Moving country is not an easy task, especially when you’re downsizing from a western-sized place to a smaller Japanese apartment. With language barriers and the pressure of relocating countries to contend with, things can be a little stressful.

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International-moving companies, like Crown Relocations and Allied Pickfords, can take the hassle out of a move when shipping your belongings from abroad.

If you’re already here and are planning a local move, try Sekine or XPS Tokyo. Expect to pay around 10,000-20,000 yen per half or full day for a move. And if you want to further reduce the trouble, both companies can pack your place up… for an extra fee.

Once you’ve settled in to your new place there’s a bit of paperwork you must remember to do. First of all you need to register your move with the foreign registration section of your local city office. This should be done within 90 days if you’re new to Japan or within 14 days if you are new to the area.

When moving places within Japan the post office will forward all your mail addressed to your old address to your new address for up to one year after the move. All you need to do is visit your nearest post office and complete the relevant paperwork.

If you’re looking for some items to furnish your home Tokyo has a selection of markets and private leaving sales to help you out. People selling or giving away goods list them in free magazines like Tokyo Noticeboard and Metropolis and online at sites like GaijinPot.

Looking for a Japanese touch to your place? Then visit the Oedo Antique Fair at the Tokyo International Forum. The fair is on every first and third Sunday of the month and runs from 9am to 4pm. Here you’ll find a selection of antiques including Japanese artwork, Japanese and European ceramics, and kimono and obi.

Now, with a roof over your head and goods to decorate it with it’s time to get your feet wet in the big sea of Tokyo.

Learning Japanese will help make life easier and more enjoyable. Japanese lessons typically cost between 4,000 and 6,000 yen for a private class and 1,000 to 2,000 yen for a group lesson. Among the schools in Tokyo, The Kai Japanese language school in Shin-Okubo is one well-priced option and has a very international, young vibe. UNITAS language school, in the same area, also has competitive fees.

If you’re after something closer to home there are a number of online databases listing language schools in Japan. Try the AIK group’s webpage to browse over 145 schools based in Tokyo.

Japanese apartments may be small but as your schedule starts to fill up you may want some help to keep things clean and organized. Whether you need a housekeeper, cook, babysitter, helper, or even a handyman, Chez Vous, a Tokyo-based domestic services company has all these services.

“One of the aims of our company is to make domestic services and staff accessible and available to the foreign community”

Lyndsey Hughes
Chez Vous Foreign Clients Coordinator

Another helpful service you may wish to call upon is The Tokyo English Life Line, known as TELL. They offer free anonymous phone counseling from 9am to 11pm every day as well as providing face-to-face counseling, and hosting workshops to help people settle in and feel at ease in the big city.

Making Tokyo feel like home may take a while. But taking advantage of the services mentioned above as well as trying to source all you need locally, rather than getting things sent from or done overseas, will help you settle into the city faster.

Story by Karryn Cartelle
All Rights Reserved, Spinshell Inc.
Spinshell Reports are three minute episodes of useful information about visiting and living in Japan.

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Tags: furniture, japan, moving, relocation, sales, sayonara sales, Tokyo

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