Resources Archives - Page 14 of 14

Stay at home – Tokyo Sakura Edition

Posted by Lior on March 27, 2020 | Featured

Spring is a popular season in Japan because of the blossom of the world-famous cherry trees. However, this year due to rapidly spreading coronavirus, the spring festivals in Tokyo and all around Japan are pretty much canceled. The governor of Tokyo asks the citizens and the guest of the city to stay at home in order to prevent the further spread of the virus. Of course, it is extremely sad, but during this time, our safety and the safety of those around us should be a priority. It does not mean however that we cannot enjoy sakura blossom at home. Stay at home – Tokyo Sakura Edition gives you ideas on how to enjoy the cherry blossom from the comfort of your home and stay safe.

On-nami

The tradition of hanami is very much loved in Japan and basically it means that groups of people meet in parks and having picnics under the cherry trees. These meetings include viewing sakura but also snacking and drinking.
In on-nami “on” stands for “online”. So it might be difficult for some of us to see any sakura trees from their window but anyone can go to the closest convenience store and get some time-limited sakura snacks and drinks and have an online picnic with their friends.

Discounts, Coupons, Delivery

While going out is highly recommended, you can still enjoy ordering a takeaway. Many places such as Domino’s Pizza, Sushi restaurants, and other chain restaurants and small businesses will deliver food right to your house for a 30% discount, sometimes 50%. It is a real deal, especially on rainy days.

Self-Development

Remember how you always were mumbling that you don’t have enough time for yourself? That you just want to stay at home? read a book? watch the tv show everyone is talking about? try a new recipe?
This is your time! Try to make yourself these delicious snacks from the trading Keto diet and binge on 10 seasons of an old or new tv show, or even better, take online courses from Harvard University.

Whatever you decide to do, remember to stay safe, stay at home, and always look on the bright side of things.

And we hope to host you soon here in Tokyo!

Shopping in Tokyo for Any Budget

Posted by Lior on March 11, 2020 | Featured

Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world and obviously it has many shopping options. In this article, we will explore shopping in Tokyo for any budget in the most central and interesting areas of Tokyo, near Shibuya and Roppongi, Shinjuku and Harajuku.

Luxurious shopping

If you have a pretty much-unlimited budget, then the best options for you will be shopping in Ginza district and Aoyama and Omotesando areas or the oldest department stores. Such as Mitsukochi in Nihonbashi, Isetan in Shinjuku, and Takashimaya in Shibuya. All these places are good if you are looking for some luxury clothing and accessories.

Also, do not forget to check their basement floors that sell any food you can imagine and quality is superb as expected.

shopping takashimaya tokyo — Takashimaya Nihonbashi

Mid-class shopping

If you are not looking to push the limits of your budget but still want to enjoy the Japanese shopping, then shopping malls such as Lumine, Marui and worldwide known brands H&M, Zara, Adidas, etc. are the places for you. You can find those in Shibuya and Shinjuku of course, but also in more distant locations such as Tachikawa and others.

Also, do not forget the Japanese most famous brand – Uniqlo. The branches of it you have anywhere. It is a good quality clothing for all the members of the family that is very practical and not expensive at all. If you are not familiar with Uniqlo, you should definitely change it, while you are in Japan.

shopping tokyo lumine shinjuku — Lumine Shinjuku

Budget shopping

Tokyo most definitely is very glamour and full of gloss. But you can satisfy your hunger for shopping even with a very small budget. Tokyo is the Mecca of the thrift shopping. One of the best spots for thrift shopping is hipster and cool Shimokitazawa. Here you have all the brands, all the vintage clothes for more than affordable prices. Another famous location for that matter is Harajuku. Just a step away from the fashionable Omotesando, in small streets of Harajuku and Cat Street, you will find many second-hand shops that sell really good stuff in a really good condition. Another spot is a real gem and not many tourists get there is Koenji. Only a 10-minute train ride from Shinjuku will take you to this hipster area, with many local eateries, shrines, shopping arcades, and more thrift shopping.

Public transportation in Tokyo 101

Posted by admin on March 5, 2020 | Featured

Tokyo public transport is including dozens, if not hundreds, of the metro, train, and bus lines, all operating by different companies. Despite its size, the transportation system in Tokyo is very much accurate and convenient, but for the newcomers might be a little bit overwhelming. And we get it! So, we are here to put some things in order and explain public transportation in Tokyo.

IC Cards

First thing first, when you arrive in Tokyo, to live or just as a tourist, it is better to get an IC card. These are prepaid cards that you can charge in advance. It will save you plenty of time, as you won’t need to check how much to pay for each ride (the price is different and depends on a distance), and you won’t need to wait in a line to buy a paper ticket every time.

You can purchase the SUICA card at JR stations and Pasmo cards at non-JR stations. When purchasing your IC card, you will need to pay a deposit of 500 yen, which you can get back when returning the card before leaving the country. You can return the card at JR station or the airport.

Samples of Suica and PAsmo — Suica, Pasmo

Recently, JR launched a new type of IC card, that is valid only for 28 days but you do need to pay a deposit. This was made for the convenience of the tourists before the Olympic games. This card you can get at the airport or JR ticket offices and the travel centers. For more details please check the official website.

sample of the tourist ic card - welcome suica — Suica for the tourists

Google Maps

Once you have your IC card, you can start exploring the city. To find your way, it is highly recommended to use Google maps. It might not work equally well in all the parts of Japan, but in Tokyo, it works perfectly and it is a Must-have. Just put your destination in the search box and the app will do the rest for you. You can make things even more convenient by using the “Options” button, where you can choose the “lowest cost route” or “route with fewer transfers”, etc.

Daily Passes

And last but not least, at the stations, you will see many ads advertising daily passes. Daily passes for Tokyo usually do not pay off. If your day/trip planned wisely, most of the time you won’t need to use a train more than twice a day. And even if you will use a train often, the trains might belong to different companies, so one ticket will not cover them all anyway.

It is recommended to check daily passes if you go on day trips to Kamakura, Hakone, etc.

Summary

Probably 10-20 years ago to find your way in Tokyo, you need to be a genius or know Japanese, but today everything is on the internet and just a basic preparation before your visit to Tokyo will make your trip easy and pleasant.

We wish you a great time in Tokyo and we hope you will appreciate the public transportation in Tokyo for its efficiency and convenience!

Tags: apartments, guide, idcards, jr, metro, navigation, pasmo, passes, station, suica, tokyo, trains, transportation, travel

Renting apartments in Japan

Posted by admin on November 20, 2019 | Featured

Renting apartments in Japan is quite different compared to the other countries.

Unlike the United States or the UK, or other places, Japan’s tenant and landlord laws look very favorably upon the tenant, rather than the landlord, making evictions exceedingly difficult. As a result, many rental offices in Japan will not rent to an individual without an additional guarantor of funds.

An interesting part of the Japanese culture is the idea that one must pay some amount of money as gratitude towards a landlord for having agreed to rent a room, apartment, or home. Usually, this amounts to one or two months’ rent. Upon this, many real-estate agencies will charge a fee for introducing you to the apartment. This can also add a significant amount of money to the total of all the move-in costs.

You should be also aware of the fact that the majority of the apartments for rent are not furnished. This means that right away you will have to buy all of your furniture and appliances.

We at Tokyo Furnished do not accept any form of key money or agent fee, nor do we require a guarantor. We also provide fully furnished apartments. This is primarily because Tokyo Furnished works with the international community and those who are looking to fill a unique need in renting apartments for shorter terms than the usual 2-year contracts needed in Japan.

About Roppongi and central Tokyo

Posted by admin on November 14, 2019 | Featured

Roppongi is a vibrant neighborhood located in Minato district, especially well-known for an active nightlife environment and trendy dining spots. Its central location puts it within easy reach of the Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown, as well as sitting midway between Tokyo Station and Shibuya.

All the apartments with Tokyo Furnished are located around Roppongi and its immediate neighbors, Nogizaka, Azabu-juban and Akasaka. Both Nogizaka and Akasaka are served by the Chiyoda subway line, while Roppongi can be accessed by the Hibiya or the Oedo lines.

Tokyo Tower can be seen from the Roppongi junction and is about a 15 minute walk.

The Azabu and Azabu-juban area sponsors many festivals during the summer.