East of East

Huzzah! My application to Hiroo East #201 was succesful. So I'm now on my way to being the proud tenant of a Japanese apartment in Hiroo. I'll post some pictures if I get a chance but I doubt I'll be back in until I move.

Tokyo Observations #156: How inefficient can a market get? Just come to Japan and you'll find out. Take the f*ing property rental market as a simple case. Tokyo is the most populous city I've been to. Yet because the standard features are 1 bedroom/studio (no one wants to share out here - unless you are a foreign teacher), 1 baruconi (balcony - not that you can use them. Its too loud, smelly, you can't hang out clothes and you can't have a barbecue), properties have to face south (because you have to get sunlight y'know?), a shower AND bath (seperate - not combined), a utility room/area (usually in the bathroom for some unknown reason) and aircon (to be fair, this is a necessity) the consequence is an abundance of really badly designed apartments that are too small and too expensive. Then there are the barriers to moving - key money, deposit, agent fee. You can expect to pay SIX (count 'em, SIX) months rent in advance JUST TO HAVE THE PRIVELEDGE OF MOVING. As you can imagine, a consequence of this is that moving companies are also pricey. Oh, and since properties here come completely unfurnished (no sofas, beds, tables, chairs, curtains, doormats, cups, plates, chopsticks...) you get to spend what little cash you have left on THAT. Its a miracle anyone lives here at all. Oh - and now that I'm going to be settled - I'll have to go get an Earthquake survival kit. Expect me to spend about $100 on crap that I need to survive should a big earthquake hit. Fun fun eh? Well, at least my projector should arrive in a couple of weeks...