Some useful vocabulary:

• Yachin: rent. Will generally range from about 50,000 yen to 80,000 yen for a one-room apartment; cheaper in the country, more expensive in more fashionable areas. The upper end is any number you can imagine.
• Hoshoukin: deposit. Made up of:
  • Shikikin: key money. This is the actual deposit, and you will usually get this returned when you leave the apartment (less any charges for cleaning, damage and so on).
  • Reikin: "thank you" money. A present given to the landlord for being so generous as to let you into their property and charge you rent for the pleasure. You will not get any of this refunded.

The "hoshoukin" can reach 6 months rent - it depends on the location and quality of the property - but the standard in most places is 2:2 (2 months shikikin, 2 months reikin) on top of the first month's rent. If you are trying to find an apartment in a popular area of Tokyo, for example Shinjuku, or an up-market area like Ginza, then you will find yourself paying hundreds of thousands of yen in advance that you will never see again.

Of course there are cheaper areas, but as a guide you can expect to pay four months in advance (about four months or more in Tokyo) and never see most of the money again. For short term students, this is unaffordable and hotels are too expensive for a two or three month stay. If you do decide to move out of school-arranged accommodation, it is best to do so once you are already in Japan and understand the system (you will not be able find an apartment from abroad unless friends in Japan do it for you).

Contracts

If you enter an apartment, you will have a contract. Get it checked if you can. Generally, it will state that you are liable for any damage to the apartment - if possible check what limits there are on your liabilities. Make sure you keep the apartment in good shape and clean, or you could suddenly find yourself with a huge cleaning bill deducted from what deposit you do get returned. There are plenty of shady landlords out there who will try to make money out of you, so try to find a place that is recommended by someone - or go through an agency (there are plenty of real estate agents around all towns and cities in Japan).

Customs

This applies to all accommodation, but be quiet. The Japanese do not like noisy neighbours, and the most common complaint about foreigners from Japanese is about noise. Home is meant to be a fairly quiet place; you can get loud at bars and izakaya or karaoke. If you share common facilities with other apartments, make sure that you keep them clean as again, when you make a mess and someone complains, the reputation of all foreigners is damaged - not just yours. Any problems you cause make it harder for foreigners to find accommodation in Japan - and it is already difficult enough.

Guarantors

When renting an apartment in Japan, you will almost certainly require a guarantor. This is not discrimination against foreigners as Japanese also require a guarantor. For Japanese, this is usually a relative, but in the case of foreigners, this can present a real problem. If you don't have a Japanese guarantor, your choice of accommodation will be very limited as the few places that will rent to a foreigner will almost certainly require a guarantor. The guarantor has to be in Japan, and the landlord or agent will definitely call them to check that they are in the country and have a suitable income to support you in case of problems.

Gaijin houses

Because of this difficulty, there are certain apartment blocks or landlords who run what are called "gaijin houses". These are identical to other apartments, but the rent is often 50% or even 100% greater than the market average. However, you do not require a guarantor. If you can find nothing else, this might be an option.

Student Housing

If your school arranges accommodation, it will be variable in quality. Try to get someone to look at it first before you commit. Most cheap Japanese accommodation is single or shared rooms with a unit bath and small cooking area with a sink and one electric hotplate. Some offer more up-market rooms or a choice of types, but most will just have the standard one-room apartments.

Homestays

If you can, try to do a homestay during your stay. This is the best way to improve your Japanese language skills in the shortest time available. If your school does not offer homestays, then contact your local City Hall as there is bound to be an international group in the area that arranges homestays or perhaps weekend homevisits and events - often for free.

Resort Hotels and 5-Star Hotels

If you have the money to spend (upwards from 20,000 yen per person per night) then try one of these. You could be in any hotel anywhere in the world, but you will be able to speak English and eat western food. If that is what you came to Japan for. Most will be full over New Year, Golden Week and Obon from months in advance.

Business Hotels

These offer small rooms with private facilities, sometimes including breakfast. Most are located near train stations and are on the whole clean and comfortable. Prices range from about 4,000 yen up to 20,000 yen, by which time they resemble a five-star hotel. You will usually have to pay on arrival.

Capsule Hotels

These resemble a beehive more than a hotel, with a small capsule containing a bed and little else. Facilities are communal, but will generally include a sauna/sentou, restaurant and such like. Men's and women's capsules are usually separated. Some refuse to allow foreigners to stay.

Ryokan

Ryokan are the traditional Japanese traveller's rest. Rooms almost always have a tatami mat floor and you sleep on a futon on the mats. Rooms are private, but facilities are generally shared. Some ryokan now also have western style rooms, and in major cities it may be hard to tell them apart from a business hotel, but a ryokan can be a taste of traditional Japan. Breakfast is usually Japanese traditional foods, including miso soup, rice, fish, umeboshi, natto and other such delights.

Minshuku

Family run minshuku are very similar to ryokan, but generally you eat together at a fixed time with other guests and the family and share all facilities. Rooms have tatami mat floors, and you sleep on a futon as in a ryokan. Standards vary considerably, with many minshuku being fairly run down. Some in more rural areas may not accept bookings by foreigners.

Love Hotels

No guide to Japanese accommodation would be complete without mentioning love hotels. Accommodation is charged not just by the night, but also by the hour. Rooms are usually large, well equipped and many have extra features that other hotels do not - jacuzzi, karaoke, video games and so on - and are very clean. They are intended for couples who have nowhere else to meet in private.

The buildings vary, but are usually gaudy and stand out clearly from their surroundings. When you enter the hotel, there is usually a list of rooms with a button for each. You press the button to choose a room, and pay the money for your stay (from a couple of hours to all night) through a small hatch in the wall. Usually no faces are seen, but sometimes same-sex couples are refused. Love Hotels have one purpose, but if you arrive late and cannot find anywhere else to stay, a Love Hotel may provide a good alternative for a reasonable price.