Trying to find a Guesthouse!
 

Hello,

I'll be living in Japan (Tokyo) for a year from mid-September this year. Since I will be studying at Waseda University I'm trying to find a guesthouse within reasonable range. From what I know Waseda U lies near Takadanobaba (Ikebukuro/Shinjuku area).

I want to keep the room cost under 70 000 JPY / month (the lower the better), but still not live in a cardboard box if you know what I mean ;) If you don't, then as an example I've seen some guesthouse rooms with around 3-4 square meters space. Might be hard to fit...

I've looked mostly on Sakura Guesthouse's rooms, and found some prospects. I'm not sure though, as there are quite some time left until I leave.

So, if anyone got any recommendations on guesthouses, that would be wicked. Like i said, preferrably in the area near Waseda, but I'd also take any other sweet recommendations (as long as they're in somewhat central Tokyo).

Tip away!

try gaijinpot.com or Metropolis - Japan's Number 1 English Magazine

if it gets close to the time and you are having no luck, get in touch and i will rent you the spare room in my place if you have no other options (kami-itabashi, 12mins from ikebukuro). I say as a last resort because I am stupidly busy with work so dont have much time to organise things lol

Thanks,

I'll definately check those sites out.

you might also have a look here Japan guest house Oakhouse - NO.1 guesthouse accommodation in Tokyo and Yokohama

I thought Waseda required foreign students to live in the dorms...at least on the program my friend went on that was the case...

Well I don't think so. Never got any info that suggested that, and it sounds seriously weird tbh .)

Edit: Just found this info: (Roadmap to Study Abroad at Waseda University)

So I think it's cool. Dorms would be okay though if they werent so damn far from the school.

It was an exchange program my college had with Waseda. That was a few years ago, though. I think because it was a 9 month exchange, all the hassle of helping students find apartments was eliminated by having them all live in the dorms.

Well, maybe theyve changed the rules or something then :)

Im gonna be there for about 10-11 months.

i wanna move there some day im only 13 now

well...im trying to find someone like a family to live with when im 15 or 16...
im saving up....
to go there....
when im like 15 or 16....
so im going to do what i need to do...which im studying that now...
but im going to need someone to stay with while im there until i get everything worked out....
im 13 so if someone can explain to me how that works...ill b glad to listen..
(getting away from my parents) :P

....?

Kind of the wrong thread, don't you think?

Look up for Sakura House.

They have tons of rooms and guest hourses available without you paying key money and other BS.

Good luck!!

Yeah like I said I've looked _alot_ at sakura houses already. What i wondered was if someone had any other good tips!

Craigslist has good ones sometimes and gaijinpot has many postings as well.

Most of them are private postings so you might want to contact as many as possible and check out whoever responds.

Good luck!!

Thanks for that.

I have a few prospects in sight now... Seems like most guesthouses wont know much about vacancies until mid/late summer though.

I hope those sites were useful for your search.

Yeah, i found this page via gaijinpot: Reasonable Apartments Accommodations in Tokyo Kimi Information Center . Seems there even are some reasonable priced small apts. to look at..

Atleast if there's no key money or deposit. Seems you always have to pay an agent fee though.

Look no further! All the Guest Houses!
 

Hey, everyone

I was looking for a guest house last year and got frustrated with only being able to find the "mega gaijin houses" the ones with the advertising budgets...

anyway I just made a site this week to help all you travelers and myself haha find guest houses across Japan.

Gaijin House Japan

It lists tons of guest houses across Japan with no biased opinions, if you stayed at any of them please comment on them to help us find the good, the bad, and the dirty. If one isn't listed I will list it.

To the op hope this isn't too far off the path of goodness here but their is a major lack of good guest house listings. I really hope this will help the fellow travelers of Japan.

Love yea

I really like the idea of the page and hope many people fill in their comments once they stayed at a house! I will.

Hey dude!

Yeah, i know what you mean about there not beeing any good listings.

Site seems real nice, I too hope people will write in their opinions and comments after staying at a guesthouse. I will try to do the same.

Keep up the good work!

Tokyo apartment, Guest house, guesthouse room in Japan - Sakura House :)

Please read my posts :) Thanks for trying, though.

ah! gomenne. I didn't read through it all i was just randomly looking for interesting topics and then i saw your thread and decided to just write down sakurahouse in case no one had mentioned it before : )

I have hound my apartment through sakurahouse though, but i guess you have to order the room 1 year beforehand to actually get the room. For me i have found my apartment 3 years beforehand so-.-

But i wish you good luck, ganbatte!:D

Oh ic.

I really don't believe you have to order a guesthouse room one year in advance ;) If a room is availible, it's availible.

Ehh 3 years ? Dude, there's no way they can know about vacancies 3 years beforehand...

I just decided to study at a university in tokyo 3 years from now. So I haven't ordered any room or something, I just found the apartment where I want to live for that year, so I guess I should order that apartment as soon as it's possible, it's only possible to order it like 1 year beforehand.

I know 3 years from now is very much, but I tend to get too impatient, looking for apartments and schools and such already now. It's so annoying.

I feel ya. Altho... I just sent in the papers to the japanese univ i will study at saying I don't want any housing help or homestay. So I really have to get this done, so I have someplace to stay :)

Heh, I'm so jealous of you:D
Well, it would be an expensive start if you have to check into an hotel in the beginning. But you still have some time though.

So I guess you know your stuff when it comes to studying at a university in Japan, so if you don't mind I woul live to ask you some questions. There are some things I just can't find on the internet, and it's bothering me a lot.

1. How long does one semester at a japanese university last. In Norway it's from august- december or something, almost 6 months, is it the same in japan.
2. I thought that a school year in japan was starting and ending in february. Is it the same at a japanese university? I noticed that you are going to japan in september was it? So if I wan't to take my 3rd semester in japan, I could start right after summer then?

I hope I'm not bothering you : )

I got some friends there so hopefully I can use their couch instead of an expensive hotel, if that is the case :)

I'm doing an exchange year. The only choice was starting in Sept. which correlates with the semester here in Sweden roughly (we got the same as you guys, I believe).

But yeah, I believe my first semester will be from sept-(mid)february (holiday over christmas-new years though). Then there is a break until the next semester begins in early april and continues until the end of july.

I believe it's somewhat backwards compared to how japanese people go to school though, as you said (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Tell me if that didn't answer your questions.

Mhm, then I think I understand, I was afraid that I would have to go for several months here in Norway not doing anything, waiting for my semester in japan to begin after christmas.

But again, good luck and tusen takk ; )

Good luck to you also. I'll be sure to report about how student life there treats me:)

Mhm, you do that, it would be fun for people like me that want to study in japan to read about your trip :D

Hey Henbaka!
Sorry for going a little off topic, but will you be attending Waseda's ILJP or SILS classes by any chance? Just wondering because I applied to the ILJP program (not as an exchange student though) and was accepted, but I opted to attend a year-long program at a different university in the end, hehe..

Before, I asked around about the Waseda dorms, and I think the international kids dorms are actually quite close to campus? Well either way, I think it's a great idea you're looking to live off campus if you want to practice Japanese; I have a friend who did the exchange at Waseda two years ago and she said living in the international dorm was a pity since you're always speaking English.

Are you only looking at guesthouses? Or also individual apartments? Well here are three links to add (some might not be in the price range you specified though):
Tokyo Room Finder - Guest House, Apartment and Shared Apartment Finder for Tokyo, Japan
Guesthouses or Gaijin Houses (listings of guesthouse sites)
http://www.gakusei-kaikan.com/index.html (only in Japanese)

If you're interested in some apartment listings with a little higher budget, I have some other links as well.

The last one up there is a Japanese listing of student dorms. They do require a guarantor and a refundable deposit and some other messy fees, but a lot of the other "gaijin guesthouses" or whatnot I've been looking at don't have private bathrooms, which is something I really want lol. Also, the price range for this Japanese site is about 70000-90000/month, but I'm looking around the Meguro area. It's on the expensive side, but I hear that it's reasonable for a mid-Tokyo location. Hmm sorry, I don't know how much that helped!

And also sorry for the long-winded reply! I'm in the same position as you so thanks for making this thread--I know I need tips too! :)

Hey, actually its fun with long replies :) So youre kinda in the same spot then, wicked! I will probably be attending SILS + japanese classes.

Yeah, that's kinda why the international dorms seems less appealing.. Theyre not THAT far away, well not measured in train time anyways. But they are kind of off-site, from what I've seen. And then there's the thing with curfew etc...

I've been checking some at cheap apartments also, but my budget won't hold I think (especially since there's all kinds of move-in costs then). Plus I'd rather live a little simpler, and have more money to spend! Thanks vm for the links though. I would want a private bathroom, but I think I won't be able to afford that "luxury" ;)

Anyways, where did you end up going dude?

Gotta go... Sweden has some Spain-asskicking to do!

Hahaha what a coincidence, I replied in a hurry to rush to the Sweden-Spain game as well! I like both teams, but I'm a little biased towards Spain cuz I'm just slightly in love with David Villa (:p), and at the end.....:D (although that goal is definitely controversial cuz of the foul towards the back). Sweden was playing real well though, if Ibra stayed on after half-time I think things would've been different!

Haha ANYWAYS, I ended up enrolling into Keio's year-long Japanese program. It was definitely a hard choice though, since Waseda's location is better (Keio is in Mita, Minato-ku) and I heard Waseda is much more international and diverse, and also less snobby haha. But I have a friend in Keio who really pushed her school for me so...Either way, I think we're both in for a crazy 10-months!

And you're right, private bathrooms are definitely a luxury if you want to live in mid-Tokyo areas. I applied to Keio dorms, but am seriously considering canceling the application since their dorms are almost an HOUR away, near Yokohama haha...but then again, it's below 60000/month with a private bathroom lol. My mom wants me to live in some kind of dorm, not necessarily Keio's, but I agree, the curfews and restrictions blow!

And no problem about the links! I also have an additional question, when are you hoping to get your housing settled? I'd assume it's asap like me, but do these guesthouses let you reserve your room that far in advance? I think I was looking at OakHouse, and it said "two weeks max" for reservations. Not sure about what some other sites said, but how are you working around this?

Anyway, it's great to hear from someone who's going thru the same thing! Hehe and when you do, please let me know if you've decided on a place!

Gahh what an ending... I yelled quite a lot there.... Dunno what you mean by foul though, was a clean play as far as I saw.. But I sure hope Hansson would've got his foot (or whatever) on that ball... A pity, too, since he played well the rest of the game.

And yeah, with Ibra being able to play the 2nd also... but he rarely does now, so.. Larsson played very well, but had to work so much defensively so it was hard for him to be there when we turned to offence.

Anyways, yeah, I applied for Keio also, but since it wasn't my first choice (like Waseda), I didn't think about it again after I got accepted. I chose Waseda mainly because it seemed bigger (more choice of courses etc) and also because I thought housing would be better (kinda ironic) ;) In either case, I'm super excited about going to Waseda! (well, Tokyo really!)

Yeah, you're absolutely right about the time of reserving rooms. I will stake out different alternative guesthouses&rooms until reserving becomes possible, and then reserve one based on what's availible. Luckily I have a few friends in Tokyo with a couch to crash on, in worst case scenario (but it shouldn't come to that).

Also I'm hoping that some guesthouse that I'm contacting might know of a tenant that's going to move out in September, and is kind enough to let me reserve that room. Still waiting for some answers though.

Good thing about most guesthouses is that you can actually move out of them without a super early notice or expensive extra fees, so it's possible to change house if it's total crap (there are some, I heard from friends). Wasedas dorms on the other hand, seemed like once you got in you would have a hard time moving out.

So... I guess you're just as excited as me to get going now :) What's your home univ?

Don't they have more than one dorms?

Keio is split between Mita in Minato-ku and Hiyoshi near Yokohama so the dorm is actually in the right place.

Also, 1 hour commute is actually not unusual in the greater Tokyo area so if you decide to live there, you are gonna have to put up with it.

Anyways good luck!!

Haha I can only imagine your frustration! Are you Swedish then? I'm not European, so just a fan of all these teams. Actually Italy is my favorite but they're doing horribly atm, so I'm sort of jumping ship to Spain haha. Hmm, I'm not so sure, but at the end there were like two passes for the ball to get to Villa right? According to my tv commentators, at the first pass, back near the Spanish goal, a Spanish defender fouled a Swedish forward, but the ref didn't blow, then the ball moved forward to Torres and then to Villa. But I've been skimming thru post-match reviews and no one mentioned it, so maybe it wasn't! Oh and I heard Ibra had a sore knee that's why he was taken off, and also Larsson (the older one) also picked up a slight knock but both should be ok for the next game, whew. So Sweden should be able to take Russia I think! Anyways sorry for going so OT (I don't know how strict the forums here about going off topic but..)

Yeah, I guess that's all we can do about the timing, just try and see huh. I have some friends in Tokyo as well, but they're recent college grads like I, and still living with their families so I'd hate to crash with them hehe. Actually I heard for the Keio dorms, if you give a month's notice you can move out after that with no extra charges, so maybe I'll go with that first (if I even get a room though!) So what's your first choice right now? A guesthouse with Sakura House?

And you're right, I psyched to go! I can't sit still at home anymore haha, just waiting for time to pass. I graduated last month from Syracuse University (it's not very famous overseas I think), in case you haven't heard of it, it's in upstate New York, about 4 hours drive away from NYC. I'm now visiting my mom who lives in Shanghai (I'm Malaysian Chinese) but I don't have friends here so I'm basically stuck at home doing nothing (watching soccer every night!), which only makes the wait for Tokyo even harder!

Hi tommasi!
You're right, Keio certainly has more than one dorm, but the list that they gave the international students were all around Hiyoshi I think. And what's worse, they reserve most of these dorm rooms for exchange students, which I'm not, so I'm limited to one dorm choice, and was told that they're only accepting 10 non-exchange international students.

So as a back-up, I've been researching guesthouses and whatnot, but also because I'd personally live a little closer to the city. You're also right about the hour-long commute; I have friends who live in Tachikawa, Machida, etc who do fine as well. And actually when I checked goo路線, it says it takes 30-40 mins with the Touyoko rapid to reach Mita, which isn't bad. But if I had the chance, I'd still take the closer accommodation.

But thank you for your advice, I appreciate it!

Aha, i see! Yeah I'm swedish. Didn't notice the supposed foul myself, so.. Oh and yeah, Zlatan has had problems with injuries, and he did get hit on the knee in 1st half. Anyways, russia _is_ going down!

Hm yeah, sakura certainly has the most alternatives. The downside as i see it is that it's a house solely for foreigners, so it's kinda bad for the language practice...

Oh so you've graduated already. Mind if i ask what you majored in? Still got 1½ years left on my master's myself (Science and Technology Studies).

Heh, yeah. I just started my 2-month summer job so I'm occupied atleast haha, but that doesn't stop me from beeing distracted all the time, thinking about stuff I'm gonna do in Tokyo :>

Oh and yeah, youre right tommasi - 1 hr commutes sure are common. I myself had almost an hour commute when I went to language school in Kudanshita (lived in J&F house @ Kita-Koshigaya). But as I then found out, there are gazzilions of guest houses all over Tokyo. So this time, I'm going to try and get a more central living location :)

Have you looked into gaijin pot and craigslist?

There are postings there for room share and I have personally posted few to look for tenants in my house.

I highly recommend you using them.

Very nice tip. Had seen them before but totally forgotten! Thanks, seems like there could be some nice alternatives there!