Region
5 guides and articles
Property Guide
Indicative, checked 7 November 2026 (official 2023 survey): in 2023 the average rent paid by renting households in Osaka City was ¥61,704 a month, from ¥47,270 in Taisho ward to ¥77,502 in Tennoji. That is about a third less than Tokyo's 23 wards. The median commute in the Kinki area was 34.8 minutes, ten minutes shorter than in the Kanto area.
Life Guide
Garbage rules are set by each city: check your city's English guide and collection days the week you move in. Keep noise down, especially at night, and follow your rental contract. On trains, keep quiet and avoid phone calls. At work, be on time and report early. After-work drinking is optional, and you can say no politely.
Life Guide
An IC card lets you tap in and out of trains and buses and pay at many shops. Most need a ¥500 deposit, and a registered card can be reissued if you lose it. If you travel the same route every day, a 1-, 3- or 6-month commuter pass costs less. On trains, do not talk on the phone and keep your bag out of the way.
Life Guide
Renting in Japan usually costs about 4 to 7 months' rent at the start, according to the MLIT guidebook. That covers the deposit, key money in some regions, an agency fee within one month's rent, insurance and the first rent. Most landlords want a guarantor or a rent guarantee company. Read the contract and the move-out rules before you sign.
Life Guide
In your first two weeks, register your address at the city or ward office within 14 days of moving in. Your My Number follows by post. At the same office, join National Health Insurance and National Pension unless your employer enrols you. Then open a bank account and get a phone: both need the address on your residence card.
