Today, we will be speaking to Long “Ron” Hoang. A resident of the country for years, he loves living in Japan, despite the difficulties that it can sometimes present… especially when moving. We’ll be discussing some of the issues that he’s had, and surprises along the way — and why living in a share house can sometimes be more useful than it sounds.
Interview
1. Could you tell us a little about your background?
I’m from Vietnam, and I originally came to Japan to study economics. Actually, the school I attended had a study abroad option, and so I wanted to take the chance to study and live abroad. I actually couldn’t speak Japanese when I first came! But my university taught in English, and I was able to learn. But I decided to stay because I love how well-organized, clean, and orderly things are here.
2. What was the moving process like?
Well, I’ve moved twice: once from Vietnam to Japan, and then again within Japan. I had help to move to Japan, but moving within Japan was very difficult. Because I didn’t speak Japanese, I used a specialist Vietnamese agency to help me with the moving procedures. It made it a lot easier for me to understand the flow of the moving procedures, how to pay bills, and so on.
There are actually a surprising amount of Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese real estate specialists in Tokyo, as well as those for English-speakers. It makes things a lot easier for people from overseas.
3. What were some difficulties?
Well, even with a Vietnamese real estate agent… I had some issues. For example, they would tell me the apartment I’d be looking at is very close to a train station, but it might be a 15-minute walk or more! Plus, there were some delays in getting my Internet set up. It was supposed to be completed by the time I moved in, but it took three months before I finally had Wifi!
I also was surprised by the number of hidden charges and fees I experienced. Even when I moved out of my share house, I had to pay ¥20,000, for small hidden fees that I didn’t know about. Even in Vietnamese, sometimes some costs are carefully hidden.
4. What were some surprises about Japanese housing?
I would say the lack of noise canceling! In the share house, the walls were a little thicker, so there was no problem. However, many Japanese apartments aren’t made of bricks, so noise can travel easily if you’re living next to someone. For example, I can sometimes hear my neighbours living above me, which can be annoying…
5. What advice would you give to people moving to Japan?
I would say: study Japanese! Make sure you can read your contracts well, and that you know what you’re getting into! Other than that, I would highly recommend living in a share house. Not only is it good to live with other people, but you can ask them for advice and help, because they’ve probably been through similar experiences before.
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