# Neighbourhoods/ household help advice please!



## marsilius (May 7, 2014)

Dear all,

We are moving to Tokyo in July, and struggling to make sense of where to live. We are a family of 4, with a pre-schooler and a little baby

A few priorities:
(1) No more than 30 minutes from Shibuya
(2) Walking distance to a preschool of some sort. Doesn't have to be fancy.
(3) Some degree of expat-friendlieness -- my wife will be home, and my office is very small, so we're going to have to work for friends.
(4) Easy access to a park.
(5) Ideally, easy access to a pool and/or running lanes and/or biking.

So far, it seems:
(1) Hiroo = expat central, lots of expat schools, arisugawa park.
But we're also curious about:
(2) Komazwa park
(3) Yoga

and then just learned about a few other places like Ebisu? We do not get a pre-visit, so we're very confused and would appreciate all help!

Second question would be on domestic help. Can we hire a nanny/babysitter/housekeeper locally? are there informal networks, or how is it normally done? what would people recommend? [we are allowed to sponsor someone, but we are not looking for full time, just a few hours a day ++]

Thanks,

Marsilius


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## EvanCarter (May 9, 2014)

It sounds like you need to talk to a real estate agent in Japan, or actually go visit yourself. Those are all really hard questions - except for the question about hiring a nanny.

You can find a nanny in Japan, but it depends whether or not you want her to speak English. There aren't really a lot of bilingual nannies, and the ones there are, are in very high demand. You'll either find a Japanese nanny, or you should consider putting your child in daycare, which can be done from 6 months of age, upward.

Good luck!


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## jason.mantle1 (Jun 4, 2013)

Agree with EvanCarter; you should talk to a real estate agent in Japan. Real estate agents in Japan are usually very helpful and they will be able to recommend you the best property that fits your requirements and budget.

If you need more info about finding accommodation and nanny/maid in Japan, you can try contacting


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## maruo (May 8, 2014)

Agree with EvanCarter, better to talk to real estate.
A friend of mine living in a small city in Japan actually got 10000yen discount for a monthly rent fee, its all because he is not a Japanese! He said that the real estate loves to talk to non Japanese. So you might also get a discount!


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