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Japan plans to ease travel restrictions for foreign travelers (mid-term and long-term visitors, who will stay in Japan for more than three months for business or other non-tourism purposes) from around the world beginning in October, the Japanese government said this Wednesday.

However, there will be limited to about 1,000 foreigners to enter the country per day and these entrants will be required to self-quarantine for two weeks and follow other health protocols.

In Japan, the number of new cases of the COVID has been trending downward in recent weeks, so we hope things only get better and better!
For those who have a plan to stay in Japan for three months or longer, we are going to give you some suggestions and information regarding your accommodation in Japan in this article!

Which Are The Best Share Houses To Live In Japan?

In recent years, the culture of living in a share house in Japan has witnessed a boost. It has been observed that the ex-pats and students who come to Japan for the very first time for reasons like for searching job opportunities, for completion of their studies, for taking a detailed tour of the nation, or for getting access to Japan’s medical infrastructure, prefer renting a share house. This especially rings true for people who are visiting Japan for a brief period. Such people show more interest in settling in a share house for their stay over booking a hotel or renting a whole flat in the new place.

There are many reasons for this preference displayed by people. The most important of these reasons include grounds like lower renting costs of a share house when compared to the cost of renting a hotel or flat, the easy process of locating and renting a share house, the increased sense of security offered to the residents by share houses as they shelter many people under the same roof, and the fact that living in a share house allows you to reside with other ex-pats and prevents you from feeling alienated and alone in an alien space. For these reasons, newcomers in Japan feel enticed to rent a share house.

Now, Japan over the last years has understood this urge, and thus, to help its ex-pats the country in recent years has developed many share houses. In this prosperous nation, where many vibrant and young minds co-exist and collaborate to make the nation a bustling economic hub, many such borderless properties have been built. So, now if anyone moves to Japan and wishes to rent a share house for the stay, he/she probably doesn’t need to look very hard or to make any compromises with the locality where he wants to live in. Instead, just logging on to the right website and knowing where you want to rent a space, will make the share house hunt possible.

What you don’t believe us? Well, if that is the case then make sure to read our next section where you can see how any ex-pat who newly moves within the borders of Japan can easily choose accommodation in various localities. The options available are abundant and endless!

What are the available residence options in various areas in Japan?

If you will move to Japan you will find that the cheap residence options available here are overflowing. All you need to do is to know for sure in which city or locality you wish to rent a room and what you want your neighborhood to look like. Once you have locked in on these answers you will find that finding and finalizing a renting space is like a child’s play in Japan.

So, you have a workplace or school you want to live close to?

Many people every year move to Japan in search of jobs or for the sake of its remarkable education system. Now, if you too have made your move to Japan for these reasons, then it makes sense that you would want to live in a place that is close to these locations. Doing so will reduce your time to and from work and school, and it will make your life comfortable. Now, since the majority of jobs and popular education institutions are located in big cities in Japan like Tokyo, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, hence, you will be glad to know the number of share houses located in these cities is also in double digits. Thus, finding a share house here isn’t be a tough task.

So, you love history and would like to live in a historical place?

Well, some people love history, and honestly, it is quite wonderful to know that the place where you are standing in the present moment is the same place where some great king or saint was born thousands of years ago. Now, if you also love such tidbits of information and have come to Japan in a tourist spree, then you should check out the historical cities of Asakusa and Ueno that are popular tourist destinations while finding a shelter. There are many share houses situated here and choosing one of them as your place of accommodation will make it easier for you to visit historical sights and to experience traditional culture.

Recommended House▶ MONZENNAKACHO1 & ASAKUSA-IRIYA

So, you want access to a convenient and exciting life?

Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro are Tokyo’s representative urban centers. These localities are packed with all the functions of downtown, the entertainment district, and the office district, and the number of visitors who come to these places is very large. Especially in Shibuya, you can find many young people, and therefore, plenty of commercial facilities and restaurants are situated here. Thus, while deciding on a locality you should consider selecting one of these cities to stay as they will keep you up-to-date with the latest trends and will aid you in leading an exciting urban life.

Recommended House▶ SHINJUKU-CHUO1 & SHINJUKU-NAKANO1

So, you prefer living in a high-end luxury area?

Now, who doesn’t like to live a glamorous and comfortable life? So, for those of you who would prefer settling in a high-end luxury area let me inform you that Roppongi and Meguro in Tokyo are rich and popular residential areas in Japan where many wealthy people reside. And the good news is that even in these high-end luxury areas you can easily locate share houses to live in. Thus, even by paying less rent, you can get access to fashionable townscapes and high-class shopping centers. In addition to this, by living here you can also find delicious food serving restaurants and old-fashioned shopping streets that can keep you entertained and happy.

Recommended House▶ ROPPONGI1 & AKASAKA1

Thus, if you are about to move to Japan or you are already residing here, you can now see how finding a share house in different areas in Japan is very easy.

Hope the information helps! We are so looking forward to seeing you in Japan!

Hello, this is Ting from Borderless House. I’m from Taiwan and I came to Japan with a working holiday visa in 2007. It gave me a chance to explore Japan in-depth, have more adventures, and try more new things in different cities since I could stay for a maximum of one year with this program. For me, the best thing about this opportunity is to have the most freedom to figure out if I really want to live in Japan or not. So I would like to recommend it to those who have been thinking about moving to Japan and wanting to get a taste of Japan! So in this blog, I would like to briefly introduce Working Holiday in Japan and how to apply, as transitioning to a foreign country is not an easy task and you should prepare as much as possible! I also hope it would help you to figure out if a working holiday is right for you.

What is a Working Holiday?

The purpose of a Working Holiday in Japan is to foster cultural exchanges and promote mutual understanding between Japan and its partner countries/regions. The program is designed to provide the youth (must be under 30 years of age) with opportunities to appreciate the culture and general way of life. It allows the participants to live and work in Japan without a full-time job, a university or language school course, or any visa sponsor. Young people from various nationalities with a Working Holiday visa are allowed to be on vacation around Japan and also do a part-time job to cover some of their travel costs. The visa is valid for 1 year. And each individual can only participate in Working Holiday programs ONE time in life. Since the main purpose of doing a working holiday is to experience the culture and lifestyle in Japan, instead of doing paid work and earning money, people who participate in working holiday in Japan can also apply for temporary academic activities, voluntary work without pay or internship without pay. Just remember, this visa is specifically designed for you to have a lot of free time to travel around Japan, then to do some work to make money so you can travel more.

Who can apply for the working holiday visa in Japan? (Eligibility)

<Countries/Regions> Since 1980, Japan started working holiday programs, until now, Japan has introduced the programs with the 26 countries/regions in the world. As of 1st April 2020, citizens of the following countries and regions are eligible for a working holiday visa in Japan: Argentina/Australia/Austria/Canada/Czech Republic/Chile/Denmark/Estonia/France/Germany/Hong Kong/Hungary/Iceland/Ireland/ Korea/Lithuania/Netherlands/New Zealand/Norway/Poland/Portugal/Slovakia/Spain/Sweden/Taiwan/United Kingdom <Age> A working holiday visa is a special visa for young people between the age of 18 and 30, both inclusive at the time of application for the visa. However, for Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Korea, an applicant should be between 18 and 25 years of age except in those cases where the competent authorities of Japan agree to extend the limitation of age to 30 years. As for Iceland, the applicant should be between 18 and 26 years of age.

How to prepare for a Working Holiday in Japan?

To prepare for a Working Holiday visa, there are 2 most important parts of the processes which are gathering all the required documents and sending your application to the he Japanese Embassy, and then settling in: ①Application/Paperworks The first step is to fill out the Visa Application Form which includes your basic information, such as nationality, age, and passport details. There is also a section with yes or no questions about your legal and criminal past, which means you must have a clean criminal record to participate in the working holiday visa program. A passport-style photo which was taken within six months to the application is also required. You are also required to submit a proposed itinerary and outline of the intended activities. As I mentioned – the main purpose of the Working Holiday for you should be experiencing the country, so the Japanese government wants you to go to every corner of its beautiful country, and that’s basically what you need to write about on your proposed itinerary. You can demonstrate some detailed travel plans to show you’ve done the research and you’re well planned. But of course, this is flexible and you can always change your plans afterward when you get to Japan. They’d love to see you are not just visiting the capital or tourism spots, but planning to visit multiple prefectures instead. ②Housing After you get the visa and you are ready to go to Japan, the next thing you may be concerned about is probably housing. And I would recommend starting out living at a share house for sure since living in a share house gives you chances to meet many people from all over the world, it helps you to get advice and support from others and immerse yourself in the local culture and make local friends. It may bring you some good changes in your plan in Japan! And you don’t need a guarantor to rent a room at a share house. Moreover, the minimum stay at share houses is usually one month, which is about a good amount of time to explore a city. It’s also easier to cancel or extend the contract, that can keep the flexibility of your plan! On top of that, the shared house is fully furnished, so you can basically just move in with a suitcase. So I believe staying at a shared house is the best choice for when you first get to Japan and still sorting things out! Check share houses in Tokyo Check share houses in Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe ③Other necessary preparations -Money: For the application, you are required to prove you have sufficient funds in the bank to pay for your stay in Japan (around $3,000). But Japan is considered to be one of the most expensive countries in the world, especially a big city like Tokyo, so you usually will need to prepare more than that if you don’t plan to get a job and start to work right after you arrive in Japan. Depends on each person, you can check this blog for your reference about the cost of living in Japan. -Insurance: One of the mandatory things that you have to do before your arrival in Japan is to subscribe to the national health insurance plan. -Internet: You will have Wifi at home if you choose to stay at a shared house, and there is Wifi access at the convenience stores, train stations, and most cafes and restaurants as well. Another handy option is a Pocket WiFi, which is usually charged with monthly payment, which is more flexible. And you can also check out some SIM card options at BIC Camera or Yodobashi Camera, there are many plan options designed for foreigners with a lower cost. Or you can check this mobile service for foreigners.

Staying in Japan after Working Holiday

If you are enjoying your life too much in Japan and you intend to stay longer in Japan rather than going back home, converting to a standard working visa is possible! But you will need a company willing to sponsor you so you can get a work visa that allows you to stay for extra 1,3 or 5 years! So if you are interested in getting a regular working visa after your working holiday visa ends, feel free check our 【Ē・SHOKU・JŪ 】Housing & Career Support Program that helps you to land your dream job in Japan and stay for a longer period in Japan! If you love Japan and would like to spend more time in the country to experience the culture, learn the language, or you’d just simply love to have more adventures in Japan, a working holiday program could be the best option for you! Especially if your country is one of the partner countries with Japan, you should seize the opportunity! Best of all, applying for the working holiday program is entirely free! If you meet the above criteria, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t apply. This could be a life-changing step for you 🙂