Where to live between Tokyo and Yokohama

Hello everyone,

My girl friend just get hired in Yokohama's Riken. We will move to Japan October 1st, and I am looking for a job in Japan.
The problem is, we dont really know where is the best place to live.

I looked at the jobs I could do, they're almost all in Tokyo (Shinjuku or shibuya....) but she will work near Tsurumi-Ono 窶凖淒陳ｩﾂ渉ｬ窶禿ｬ .
Do you have any advice where it could be good to live ? Between this two places, or closer to one or another ? What do you think ? Maybe a central place, where we can access both quickly.

Thanks


Steven

From Tsurumi to Shibuya is only a little over 20km drive (even shorter by straight line "as the crow flies" distance). The train ride is only a little over a half hour. Live at the one that appeals to you better.

You both have your visas all taken care of?

Mike Cash said:

From Tsurumi to Shibuya is only a little over 20km drive (even shorter by straight line "as the crow flies" distance). The train ride is only a little over a half hour. Live at the one that appeals to you better.

You both have your visas all taken care of?

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She will have her visa soon. I don't have found a job yet but I'm seriously searching. I already had some interviews with recrutors in Japan and applied 4-5 jobs.


About the Tsurumi / shibuya line, during the rush hour, people are going more in one way than another ? or they're both crowded ?

Does any of you experienced living in that area ? are there some nicer places or worst places ?

Is your girlfriend's employer not going to provide housing or assistance in finding housing? Check that first.

It is just a guess, but I would expect similar apartments to be more expensive in Shibuya or Shinjuku than in Tsurumi (which is sort of an industrial area).

The actual commuting time would depend in exactly which stations (and train/subway lines) you end up using. It is impossible to say exactly without knowing the closest station to your home and work, but as I mentioned earlier it would be roughly 30-40 minutes.

You might consider living in Kawasaki, which is sandwiched between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is often overlooked because Tokyo and Yokohama are both internationally well-known cities, while the rest of the world thinks Kawasaki is just the name of a motorcycle manufacturer,

Actually, the employer give us a website to help looking for house. I know they will provide assistance, like to pay a small part of the rent, or to pay the expensive part when you first enter the apartment...

but we are quite free to choose where we want to live. That's why I need some answers about the best place to live.

I know that living in Tokyo may be expensive, but my wife had a PHD and I am an engineer, so, money is not really a problem. I looking for a nice place to live, and most of all, a place where we could, both of us, go to work quickly. I dont want to have over an hour in transport twice a day. you know what I mean ?

You insist on two workplaces which are about 40 minutes apart; you insist on both living near your workplaces; and you insist on a quick commute. You can't have all of that. It's a physical impossibility.

Perhaps you could seek work in Yokohama instead of Tokyo,

The only real solution is as I mentioned earlier.....live somewhere in the MIDDLE between your two workplaces. You need to investigate the train lines and find a station which: 1) is near the middle 2) is a stop for express trains.

You say you want to live in a "nice" place....the "best" place....and the only criterion you mention is that commuting time must be short. How are we supposed to know what you think is "nice" or would be the "best"?

Since money is no problem for you, may I suggest you consult with a real estate agency which specializes in taking care of high-income expense-account expats and let them have the headache of trying to satisfy your physically impossible demands? They would be better informed and better qualified to take care of you.

By the way, Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama (and a great many more surrounding cities) are really just a single unbroken expanse of urban sprawl and if you don't look at the signs you will never know when you leave one and enter another.

Good luck with your search. I regret that I have been unable to help you.

How are we supposed to know what you think is "nice" or would be the "best"?

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I second that question.

Look, you don't want to commute an hour or so each way. Well, boo hoo. Tell that to the inner city people who do and who don't complain.

Oh, and just because you are an engineer, don't think that'll rake in the dough as a guarantee.

I looked at the jobs I could do, they're almost all in Tokyo...
I already had some interviews with recrutors[sic] in Japan and applied 4-5 jobs.

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Only 4-5? Enlighten us on your qualifications, including level of speaking, reading, writing Japanese.

Ok, guys, let's calm down.

I think there is a misunderstood in what I am asking. I don't need you to find me the perfect place. It's just, I don't know much about this place. I have already been to Tokyo twice, but never in Yokohama.

I know that my girl will work near Tsurumi. And, after looking at my jobs, they will proBably be in Tokyo.

What I really need to know is just some advice like "take a look at this train station, you halfway between Tsurumi and this stations in Tokyo where you have a lot of different line. I've already been there, it's really nice...."

I don't have special criteria, I just would like to discover some places between Tokyo and Tsurumi, some places it could be nice to live in. You know what I mean ? I have already watch the website for the apartment, and they propose so many places... Of course, I can check almost every place, see the apartment, see the rent, and check on Google map if it's a good place. But, what i want from you guys, is your personal feelings. Is there some place you would particularly like to live in ?About practical issues, my only concerns is commute time and commute conditions. For example, I prefer to live an hour from my job and have train not so crowded, where I could read a book during the way to work... than a 30 min where I can't even enter the train. These are the kind of information that only people who lived there could provide. If you don't have the answer, it's ok.
But please, there are people almost everywhere living in worse condition than us... do you really want to start a talk on that subject ? really ?


So, please, if you have any advice about where to live, or any stories to relate, tell me. otherwise, I just thank you for reading my post.

Just to give you an example. I'm french, and I live in Paris. If one day, you ask me where I should live in paris, I could say something like :
" Almost all the jobs in Paris are in "La defense", so, you should probablye take a look at Courbevoie or Puteaux which are the nearest city, so you could go to work by foot or bike." "If you want more central place, try to find something in chatelet... it's very expensive, but it's central, almost all metro stop there, and the environnement is bustling ..." "If you look something cheaper, try Issy les Moulineaux or Ivry... you can be at the center of Paris in less than 30min, so the max commute time would propably be 1 hour..."


But of course, I can do that cause I live in Paris... Is there any people living in Tokyo or Yokohama ?

If you have a morning commute INTO Tokyo, you can forget about having a pleasant ride and a seat. If you have a morning commute OUT of Tokyo, on many lines you can almost have your own private railcar, it will be so empty. The situation is reversed in the evening.

To minimize your commuting time, you need to live near a station which is an express train stop. Which rail lines you use will depend on where your employer is, and we don't know that yet. When you know where your workplace will be, tell the real estate agent you want a place near an express train stop, between Tsurumi and your workplace. They're all pretty much the same. One part of soulless concrete urban landscape is just as good as any other. Any place near an express stop will already have nicer amenities surrounding the station than the areas surrounding stations which are stops for non-express trains, so you really can't make a bad choice.

Thanks a lot for this information.
So, we probably will prefer to live in Tokyo and to go to work in the "empty" way ^^

And the advice about express train is really good, that something we didn't know. Thanks a lot.


I'll let you know when we decide where we're going to live.

^^

I would bet this is like Paris and anywhere else in the world, but if you live near any major transportation hub, like the major train stations, you should expect to pay higher rent for housing. If it's not the same in Paris, keep this in mind for Japan.

Since you don't even have a job yet, the only really practical advice I can give is to determine how long a commute is acceptable for both of you, then pick a place between her job and Tokyo and look there. Otherwise, choosing to live in Tokyo itself automatically sets a commute time for her but not for you.

Until you actually come up with a job, there isn't more we can do except tell you to come long before October and look around.

The only thing I have to add is I see a lot of people live one stop away from the express train. Board the local train right before the express train and then immediately switch at the express stop when the local train stops to let the express train ahead. I assume it's almost as good but is a lot cheaper to live at those stations.

Interesting to see Riken mentioned here since I'm actually there too, but on the Wako main campus.

bstevy, If you wish to live comparatively not too far away from either Tsurumi and Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku), I think you might want to look for an apartment along the Tokyu Toyoko line. Myorenji, Kikuna, or Tsunashima for example. Some part is rather hilly with steep slopes, but generally the area is a nice residential area.
Also not far from Yokohama (Kanagawa-ken) and Shibuya (Tokyo-to).
Most real-estate site has a listing accordance with railway lines.