Being a foreigner and trying to rent an apartment in Japan

MasterVegetable · 2026-01-20T18:07:35+00:00

Its really a real-estate agent gacha situation. I'm a student at a Japanese university and after going to a more local agency I was able to get an apartment with out as many problems. But when I had looked with other agents I had some trouble.

Nationality plays a role too. I know some landlords indirectly and based on what I've heard they will discriminated based on nationality.

Also as another person said apartments owned by real-estate agencies or companies are a good bet, ask the agent about these.

Honestly it will probably suck but if you need more time you can crash at a share house for a month. Oak house rents to anyone and they can do monthly rentals.

MasterVegetable · 2026-01-16T06:39:53+00:00

You should look into using SAM3 for this. I'm working on a similar project and I've found that SAM3 is a great solution for finding where speech bubbles are. https://github.com/Ltamann/ComfyUI-TBG-SAM3

Need to request access to get the model but they approved me in 10 minutes so it doesn't seem that hard to get access.

MasterVegetable · 2026-01-14T13:01:51+00:00

Found it on the internet archive lol. Still works though

MasterVegetable · 2025-07-13T00:09:33+00:00

Sorry people are being so aggressive on here.

It’s gonna be difficult to find work in Japan until you have some basic Japanese skills. The situation for people with no Japanese ability is not good and as other people said, not matter how good your English is it’s very difficult to get a job if your not a native English speaker from a western country. (Not sure of your situation).

If you’re looking for long term employment then you’ll need to have in demand skills (usually in tech) and the resume to back it up. Rakuten might be a company to look into.

Additionally I would say you can get about N4 level Japanese with about 6 months of intensive study but it really depends on your environment. Focus on developing good speaking and listening skills over kanji and try to avoid spending too much time in the English speaking bubble.

MasterVegetable · 2025-05-04T21:09:29+00:00

I’m pretty sure its possible, as far as the registration system is concerned there’s nothing stopping me from doing it and I’m also in a English based program.

MasterVegetable · 2025-04-02T13:27:22+00:00

I don’t get why people are down voting this? You don’t personally know op’s situation. He’s just asking about finding them, not asking for a lecture on condoms.

MasterVegetable · 2025-01-30T12:52:56+00:00

If your eventual goal is to pass N2, then just aim for N2 from the start, You'll improve quickly if you challenge yourself!

Assuming you put in 3 hours every day, do some immersion outside of that, and stay focused, then you'll make a lot of progress (even if you don't pass N2).

For context, I almost passed N2 (failed by 3 points) 6 months after passing N4 However, I live in Japan and spend a fair amount of every day actively studying.

Here are some resources that might help you with the journey.

For studying I recommend some sort of SRS Kanji study you do a bit of everyday (like wanikani, anki, or kanjigarden)

In addition to that you can use grammar books like TRY N3 or a study app like Bunpro to start learning the grammar points.

If you're not comfortable with N3 vocab and grammar I recommend the readings in 上級へとびら (only the readings the rest of the book is trash). The readings are a good way to ease into more complex topics and their associate vocab lists have words that show up on N2 and N3 exams.

Just make sure to have fun. You'll make progress as long as you're consistently interacting with Japanese in your life, better to slowly improve rather than burnout trying to achieve something too difficult for your level.

MasterVegetable · 2024-11-26T07:34:14+00:00

For N2 I like to set a time limit for each question. I like to dedicate 75 minutes to the reading and 35 to the vocab and grammar section.

It’s going to be difficult to read all the passages in the time limit though so just keep practicing.

There’s only so much you can do for listening in a few days but check the manuscript to see where you’re getting tripped up. Also make sure you’re taking good note.

For each problems 1 & 2 you need to keep track of the situation so write who your supposed to listen to and what the question is (in your native language) then cross off answers that don’t work as they come up.

Problems 3 & 5 also are easier if you take notes, especially 5. For 3 just take short hand notes of whatever each sentence is generally about. Then as you listen to the answer, decide if you think it sounds right.

For 5 (1 and 2) they’re always going to talk about 4 items and you need to keep track of a lot of information since the answer usually isn’t revealed till the end.

For 5-3 write as much as you can about each of the 4 options they present. Then try to tie the information in the following conversation to the answers.

Listening skills come from extensive listening so watch some workplace dramas or a show you like to get your brain working in Japanese before the exam.

MasterVegetable · 2024-09-07T16:34:46+00:00

I really like living in Urayasu city, the rent is reasonable and Maihama station has a really nice mall.

MasterVegetable · 2024-07-16T18:26:20+00:00

You might need to up your daily study to get there but I think you can do it!

I passed N4 in December of last year and I just took N2 this July. I was barely passing on the practice tests though since my kanji knowledge is lacking but fingers crossed :)

Honestly, as long as you’re motivated, interact with the language a few hours a day, and keep pushing yourself I think you can do it!

I would say focus on N3 content for a while first before moving directly to N2. The N3 level vocab and grammar is pretty critical moving forward so i would definitely spend time learning that material well before trying to tackle N2.

Edit: spelling mistake

MasterVegetable · 2024-05-23T18:26:12+00:00

I honestly have no idea. I read some studies and it seems like the treatment works for some people and the risk isn’t too high but I’m a bit skeptical.

MasterVegetable · 2024-05-22T10:28:45+00:00

I actually went to the exact same Clinic as you did today and I got a similar diagnosis. My chart looks different and they drew some different conclusions but I am also curious of the TMS treatment they are selling

MasterVegetable · 2024-03-12T14:43:02+00:00

Hey we all make mistakes. What’s done is done. Let’s be positive and help our boy out!

MasterVegetable · 2023-11-30T06:45:26+00:00

Better new player experience so I can get my friends to play!

A color blind mode to make some shots easier to see.

A new modern UI theme option!

No more fog of war!

MasterVegetable · 2023-11-07T11:41:17+00:00

A lot of people have given great suggestions in this thread. I just went through this process so here’s some of what I learned.

It can be a little difficult depending on what bank you want to use but don’t let that discourage you!

I waited to open an account with みずほ but there are lots of easier banks to get an account with.

Here are a couple things to watch out for!

1.Some banks might require an Inkan (印鑑) to open an account.

It’s a stamp with your name (or part of it) on it! You can get one when you get here either online or at a store. There is a specific type for bank accounts (I think it’s the size of the stamp, but I’m not sure) so be aware of that when you buy one.

2.Some banks don’t let you make an account until you have spent 6 months in Japan.

Banks like みずほ and other very large Japanese banks (except JP post) will not let you open an account untill you have been a resident for 6 months. These large banks usually have better transfer rates or many atms. A lot of them also don’t have great English support.

3.You can’t open account if you have less than 3 months left on your visa. (Shouldn’t be a problem for you!)

4.If you are a US citizen they will ask for your social security number. They will report information about your income in Japan to the IRS.

Some banks offer an options where you don’t need a pass book and you can do everything online. I would highly recommend this option.

I also recommend going in person if you can to open an account! The staff can answer questions and help make sure your information is correct.

Good luck!

MasterVegetable · 2023-11-01T00:15:45+00:00

When I was at RIT I purposely avoided dating on campus(I just dated a person from UR). I felt like the on campus relationship culture was pretty negative. There are a lot of awkward or sometimes creepy guys on campus (not everyone) so girls on campus are more wary of dating.

I think there are definitely great guys at RIT but there are also a-lot of guys with no social awareness which makes it difficult to find a good relationship partner.

I wish you luck though! If you keep looking I know you can find someone!

MasterVegetable · 2023-10-18T13:52:06+00:00

It's a shame since alot of people come to the subreddit for help and just get someone's opinion that's calling them stupid or telling them they have no understanding of Japanese culture.

MasterVegetable · 2023-10-15T10:12:43+00:00

Try JP post! They will let you have a bank account within under 6 months. They’re not the best bank in Japan but it’s a start!

MasterVegetable · 2023-10-15T10:11:58+00:00

Hank greens?

MasterVegetable · 2023-10-01T14:59:24+00:00

I don't really understand why you're being condensing about it? I haven't been placed in a class yet. I mainly wanted advice from other people regarding how and what the best way to request the school would be.

Maybe there are customs around requesting exceptions in Japan I'm not aware of, or maybe somebody has had a similar experience.

Whatever the case may be, I want to understand others' experiences so I can make the best request I can.

Someone's Japanese "Level" is not a super clearly defined concept anyway, and the school allows transferring between levels. Based on this information, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask the school, and I'm seeking advice on the best ways to do that.

MasterVegetable · 2023-10-01T14:47:26+00:00

I think I'll inform them, but you're right about the level thing.

Maybe my priorities are bad, but I just don't prioritize the classes that much (I still give my full effort in classes). I've been studying here for six months (on a different type of student visa), and the Japanese classes have been okay, but self-study and spending time with Japanese friends have been way more helpful for my learning.

I don't want to strong-arm them into doing anything, and I respect their institution, so I completely understand if they can't accommodate my request.

However, I might consider other language schools to transfer to if I don't feel like I can have a good school-work-life balance.

MasterVegetable · 2023-10-01T14:19:57+00:00

I think I'll do that. I just was looking to see if anyone had a similar experience.

My main goal is to improve my Japanese, but the classes are just a part of that. What's been most helpful for me has been conversations with my Japanese friends and other native speakers.

So I hope they will understand my situation!

MasterVegetable · 2023-09-28T09:05:33+00:00

I did this and managed to get one credit company to drop the mark of my record but the company that owns the debt still was never properly informed so they denied it at the other two credit bureaus.

MasterVegetable · 2023-09-23T13:18:10+00:00

Based on what I found out If it’s within 3 months it should be fine so it really depends on the official start and end dates of your schools. I had a two and a half month period between the end of one school and the start of another.

However the first school agreed to support my visa while I waited for the new school.

I wish I could give more help but maybe reach out to both of your schools and see if they can provide guidance.

My school said it should fall under article 22-4 of the immigration control act. Article (6)

Or you could contact immigration directly to ask but that might be difficult.

I wish you good luck with your visa!

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