Tokyo, the vibrant capital city of Japan, offers a kaleidoscope of experiences for visitors. From the bustling streets of Shibuya to the electronic wonderland of Akihabara, each district has its own unique charm and attractions.   In this guide, we’ll take you on a journey through five of Tokyo’s most iconic neighborhoods, ensuring you make the most of your trip to this incredible city.  If you are looking to make a move to the big city, be sure to check out Village House for budget friendly housing options.  1. Shibuya: The Heart of Tokyo’s Youth Culture  No visit ..read more

For many people who come over to live in Japan, it can take a little time to get used to the Japanese style of design. However, with the right approach, Japanese apartments which are known for their minimalist design and efficient use of space, can become functional, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing havens.   In this guide, we’ll explore five effective ways to make the most of your Japanese-style room, tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of small spaces.  Whether you’re transforming your living room, setting up a kids’ room, creating a guest room, designi ..read more

Modern Scandinavian interior design is a particularly popular aesthetic around the world at the moment. It embraces the beauty in simplicity, functional design, and neutral and natural elements. There is an underlying sense of comfort and familiarity, which is reflected in the Scandinavian term, ‘hygge’, which works very well for a home!  One style that has emerged from the combination of Scandinavian ideas and Japanese aesthetics is Japandi interior design. Japan’s design demonstrates just how well Scandinavian and Japanese design ideas merge together. However, embracing a modern Scandi ..read more

For so many people, autumn is one of the most magical times. The skies become clear and blue, the air is more crisp, and the leaves turn into vivid shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown. Thanks to the drop in temperature, autumn is also a popular time for hiking. You may find that some of these areas are close to your Village House apartment, or if not, you may be able to get to one of these using public transport. If not, we encourage you to look for hiking destinations close to your apartment, as there will likely be a beautiful spot nearby where you can take in the beauty of the trees a ..read more

Living in a small one-room apartment in Japan can be cozy and efficient, but it often requires some creative solutions to make the most of the limited space.   One of the most effective ways to optimize your living area is by dividing it strategically, making the most of the little space that you have available. One way to create the illusion of space and privacy is to create room divisions, such as turning one room into two.  Dividing a room is especially popular for people who have to work from home, and want to create two spaces: one for work, and one that feels a little mor ..read more

Peak moving season in Japan usually starts in March. There are two reasons for this, the first being that the Japanese school year and business fiscal year kicks off in April; and the second being that a Japanese tradition states that moving on February 29th, the Leap Year Day, is considered lucky.   Known as hikkoshi in Japanese, moving is something that many people will have to face at least once in their lives; and there is a plethora of factors that can affect whether your move goes smoothly. To ensure you have everything you need to prepare for your move to have a great start i ..read more

In a paper published by Catharina Klein, a researcher specializing in energy, environment, and resources in Japan on Statista on May 11th, 2023, the 2021 fiscal year in Japan saw close to 41 million metric tons of waste generated in the country. 29 million metric tons of this was household waste, most of it being made up of containers and packaging materials, over half of which were plastic. Individually, the average person in Japan produces around 890g of waste per day.  When moving, the amount of waste a household accumulates and disposes of naturally and inevitably increases. In the U ..read more

A 2021 Japanese government study revealed that over 3 million single men and women between the ages of 35 and 44 still lived with their parents as reported by The Japan Times. In particular, men are more likely than women to remain at home, though there is a growing trend of single men being encouraged to move out after the age of 35.   Unlike in many Western countries, the majority of Asian countries don’t share the custom of having kids move out once they turn 18; and it is considered normal and sometimes even expected to keep living with your parents until you get married. Despit ..read more

A 2021 survey conducted in Japan and provided by Statista revealed that an estimated 8.2% of women and 6.4% of men have lived together with a romantic partner. This act of choosing to live together as a couple without being married is called cohabitation.  Deciding to live with someone, be it a friend, housemate, or romantic partner, is not a decision to take lightly as it involves lots of commitment, agreement, and compromise. For the latter, couples, cohabitating can be an effective way to test-run a relationship before committing to marriage as it creates situations that allow couples ..read more

American duct tape company, Duck Brand, found in a study they conducted that it takes people, on average, 182 days to fully unpack after a move – that’s around six months! Of course, while there is no pressure to unpack immediately after you move into a new place, dawdling on unpacking can lead to unnecessary stress and clutter so it’s best to tackle those boxes within a reasonable timeframe.   In Japan, peak moving season is usually between February and March as April is when the new school and business fiscal year starts. To avoid your unpacking duties clashing with your work or s ..read more