We are calling out to you guys- our faithful and loyal clients and followers. We want your help!!

 

Moving countries can bring about challenges and difficulties—the unknown of a foreign land, and even a foreign language. The Kanji symbols and scripts can make it even more difficult.

Even after researching as much as possible before moving here, it can still feel as if you’re not prepared enough for this uniquely beautiful country you now call home.

Q: Once the move is over, what were some lasting challenges?

 

Of course, the excitement of exploring somewhere new and learning different cultures and traditions brings about its own joy, confirming the great decision you made to move to Japan. A country that so many come to love, and for some, would be a country that would capture their hearts and never let them go. The wonderful people, the unbelievable culinary experiences, new concepts, and especially Tokyo’s love for constant change and entertainment, help keep things fresh, season after season.

 

Yet, we also know that in the midst of all of that, there are difficulties, and sometimes things you just can’t wrap your head around. Sometimes you feel so lost, even in a big city surrounded by so many…  It can still feel lonely.  Or sometimes, you want to bang your head on a wall, because you can’t understand why you need to save and bring every piece of paper (that you own) to every appointment you have! …Or make a million trips to the city ward office, because you just didn’t have the form perfectly correct. If a country could win the title of ‘being a perfectionist’, Japan would hold that title well.

 

So this is why we are calling out to you guys! We want your help!!

We want to know what we can do to improve our services to enhance your life and to help you and others transition into this new country.

 

Help us Help You!

Here at Apts.jp, we don’t want to only help you find the best apartment and make moving-in as smooth as possible– we want to help make your new life transition excellent. So please help us by giving us some feedback about what you want to see more of for content, as well as what services you feel might be missing in Japan that you could use!

We want to know what bothers you, what makes life a bit more difficult for you, and maybe we can help find some answers or help guide you through such things before the tough gets tougher!  If anything, your input will be valuable in finding solutions to possibly prevent issues with new expats in the future.

 

What can we do to improve our services to help you out more?

As of right now, Apts.jp offers full support in:

 

*Location Consultation

*Finding locations that suit client lifestyles

*Apartment Searching

*Possible Negotiation (getting more difficult in modern times, but we always try our best to get clients the best deal)

*Contract Translations/Explanations

*Move-In Inspection and support

*Utilities Set-Up

*Lifestyle Blog

*Support for Duration of Lease (this one is huge– if you have ANY issues in your Tokyo life- apartment related or otherwise- you can always contact us for support)

 

So let us know, what are we missing?

 

What about other areas of life we can help in? We have broken these down into the categories below.

 

– Apartment Life –

This is our main area of service!

How can we better help you with transition life into your new apartment?

Although we can’t help you with the apartment sizes (get you a massive place for very cheap, for example), we want to help you in other ways possible!

Another is communication between you and your landlord/property-manager, which is precisely why we are here. To bridge between and close the gap before any difficulties form (even if you speak no Japanese, we got you covered).

Even though we have made communicating a priority, there are always more areas where we can improve. So please be honest!

Q: What can we improve to suit you better? 

 

Q: If you used another real estate company to find your current apartment, what could they have done better to make your life easier?

 

Q: What do you find that is different or difficult about apartment living in Tokyo?

 

Q: What are the toughest tasks of apartment hunting in Japan?

 

Q: Which cultural differences relating to apartment searching was hard to grasp?

 

Q: What do you wish was made more accessible?

 

– Social Life –

If moving to a new country isn’t filled with enough of the ‘unknowns,’ knowing how to create or even begin your social life can be daunting. You left behind everything you know, a group of people you call family/friends just to start all over again. Enjoying your new life in the big City of Lights honestly starts with just stepping out of your comfort zone and knowing where to find a group of people who can become close friends.

Easier said than done right?!!

Prior to our current situations with COVID (article published late-September 2020), we would host fun social events to build community just have a good time; inviting even those who weren’t our clients!

We are looking forward to the day we can do them again and see all your wonderful faces!

 

Q: What have you found to be the most challenging part of creating a social life in Tokyo?

 

Not to mention all the do’s and don’t’s. The taboos such as ‘No tattoo’s allowed’ and so on…

 

Q: Are there any cultural shocks that you wish you had known before coming to Japan?

 

Q: What has been the hardest thing to adapt to?

 

-Food-

Oh, the Japanese cuisine- like no place on earth- and locals would argue that it is the ‘best in the world’. From Sushi to Ramen, Tempura to International Michelin starred restaurants; there is always something to satisfy your needs. Yet, there can still be challenges in itself, for instance, if you have any allergies, specifically gluten allergies. Almost all Japanese dishes use Soy Sauce, making it incredibly tricky knowing what you can eat when eating out. Japan often is behind on the latest food and health trends like gluten-free or vegan, although Tokyo is getting much faster in this regard.

 

Q: What have you struggled with, when it comes to food and filling your cravings?

Is it finding ingredients, cooking in tiny kitchens, ordering out, allergies?

 

Q: Any food culture shocks?

 

-Entertainment, Travel-

There are so many things to do. Japan truly has an event or a festival for every occasion, not to mention everyday outings like Karaoke or the Movies.

 

Q: Do you feel that you can enjoy most of the things that Japan offers as an Expat?

 

Q: What do you wish was more available to you?

 

-Sports and Recreation-

Have you been to a ball game yet, or even know how to get tickets? Did you play a lot of sports with friends back home on the weekends? -Where every BBQ would end with a game of friendly (or not so friendly) football. …Can you even BBQ in Tokyo? (yes, there are places to bbq, btw)

 

Q: What are you missing the most?

 

Q: What activity do you wish you could find?

 

Q: Do you feel you can continue the same type of active lifestyle here as you did back home?

 

-That Home, Work, Social Life Balance-

Dealing with life balance can be difficult in any country and especially in Japan. Living a healthy, well rounded, and balanced life is so important.

 

Q: Are there any struggles when it comes to creating a reasonable and healthy balanced life?

 

Q: What are the greatest cultural shocks in your daily life?

 

Q: Are there things such as programs or support, that you wish were available to make it easier on your home life to enjoy your social life more?

 

This is a long list of questions, and I am sure you have even more input on things that we haven’t mentioned. We know the struggle can be real.

Many of our staff members have also gone through the big move here and can probably relate with you on many levels. You don’t need to answer all questions- above is a guideline.

Please tell us your frustrations, and we will try our best to see what we can do to improve!

We really want to be far more than just a real estate company. We want to help our expat friends and community find a wonderful, enjoyable rhythm that enhances their life.

We want to help you get past the difficulties and find that sweet phase much faster. But trust us, you’ll get there!  🙂

Soon, your one year plan will extend to two years, then three, and then indefinite!  Tokyo/Japan life can be awesome– We just want to know how we can get you there faster.

 

We are waiting to hear from you! Please comment on our facebook post below!  Thank you!!!

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