interview

• 01

  What I look for in a room

  For me, I’d have to say, the most important thing in finding the right place to live is “convenience.” And what country in the entire world excels at convenience other than Japan? What I mean by convenience is that my apartment should be within walking distance to essential daily necessities: the station, the supermarket, the gym, a convenience store, and most importantly, a veterinarian (because I have two dogs). Luckily I managed to find such a place and I don’t see myself moving out anytime soon.

  However, don’t be fooled. My apartment is far from perfect. One thing to keep in mind, though, when searching for an apartment, is that the ideal perfect place most likely does not exist. My apartment may be super convenient in a great location, but the kitchen is small (I like to cook) and the rent is relatively expensive. Yet that doesn’t mean I don’t love coming home every day, especially to two happy dogs. In conclusion, I believe it’s important to focus on your priorities, make some concessions in other areas, and you’ll be more than happy with the end result.

  
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  02

  What I like about this job

  Being a foreigner in Japan, I know exactly how hard it is to find an apartment in Japan. How many times have you gone apartment hunting only to be turned away because they don’t accept foreigners? It’s an unfair fact of life that we have to accept when living in Japan, however over the years, I have to say things have been improving. There are more and more foreigner-friendly places popping up, and more and more real estate agencies that are willing to help foreigners as well.

  The International Division at Nihon Agent is solely responsible for supporting foreigners in their search for an apartment in Japan. The reason I get up every day and am fired up to go to work is because I want to help my fellow foreigners so that they don’t have to go through the struggles that I did. I love living in Japan and want to encourage more people to visit from abroad, and hopefully even settle down here, because it’s a fantastic place to be. Here at Nihon Agent we aim to be the bridge between foreign and local residents in an effort to encourage cross-cultural communication and promote mutual understanding.

• 03

  What I like about Japan

  What don’t I love about Japan? The people are friendly, the food is delicious, the cities are safe, it’s so high-tech, service is incredible, the culture and language are interesting, everywhere is so clean, there is always something new to try or somewhere new to go, and as I mentioned earlier, the convenience is unparalleled. I’ve lived here since 2013 and it’s the longest I’ve ever lived in any country (including my home country, because I used to move around all over the world when I was younger). My goal is to settle here permanently and I’m trying to work towards that every day.

  Similarly, I hope to share my love for Japan with others who are interested in the country as well. And as I mentioned earlier, of course no place is perfect in every way, and Japan is no exception to that. It can be tough at first for a foreigner moving here to adjust, but it would be the same case anywhere in the world, and it’s part of the process and makes you better for it as you learn. Once you overcome the initial obstacles, I hope you’ll come to love Japan as much as I do.