A Tour of Our $500 Apartment in the Countryside of Japan

One of the pros of living in the countryside in Japan is the abundance of reasonably priced apartments. We found our apartment online on a Japanese website while in Vancouver and could find several decent options before settling on our current apartment. After Jesse arrived in Usa city, we sent a request to Jesse’s new employers, the Board of Education, to start the process of signing necessary paperwork, photocopies of passports, and the list of fees associated with renting an apartment.

With two bedrooms, a living room, a galley kitchen, and a bathroom separate from the toilet, it felt substantially larger than what we were used to in Vancouver (and, may I add, much more gentle on our wallets). Several corners of rooms are found empty, but it feels like the fresh start we were looking for.

On our first day together at the apartment, we enjoyed a celebratory beer on the balcony.

Along with a rice field, we also face a kindergarten. Every 12 pm and 5 pm, a school song plays through speakers, and I often catch myself humming the tune throughout the day.

So, without further ado, here’s a tour of our apartment.

Our Apartment Tour in Rural Japan

Our lovely abode is on the second floor, with our own genkan traditional Japanese entryway.

Temporary futons. We are saving up for good quality ones.

We only have a few household items for the first few weeks, which we picked up during our first apartment shopping spree in Japan, including Japanese futon beds, a TV, an island table and a second-hand cabinet.

A few weeks into our stay, one of the first furniture orders comes in from Nitori. Two delivery men come in and lay out blankets by the front door and top of the stairs. It’s the most considerate, unobtrusive delivery yet, with blankets laid out by the front door, top of the stairs, and in the living room. The men carried our furniture in boxes while constantly relating to the other where their box edge was. They assembled our furniture while consulting me every step of the way on placements.

It so happens that we have two deliveries on the same day. 20 minutes after our first delivery, the doorbell rings, and we receive our second. We assemble this batch ourselves.

All settled in!… for now.