# Moving to Tokyo, very much a newbie!



## CathyED

Hi there! I'm relocating from Australia to Tokyo in first week of January (a few weeks away) 2019 and am looking for some help with a few things and hoping I can pick a few very knowledgeable brains here! This has come very quickly, was originally looking at relocating to Madrid but things changed and now it's Tokyo. A couple of questions if I may?

1. While I'm fortunate to have relocation assistance, I would love to hear from some experienced expats about locations to live in Tokyo. I believe our office which is currently located in the centre of the city is relocating to somewhere Bayside - Harumi area I believe? What would be the suggestions re areas to look for rentals that have access to that area? I understand it's all very dependent on trainline access, and I'm trying to understand what lines go where etc, but am struggling a little.

2. Is there a big difference in rent between furnished and unfurnished rental accommodation? (I'm trying to decide what to ship and what to store and what to sell!)

3. I have been told by a seasoned expat (in her 80s) to make contact with an expat organisation there who could help me with settling in - do these organisations still exist or is it all done online now?

4. What are some things you wish you'd known before you moved about what to take with you, and what NOT to take! 

I really appreciate any help you have time to give, I've had a look through other threads and saw some great tips from a while ago, hope you can help me too. Thanks!


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## mths

1. Apartments are available literally everywhere, and you can get from anywhere to anywhere with relative ease. (the metro(s) here are amazing) You'd need to be more specific about your preferences to get any useful guidance on this. Suumo is a good website for getting a picture of what's out there. Typically you may start by choose a trainline, distance from a station, cost, etc .. Oedo line seems to go nearby harumi, but with just one transfer your options explode. (for the better)

4. If this is your first time moving over a greater distance, you may be surprised to learn there's very few things you really need. I basically got here with just my suitcase full of clothes, and that's it. I found a small place, got some cheap furniture to cover the basic needs of a home.. and it probably didn't cost me much more than if I would have shipped stuff from back home. Plus it's a fun experience. No regrets.


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## CathyED

Thank you for your feedback, mths! I am fortunate in that I have a relocation company assisting with furniture etc, so am able to bring a little. I am looking forward to being done with packing up and sorting through everything to figure out what I can and won't bring.


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## Ruta_B

Hi Cathy, 
I've just relocated to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago.. and I wish shipped less (or nothing to be honest). furniture in the west tends to be a bit bigger than here in Japan, as spaces here a much much smaller and so ended up with hardly any free space left in the rooms. Electricity is different, so some of the stuff I brought is not working. I will possibly find some gadgets that help with adjusting electrical current.. but for now it feels just like an extra headache. 
I love it here nevertheless . 
Ruta


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## CathyED

Thanks for your feedback Ruta! It confirms for me the decision I've made to only take my bed and table, basically, as everything else is just too big! The only electrics I will take is a TV which is capable of being run on the power available there (100V ~ 50Hz I think?). 

Good luck with finding a transformer, which is what I believe you need to run the electrical gear that's suitable for Japanese power.


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## Lost in space

CathyED said:


> Hi there! I'm relocating from Australia to Tokyo in first week of January (a few weeks away) 2019 and am looking for some help with a few things and hoping I can pick a few very knowledgeable brains here! This has come very quickly, was originally looking at relocating to Madrid but things changed and now it's Tokyo. A couple of questions if I may?
> 
> 1. While I'm fortunate to have relocation assistance, I would love to hear from some experienced expats about locations to live in Tokyo. I believe our office which is currently located in the centre of the city is relocating to somewhere Bayside - Harumi area I believe? What would be the suggestions re areas to look for rentals that have access to that area? I understand it's all very dependent on trainline access, and I'm trying to understand what lines go where etc, but am struggling a little.
> 
> 2. Is there a big difference in rent between furnished and unfurnished rental accommodation? (I'm trying to decide what to ship and what to store and what to sell!)
> 
> 3. I have been told by a seasoned expat (in her 80s) to make contact with an expat organisation there who could help me with settling in - do these organisations still exist or is it all done online now?
> 
> 4. What are some things you wish you'd known before you moved about what to take with you, and what NOT to take!
> 
> I really appreciate any help you have time to give, I've had a look through other threads and saw some great tips from a while ago, hope you can help me too. Thanks!


Hi Cathy
My advice is don't bring anything, how exciting buying all new or excellent second hand shops here..Now if you are Japanese size, buying clothes easy, if your on the slightly larger side, like me... difficult buy online.


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