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M San's Profile
Vietnamese Came to Japan in April, 2001. Graduate Student Housing: Apartment Commute: About 40 minutes by train to school. |
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TB -- So, where did you live when you first got to Japan?
M San -- Well, I received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education (Monbu kagaku shou), so I was able to move into a dorm owned by JASSO (Japan Student Service Organization).
TB -- Oh, that's great! Were you able to speak Japanese at that time?
M San -- Not really, so I studied at Osaka University of Foreign Studies for a year.
TB -- And after that, you went to the University of Tokyo?
M San -- Yes. So, I entered the University of Tokyo and moved into the dorm in Mitaka.
TB -- What kind of dorm was it?
M San -- It was a really big dorm complex with about 5 or 6 buildings, and with lots of students.
TB -- And why did you move out of the dorm?
M San -- Well, I was only able to live there for 2 years. After that, I had to find my own place.
TB -- How did you go about doing that?
M San -- I did a search on the internet.
TB -- In Japanese?
M San -- Yes, I actually looked on a Japanese website.
TB -- And were you able to get a contract with no problems?
M San -- Well, the district where I live (edited for privacy) has a lot of conservative landlords so I was refused a few times because I am a foreigner. Finally, though, I did find a place.
TB -- As a Japanese person, I am very disappointed to hear about what you had to go through. It's great that you were able to find an apartment, though. How long did your search last?
M San -- I think it took about a month. We had to be out of the dorm in April, and most people began looking for apartments in February.
TB -- If I may ask, approximately how much do you pay for rent?
M San -- I pay about 64,000 yen a month, and 400 yen monthly fee for maintenance.
TB -- Did you have to pay a security deposit or key money?
M San -- Yeah, one month for security deposit, and one month for key money. The real estate agency also took half a month's rent for commission. And, I had to pay half a month's rent in advance for the cleaning of my room after I move out.
TB -- What did you do about getting a guarantor(co-signer)?
M San -- I actually used my University's system for that.
TB -- Did it go smoothly?
M San -- Yeah, there were no problems. The real estate agency told me that the landlords may not accept my university to be my guarantor, and would need to find someone else. But, the landlord of the apartment I ultimately chose had no problem with my guarantor being from the university.
TB -- That's good.
M San -- But, I did have some trouble going through the school's system. Normally, you go to the real estate company first and then decide on a guarantor. However, the system at my university is the opposite order. First, you need consent from the landlord of the apartment that they would accept having my university as my guarantor. Once that is accepted, you can choose your preferred room that the landlord owns. Then, you have to go to the university's Exchange Student Center to get the paperwork done and the contract signed by the university to be your guarantor. When all of the paperwork is finished, you finally go back to the real estate agency.
TB -- Ahhh, right. So you have to go to the real estate agency twice, huh. I understand. Did you have any other problems regarding your housing?
M San -- I am a little worried because I don't really understand the standards the landlord uses when checking the apartment when I move out - in terms of whether or not I will be able to receive back my deposit money. Also, I thought that the process of acquiring and (eventually) getting rid of furniture costs a lot of money and is kind of a pain.
TB -- Right, yeah. Well thank you so much for talking with me. I'm hoping to use this information to provide a smoother service for people in your situation. Thanks a lot!
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