Happy New Year to everyone.

This might be somewhat off topic but I don't frequent any other Japan-related forums, am not keen to start and you lot have invariably been very helpful on a vast range of subjects.

I have a few questions on some very basic and highly mundane aspects of the metropolitan life that I have not touched on any of my trips but that have now become rather vital with my imminent move to Tokyo. My Japanese sources proved to be less than optimally knowledgeable on these specific points, I don't actually seem to be acquainted with any gaikokujin and have learnt not to trust words coming out of the mouths of relocation managers. Hence I would be grateful for any info on the following (in no particular order):

- Availability of laundry services (can't believe all these salarymen iron their own shirts but don't recall seeing any laundry shops disfiguring Tokyo's cityscape)

- Availability of reliable household personnel (am not keen to start learning how to use a vacuum cleaner either), going rates, ethnic background (ubiquitous Ukrainians? friendly Filipinos?)

- Wicked ways of real estate agents: I know the theory about contracts and deposits but what I'm interested in is how a apartment search actually works. Can one walk into an agent's office and expect to be taken to see a number of flats immediately or does this only happen By High Appointment scheduled weeks in advance? How up-to-date are (surprisingly picture-less) internet databases? Does one agent only cover their immediate neighbourhood or do they operate on a wider area?

- Areas to live: I'm looking for a highly superficial comparison to other metropolitan areas - where is Tokyo's Tribeca, Notting Hill, West Village, VI-ieme arrondissement, Islington, etc.? What is a cool area to live, today?

- Amateur sailing scene - if any? I'm being told that the only people who take it to high seas are fishermen (presumably, to play hide-and-seek with marine patrols in the Russian Federation's territorial waters) but it surely can't be true, on an island?!

- How bad is the (notorious) dental care in actual fact?

- Anything else you wish you knew when you moved.

Please post any responses here or feel free to send me an email - I will be grateful for any tips!

I will quicky answer a few of your questions*

1. Laundry
Laudry service is baiscally everywhere and cheap. Now there is a trend of `No iron` shirts and pants, which makes life eaiser.

2.Household personnel
Never head about it, and dont know if it exsists as a business/service. most people are warry of stragners in thier home, and japanese do a lot of cleaning so....

3.Real estae
As a forigner, you will 99% not be able to simple walk it to a agent and see flats. Most will tell you that dont work with forigners.
If you have a japanese friend, and more importantly, a guarnater, you will have better look. Housing is a pretty big issue for most people, if their job cant set it up first.

zazen666 Wrote:I will quicky answer a few of your questions*

Thanks for the quick response!

zazen666 Wrote:Now there is a trend of `No iron` shirts and pants, which makes life eaiser.

That's not an option, unfortunately. But it's good to know the service is available.

zazen666 Wrote:2.Household personnel
Never head about it, and dont know if it exsists as a business/service. most people are warry of stragners in thier home, and japanese do a lot of cleaning so....

Might have to employ a Japanese then. :-)

zazen666 Wrote:3.Real estae
As a forigner, you will 99% not be able to simple walk it to a agent and see flats. Most will tell you that dont work with forigners.
If you have a japanese friend, and more importantly, a guarnater, you will have better look. Housing is a pretty big issue for most people, if their job cant set it up first.

I'm not too worried about guarantors at this stage but it looks like the actual choice (or the lack thereof) may become a major major issue...

Once again, thanks for the quick response (and confirming some of my fears...)!

Serge Wrote:what I'm interested in is how a apartment search actually works

I'd suggest doing it yourself online. That's how I found my current apartment. I did need a guarantor however.

Having an idea of what sort of apartment you want prior to going to see an estate agent is probably a good idea. Like I said, I found my exact apartment online. But if you don't go that far, at least knowing if you're after a 1LDK, 2DK, or whatever would be a good first step.

Serge Wrote:How bad is the (notorious) dental care in actual fact?

Better than I initially thought. Via word of mouth I heard about the "best place" in my town and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of care.

I've changed my opinion from thinking JP dentists are bad to thinking that the messed up mouths you see in Japan are because some people simply don't go to see a dentist.