Why is it Hard to Find an Apartment in Japan if You are a Foreigner? (Interview)
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
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It's not always easy to find an apartment in Japan because some landlords don't want foreigners to rent their properties. I asked Japanese people what they thought of this.
"There are good people but there are also bad people"
Well... that goes for the whole humanity yknow.
I rented an apartment in the middle of Tokyo for 4 years and was never a day late on rent...EVER. I was very lucky that I had an open-minded landlord and real-estate agent. Best 4 years of my life!
Lucky you are white too. Doesn't matter in what country, skin color and appearance also apply to getting better treatment.
If we are going to open up a discussion like this, could we all make sure we speak in terms of social and economic treatment and advantages and challenges, not simply "better" and "worse". Things can be very easily misconstrued. I think it is very important to illustrate where in the world people are discriminated against and where they have social advantages over others. That's why videos like this are made - to encourage discussion. As far as Japan is concerned - yes, if I were black and living in Japan, I would be statistically be pigeonholed and discriminated against even more, as a matter of statistics.
ua-cam.com/video/Itnzhu7FfAM/v-deo.html kogusjapanbuypropertiesphilrippines.int
Trok kune So only whites manage to be decent human beings and pay their rent in time? You just fell for your own race card.
I like the fact that you asked people for solutions rather than just pointing out perceived problems. Great video!
I can't speak Japanese and my landlord can't speak English but we've been in business for 2 years now. I know what's expected of me and he also knows what I expect from him. So even with the language barriers things can work out if u just respect each other
It is not that easy dear brother. Especially when you are busy with work related stuff
Den V. don't generalize everyone. that's kinda racist/rude
and its also not true
White CIS Cum Well ok then dear sir. Congratulations for your germany mastery.
Maybe, everyone should follow your guidance. Have any tips for learning foreign language maybe? Or maybe how to motivate people (who have no intention to learn the language) to get motivated? Because I think the biggest hurdle on learning language is motivation.
Well, I cannot speak much foreign language and have no intention to do so. Maybe you as a multilingual person like you can help me.
I don't get it... shouldn't it be a natural process to learn SOMETHING of the language of the country you live in?
Main reasons that were given to me:
a) different customs:
- maybe they'll organize noisy parties at home and are a nuisance for neighbors
- maybe they won't respect the rules (garbage disposal, pets, etc)
- they may use the properties in a careless way and leave it a mess when they stop renting
b) more risk for the money:
- might be less regular in paying the rent than Japanese
- flight risk if they suddenly leave the country without paying the remnant of the rent and/or repairs to the property
- more foreigners are single, which increases the risk of sudden departure.
c) communication problems:
- they may not understand the communications from the owner, neighbors, etc, and make it difficult on other people. For instance, not be there for the fire alarm inspections because they didn't understand the flier notice, difficulty for the real estate agent to explain the clauses of the renting contract, etc.
Often, the decision to refuse the potential renter is done by the real estate agent himself, who doesn't want to take risks with the owners he works with by proposing somebody he perceives as a higher problem risk. Sometimes the owner had a bad experience and doesn't want to rent.
That said, it *is* possible to rent for foreigners. You improve your chances by:
- having somebody that acts as a guarantor for you. Preferably a Japanese or long-term foreign resident with a stable income and strong ties to the country (owning his own house, wed to a Japanese, these things help). Or your company, if it is demonstrably stable enough, or a subsidiary of a big foreign company. In some cases, the company may rent the place for you, and sub-let it to you (beware of the risks if your relationship with your employer sours).
- searching for foreigner-friendly real estate agents. There are even some places that do the intermediate role between the agent and the potential renter for foreigners; that may help for the language barrier and the unfounded discrimination (but they are vigilant about the reasonable risks, like stability of income and legality of permit of residence, because they don't want to damage their reputation either). They are paid by a portion of the real estate agent fee, so you tend not to be the first choice for the real-estate agent as he gets less money (but less risk and less communication trouble). I found my first flat that way
- don't lose too much time asking for reasons why they refuse foreigners - just move on to the next offer or shop. You can quickly present arguments about why you're not a high risk (you speak Japanese, you have a relatively long term visa, you have a good job, etc). But some people are dead-set against renting to foreigners, it's often just a waste of time to insist and may be more efficient to just move to the next shop.
- you may try to use Japanese. It is usually a good idea if you can demonstrate that there wouldn't be too many communication problems, even if your Japanese is far from perfect. If it's too low level though, this can backfire and prove on the opposite that direct communication is impossible - in that case, bringing a Japanese friend to translate for you may help. If your Japanese is not up to the task, bring such a translator-friend at least when you sign the contract; you need to understand the details.
- checking what is the state of the rental market, what surface and standard you can expect for what price (distance from the train station is important, as well as the frequency of trains at that station and distance from downtown, especially for very big cities or places very far in the suburbs). Flats in Japan tend to be smaller than, for instance, in France, and bigger is more expensive. The first weeks I was in Tokyo (staying at the hotel, luckily paid by the company), I still had wrong expectations for the price of flats of the size I wanted, so I kept selecting places that were too cheap - and there usually is a "good" reason why they are too cheap, like dilapidated state, shoddy apartment construction, just in front of the train tracks or highway...
When I made my peace with the market conditions, I found something acceptable within a week.
Thanks youtube for removing all the spacing in my message. Now that's a sheer wall of text, I doubt many people will try to read it...
It really is a sheer wall of text, but really interesting to read. :)
+alestane This was a lot of great information, you really know your stuff :)
Fluffymiyster
Thanks. It's mostly from first-hand experience. Glad if it can be useful.
Sorry your peers gave you such bad name. I have that impression of Americans too but not all are like that.
I find it interesting that the two guys in the video start out basically affirming the racist system of disallowing foreigners because "they have bad manners" or "don't speak Japanese", but after Yuta asked them questions that prompted them to think from the foreigners' point of view, they seemed to change sides and see the inherent unfairness involved. Yuta, I think it would be interesting if you included yourself asking those questions, because I'd like to see how you conduct such effective Socratic dialogue in Japanese.
+yagruumbagaarn Basically they are using "tatemae", in other words, they are not being 100% percent honest in these interviews. People in Japan use tatemae most of the time and only use "honne" with their close friends or family.
@@SuperAvocadoo That's pretty common no matter where you are from. People will just say things to make them appear in a better light, even if they truly disagree with the views they are affirming. It's called "socially desirable responding" over here. Not just interviews, the crazy thing is that it even happens with questionnaires in which your responses are COMPLETELY anonymous.
3:01 foreigner spotted.
+Miguel Canales AC-130, standing by.
lol
+MrFreakHeavy LOL :D
+Miguel Canales Glad to see I'm not the only one who watches these videos for the people walking around in the background...
***** Universe collapse and we all gonna die
Luckily, I didn't have a problem with renting an apartment here in Japan. Although my real estate agent was required to inform my landlord that I was a foreigner. I thought that was really weird. But recently, I had trouble getting a debit card from the bank. That's really the only time I've felt actually discriminated against here. I'm allowed to have a bank account, but for some reason, the card company told the bank to refuse giving me a debit card. A debit card that would be used to spend my OWN money. Luckily, the bank was understanding and argued with the card company so I could finally get my debit card.
+TheRealityofFake I don't understand, is it even legal to disallow giving a debit card just because of race? This is so unfair...
Luna Prau
Not sure. Few foreigners will try to bring their cases of discrimination to court. 1) Your in a foreign country where you don't know the legal system 2) You might not have the time and resources to pursue it 3) There will likely be a language barrier (even if you're fluent in Japanese, most won't know the legal terms and stuff). I heard of one case where a foreign student tried to sue because he wasn't allowed to rent an apartment in Japan (or maybe it was a dorm). I don't think he won the case.
Luna Prau
Here's the case I was referring to: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/09/national/social-issues/anti-discrimination-laws-sub-par-expert/
+TheRealityofFake thank you for such a fast and detailed response. I have no words on how ridiculous this whole issue is - why Japanese can't understand that one person's mistakes can't reflect on how they treat a whole race? Unbelievable that a country developed as much as Japan still is so blind to human rights and racism.
+TheRealityofFake thank you for such a fast and detailed response. I have no words on how ridiculous this whole issue is - why Japanese can't understand that one person's mistakes can't reflect on how they treat a whole race? Unbelievable that a country developed as much as Japan still is so blind to human rights and racism.
Nice Video Yuta! I had the same experience when I tried to rent a place. Permanent resident, somewhat prestigious job that I had been in for 5-6 years, my Japanese was passable (not perfect). The woman who eventually did rent to me refused to speak with me. It was incredibly frustrating.
+chillinkansai It happens.... they are not use to foreigners, and many times in the news we are "targeted" as "bad people" who are causing problems..... so they prefer what they know....
A lot of Japanese, mostly old ones, are scared or too shy to talk to foreigners because they think they need to talk in English. Just let it go.
I was denied several apartments because I was not Japanese. My housing agent had to first ask if it'd be OK to rent to me and half of the places we called said no.
It's disgusting -but not surprising -how apathetic these people are. Japanese have this phrase "Shou ga nai" meaning "there's no other way" or "It can't be helped" and that really comes out here. They all say it's bad (well, only partly) but then they say "that's how it is so just find some place else". In America, where I live, this would be illegal 100%, even based on your language ability.
True, but you have to keep in mind that the US has been a multiracial and multicultural country accustomed to immigrants for a long time. Those laws that protect people from that kind of discrimination were not there at the very beginning, they were gained through a lot of struggle on behalf of oppressed groups. In fact, it wasn't even that long ago that housing discrimination became illegal in the US, despite being multicultural for hundreds of years. Japan, on the other hand, was an isolationist country until the end of the 19th century. Even today, it is still a very homogenous country. Most Japanese are unaccustomed to dealing with different cultures, so rather than try to deal with foreigners they simply don't rent to them so they don't have to. I'm not defending this behavior, I'm just putting it into perspective to give you an idea of the uphill battle is going to be before any progress is made in this aspect of Japanese society
SilverbulletJT You think I don't know all this? But it's hypocritical on so many levels. Japan has for decades wanted to expand its influence in the UN such as being on the UN security council, etc. But because of things like this (no anti-discrimination laws) as well as a severely hostile working environment for women (women being forced to quit rather than taking their paid maternity leave) and frequent, well-attended anti-Korean rallies, they haven't been trusted with these things in the UN. In addition, people in Tokyo constantly talk about how they need English to get ahead in the workforce and how their business is dealing with more and more people from overseas, yet these attitudes persist. Isolationism isn't an excuse in the 21st century, and from Japan, it's quite hypocritical. I feel a rude awakening coming on for the 2020 Olympics.
Was it because you don't speak Japanese or because you weren't actually Japanese though?
DomInJapan I speak Japanese. He literally called and said "Hi, I have a new tenant, but is it OK if he's a foreigner?" And they'd say "No" and he'd say "OK, thanks, bye."
+OrangeXenon54 Damn dude thats harsh
I had more trouble trying to rent a flat in Tokyo than buying a house.
I think most, if not all of the people in this video are making guesses. WHen I tried renting the main reason I was given that foreigners have a much higher chance of leaving without notice, and if they return to their home country, there is little the landlord can do, even if there are damages.
But if the foreigners are from certain Asian countries, it's usually far more racist than that.
+0 subscribers I'm sure that happens, but I also get the impression that Yuta is good at getting people to say what they really think more than they usually would.
+0 subscribers Exactly. The owners are the same, when there is a man in the middle (i.e. the estate agents), they are happy to be racist because they will never have be face to face with anyone.
+TrickWithAKnife
Yeah, getting a loan to buy a house is pretty rough, but if you have the cash, buying a house is easy.
I was turned down many years ago from renting a place because "gaijin ha urusai kara" (dirty foreigners are too noisy).
+BananaOrangeBerry I've heard that stereotype too. I think it's true that foreigners tend to be louder on trains etc, but I live close to bars and such, and it's always Japanese people who are screaming and shouting at 2am
+TrickWithAKnife They are in a bar, what do you expect?
I've actually been denied before. The apartment I live in now, I was originally denied because I was a foreigner. I called the Real Estate agency in Japanese, talked to them in Japanese, they understood me and I them, but when they talked to the Owner, I was told no because I was a foreigner living alone. At that time, I had lived here almost 11 years so far. I finally moved in there because one of my old "guesthouse" roommates wanted to move and he liked the location of that place. I'm just hoping I have no problems taking over the lease when he leaves.
That first girl was pretty much explaining racism lol
+Marcus “Kongaii” Uppala They aren't really aware of it's existance. Just recently they became aware, but they are one of the most racist countries in the world.
+YuyuHakurei You've never been to the south in America
+Marcus “Kongaii” Uppala its not exactly racism, its more xenophobia than anything because its not "i dont like you because of your specific skin colour or culture" its more of an "I don't like you because you're not japanese"
+Like 7 Oranges no even if a white person is born in Japanese and speaks perfect Japanese he or she will still be considered an outsider to some degree. So it is very much racial as well as cultural.
+UpAndUps what? You do know disallowing housing based on nationality or race is illegal in the USA right? That's includes the South.
Funny how there was a store behind them called loft.
That's what I thought too x).
+juan camilo velez niño It's a pastry shop.
+Jeffrey Ang No, they sell household stuff..
OK, there is also The Loft in KL, Malaysia, pastry shop open by Japanese. OK, tq!!!
It doesnt even matter what they sell.
Its just funny that its named that and the video is about flats.
Yuta, the man that destroys your dreams of living in Japan.
The great things about your youtube channel is that you're the only one making this kind of videos !
Keep it up ;)
the nicely dressed and well groomed man seemed like he's got a good head on his shoulders and is pretty good at speaking and expressing his views i'd like to see him in a political commentary channel or something i'd watch that guy
+Joshlul i actually keep watching this video to hear him speak
When my husband and I were looking for an apartment here in Japan it happened once that we were rejected directly because I am a foreigner. It was via phone. The landlord never met me nor talked to me. It didn't even matter that my husband is Japanese. It was just because I am not.
But except for this one time we never had a problem looking at the apartments and found a very nice one we've been living in for over two years now.
(note: I'm living in Chiba prefecture)
+himeichigo0501 That really sucks. I hope you're settling in just fine.
Zackhario Yes, everything is alright. I love where I live :)
***** True. I love where I live. It's a very nice area and I feel at home :)
***** It only happened once to me ^^ I was just surprised because I didn't experience something like that before. It was at the agency's office. The agent called the landlord to just ask for available apartments. There was just no choice to make at the time because I didn't even live anywhere near that place xD And I have absolutely no problems where I live now. I love it here.
So yes obviously people need to accossiate with their neighbours but you can't when you don't get the chance in the first place. First you need to find a place to live :)
+Steve B I agree with this. Learn the language and get involved with your community as much as possible. And when/if something that feels like discrimination happens you have to learn to reflect. Did you really do something wrong? Did this person just take some stereotype-related frustration out on you? Either way killing them with kindness always beats getting upset to their face about it. Even if you don't agree with their view/actions understanding the reason behind them can help you navigate around or find a solution to the situation.
Ex. Police offers asks to see your gaijin card (or residence card since the law changed) for no reason. Don't fight or get upset, just pleasantly ask, "Oh, did I do something wrong?" If you truly did nothing wrong it forces the officer to reflect on or explain their actions. Hopefully they will think twice before stopping another foreigner for no reason. If you did something wrong, you now know better for next time. Getting angry will only make you look bad in the eyes of Japanese and "prove" their suspicions (however fair or unfair).
That said, I do think it is very unfair (and potentially dangerous) to put all the onus on foreigners to go above and beyond to just be treated like decent/normal people. But things will not change overnight so we have to put our efforts into setting a good example and enacting small change where we can.
I want to avoid trouble as an owner of an apartment. In many cases,get angry when I point out difference thinking about langage,noize,garbage,moral,tacit understanding,parking and more.We have so many rules.So I lent if you understand Japanese and our many rules.
you got it ask that question to the landlords , regular people don't even know why!?
As I was looking for a flat in Edinburgh,Scotland,UK 20 years ago, I found a piece of paper said that a flat was available so I rang a landlord but he asked me if I was British and I said no then he said never mind and cut it off. So wherever ye go, some people don't want foreigners to live in their properties. well there was even no internet at the time so it was harder to find a flat just ye would have to buy newspaper to read flat/let sections or go to Uni/language schools to check out boards.
In the UK, I just needed to pay rent for a month in advance and deposit but in Japan ye need a lot of dosh to rent a flat .well not always nowadays many international residents let ye rent their flats so ye just need less money to move in a flat and live at least in big cities,Japan.
+wildfire777 Sorry to hear that, but these days there are laws against this kind of discrimination in the UK. You could report it to the police actually.
well I didn't take it too seriously and I really needed a flat as soon as possible so I just kept looking for it . just 20 years ago no internet access/cafes .
That Japanese Man Yuta, I feel compeled to share my experience:
I've linved in Tokyo (Shinjuku-ku) for roughly 2 years and I had a lot of trouble finding an apartment. I'm from a North-West European country and I had a very good paying ex-pat job (not to brag or anything, but just to put it into perspective). Not to mention that I write and speak fluently in Japanese.
All of the first contact by the real estate agency to the landlord was per phone, which were in lines of: "Hello sir, we have someone that is interested into renting your apartement, he is, however, a foreigner, can we perhaps discuss this? Oh, I see... Thank you".
After this had occured several times, I had asked the real estate agency to instead of mentioning the word 'foreigner', say where the country I am from. This turned my success rate to roughly 80%. A very black a white difference.
I think this directly shows that the word 'foreigner' has a really bad condentation in Japan, as well goes to show that there are unspoken 'good' and 'bad' foreigner catagories.
Love your video's, thanks for asking the tough questions!
+OrnKo Well that makes sense, If I let them know I am German, they have another point of view and I'm not just a "foreigner".
so let me say what I think is probably the biggest reason for that question:
to rent a flat in japan u normally need to make a 2 years contract, and in many foreigners case they dont hold a 2 years visa or more. Also, I guess they are afraid foreigners can go back to their home country at any time without notice and dont pay the rent. that happened with a Hong kong guy living in the same shared house as me in tokyo.
Well I never had any problem to find apartments to rent. I'm french, speak Japanese, have a pretty fine salary, am married to a french woman and we have a 2 years old. Everyone has always been really helpful and went out of their way to help us get the apartment we wanted. I moved twice and each time I got the real-estate agency to even cut the first month of rent free to lower the moving fee (which is often outrageous by the way).
It's true, even though rentals in Japan go through a third party, I think landlords are mainly worried about communicating (and about having shoes walk all over their tatami). You usually need a counter-signer in Japan, so having a Japanese one should also provide a way for them to communicate with you ---but overall it's just too much trouble. I'm glad my landlord is a dotty old lady who probably hasn't realized that I'm not Japanese... just kidding...
次回は実際に部屋を貸している大家さんとか不動産屋さんにはなしを聞いて欲しいですね
Good stuff Yuta, keep it up.
As a foreigner living in countryside Japan, I could only rent a flat/apartment after I found a Japanese person to be my guarantor in case I somehow missed payments or skipped out of my contract.
"If one foreigner misbehaves, people will tend to think all foreigners misbehave" (1.48) Each person's the ambassador of his country when he's travelling...
Dedicated to Paul Logan.
You do good Videos, my friend
+Vladimir Putin lol. This channel is endorsed by President Putin himself.
+A. Haikal Ruslan 😂
+Vladimir Putin ur such a weeb putin. We all know you wear your Akido clothes while watching your Naurto torrents.
I miss Japan and the people so much. This video warms my heart! Especially when they talk of finding a solution. :)
yup, i had many rejections before finding the perfect place. was very surprised when i had to check the "gaikokujin" box at the real estate company before they can find me something that would "match" my criteria.
This happens everywhere all over the world. It's not about not wanting foreigners outright. It's just business preference. Generally speaking, private landlords prefer locals than foreigners. Besides prejudices, communication problems and whatnot, there are also factors like longevity. Locals are likely to rent in longer periods and sign longer rental contracts. Landlords also prefer families with stabil incomes but majority of foreigners don't come with families
Where does that happen in the West? I've never heard of anything like that other than in Japan, and here in the US, every apartment I've lived in or been to has been loaded with minorities and foreigners.
The US has anti-discrimination and fair housing laws on the books. We're also highly diverse culturally, so it's easier to know better when it comes to stereotypes. In a less diverse country with no such laws, it would be way easier to discriminate (and get away with it).
It's funny, because I totally understand the Japanese mentality behind their reticence toward renting to a foreigner. Japanese love serenity in all things, especially social interaction. It's not that they hate anything different, it's that it disrupts the natural flow of their lives, which is undesired. There are some unfortunate prejudices that go along with this, and I do want to see that change, but it's not like the sort of prejudice you get in places like America. Here, when a landlord refuses to rent to a foreigner, it's usually fueled by an active dislike for them and is frowned upon by society at large.
Also, spoiler alert: my most obnoxious and poor mannered neighbors have ALL been Japanese. Not sorting their trash, ditching futons in the trash area illegally before moving, screaming and shouting all night whilst having nabe parties, loud TVs and music at late hours, elephant stompers.... I've had Korean and Chinese neighbors before, and they were very respectful of the common courtesies of sharing a building.
+milkjamjuice Did you live in China and/or Korea for a bit, or just in Japan?
+milkjamjuice law of averages
+Gordon Graham I don't think she's trying to shit on japanese... she's just making a interesting point about how people from japan can also be disrespectful. Very unfortunate for her, though, maybe if she had had cool japanese neighbors she would've gotten along excellently with them.
MrFreakHeavy Yeah, I got it. I've lived here for 30 years and once had a young guy living in an apartment below me who had friends over drinking all the time, making a racket often past 2am. I was young then so I let it go, at first. It persisted so I knocked on his door and told him "people gotta work, so knock it off". He did. The thing is, when you live in Japan, your neighbours are almost always going to be Japanese. He was. I'm sure there are rude and noisy neighbours in China and Korea as well. Spoiler alert
+milkjamjuice Why am I NOT surprised.
If you don't speak any Japanese at all, then it shouldn't come as a shock. I wouldn't rent one of my houses to someone who I have no way of communicating to. On the other hand, if one can speak Japanese it might be a bit disheartening and rather frustrating. However, it is not just the fault of Japanese people for not choosing to rent, but also the foreigners who have not followed rules who have brought on this bad reputation. Rules that may seem stupid in one's own country, but never the less apply here. The strict ways to dispose of trash, the incredibly thin walls and the expectation one will be quiet etc.
Personally, I think landlords would be much more accepting if they simply sat down and had a conversation with the foreigner (in Japanese), instead of relying too much on the estate agent.
There are also other problems for foreigners too when it comes to moving i.e. guarantors. There are companies who rent out places with the aim of sorting these problems out for you though.
This is such an interesting question. These japanese people are not really racist but more like I dun want you because you're not one of us (japanese) kind of thinking which is very frustrating for foreigners. This is very much because of their monoracialism system i guess and their laziness to learn foreign languages. yet still, for some reason, I would like to try living there and see if I like it.
I have three questions for foreigners working or living there.
1. How do you tackle this problem when you have to work there for years?
2. Can you guys buy houses and landed properties while being foreigners?
3. If not, can you become a citizen from holding a foreign pass?
1. You just roll with the punches, much like many minorities do in Western countries. Learning the language goes a long way, as does being married to a Japanese person/having kids, and having a job in a respected profession (i.e. not ALT, eikaiwa, factory worker, etc.) 2. You will probably need a large income, long term residency, or be married to a Japanese to be granted a bank loan. Even then it can be tough depending. I think non-citizen foreigners need a Japanese name to start a business. 3. You can only get citizenship by renouncing your own country's citizenship and going through an arduous process that includes changing your name to a Japanese one.
Jamie K. wow. thanks for the info. japan is really strict about foreigners in their country. makes me even more curious about it.
+Jamie K. Lol renouncing your citizenship and changing your name to japanese one sounds INSANELY xenophobic. Imagine if we had that here in the US, "Sorry Juan, you have to change your name to Jason to be allowed to stay", also "No dual citizenship for you, show us you're no longer mexican and denounce your citizenship".
rdizzy1 Yup, pretty much! Basically Japan (as far as the government goes, but even regular Japanese to some extent) just want you to come here and see all the great Japanese things and then go home and tell your friends and family how great Japan was. Even most of the reasons for language acquisition or expanding overseas is to show people how great Japanese culture is. They're not really interested in having you around long term or truly becoming internationalized.
I'm not saying Japanese culture isn't great (at least some aspects) or that Japanese people shouldn't be proud of their culture, but it would be nice if more Japanese were interested in learning how they could integrate good ideas into their own culture in order to make their culture even greater instead of that blind sense of "we are the best" nationalism that is rampant. (And off course, many other nations also suffer from this, including my home country the U.S. :( )
Jamie K.
Yes, I see enough problems with rampant nationalism here in the US, don't want to visit another country with the same issues and xenophobia as well.
Thank you for this video, Yuta! It's very informative and seems so honest.
Greetings from Austria :)
Your channel is very good 👏👏👏👍👍👍😉
the truth of the matter is that Japan has really strong right to live laws, so if somebody moves into an apartment it's really hard to evict them. this is not only against foreigners to be honest. the only problem with foreigners that is that we are denied right out the door. but younger Japanese too are also required to have a guarantor before they can move into a place.
騒音のトラブルも相当多い。日本人はなるべく周りの迷惑にならないように静かに生活するけど外国人はパーティとかで大きい音を出したりする。日本人は直接音を出している人に言わずに大家さんに文句を言うので大家さんはとても大変なんだよ。日本人と同じように生活してくれればなにも文句は言わないけど習慣が違うから大家さんは外国人を避けることが多い
I love the maturity of the man at 4:29. The phrase he said at the end actually stayed with me "Otherwise it wouldn't be possible to share our values." So true!
I don't know if its just the UK but landlord here ask for guarantors so then if you don't pay rent on time or just don't pay, then the landlord will get the money from your guarantors. Landlords also ask for character reference from someone other then relative. Good video by the way.
Without government's intervention by using the law to discourage or eliminate discrimination against foreigners in the housing industry, nothing will change.
+Alq Japan has very few discrimination laws in general, whether it be against foreigners or against other Japanese (especially women), so I don't see that happening any time soon unfortunately.
+Alq Exactly !! The gov't feels the same way ! And that is not going to change no time soon.
+Alq Can you explain better your point of view?
+August Hayek, it's absolutely discrimination. I understand that for some, uninformed, landlords that they may have reservations about renting to a foreigner, but for all the negative stereotypes that are occasionally shown on TV, Japanese people are just as guilty of doing. Because they're Japanese they get an automatic pass and are free to rent a place and foreigners don't/aren't? My friend, that's the very definition of discrimination. I'm surrounded by Japanese university students. The ones around here are loud, don't follow the waste disposal protocols, and leave their bottles and cans all over the place.
KansaiJesse
But statistics say that foreigners have much higher criminal rates in Japan. Like it or not, it is a fact. In every countries or cities, where temporary residents reside have higher criminal rates. (I am not saying that foreigners are criminal, but the figures shows that you are more likely to meet people who disregard local rules where temporary residents reside, a question of statistics)
Put yourself in the landlords positions. Once lent, your have much weaker legal positions as compared to other countries, but more unwritten rules. And as some says in this thread, they are not willing to respect the local unwritten rules by automatically assuming that these rules do not exist because they are not written.
I bet, if you were a Japanese landlord and had a choice, you would lend it to Japanese.
Without the foreigners concerted efforts to actively comply with the local rules in a form that is visible to Japanese landlords, just by saying that this is discrimination and you have to lend it to foreigners, would not work.
Even if it did, they would changes to other problems in different forms, such as hatred between locals and foreigners.
That's why in italy we have an italian-japanese association that helps people to "fit in the japanese society": in italy with japanese people that live here, teaching the basics of japanese language, manners and habits...in japan with italian and japanese people that help with an advanced japanese language level and also with finding apartment and support...
These are some of the wisest, common sense people I've ever heard. No emotional replies, no appeals to a fallacious argument--they sympathize, they acknowledge, and present their defense in a clear manner. After this video, I can say that I love the country of Japan even more.
I’ve got this experience once just last year. My sempai also has. It felt very bad, but yes, there’s nothing we can do about it in the near future. My only hope is that those landlords, they at least look at all factors to judge (japanese, salary, ...), do not just refuse because we are forengers.
This is a tough situation... I'm from Brazil, and here we have deep gaps of income and culture between people. So if you meet a brazilian, he could be anything, the nicest or the jerkest. The smartest or the stupidest. The richest or the poorest.
So for us good brazilians, it can be tough getting somewhere where a bad brazilian has passed through before, because I'll garantee you, everyone will put us in the same bag. :/
Talking about "average" in regards to Brazil can be tough. You can say the average japanese has a good education, good culture, good behavior, that the average english, american etc are like this or like that, but that's not the case here.
Sometimes I see bad behaviour by a brazilian on the web, and I just feel embarassed.
Even so, I dont disagree with their behavior. They are being cautious just like I would If I had a bad experience with something or someone before. If they have the idea that foreign people dont usually meet dealines, that's probably because they've seen it happen quite a few times.
So I wouldnt consider this to be prejudice, just them being smart and safe, even if that sometimes can cost someone who is not a bad person.
We had no problems renting the place we live in now, but it was rented in my fiance's name even though my income is higher because he's Japanese and his parents were our guarantors. My landlord is really cool and was happy to hear a foreigner was moving into his property, but I think if I was another non-english speaking nationality he'd be less excited about it (not against it, just ambivalent). As for my neighbors, although they are all Japanese, almost none of them say greetings properly like one of the guys mentioned. I always say good morning / good afternoon (in Japanese of course) but no one ever responds, the ladies usually nod and the guys just ignore me. And the kids just stare. Haha
this happened to me last september!!
the fact that i'm a foreign student had made my option super limited :(
one of the landlord even explained to the agent that the last time he rented his place for a foreigner, they left the wall full of mold (i know ew)
so yeah.. please don't be that gaijin because it will give the others a really bad time
うちのアパートも外国人が増えているけど、家の前でうるさくするし、ゴミ出しがムチャクチャでゴミ置き場周辺が汚くなるのが嫌
I had been living in my apartment now for a year, but from the time I was looking for an apartment, I have to consider these two things; No guarantor needed and if the apartment allows foreigners to stay/live. I've downloaded some Japanese real estate app (like Home's, Suumo etc.) and when I go to a real estate agency, I let them look to some of the apartments that I like and the agent (he's very kind and patient) will try to call the landlord about those certain requirements that I'm concerned of. So yes, it's a little bit complicated finding an apartment for us foreigners but luckily today there are a lot of houses, apartments and/or mansions that mostly cater to foreigners and no guarantor needed as well. And of course there are some house/apartment/mansion rules to follow so everyone just have to adjust and adapt to it.
Great video as always Yuta
I'm going to move to Japan in September and will have to find a flat.... hopefully the fact that my boyfriend is half-Japanese will help!
Yuta, thanks for doing videos like this, it's interesting to see how the Japanese react when the situation is reversed. I haven't had any problems renting in Japan, but that's because mostly it's been in my (Japanese) wife's name. At my most recent house, in Shizuoka, the house is in my name and there were no issues at all.
I lived in Mexico and there were a lot of places that did not rent to foreigners. I think the reason is that it is easier for foreigners to skip on their contracts because they have no legal bounds to be inside the foreign country and it is near impossible to try to sue them for breach of contract.
Luckily I've never had problems renting an apartment because I'm married to a Japanese person with a reputable family member willing to guarantor for us, but yes, I have known many people who have been discriminated against, and a large majority of foreigners end up in more expensive, smaller system-fee apartments like Leopalaces and Mini Minis. Sometimes more run down properties are open to foreigners only because no Japanese person would live there or pay the asking rent price for the condition of the apartment.
Although there are many Japanese landlords who discriminate, one of the big problems is that non-Japanese usually do not have a Japanese person of "good social standing" willing to be their guarantor upon arrival, which the majority of agencies/landlords require. Even if you are Japanese, most landlords will not rent to you without a guarantor (someone who promises to pay in case you damage the apartment or suddenly leave mid-contract), and I'd say about half refuse guarantors from a company (like your workplace or a guarantor company) over a real person who is related to you/knows you well.
Then if you do get the apartment, you might have neighbors who never try to talk to you or think any trash sorting problem is automatically your fault. An acquaintance of mine (another foreigner) even had a lady that used to bring mis-sorted, uncollected trash to her doorstep because she always would assume it was hers, despite the fact that it never was.
Wow, all interviewed people seem to think about what they are going to say and try to make a good impression.
Of course i don't know, if all japanese people are acting like that, but i definetly know, that if an interview like that would be made here in germany, lots of people wouldn't take the questions serious or answer dumb things.
I want to go to japan so bad :(
Why are you so negative against your own? Where do you get those negative views from?
Stefan Lindeman Nope it's just the truth^^
+SL4V3RS4V3R
Germans had be hostile to millions of refugees. Where is the proof for your truth? Even more how can you respect other cultures when you dislike your own?
That Japanese have a different image of foreigners depends also what kind of people Japan get and what we get.
+SL4V3RS4V3R
Honne and tatemae...sometimes, it is hard to tell the difference.
+Germanator That's pretty much everyone's reaction. You're either super arrogant and think your people are the best or you "self" deprecate - that is you talk down how you think of people in your nation.
Truth is we all have a culture but there are shitty people and racists in every society. To me it feels like in this video young people were interviewed who understand the issues of discrimination and can have an objective view. Ask some older people and I doubt you'd get the same response from everybody.
In the UK I know that certainly wouldn't be the case say if you were to ask about the issue of immigration for instance to many lower-middle class middle aged individuals. There's a lot of hostility around the issue. I'd class it as closet racism. Ask a bunch of students? You're pretty much guaranteed to get the answer that you think immigration is positive etc. etc. I'm in that boat.
A really interesting question, especially because I never have thought about it! Also, I really like to see the answer of the people and it surprise me a lot how well they argue about it. Your channel is stunning Yuta, keep it up!
It's happened with me in Toronto, trying to rent a room. The owner was Korean, so I asked a Korean friend to call for me and try to rent it. When he said I wasn't Korean the owner turned me down right away. It was right where I wanted to live, so I felt so disappointed.
Interesting... So it's sort of like if one bad things happen by a foreigner, then he/she and others will assume all foreigners are the same way.. In a stereotypical manner. Guess some will have to break that stereotype shell! Glad to know this before deciding upon if it's best to possibly live in a apartment in Japan.
I never had a problem. I rented a place for 6 years and always paid on time. Come time to leave they gave me all my deposit back.
I then got a 100% loan from the bank without a guarantor or PR visa for a small cheap apartment.
That was about 10 years ago.
When I bought my new place (bout 5 years ago) the sales guy said I'd need the PR visa for the loan which I had.
I will say this though; when I was initially looking for a rental when I first came here the agent called the owner who asked "is he black?"
So, yes - I'm sure some people do have trouble and I was fortunate enough not to.
That's messed up
Hey Yuta,just wanted to say that I really enjoy your videos ! :)
There are so many reasons why it is hard to put foreigners in Japanese housing. When Japanese people move into a building they are expected to make formal visits to people above and below and around them and offer gifts and perform formalities. When you move into a Japanese community you are actually part of a community there are responsibilities. Most foreigners don't understand the nature of being part of a neighborhood in Japan.
I call BS. Few Japanese (especially in bigger cities) bring over gifts when they move in nowadays, just like few people in the West still take over baked goods or a present to someone who has moved in.
Since community fees are required, most pay them, and it is not uncommon for those of us foreigners living in actual residential communities to be asked to assist with trash watch or drills. Hell I even was appointed as the community fee collector for a year, after the other Japanese wives decided they didn't want to have to be the ones to fart with going door to door to collect it.
+GengoNoTabi I'd never move there then, sounds quite ridiculous. (Not that they would want me there anyway) I don't even interact with people I don't know, let alone give them anything.
***** Agreed. Japan very much prides itself on maintaining a certain image, whether the imagine reflects reality or not.
That said if you live here a long time you learn to play the game, at least if you want to save yourself a lot of trouble.
I've just moved into a new apartment in Saitama and it was a smooth process for me. For the realtor, not only having money in the bank and a job is important but having a Japanese person as an emergency contact was their biggest concern.
I kinda understand what the landlords think, according to my working experience and since I also studied in communication major.
Most of them probably have problem with the people not familiar with the culture because different than westerner, easterner culture is about making connection, emphasizing interpersonal relationship (high context culture). While racism is kinda big in japan, it's also because a lot of foreigner do not try to learn the culture, especially american. And by learning is I mean learning it before they came to the country, not learning it while in the country.
At the place I work, every foreigner that come to talk about business into my country quite understand our language. When I ask about it how they understand it from a french guy, he said that they're trained for 1 year to study about my country, culture, locals culture, and language. It's amazing to think that you need to learn a lot of thinks just to start talking about business, just talking.
Also there's this other case when we're at a project meeting with a japanese vehicle company, and it's only 1 week since he came. At that meeting, my team has an american foreigner. I am very close to him and consider him a friend even though he is my superior. After the meeting, the japanese representative came to talk to me and says to not bring that american next time. He says that my friend is arrogant because he don't even try to learn the culture before coming to this country, moreover he don't even speak my language. While I am cool with it, it's seems according to other's culture they're rude.
It's just different form of culture, or so it says according to my experience.
Or maybe I am wrong.
I think the main reason is the language and behavior. I heard that (especially with landlords that own smaller buildings)they will have a meeting with all the tenants once a month where they will discuss how people behaved(if there were noises, littering, damage) and how things can be changed. Also talking about litter/garbage; they are very picky with that in Japan. Basically everything needs to be separated and brought to the place that takes in the garbage. There are lots of fine details that most foreigners are not aware about and I guess that the landlords don't want to be bothered with it.
ゴミを分けない、夜中に騒ぐ、家賃を滞納する、挙句突然いなくなったりする
そりゃ全員ってわけじゃないけど明らかに比率が高いからわざわざリスクをとる必要もない
良い外国人と悪い外国人の見分けがつくわけないし俺が大家なら絶対貸さないね
外国人は日本人のせいにしないで信用を積み重ねて欲しい
Excellent video. We all judge people on very superficial bases. We need to get to know each other...then, we might find out that we are pretty much all the same.
+ShikataGaNai100 On the other hand, some foreigners live up to the stereotype be behaving like complete assholes. Sad that the innocent suffer because of the actions of a few bad apples, but such is life.
Well... in Sweden we also this, where people with non swedish names gets excluded when it comes to work or renting an apartment.
Racism exists pretty much everywhere, it's really old thinking where you're scared of differences
+Truls Erkers Mm. I suppose that is true although we have serious issues with immigration in general.
Not that the majority would be willing to speak about the problems we have with immigration openly since views that aren't far-left can have plenty of negative consequences.
Talking about foreign people not getting apartments however, should be fine. As long as you don't say that swedish people in general have issues in that area.
Yeah.... I would be very surprised if there are countries around the world that DOES NOT have this issue.
Matt Fortress Yeah our imigration politics is pretty shit... :|
Marcus Uppala Mhm... 'tis sad. I like seeing different cultures and all but, our country went about it all wrong. The fear of speaking up made it even worse.
I found a real estate agent that works with foreigners only so finding an apartment in Tokyo wasn't a problem for me. This is one way to get around the issue.
Thanks for bringing up this topic! Change or shall I say more awareness is needed! Great video!
I live in the U.S. I rented out my house to a dutch family once. But the father got fired by his company and fled back to his country saying "Take my escrow money and pay for any damage. You are better off than us." but the damage to the house was much bigger than what he left. I was living in Japan at that time and there was nothing I could do about it. He was gone and I couldn't track the guy to Holland through my agent. So I understand the landlords need sponsors who lives in the same country.
dutch poeple are not like that
Dustin W I guess not all Dutch people are the same.
Living my self in the Netherlands form what I know the dutch poeple are wel deciplined just got the wrong guy tho
In the U.S.A. we have the Equal Housing Law. This prevents discriminating against people for race, creed, or religion regarding buying or renting a place to live. That would be a solution, interesting that Japanese didn't think of a law protecting people.
This happens all the time. Even after I got marred and I went with my Japanese wife, there were still a number of places that wouldn't rent to us because I'm not Japanese. It's really quite frustrating.
I already knew about this however it would've been nice to mention that one solution is that there are a bit of landlords and agency's that provide solutions for this problem head on by making it widely known that they specialize in foreigner rentals or that they are fine with it. For anybody thinking that they're being racist or discriminating, I suppose in some instances you can look it at it like that and in some rare instances it surely is exactly that. However, I would say from doing lots of research about it, and by seeing it from the landlords perspective, that it is a matter of simple risk vs reward. If you were the landlord would you rent to someone that probably couldn't understand you, or that you had heard of mistreating your properties or one that I hear often, a foreigner that more than likely has options to live in their home country and so therefore they bail on rent owed and responsibilities that they are liable for? Or would you go with the much, much more secure and safe option and rent to a Japanese person? I'm sorry but we can't deny the facts, however, I don't think they should be so rigid. I think that landlords should start to break the mold and give chances to foreigners to build up their trust and have measures in place so they don't get screwed over like maybe requiring a higher deposit until trust was earned? Maybe after many good experiences those landlords would begin to rent to foreigners and bit by bit feel more confident to do so. That is why for any foreigner reading this, it is our responsibility to show the Nihonjin that we can be trusted and understood. If you go over, please set a good example because honestly when I was over there I saw more idiots than I wish I had seen.
As a foreigner in Japan, this has been my experience, so I would say these people have a very accurate idea of the situation. That's really great to see, because being turned away from an apartment can make you feel excluded and alone, and knowing that Japanese people seem to understand that lessens that feeling. :)
I noticed a lot of the people mentioned that if the foreigners had an income and spoke Japanese that they should be able to rent an apartment, but what if you are just learning, or continuing to strengthen your Japanese language skills and have a solid income? Obviously, you should be able to understand a rental agreement before making a decision as important as that, but it seems, to me at least, that having good language skills is not that important to having a roof over your head.
It took me a long time to find an apartment that would accept me. I spent a month bouncing around real estate agents because they would show me a place, but then when they called up the owner they denied me simply because I was a foreigner or that I couldn't have a Japanese guarantor (no one in their right minds would want to be a guarantor). They never even met me in an interview like they do in my home country and I could've provided Japanese references. Even the place I did end up getting, no one came to introduce themselves nor show me the rules of the building. It took me a month to find out on my own that the garbage is put out at the other end of the street. From that, my impression is that Japanese owners and land lords are lazy and uninvolved with their leased properties. Is this a common thing?
Nice video, very interesting answers too. It's already hard to find a place if you can't speak/read a bit of japanese anyway, so to hit another wall after all you've been through is... depressing. Especially this kind of barrier.
At least they seem to recognize it's mostly due to some kind of clichés from the media or traditions and such, which is nice. But as usual they seem to be surprised a bit too :D
Good idea to ask them about the same situation in reverse, too!
in the UK they dont always rent to foreigners -- and if they do, a lot of landlord take advantage of them...
Landlords own the property, so it is theirs to do as they please... some dont allow people with pets...etc...
In the UK there are even landlords that will only rent to women etc...
In the case of Japan - i think mostly it's because they are worried about language barriers and cultural differences...
For example - in western countries, you can redecorate, put shelves on the wall, etc -- any damage caused will come out of your deposit....but in japan, often the deposit is used for cleaning fees and some landlords will then ask for extra money to cover damages and replacement of tatami mats -- because of the different system many foreigners get annoyed and refuse to pay...
I've known foreigners paint the walls etc, but demanded their deposit back.
I have also met foreigners who were often late in sending rent on several occasions, or causing problems with neighbours by being too noisy or not putting the trash out on the correct day, or parking in the wrong area etc.
So basically some japanese landlords dont want the hassle of dealing with foreigners BUT thats where a reference system should be put in place -- in the UK many landlords will ask for references from previous landlords and even your work place...
I think if a foreigner is polite, has references, and either speaks the language or has someone to translate, then japanese landlords should be ok (and from my experience they generally are).
If they didnt want to rent to me... i would move on -- i would be annoyed, but there would be no point in asking why or trying to change their view...i wouldnt want to rent from them if they changed their mind...nor would i recommend them or agency to others...
As a landlord in 2 countries, I can tell you that some races are simply better tenants than others- for example in Turkey, Turks themselves would rather rent to foreigners because they know their own are bad tenants. At the end of the day you want to feel comfortable that someone will pay consistently and take care of your property, and sometimes stereotypes exist for a reason.
No body saw those two guys booking it in business suits?
I love this ^^, I love japan and i'm a foreigners, so... yeah
The impression i am getting is that the reason maybe non Japanese people find it hard to rent flats in japan is due to some not being able to speak Japanese , the expectation is that if you go to work , live and possibly immigrate to japan is that the person speak Japanese.
It's communication issues with people who don't speak the common language of the host nation, i agree with the expectation that those going to live and work in Japan speak Japanese .
To those who criticise Westerners for expecting foreigners to speck English for example if they intend to live , work and immigrate to their nations , now maybe you can be a bit more sympathetic towards that expectation, it makes communication easier for all parties , makes getting work and an education easier, it helps with cultural understanding .
As for those foreigners who misbehave , a land lord has every right to evict them, it's just unfortunate that that happens and yes it does give the majority of good foreigners a bad reputation .
It's very important to learn the good manners and adapt to the culture of the nation that is so gracious as to welcome you in .
Another thing I want to add is that this can happen in any country, even your home country. Back in Germany I(and other people I know) got rejected for the fact because we were unemployed. One landlord was especially nasty by claiming that all unemployed people are nasty and forget to pay rent, and one landlord told to my friend that unemployed people would crap on the walls! They said that without even meeting us in person(it was phone calls). But on the other side it is kind of understandable, since the landlords have to take care of the buildings and can lose lots of money because of bad tenants. But they should at least give people a chance to talk to them in person.
Went looking for a house in Japan. Property rental place told us "no houses, sorry!" Went back with a 5th of Johnny Walker Black Label, thanking him and asking to be put on a waiting list. He gave me 5 sets of keys and said if I didn't like any of these, come back and he would give me 5 more.
4:25 spot on with that last thought he provided
In Tokyo, Sakura House rents specifically to foreigners on a month-to-month basis (minimum 1 month) and they rent out apartments, guest houses and dorm rooms. I've stayed in a Sakura House apartment twice now, in '07 and in '12. They make it easy for foreigners to rent, there's no "key money" or language barrier, and the apartments are very much cheaper than I expected, in fact with the exchange rate now they're cheaper than my apartment here in the DC area. I wish they could expand, or other companies in Japan follow their lead.
+CaptainNerd Been to Sakura House myself. Compared to *real* apartments, Sakura House is extremely expensive. Houses are not very clean either. They're definitely making profit from this very issue.
True, but the saving grace is they're there. Like fast food, it's not necessarily good, but it's cheap and available and it doesn't take a great deal of effort to obtain.
+CaptainNerd You're right about that. I'd stay there again whenever I stay for less than 6 months. I just meant it's a bit sad that you basically don't have any other choice.
One of the things I hate the most is the whole greeting thing. I live in Japan for a little bit now and I've been told to greet Japanese I see daily. I do, however they act like I don't exist. I mean I speak the language enough to have a basic conversation but greeting is probably the most annoying things about Japan because sometimes they don't even greet me back. They just keep walking.
The rental brick wall is driven by stereotypes and word of noisy foreigners or wrong garbage disposal actions. This creates a "tar all foreigners with the same brush" mindset. My first week in a rental property in Seto City a group of local residents knocked on my door accusing me of putting beer cans in the wrong location. It wasn't me, but fact that my neighbours were convinced it had to be me, was unsettling as a new resident.
nice videos. Just a suggestion: maybe you could add a transcription with japanese characters (kanji with furigana, please!) on the upper side of the video. I know the video frame would get crowded but it would be a good tool to learn to read japanese. Or maybe transcriptions in the video description?
Wait if a foreigner can't find a flat. Would they just have to stay in a hotel?
I would be proficient in Japanese before I ever moved there, so the communication would be a minimal hassle. But in my goal to move to Japan, finding a place to live is probably my worst fear.
That cool to know
+toxic pope mfw i see another toxic with yuno ;)
+Toxik mfw the only figure of Future Diary is a shitty RAH that costs 500 bucks
+loiloiloi6 same
+Toxik lol
We can't be bad if we don't understand Japanese. We also love and follow Buddha just like you do. How can we be bad ? An Indian here who is currently finding a place to rent in Tokiyo. Arigato Gozaimasu.
Yuta-san! (Sorry, I don't know your surname) Your videos have akways been informative! Thank you very much for the hard work! Please keep it up! All the best!
That was pretty good to know. Also, if you are a foreigner and your are getting a work visa for there hopefully the company you will be working for can help you get a place. At least that is what I am hoping.
Wow they got really indignant when you asked them to act as the foreigner in this situation. Yay for empathy!
I don't see a problem with it. Foreigners are guests in Japan. They don't belong in Japan, and any accommodation by the locals should be understood to be voluntary. Foreigners cause problems at a much higher rate than the locals, and it's completely understandable that many landlords would be unwilling to subject themselves or their other tenants to those problems.
tl;dr deal with it or go home