How to Find a Sharehouse or Apartment in Japan

There are countless choices for where to stay when living in Japan, but we’ve established a trusting relationship with two providers: Oakhouse and Interwhao. Should you need to find your own accommodations, we highly recommend their services for your stay in Japan. Each housing provider offers apartments and sharehouse rooms. Oakhouse additionally provides rooms in their unique “Social Residences,” a type of sharehouse featuring their unique Social Activities. The process for a housing application is fairly similar between each company. Read along for information on how to apply with Oakhouse:

Step 1

Oakhouse applicants can get a ¥10,000 discount on move-in by clicking this link and following the instructions: https://www.oakhouse.jp/eng/?sm_tag=ohQjyac_

Step 2

After registering, click “Find a house,” and then “Commute time search.” Enter the stations closest to your workplace. (You can find these with the workplace address and Google Maps.) For anyone placed through our programs, we recommend that the housing you select is within 30 minutes of your office by train. Click “Search.”

Step 3

Oakhouse has a variety of options available, including Women-only options.

Scroll through the variety of options available. Make sure that you will be able to afford the monthly rent. Rent does not include the contract and bedding fees. You can set a rent limit using the advanced search functions. Also note the availability dates for the rooms.

If your move-in date is later than 10 days after your application/the room’s vacancy date, you will be charged a fee equal to rent in order to hold the room. You can limit your search to “Vacancy soon” to find rooms that won’t become vacant until closer to your arrival date (usually up to a month in advance).

Step 4

Once you find a location with an available room you’re interested in, click on the blue “Inquiries” or “Web Inquiry” button.

Step 5

Fill out the inquiry form. Note, this is not an application to hold the room, this is simply for Oakhouse to note your interest in the room. At the bottom of the page, under “How did you learn about us?,” please select “Other,” and then list “Sakae Internship Program” (JCP's sister program) as your reference.

Step 6

Once Oakhouse has received your inquiry, they will contact you via email to confirm the availability of the selected room for your move-in date. Make sure to reply to the email, and they will then instruct you through the rest of the application and payment process. Your room is not reserved until payment is complete.