiet
*Japanese neighbors at 3 am having friends over and are drinking*
Me: OxO noisy
Japanese land lord: I don’t hear anything
Me: XnX
These anecdotes about foreigners failing to follow the “rules” of Japanese society are interesting as a sociological study but they don’t in any way justify racist discrimination. If you took the same situation and placed the foreigners in a western country and tried to justify denying them housing because they were culturally different, most people would have no problem seeing that treatment as wrong. For some reason, Japan is given greater deference for its culture than other places.
One doesn't need to justify racist discrimination. As a prospective tenant, you have to understand that you aren't the owner of the property. You will only be granted the privilege of living there by the owner. The racism card doesn't work here. I can be as racist as I want, and that's my right. Don't like it? Too bad.
Eric Richards it’s your right to go rot under a rock away from all human beings also
@@pinnokino If I'm the owner of the property, I have a few more rights than that. The discrimination card just doesn't work here. You can try playing it, but you'll lose.
@@TheShrededward there's laws in many countries (mostly Western ones) that make it illegal to deny services to clients as a business due to their ethnicity/culture. So unless you live in one that doesn't have such protections you're wrong.
@@macroxela I live in Japan where we have the right to deny service to anybody for any reason. It's a civilized country.
I like that japanese lady in the middle of the video. She had a very dignified older lady vibe.
I’m fluent in Japanese, work at a Japanese company, and have lived here for around 10 years. I was rejected from a majority of apartments just because I look foreign. They call up the landlord and ask if a foreigner can rent, and then it’s an immediate “no.” I finally got an apartment after being turned away at the door (phone) by at least 20 apartments.
There is racism everywhere, the difference is that this kind of discrimination is legal, as opposed to the United States.
It's not necessarily, the landlords worry that foreigners will break the lease and go back to their country without fully paying it.
@@nerolost4347 Yeah people just assume everyone loves paying rent and they never try to get access without paying. WFT if everyone pays rent in full each year in advance I don't think any landlord would reject them ever!!!!!
It’s more open and out in Singapore, they clearly out in ads “No” to certain races can you believe that.
@@nerolost4347 If that is the case, landlords can always rent to someone else as soon as the apartment is vacant. But I guess having to post an ad online is too much work for landlords (not something exclusive from Japan though).
@@donaldlyons17 People with enough money to pay one year of rent in advance will just buy instead.
Japan is a great place to visit NOT to live in. I've been wanting to live in Japan since I was 10 but it's shocking how they need people yet make it super difficult for foreigners. The passive racism is a big issue but I don't care, I'll still visit with good intentions and treat them as nice as possible however I don't think I would like to live there anymore. Thanks for the comments glad to hear other's opinions and thank you for the video Greg :)
It all depends on what expectations you have. And yes, if you are not a japanese person, living there may be a little more difficult. But compared to other countries, Japan does have a lot of good things. It all depends on whether or not the good things in Japan outweighs, the good things in other countries.
I remember slapping the shite out of a Japanese dude in toyko for callin me a foreigner. Those little dudes bow down quick when you slap the crap out of em.
@@greasymuchacho He pointed out the fact that you're a foreigner so, you slapped him?
@@CunnyRape yeah he called me a Gaijin and gave me a dirty look, so I beat him silly. I was pretty drunk but I still think he was the one in the wrong.
Mako hey mako some people do this weird thing where they lie on the internet to get attention. He’s probably never even been to Japan 😂😂😂😂
Yeah, so I'm a U.S. citizen, but speak pretty good Japanese, and my wife is Japanese. It was nearly impossible finding a decent place to live together in Japan. We went to several realtors and discussed open apartments only to have them be "taken" once we called. I also distinctly recall hearing in Japanese, "No, but he speaks really good Japanese, and his wife is Japanese", only to hear that the place had been rented 2 minutes later. I had a good job, and my wife's parents to be our guarantor. I remember joking with my wife that we are unrentable because I'm foreign and she didn't work. It became a bitter gag that many apartments allow dogs, but not foreigners. Finally, we went to a realtor who called in the branch manager who then got out his magic book of landlords who would rent to foreigners, and we found a good place (great landlord in a nice area), but I was so downtrodden by then. Pretty terrible, but a great experience if your a white American man: a chance to know racial profiling and discrimination first hand (although still, Americans are looked on rather favorably among foreigners in Japan).
It would have been different if your wife had a job in Japan. Without a job, no one can find a place to rent (unless you're a student renting a student apartment). It's all too easy for you to divorce your wife and run back to your home country without paying the rent so your having a job is irrelevant.
I basically punched this japanese dude in the face and made him rent to me. Told him I was with some mafia as I have tattoos all over the place. Yakuza.
that sucks but i doubt your japanese is actually good enough to make the japanese trust you. im a single french guy and this has never happened to me. work on your pronounciation more.
私は最近賃貸を探していましたが、検索の項目に「外国人不可」と書いてあるのを見つけてとても驚いた。日本の不動産主は非常に悪い。
Can you read lease contract written in Japanese and fully understand? Just speaking Japanese may not be enough when it comes to contracts.
Signing a contract without reading/understanding well can cause problems, so that might be a big obstacle in Japan because many foreigners speak Japanese but cannot read/write well due to Kanji.
The quietness actually sounds appealing, in college when I lived in an apartment I would become so enraged with loud music next door.
Yeah, I like living in a quiet area where I am, so this is definitely appealing to me.
Well, the quietness is a myth unless you live in a very expensive place. Japanese will be noisy to you and two-faced complaining about everything and anything you do.
I had a Japanese roommate who I thought we were really good friends. He said to me if you were Japanese we'd be better friends. My jaw dropped, but I have other Japanese friends who don't care that I'm Japanese. They are an extremely polite culture but I did notice the slight from them at times. So yes if you are not Japanese they will treat you differently.
I can understand your roommate. I'm not Japanese, but when I'm with people from my country, I'm a lot more intimate than with people with other nationalities. Language and culture connects people deeply. Even if you learn Japanese and get to know the culture, you will always stay behind because you had less time to 'mature'. A bit depressing, but it's the reality. They're in a kind of bubble and want to stay within it. You're from outside the bubble, so they would need to hold certain things back to prevent offending you or to prevent bothering discussing certain things.
they didn't mean to be racist because that's how Japanese culture works. I had a Japanese girlfriend and it was full of surprises. i thought the things she said were mean and after talking about it she seem like she had no idea that's considered racist in the west
Honestly, I get the not speaking Japanese being a determent for property managers. Where I live, they give us a lot of flyers and a lot of things go on with our apartments (cleaning, construction, general notices). It'd be incredibly frustrating to have a tenant who cannot speak the language of the country they live in and just ignore or not understand something important. I mean I know people are and can learn the language but I definitely understand why they get rejected. However, being rejected DESPITE speaking Japanese has always rubbed me the wrong way about Japan.
But the video clearly stated that only 10% of the people denied renting couldnt speak Japanese well. So that seems to be a lesser issue
@@elijahmartin5291 Like the risk factor that might be present in accepting a foreigner. I definitely understand that, and getting along with neighbors and such. That is all reasonable in my opinion.
@@evewhoo Yet if we had that mentality in the West we'd be classed as Racists.
@@Etheral101 No you would be classed as racist because that is racist :D. Rejecting someone without any reason just because of personal issues isn't an objective reason. It is just prejudicial.
@@elijahmartin5291 That's what OP said.
The collective difficulty the global human culture has in acknowledging racial discrimination by non whites is quite distressing. I genuinely believe that this inability for us to say, as a species that "anyone from any culture can be racially biased" is a huge hurdle in solving the problem of racial discrimination for all.
This entire video is full of rationalizations and justifications of the biased stereotypes and overall xenophobia of the people from a specific nation. I see similar justifications given for the racism of Indians (my country) against people with black skin living in India.
Do we truly believe that the fictitious white people who are infact being racist are just doing it with no justifications in their minds ? They are just mindlessly and thoughtlessly evil? No. They too have their justifications and when examined , the justifications like "They are not sending their best, they are sending murderers...." , "They take our jobs"
are not that different from: "Oh they make noise" (here is an anecdote) , "Oh they don't know how to integrate".
The only way we will be able to resolve the problem of racism is by acknowledging it and calling it out. No matter who the perpetrator is. I loved the little diatribe by the president of the Kanagawa housing district at the end. She is unafraid to call her own people out. It's important that we all call our own people out.
This comment means so much to me.
I've felt nothing but hate for being white everywhere online and none of it gets called out to the point where I've ditched social media all together because it just makes me depressed. Seeing someone actually take an objective view of all this makes me feel less like the world hates me because of my skin. Bless.
"Xenophobia" is a justified response to the threat of immigration or replacement against a culture and people. We are not diverse without nations and without races and without differences, for one to claim otherwise is lunacy.
"It;s important that we call our own people out" I AGREE >:)
Really well written comment
(Not sarcasm
Thanks Nikhil. I am from Yugoslavia and we love to hate people. Hopefully India will improve and I will be able to say Jai Hindh. It's a nice place to visit.
This is an interesting topic.
I’m an Indonesian, and currently enrolling in Post-Grad study with an option of a Double Degree with foreign uni. Just so happen that i’m aiming to join a uni in Niigata.
The campus itself is 100% english, and they don’t find it a problem if you don’t speak Japanese at all. But they do give emphasis on how the Japanese live, Including how to handle the garbage! They literally have 6 pages full of information on how garbage disposal work. And they take no jokes in doing so. It’s almost intimidating for first timer
So fingers crossed, if i do got accepted there, i might share some of my point of view 👍🏻
Good Luck! You can do it! 😊
Hope everything goes well, fellow Indonesian
A six page pamphlet on garbage in Japan is comparable to the 42 page book that was prepared for employees when I lived in Saudi Arabia, explaining how to live, work and behave, and the cultural norms! There was also a long off-the-record briefing on the more controversial aspects of life, such as alcohol, sex and your social life. Every aspect of your life was controlled, your passport was saved in the personnel department of your company, travel more than 40 km from your registered address needed a letter of permission, unless you were a senior staff member, and to leave the country you had to apply for and obtain a re-entry or exit visa, not the automatic application that you get here.
I guess for many people, Japan is the first foreign country that they have lived and worked in, the non-alphabetic language is a challenge, so it is a massive culture shock for them, but Japan does provide a lot more information than many other Asian countries to enable you to assimilate.
Wish you a good luck !
Thanks for the kind words folks 🙏🏻
I'm a bit late to the party, but I just wanted to note this is a really really good video. The way you cut the interviews, so it fits with what the interview partners are talking about and switches between them - it's almost like a real, high-production documentary. I love it, thank you very much.
summary:
1.language
2.garbage sorting
3.attitude (abide with Japanese)
The only rule I find... not stupid, I guess, but just laughable is the rule about being quiet. Yes, of course you should respect your neighbours and keep noise down, but honestly if they actually insulated their buildings PROPERLY, half of these noise issues wouldn't be issues at all. It's ridiculous how thin the walls are. In the Leopalace apartments I lived in, you can literally hear your neighbours do anything and everything. Flushed the toilet? Heard it. Drop a pin? Probably heard it. Having sex? Definitely heard it.
@Tesla-Effect "Badly" doesn't even cover the extent of it. No central heating. Drafts of air immediately fill your living space, making cooling/healing pointless almost. I implore you to go on some Japanese real estate websites like suumo and look for apartments. Literally 8 out of 10 apartment floor plans make no sense. Absolutely zero thought put into the design. Fun part is that if you go to look at the these apartment yourselves, half of them don't even accurately match the floor plans themselves.
Speaking of Leopalace, a recent news report said there were a bunch of buildings that didn't mean building regulations at all. It's seriously laughable.
And this comment explains why the Japanese have problems with foreigners. You do not like the Japanese rule about being quiet? Why are you in Japan? Respect their culture or get out.
@@daichicarlton4674 it doesn't "explain" anything. Just because I outlined something I don't like about their rules doesn't mean I don't follow them. I have so many problems with your comment I don't even want to get into it... I'm going to assume you are Japanese because you seem to be a cultural expert of Japan?
@Tesla-Effect
They are built to last 5 decades, not 1. And that has mostly to do with earthquake regulations, the regulations are constantly getting stricter with new developments, so it doesn't make sense to build longer lasting houses. Japanese people also don't like to buy old houses.
@@BLY99 Japanese people also don't like to buy old houses.
from what i recently was reading,they cant even give their old houses away,and more and more people are moving into the city.
before you know it the cities will have walls with hates to let you in and out b/c other wise between towns will be nothing but wild life
Lol I'm from the Philippines and this is sooo true! People here loves to play music and celebrate. We have lots of holidays including the local ones where its a custom to celebrate fiesta all night long or Christmas season starting on -Ber months. It's difficult to file or report a noise complaint since there's an unwritten rule that if you're the one whose going to make a noise or host a party they should not complain too.
Only in subdivisions/fancy housing area are the ones with *sometimes* strict noise compliance rules.
it feels like theyre making excuses that its anything other than xenophobia.
WEll it is. Japan is well known for being one of the most xenophobic culture on this planet.
Asia in general is a bit like that - some countries more than others. Thailand is also very discriminatory with foreigners living there, not tourists. Singapore being the one exception since it's a very new territory so it's very multicultural.
Tesla-Effect ? Horrible behavior? Are you stupid? They mostly only turn away people who can’t speak Japanese, and don’t have good enough financials. There’s no problem with wanting to keep your culture in tact, and when you have a bunch of ignorant foreigners coming in who do not respect or understand such culture why would you want them there?
@Whatever Dude your dillusional
Totally agree with the madame. If you don’t teach foreigners how to behave and do the daily things, you can’t be mad at them.
Yeah, and they are not mad at them. They just decide not to go through the trouble to teach them and said no. Make me really scared of ever going to Japan lol.
griffinina nina. it’s not Japan’s responsibly to teach foreigners the Japanese culture. It’s up to them
@@coal1987 Then Japan will die. Their population is maturing rapidly with death rates far exceeding that of birth. Isolationism cannot survive in this day and age of mass transportation.
Japan sounds like the only nation that doesn't care to share how things are done in their own land. Every other nation shows and teaches foreigners how things are done, especially Europeans, Spaniards love showing off to foreigners "No... This is how you do it!" They're awesome. Japan is just another nation, but apparently they are too special to do the job of sharing tips to make living as Japanese and not as a foreigner harder. Fine! Die already! Nation has low birth rate due to its isolation and set ways without sharing. Just like that self-centered know-it-all kid in the playground who doesn't share his crayons... he has no friends for a reason. >_>
@@LadyCoyKoi Heard Serbia is friendly towards foreigners ... not the fake type of friendliness
I wish our upstairs neighbor and her kid understood how to live quietly.
Them: "Unspoken rules."
Finland: "Am I a joke to you?"
@ボイス It's just very awkward here if someone stranger comes too close to someone in open space... People try to go to free double seats in bus by default, never sit next to someone, even if they do they might be elderly. It's mainly to keep "open space" for elderly. Even on road everyone has unspoken rules, like always let pedestrians pass if no lightpost saying otherwise. If there are no cars on the way, always walk past the crossroad even when lights are red. Always wave at pedestrians if they wave. Etc.
Well, I believe quite many countries have said unspoken rules, we just don't take it to account too much. Like Egypt's way of bravecrossing a busy street when there are no crossroads to pass from.
@ボイス Here, I find it obtrusive if my neighbour askes _me_ a question. I have nothing to ask from her, so it is rude from her to ask me anything, especially which floor I live in. None of her business. I find it very annoying when she does vacuuming, that makes irregular noise. I'm happy she keeps it down for the 95% of the time.
I'm happy there is still a country in this world whos residents do not want noisy and unstable neighbours to move nextdoors. Including me. Makes me feel there's still hope in this world. Japan is unique due to the fact it is a closed society, and is highly regarded because of that. If you want to move abroad and still speak your mother language and take your habits with you, move to Sweden for Christ sake. Accept the fact that different cultures do exist, this is the definition of diversity.
@ボイス It is true. However, it's also fine to sit next to a random person if there is no room, nobody expects you to remain standing if it's crowded. 99% of the time nobody will talk to each other though, unless they're friends or otherwise know each other. If I see people talking with each other, I automatically think they're friends.
I've mainly just used trains, but even if you sit "next to" someone else there (I mean in the sense that you have 3 seats, and you and the random sit there and leave the middle one free), nobody really cares that much, at least if you're silent or mind your own business. People may look at you for a few seconds if other seats are (fully) available, but then they will delve back into their phones.
@@M8gazine I've heard than Finnish people are the happiest. Is that true ? Also is it hard to make friends since the society is so introverted ?
@ボイス I don't and it's not a thing in here.
On the other hand, alcohol does the trick and makes people do small talk. Even if you are the only one drunk at the bus stop, haha.
I find it very hard to stay silent under influence and the earlier rant I wrote is a product of just that. If you want to make friends with a finn, it'll be easier if he or she is UI.
You should do a video on Ghost Homes and how cheap you can rent and buy them. Great video
Actually, it is something in the past now, Suumo even marketing them as a cheaper option for single people. And a lot of second-hand realtors hide that fact and rent them to unaware foreigners.
Excellent video. This feels like a national media level of quality in production and research, something I'd expect on BBC4, PBS, etc.
The direct commentary on racism and xenophobia in David's segment and the unedited delivery there was a powerful choice. The housing commission interviewee sums things up very nicely, I think. She is eager to help foreign residents integrate, but recognizes that the societal standards at play are poorly communicated to non-natives and extreme relative to global standards. It's notable that she represents a relatively liberal viewpoint in Japan, but even she is not advocating for any actual change in how the Japanese live - just trying to be more open to molding foreigners into local standards. I say this not to take a stand on whether that's a positive or negative thing, just to note this is very likely to be the case for a long, long time, considering Japan's demographics. Conservative nationalists have been in power forever and the upside-down age pyramid means middle-aged protectionist attitudes are here to stay. I think this video will continue to be relevant for a long time, as cultural leverage and political leverage are both working against younger japanese who would be more open to tolerating (or even adopting) foreign home life practices, renting to foreigners, or changing immigration policies.
Maybe we should help old people die faster
If an American landlord outright refused to accept a tenant because the tenant has poor English language abilities or is a foreigner, it would cause a huge commotion. Why is it accepted in Japan? It shouldn't be acceptable anywhere in the world
Ughh, I hate moving in Japan. I've lived in Japan for almost 16 years and moved about 6 times. Probably, the thing I hate the most about it is the cost. There's the guarantor company fee, the realtor fee, the shikikin, the reikin, key change fee, etc. In Tokyo you can easily end up paying 4 times the monthly rent in these various fees, and then the first month's rent itself.
Then there's just being flat out refused by landlords for being foreign, and then there's the noise thing.
In my case, it's always been problems with noisy neighbours. Parties at 3am on a weekday, a neighbour using her hairdryer at 2am every day, etc, etc. I've never had a noise complaint directed at me, ever, but many of my other non-Japanese friends have. Even when they're not even in the country let alone the apartment at the time of the complaint. This happened just recently to a friend of mine. Luckily, he showed his airline ticket to his landlord as proof that he wasn't even there when he was apparently being noisy. I'd like to think the person who complained got wrapped on the knuckles for that, but probably not.
We had one situation in my building a few years ago where the building's water system was on the fritz. Anytime someone used their hot water at nighttime, a really fast, loud banging noise could be heard throughout the entire building. A few hours later at around 2am the police arrived and questioned my Italian neighbour from a few doors down. The person downstairs had told the police he "must be working out or something" even though anyone with half a brain could understand that it was way too loud and far too fast to be someone pounding dumbells. But, seeing as my neighbour was foreign (and a well-built guy), he was the easy target. The guy who filed the complaint did his best to avoid myself and the Italian guy from that point on.
Okay, a little bit of a rant incoming, but as a long-term resident here, some of it might be useful for anyone coming to live in Japan. I hate to say it, but as a foreigner, you're always the soft target in Japan. Someone in the building isn't sorting their trash correctly? Question the foreigner. Someone's being noisy? Probably the foreigner. If you're coming to Japan, be ready for this. Whether it's at home or at work, or even if there's been a crime committed in the area - the police will question any foreigners they find in the area first.
I like Japan and I have family here now, but at times I do feel as if I'm walking on eggshells here. There are certain situations, like housing, in Japan where you will absolutely feel the "us" vs "them" attitude. Just be mindful of what you're doing, how you're acting, don't give people any reason to target you, and you'll be okay.
With the government's plan to allow more foreigners to live and work here coming into effect this year, it makes me worried. They want more foreigners to come here, spend money here, prop up the labour force here, and pay taxes here, but I feel the govt isn't doing enough to combat racism in Japan. Whether it's intentional or unintentional, it's still racism and I haven't seen a lot of change in this area in my 16 years here. Maybe the influx of these foreign workers will eventually bring about change, but I think any changes will come slowly and clumsily.
very interesting account. Thank you for being so frank. I wonder if the 2020 Olympic Games will make any change for better or worse? Conveniently the Government has just levied a visitors tax
You never lived in NYC haha you’re talking same stuffs I were in Japan, all’s depends of the luck and researching, I mean what the right mind I will move to manhattan if I know the prices of rent are skyrocket cause I want to live in Manhattan, you or anyone who want to live in Japan could easily live in the nearest prefectures, as I know some friends live there, seriously if you dislike much Japan why you were 16 years, for me if I dislike a place I’ll try to move in the next couple years or just been transferred to other place.
Japan isn’t a multi cultural country why people can’t understand that 😂 they’re expecting they will change in 2020 being open borders like EU America’s continent.
@leeroy77 the Japanese are not racism, Japanese are more of xenophobic type.
@@sirguilhaume1964 Xenophobia is the leading cause of racism. Xenophobia turns into racism when a foreigner is targeted for unequal treatment because of their foreign status.
Racism does not exist outside of the us or Germany.
I've lived in several countries including Vietnam and Singapore. I would not live in Japan. It's an interesting country, but the racism is just too much. I imagine lots of people feel like me. (Even worse for my wife who has a PhD in mathematics but gets treated like crap because she's Vietnamese.) It's Japan's loss, honestly.
Never had any of the issues you're describing. I spent six years in Hawaii (Waikiki) and dated many Japanese women and met lots of Japanese people. Nothing but great things to say. Started learning the language a year ago and it's been a blast. I plan on moving there.
@@Re3iRtH That's because you were in Hawaii, not Japan.
Well Japan isn’t a multi cultural country as well China, so you know where you are going on and expecting the worse not the better, some I know have luck with their Japanese colleagues so doesn’t it. That’s life I guess
@@ThomasAffoltertevis May be a fair point. I have traveled to Japan twice since then and I've had the same pleasant experience. Going to check out Osaka next for a week. I've lived and some of the most diverse cities and went to the most diverse undergrad. I don't mind it but I also don't mind the homogeneity in Japan.
@@JoshuaDegreiff Could you rewrite that in a little bit better English. I'm not sure if you were tired or drunk but I can't follow your grammar.
japan 24/7 : shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......
philippines from 12 PM to 1 AM: *LET'S PARTAAAYYYYY!!*
Even breakfasts turn into a boodle fight and can last until lunch. ✊✊✊
1am?more like 3am
Dont forget the loud noise of karaoke
just gotta learn to be a heavy sleeper 🤣 plus filipinos love accommodating foreigners especially when ur white
We had a hard time trying to rent. But we lucked out and bought a ghost house in Yokohama as the owners took there own lives in the 3DLK. they had a hard time selling it. For what has happen in it.We got it for 40% off the land value as the home has no value. Because it is consider a ghost home now. Down side is it's 15 min bike ride to station
I am surprised they even sold it to you.
If I understood it correctly, as long as one owns land they have to pay tax for that piece of land. Since the land/property is supposedly "haunted", the owner could not do anything with it but still have to pay tax. So if an opportunity to sell the property comes up they would definately jump on it.
It is the same case for ancestral homes that has been left in villages with a shrinking population. The current generation might be living somewhere else and there is no one to take over or live in the old house or its just that no one wants to live there. Properties like this would also be sold at discount. But properties like this are usually in the country side so there are fewer buyers.
Haha the first thing I did was to search for a database that contains information about these 'haunted' apartments. Apparently landlords in Japan are legally obliged to inform prospective tenants about any suicides, murders or deaths that occurred from natural disasters (fires, earthquakes etc.) during the time of the previous tenants. Owners are more than willing to shell out these places on cut-prices.
now the important question is: did you experience any creepy things in that house? :D
This is a very important question >_
Skip the rent, buy a place. Problem solved.
Joking aside, this is one of the biggest things I am worried about, and most of what keeps me from attempting to move there.
@Little Foot Just have a native friend buy it with your funds, then sell it to you for a penny. Problem solved.
Little Foot Actually is much easier buying a house that renting one, but you might require to be permanent resident and have a very good income. If you want to apply for a loan yes or yes you have to be permanent resident. But as long as you have the money no problem. That’s what many foreigners do after living for a long time they buy the land and build the house or keep the original house.
Little Foot That’s just straight-up not true. My grandmother lives there and owns her own home and land and is white as a wedding dress on Labor Day.
There are two types of “ownership” in Hawaii: fee simple and leasehold. Fee simple works pretty much exactly the same as a traditional sale and is in no way restricted by ancestry. 90%+ of properties are fee simple on the islands. Some leasehold properties (land where you only own the improvements) are reserved for those of Hawaiian ancestry under DHHL programs - however they are certainly not common.
Don’t talk about matters you don’t understand.
@Little Foot Lol are you stupid? Money is money. If you are buying a property out of someones hands and you paid good money, do you actually think they care what you do with it? You can trash it if you want, its your own house, they dont care. Good riddance is what they will tell you.
You can buy an apartment but none wanna lease your room when you're foreigner. They dont wanna be insecure when you can always change your mind about how you treated your apartment as you like.
Imagine if you did this in US.
It would be an uproar and protests in the streets
duane dogsdayout Yep, kind of like what’s happening all over the country right now.
@@Konpeko-cj7pc At least the Japanese police does not asphyxiate foreigners. I love Japan
@@aminelemam they dont have to because immigration is controlled here.
immigration is controlled everywhere..
"Infinity War will be the most ambitious crossover in history"
(sees Only In Japan in a Life Where I'm From video)
Would you look at that, it's the Shockmaster.
As an American resident in Japan, I think this is an excellent video. I think the whole "Alleviate Risk" thing is going to apply to many other things as well, and generally great advice for several "foreign issues." Trying to get my Japanese drivers license now, and yes, it's a factor to my failures.
In the past, I had moved to Japan for work for a while (expat). Luckily for me, it was an easy process because the company took care of everything. I just showed up basically, hah. Expat perks really are nice.
A new hire (local salary) from Canada came maybe four months after I did. Needless to say, I had a couch surfer at my place for a couple months until he finally got someone to rent to him. No expat perks for you bro.
We would always laugh whenever Japanese folks would go out of their way to avoid being in the elevator with us at the apartment, acting like they forgot something every time, check the mail, or go take the stairs. Dude, I saw you last week press floor 8, you ain't taking no stairs.
It ain't easy for foreigners in Japan to rent, period. Hard stop. His experience of random denials is like many. He's a top notch engineer, outside Tokyo, so there's no salary concerns.
its quite interesting the fact that if people of colour or from undeveloped countries go to other countries they re immigrants..but if you r whit from a first world county then you re an "expat " honestly thats disgusting..
@@Kiki123-k5r I am not quite sure how this is relevant, nor is it accurate in the slightest - my "couch surfer" roomie was both white and from Canada, and I specifically mentioned that he was not an expat with the "no expat perks for you bro". Not sure how this could be more clear in the previous statement.
Rather, with "expat", I was referring to someone who has an expatriate contract (me) from the company. This is a standard and accepted definition of the word. I had one. He didn't. Simple.
Life will be more difficult when actively searching for double standards and/or discrimination. It's really not worth it.
*it ain't easy for foreigners who aren't fluent in japanese (with no goofy accent) and no guarantor to rent, period. There, fixed it for you. I'm a French guy who has been 12 years in Tokyo, rented 5 apartments and has only been denied once.
@@coolbones sounds like France. If you are not a 100 percent fluent in French and certainly no accent whatsoever, no one will ever say Bonjour to you.....oh yes, you may be a French guarantor too....this is extremely discriminatory...but hey, some people find it normal....
Very detailed and informative video once again, thank you for all the effort you put into your videos. We know first hand how long putting all this together takes! 😁
This makes me sad..cause watching videos of Japan I always thought I would love to live there but I don’t think anymore.
looooooool
so you decided to not live in japan because people who have barely any experience with japan and aren't fluent in the language told you not to. huh.
I would not recommend living there. Even for a Japanese person, Japan is hell 😢😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 im JP
Glad you saw the light.
Been in Japan almost twenty years and yes had this issue a few times, the agent tends to call the owner from the agency, tells them they have someone interested in the apartment, everything is fine, the agent then mentions that the interested party is 'gaikoku-jin no kata', with which the reply is almost immediately 'no'! even with an explanation that the person speaks Japanese, or has been here a long time. The most frustrating thing is that once you do find a place, you never ever have any reason to actually meet the owner of the place. Be a decent tenant, be aware of noise issues, and rules around the apartment, eg maybe no smoking etc And ffs, separating the garbage takes one hour to figure out, if this is something you continue mess up, you are an idiot. If you work for a big famous company, this will help you!
I don’t even know why I’m watching this video, rent is hard everywhere.
not in sweden tho
Not in India
in brazil if you can pay its yours the same day
After watching this video, I still think that renting in Japan as a foreigner can't be a worse experience than renting in the Netherlands. JFC people, you need more houses.
That's not true. Here's a little secret how I beat everyone in the US - when I see an ad I like, I email the landlord with literally all the paperwork they need such as the rental application, job history, finances, whatever. 99% of people don't do that and that's how I beat most people.
In Canada this is called discrimination and the companies running the building would be putting themselves at risk for refusing to rent to someone for being foreign.
We are two Canadians from Vancouver who got our first choice in apartment on our first try (with THREE CATS!). I think we are very lucky and now live in one of the famous Sanaa houses in Shakujii Koen. We actually choose to move to Japan after seeing one of your videos about how you can own in Tokyo for so much less than in Vancouver!
Hello from Canada ! I am really impressed with the quality of your videos !
Every time I walk around neighbourhoods in Japan it feels like nobody is living there, like a ghost town, even in Tokyo.
Language, proof of funding, local guarantor is really all you need. I rented an apartment at Koto--ku in Tatsumi with a college mate from the states and having all three made the process smooth. I literally landed in tokyo and moved into the apartment the same day. The most important thing is proof of funding and local guarantor - language is a huge plus however and opens up more properties.
always admire how well researched and how much time you put into your videos, thank you so much, this was so insightful & helpful!
I really want to live in Japan for a few months, but I could never live their permanently. The culture is fascinating and has many positive aspects, but it also seems fundamentally flawed to me.
seems to be working well for them
@@calipto4605 not really, their birth rates seem to suggest otherwise
@@maxxyang3723 you right
@@maxxyang3723 and all those suicides.
Leopalace 21 is in hot soup at the moment because most of their real estate are not up to spec with earthquake standards.
For what they are charging with you don't get much of good deal, plus it a long contract so you can not just get out easily.
Yeah, that place is for the broke college students. I checked out some units which looked nice but it was better to look elsewhere.
this channel is by far the most thorough in everything it covers. very well-done and informative. my relative, who speaks perfect japanese (he was told by japanese that they can't tell that he wasn't born in japan), was told that he needs a guarantor to live and study in japan. this was maybe 50 years ago and he decided to give up his study in japan.
I lived in Japan for a summer and stayed in an airbnb in Kyoto for about 3 weeks, then had plans for an airbnb in Tokyo for about 8 weeks. The airbnb in Tokyo was canceled and unlisted, so I had about a week to find a different housing solution asap. We found a small apartment online, maybe 200sq ft, and in order to rent we had to know Japanese or have someone Japanese back us up as trustworthy individuals. Luckily our airbnb host in Kyoto was kind enough to look over the contract and got us approved. Once all that was approved and we arrived in Tokyo, we signed the contract at the apartment and paid the first month, then had to go to their office in Shibuya to pay the pro-rated remainder of the rent. It was definitely a stressful situation, not to mention the apartment was challenging to find (a random door in between two restaurants) and it was pouring rain the day we arrived. Luckily, a woman was kind enough to stop and help us look for the address after seeing us soaked. 😅 I'm so thankful for all the help we received along the way.
Having lived in India, I can tell you it's like the polar opposite when it comes to noise there. But also renting, people in India generally doesn't care where you're from if you rent. I think if you're European with money it's possibly _easier_ in many places in India.
My wife and i bought a house in Japan and the empty property next to it (so I could park my car). Most of the neighbors aren`t friendly..look the other way. I would describe it as a bit of jealously.
"I'm Taka, and I'm the rarest Asian in Tokyo." 😂
He said "real estate agent"
@@susancrawford5927 r/whoooosh
Goddamnit I’m dead
Susan Crawford you speak Japanese?😂😂😂
It's definitely an issue for those of us with Japanese spouses also (well at least for myself and my Japanese wife it has been) - wife has been told directly "we don't accept foreigners" quite a few times when enquiring about rental properties - basically shown the door once she mentions she has a foreign husband. This is for properties advertised via very well known real estate companies in areas of Tokyo where foreign residents are not uncommon.
You do know Greg has a Japanese wife. John Daub has a Japanese wife. Peter von G has a Japanese wife.
Maybe its like John said, you must have given them a reason to say "No".
Yes I know all that, I'm a patreon of John. For the record, I wasn't even in Japan yet, wife was here finding a place to live before I came over. The only reason was "your husband is a foreigner, sorry" - they didn't even ask a single thing about me or my background. Wife herself is Japanese and has no hesitation in calling it out as a racist/prejudiced situation. No need to make excuses for reality.
I don't think this is true in most cases. I'm an American woman. My husband is Japanese. We rented two apartments & bought a house with no issues whatsoever.
@elitechrstn Maybe, but I'm clearly doing better in life as a stupid person than you are as a rude one.
This was my exact issue recently. I started the search for an apartment with my foreigner-friendly realtor and had soooo many issues finding an apartment because they wouldn't rent to foreigners. I've finally found a place and moving in soon but I needed to have a Japanese guarantor AND pay for a guarantor company. Ironically, my current apartment building is just like the one the couple described with noisy, inconsiderate university students having karaoke parties late at night during the week and frying fish with their front door open so the smell fills the hallway. Glad to be moving out!
I feel like the main problem with most Japanese people is not really racism or discrimination, but rather that they hold to the belief that foreigners can't learn "only Japanese things", from kanji to garbage disposal rules.
I think that's because there's so few Japanese people living in other countries so they never have anyone sharing their experiences. Like, take garbage: in some cities in Italy the rules are harder and (I swear!) stricter than Tokyo. The same with noise complaints: in some places you can get thrown out of your apartment even if you have ONE party.
They would never guess that, because they only visit Italy as tourists and go to touristic areas (which are of course noisy and, unfortunately, with a bad garbage situation more often than not).
It's a bit sad to say, but they really have a limited knowledge of other cultures and countries and that of course leads to prejudice (and overjustification of Japanese people doing the exact same things they complain with foreigners).
@hyenapeptic But they usually don't hate you.
They just expect you to be unable to understand some things, which I admit can be frustrating at times (especially with reading kanji), but it's something that also people in other countries do, albeit to a lesser degree.
@hyenapeptic Is racism a sticker you desperately want to stick on anything and everything that is inconvenient for you because you were taught that once you do you can hate it without restraint?
Excuse me? " there's so few Japanese people living in other countries" , that's a frekin fallacy. I live on the west coast of Canada, Victoria B.C. the Japanese( Canadians) have been coming to live here since 1877, more then 4-5 generations.
We know about how life was in Japan, just like my culture left their home country to come also, to find a better life here.
A good way to probably move to Japan is through your employment, getting your company to send you to japan, either for training or department transfer.
learning the language of any country you want to move into, SHOULD be #1 priority.. Also a nice intelligence and motivational test imho.
I'm renting a house directly from the Japanese owner. It's about 220m3 with a 2-car garage, located about 10 minutes from the subway. The house was about 25 years old when I started renting and the rent is 100,000 / mo. He gave me a budget of 2 million yen for renovating the place any way I like when I moved in. 6 months after that he came by and said he wanted to re-shingle the roof and wanted to know what color I preferred.
How did I find this place? I searched in the area I wanted to live, and asked the people in the neighborhood. They gave my contact info to the owner, I met him a few days later and bingo-bango-bongo I got me a place to live. It's quiet, great neighbors, I can be noisy if I want because my neighbors are all old and they can't hear. LOL And I can have bbq in my backyard any time without worrying about somebody complaining.
Its funny how landlords are strict with foreigners in terms of noise and disturbance and here I am, a foreigner with a Japanese neighbor who is loud, having a kid trampling around (room right above my room), and smokes outside his room despite the no smoking sign all over the place.
If everyone is expected to be super quiet in their homes, that's like a paradise for me. I despise noisy neighbors.
Most of the noisy neighbors are ironically, Japanese. xD
I think its better to hear children running around and playing, people singing, or playing an instrument, rather than hace everyone stuck on their gadgets in complete silence.
I think I'll pass on living in a place where you can't have company over,listen to music or cook food that doesn't smell like their food
I lived in Japan in early 90's . My parents rented a 2 bedroom duplex outside Tokyo .
Anyone moving to Hiroshima, our company Ryowa House IS getting very high success rates for renting to foreigners in Japan. My colleagues and I help foreigners in the Hiroshima and Okayama area find apartments. The main hurdles we can help them overcome are not being able to speak Japanese (providing interpreters), no guarantor (help with sponsorship), and not understanding the whole real estate system (detailed explanations of everything so nothing is unknown or hidden). Check out our channel for more info on the cities here as well as information on finding apartments. There are many other great companies doing the same in Osaka, Fukuoka, Tokyo and many other cities so keep looking!! :)
The way you explain everything in detail is awesome.
I live in Germany, we have 3 kinds of foreigners:
EU foreigners
Out of EU immigrants
Refugees
EU foreigners can just rent an apartment, you pay 2-3 months of rent as insurance, should the apartment get damaged by you, and have a bank account.
An immigrant has to have permanent residence or temporary allowances to get an apartment, additional to the first things.
Refugees get a housing unite from the state and a small payment.
They're checked for refugee status, get language school and therapy, if they need to, they can make new degrees or get a job allowance once they can stay and turn into the second kind.
Extraordinarily are Wolgadeutsche, people who have German ancestors and moved to the wolga they are treated as EU/German citizens after a short formality.
(that's what I learned in school.)
Really interesting interviews (especially Kyde and Eric).
Years ago my ex and I visited Apaman Shop (realty agency). Agent was nice n' showed us some places, but none that caught our eye. Then I brought my Mom (full Japanese, born n raised) the next day to negotiate n' low n' behold a brand new apartment option popped up, with an extra room and two new air conditioners on the house lol XD. To be fair though, I didn't wear a suit.
You need that suit 😃
@@LifeWhereImFrom i'll be an adult some day Greg XD
I realize why I like this channel so much. Your voice is just so calming.
It depends on your nationality too!! I‘m living in a building not accepting foreigners. I am German, and as soon as they said „sorry“ , I said „I‘m German“ in Japanese. Suddenly, they were like OMG GERMANY! And they told me: „Most foreign people don‘t seperate trash. It‘s bad, but you Germans do recycling.“
They told me when signing the contract
Japanese love Germans. We fought the war together.
'Murican here: I found it was easier to buy than rent a place here in my neck of the woods in the US too. Not sure why, but my bank approved me for a larger loan than what I needed, while I got rejected a few times for an apartment.
Because essentially what you're doing is using the house as collateral. when you rent you have no property or collateral. so any lost money is lost money. but if you get the house, then the bank owns it till you pay them back and if you miss 3 payments they take the house. it's safer for them that way.
I laughed when he showed the Philippines. Hahaha Really now, that is so true even in the residential areas if there's someones birthday then the whole community will know because of people drinking and having karaokes till 1am 😂
hahahaha that is so true!
I mean pinoys are family oriented and were usually also close to our neighbors so filipinos are just chill
I have just moved to Japan this week. My company is renting my apartment so that wasn't an issue. I am however, extremely anxious about living here with my 4 year old. I worry he will be too noisy. I will obviously do my best but kids will be kids, they have good days and bad days like anyone.
Having lived in Japan, 80
Having lived in Ageo-shi Saitama-ken, for 4.5 years of the 6 years total and in the same apartment, everything that was explained here is true and accurate. Good job with making this video. Though I've been back in th US for 20 plus years, it sounds like Japan is roughtly the same as when I was there.
Your video is so much helpful than any other videos about living in Japan as a foreigner. Thanks!
Excellent video and a real eye-opener. As a landlord in Glasgow I'd never want my letting agent to apply such stringent criteria. For me, rent security is the overriding priority. After that? Well just be polite neighbours.
As for which nationality you are? 'Not British' is always interesting. Diversity is a bonus.
I love diversity where I rent...people being polite and quiet in a diversity of ways
An acquaintance of mine recently stayed in japan for almost 4-5 months. Being a fan of Japanese culture and cuisine this video is an eye-opener, there is a lot to do before I plan for a trip, and then again COVID-19 will make it even harder now.
Can we please take a moment to appreciate Taka? What a legend.
Ear plugs or headphones and a white noise app on your phone. It can take some time to get used to using them but once you do sleeping in a noisy apt, hotel, airplane, train, etc is never again a problem. It can make life a lot less stressful. Worrying about being able to sleep and not getting enough sleep because of noise can cause a ton of stress.
I never had a problem renting. I think it depends on the renting company.
When I was getting apartments in Japan, my agent first called a few landlords and said "外国人" (Gaikokujin, Foreigner) to describe me, and they immediately said no. I told him after seeing two failed phone calls that he should say "日本語が喋るアメリカ人" (Nihongo ga shaberu America-jin, Japanese-speaking American) and the next few places he called said OK. There is not unsurprisingly a lot of racism in Japan and prejudice against foreigners, but it also varies by the home country of the foreigner- just saying "foreigner" doesn't provide any background to where the person is from, so landlords probably think it's the current enemy-of-the-week foreigner (usually people from other Asian countries). Being a white American, I was able to abuse that card and was able to look at a lot of places. Obviously, not everyone can do that. The advice in this video is great, and is definitely a good watch if you are considering living in Japan (or moving from your University or Company provided apartment).
That’s a good piece of advice.
I am glad I saw this now. Didn't realize the stigma, with all the great videos on where to go and what to do that are posted otherwise.
I'll admit I've been thinking about Japan a lot lately. I admired Japanese, anime, art, tech, etc. for a long time. As I've been thinking about moving out and starting my own life, trying out living outside of the US, has crossed my mind. And honestly Japan would is the top of the list. There is so much I'd like to learn about Japan and see for myself. But this has really discouraged on that idea. Living with such strict (largely unspoken) rules in close quarters for what could be years on end until I could buy seems like a real downer. But then again, so does buying a cheap house/apartment 100 miles away from work and losing +10 hours a week commuting downtown in my old little Camry, bickering with +10k cars going the same direction every rush hour.
Would like to hear more on the new Immigration laws and efforts to increase foreign workers. Living with close, abundant public transportation that's unheard of here in the Midwest, national healthcare and top tier restaurants and food quality is a still tempting offer for me. Not sure if I would go, but it would be tempting offer, even if its just temporary.
I've lived in Japan for 25 years. In that time, I've never met a foreigner who hasn't been subject to discrimination related to renting an apartment.
Face reality: humans are territorial and don't welcome the incursions of foreigners.
@@BenKlassen1 then Japanese should stop coming to the United States and bringing their toxic culture here
One way to see if it is a stability issue, or confidence in ability to pay (rent, repairs, etc) would be to create a home-based insurance company that formally serves as financial and legal guarantor for a foreigner looking to rent. So the company could setup simultaneous offices in US and Japan for example, and would serve to provide confidence for financial security of landlords. For this service, the renter would retain their payment information on file in both US and Japan, so even if they suddenly fled Japan the company could immediately pay the landlord and recoup their costs back home.