Otaku International

Japanese culture fascinates everyone from around the world these days, especially their subcultures (Such as anime, manga, and what not Otakuism). And these fascinations leads different people from around the world into Japan itself. But if you are going to go to Japan whether it is for a short vacation to a somewhat longer stay, one important thing remains and that would be your staying accommodations.

Now if you are going to Japan, I suggest you stay at a “Gaijin House”. A “Gaijin House” is pretty much a Japanese apartment targeted towards foreigners. Japanese real estate can be somewhat confusing and uncooperative when it comes to a foreigner, but a gaijin house is one that is specifically made to accommodate foreigners who plan to stay in Japan.

Now one may be thinking “Why not stay at a hotel?,” a hotel is fine and all but not for a prolonged stay. Now my knowledge of Japanese Hotel rates is not exactly up to date (last time I went to Japan was 4 years ago) but I would say it is roughly 70 USD a night (More or Less depending on Hotel). Now if you plan to stay for 10 days that equates to approximately 700 USD. A “Gaijin House” apartment can range from as little as 450 USD to over 1000 USD a month, depending on the size and area. They also offer weekly and daily prices, so anyone with common sense will realize that this will ultimately be cheaper than a standard hotel.

A rented Japanese apartment could be a regular apartment or a shared living complex (Both of which I have tried, and they are both quite fun actually). It is nothing like a hostel for those European travelers, it is a lot more cozy and home-like. Lets start off with the shared living complex, they tend to give you a room (could be single or shared), and shared quarters such as kitchen, common room (think TV room), bathroom (it could be single or shared depending on the place).

Now there are also regular apartments for rent at a Gaijin House. These can range from studios to 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, etc. These tend to be slightly more expensive but also depends on the location and size of the apartment being rented. Its best to familiarize ourselves with Japanese real estate terms. LDK is an abbreviation frequently used in the world of Japanese real estate to describe apartments. It stands for Living, Dining and Kitchen area, and is preceded by the number of rooms. Example:

1K       = one room apartment with kitchen
1DK       = one room apartment with dining and kitchen area
1LDK       = one room apartment with a living, dining and kitchen area

With this you can start searching for the type of apartment you want in Japan. Normal Japanese apartments don’t usually cover any utilities but luckily the “Gaijin Houses” rent generally covers all utilities and also provides internet access for those who are staying. Most if not all Gaijin Houses are also near train stations, so you are never too far from a ride to the local hangout spot.

So next time you guys are visiting Japan, don’t forget to plan ahead and search for a Gaijin House in the Japanese real estate so you can have a cool place to stay at. I always loved the Gaijin House because it gives you the feel of how a Japanese resident would feel staying in an authentic Japanese apartment. Some well known “Gaijin Houses” can be found online such as the “Sakura House” or “Tohto Guest House” and many others. I hope for all of those who are heading to Japan to have fun and enjoy that amazing country as much as they could. Good Luck and Have Fun! Visit Akihabara for me if you are heading to Tokyo!!!