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New in Tokyo: HOMES Asakusa & HOMES Kagurazaka — 5 Questions to Ask Before You Rent a Furnished Apartment

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Hi there! I'm part of the marketing team at HOMES JAPAN, writing in from Japan 🙌🏻 Some good news first: we've just opened two new locations in Tokyo — HOMES Asakusa and HOMES Kagurazaka . So in this post, I'll walk you through both places, and along the way answer the questions people ask us most when they're trying to find a clean, good-quality furnished apartment in Tokyo. Five questions, straight answers. Let's go! QUESTION 01 What should I check first when looking for a clean, well-kept apartment in Tokyo? My honest first filter: how much of the room can you actually see before you sign? A handful of listing photos rarely tells you how big a room really feels or how the space flows — and if you're apartment-hunting from overseas, flying in for a viewing usually isn't an option. At HOMES JAPAN, you can look around the inside of the rooms with 360° photos, so you get a proper sense of the layout before you move in. Every room also comes full...
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Why This Fall, an Osaka Month-Stay Belongs in Nipponbashi

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Hi there! I'm one of the HOMES JAPAN marketers, writing in from Japan 🍁 Lately our inbox has been full of the same question: "I want to spend a month in Osaka this autumn — where should I actually stay?" Makes sense, honestly. The heat has finally let up, it's perfect walking weather, and Nara and Kyoto are both an easy day trip away for leaf-peeping season. There's no shortage of neighborhoods to consider in Osaka. Umeda is packed with office towers and big department stores. Shinsaibashi is built for shopping. But when we actually weigh the options for a full month of living (not just visiting), we keep landing on the same answer: Nipponbashi. So today we're breaking down exactly why — three reasons, in case you're still deciding where to base yourself this fall. ‹ › 1. Everything in Osaka is about 10 minutes away If you ask us what matters most for a month-long stay, we'd say location, hands down. Pick a place based on...
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All 7 HOMES Japan Locations, In One Place

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Hi, it's your HOMES Japan teammate writing in from Japan! 👋 Lately a lot of the questions landing in our inbox sound like this: "Wait, how many HOMES locations do you actually have?" or "Where exactly are you in Tokyo and Osaka?" We've written about each branch on its own before, but there was never really one place where you could see all of them side by side. So today we're finally doing that — all 7 HOMES Japan locations, five in Tokyo and two in Osaka, in a single rundown. Every neighborhood has its own personality, and honestly, so does everyone who reaches out to us. Some people want to be in the middle of a festival crowd, some want a quiet street to come home to, and some just want an easy commute to the office. Read through and see which one sounds like you. 🏮 HOMES Tokyo Asakusa — Live where the festivals are The HOMES Tokyo Asakusa building This branch sits in Taito Ward, close enough to Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise-dori that you...
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Moving to Japan? Here's What Your Apartment Probably Won't Come With

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Hi everyone!! I'm a marketer at HOMES JAPAN, and I actually live here in Japan too ☺️ Back home, if you rent an apartment, you kind of expect the basics to already be there, right? Well... Japan is different. I still remember signing my lease, getting the keys, moving my boxes in, and then going "wait... why isn't this here??" more than once. So I don't want you to get caught off guard the way I did! I put together the questions I get asked the most (honestly, these are the exact things I was confused about too) in a Q&A format. Read through before you sign anything — it'll save you a lot of last-minute stress on move-in day. 1. Light Fixtures — A Huge Number of Apartments Simply Don't Have Any Q: The listing photos showed lights in every room. Doesn't that mean they're included? A: I thought the same thing at first, and honestly, it's kind of a trap 😅 Those photos are often taken with lighting the previous tenant installed themselves, rig...
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5 Things Families Love to Do During a Month in Osaka

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Hi, I'm a HOMES Japan marketer living here in Japan 🙌 Spending a full month in Osaka is a different kind of experience than a regular trip. Instead of racing between must-see spots, you get to build each day around how everyone's actually feeling that morning. That's especially true when you're staying with kids — the daily question isn't so much "what should we see" as "what should we do today that everyone will actually enjoy." So here are five things that families who've spent a month in Osaka keep coming back to. 1. A picnic in Osaka Castle Park Osaka Castle (Photo: Pixabay) Osaka Castle Park is one of those places you can spend an entire day in and never get bored, thanks to its wide lawns, walking paths, and scenery that changes with the seasons. If you're doing a month in Osaka with kids, plenty of families find that open green space like this brings more genuine satisfaction than any ticketed attraction. Pick up a...
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How to Rent an Apartment in Osaka as a Foreigner: A Step-by-Step Guide

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How to Rent an Apartment in Osaka as a Foreigner: A Step-by-Step Guide Hello from Homes Japan ! 🙌🏻✨ If you're planning to study abroad, work, or start a working holiday in Osaka, one of the biggest questions you'll probably have is: "How do I rent an apartment in Japan?" Unlike many countries, renting a home in Japan involves a few extra steps, unique fees, and paperwork that can be confusing for first-time renters. If you've never rented a property in Japan before, don't worry! In this guide, we'll walk you through the entire process—from searching for a property to signing your lease—and share some important things every foreign resident should know. 1. Start Your Apartment Search Online The first step is deciding your budget and preferred location. Think about what's most important to you, such as: Distance to your school or workplace Nearby train stations Monthly rent Neighborhood and convenience Keep in mind that apartments with the same rent ca...
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Why the Kitchen Should Be Your First Filter When Choosing a Month-Stay in Japan

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Hi, it's your HOMES Japan staffer, writing in from Japan 🙌 If you're staring down a list of month-stay options in Japan trying to figure out which one to book, I get it — it's a confusing decision. Hotels are clean and simple, but you're eating out for every single meal. Signing a regular apartment lease sounds like the long-term answer, but the paperwork alone is enough to make you give up. I used to think the same way — until I actually spent a month living at HOMES Japan's Osaka Nipponbashi branch, and it completely changed how I think about this. If there's one reason to put HOMES Japan at the top of your list for a month-long stay in Japan, it's this: you can actually cook 🍳 The counter kitchen opens right onto the living room — cooking never feels like a chore here. Three gas burners in the Osaka Nipponbashi kitchen — ready for real cooking, not just reheating. The one thing a hotel room will never let you do Anyone who's done a mon...
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