As we have mentioned previously, unless you are looking to rent a serviced apartment in Japan, then the first thing you have to concentrate on when moving in Japan is the big stuff ? the appliances, furniture and home accessories you need to get by. There are, however, also the little things ? items that you should keep handy for those certain situations.
Hopefully, this list will be a handy little guide to start you thinking ? from your own experience, you are sure to have a few ideas of what to add to it.
Slippers
Do you ever have guests over? Even if you do not regularly invite friends or guests over for tea, you will at some point require a workman to come round to fix something or to let a delivery man in to drop off a new purchase. For these times, slippers are expected.
As an extra bonus, you may also want to consider a shoe-remover. Whenever anyone enters a house in Japan, it is the bare minimal of good manners to remove shoes (this is actually one reason Japanese land owners cite as not wanting to rent to foreigners) and providing a tool to do that will help out your guests immeasurably.
Bug Spray
Japanese homes are, of course, for the most part, grime free. Unfortunately, the summer weather of high temperature and high humidity also creates a natural environment for bugs. Some apartments, for example those on a higher floor or those that are part of a modern mansion complex with building controls, can escape but others will likely receive a visit from a bug or two. Specifically you can usually expect mosquitoes (disease free) and cockroaches. Bug spray and or preparing with traps will take care of this problem ? pick them up from your local supermarket or home improvement store.
Earthquake Survival Kit
This one is a little more serious and most likely you will not need to use it, but forewarned is forearmed.
Anyone living in Japan during the Great Tohoku Earthquake will remember that, despite the amazing response of Japanese residents to maintain order, deliveries and essential supplies in central Tokyo, there were also some strains on the system. In Tokyo?s outlying districts, there was electricity shortages ? necessitating flashlight / candle replacements. Water and drinks as well as basic foodstuffs such as rice, bread and meat were quickly gone from supermarkets; so were biscuits and other dry foods.
Finally, things that you may require if you do have to evacuate your building for a short time include hard-hats, money, identification papers and other items you may feel necessary to take with you. Keep them all in a bag and in an easily accessible place in your apartment.
Tape measure
Perhaps more specifically, if you are coming from a native English-speaking country, you will require a tape measure that handles both imperial and metric measurements. Everything in Japan is done in metrics and imperial readings are just not understood with the slight exception of screen sizes.
You?ll need this for measuring everything from curtains to big-ticket pieces such as sofas and kitchen appliances.
Clothes Rail
A washing machine is one of the big ticket purchases you will need to make unless you are OK with weekly treks to the local coin laundry. The washers themselves can usually be got for a cheap price but, even if you spend a bit more and get a washer-dryer combo, you will no doubt at some point want to dry your clothes outside (that is, unless you live on the ground floor of an apartment facing a main road).
In this instance, another handy purchase is the clothing rail, again available from supermarkets / general goods stores in local neighborhoods. Apartments in Japan are small and as the vast majority of folks dry their laundry on their balconies, you will want to do the same and stop clogging up your living space.
This was our starter ? what else would you recommend? Let us know on Facebook.
Tokyo Apartments For Sale | Tokyo Apartments For Rent | Real Estate Japan
Source: http://www.realestate.co.jp/2012/10/16/5-handy-little-items-you-need-in-your-home-in-japan/
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