About Clothing, Food and Shelter -Housing- From a Myanmar, American and Filipino Perspective

I used to live in Takadanobaba with my sister, but I moved to Sumida city to be closer to work. At the time I was looking for a room, I did not speak much Japanese, so my senpai (more experienced seniors) from Myanmar helped me out. That was the first time I went to a real estate agency.

I have been living in public housing for about 25 years. When I had three children and got divorced, I thought about going back to the Philippines, but a Japanese friend told me about this housing system. That really helped me out. I am very happy that my children grew up safely and were able to graduate from university.

You never forget the first thing you tried, right?

In the area of my hometown in Myanmar, fish is rarely grilled, but rather stewed or fried.

There are many places that don't allow foreigners, so it took me a long time. Some places called me right away to check if I could speak Japanese.

I had that experience too.

In Japan, there are many rules that must be followed, such as how to dispose of garbage. The way of living differs from country to country, so lessors are surely worried. When I spoke with the landlord on the phone, he agreed to rent to me since I could speak Japanese, so that was good.

When I was researching the various procedures that are required when moving to a new house, I learned about the notification (at the city office) of moving in. I often look at information on English pages for procedures for foreigners, etc. For procedures at the city office, I look up information in Japanese. It depends on what I am looking up.

I tend to look things up in Japanese.

I look up procedures at the city office in Japanese these days. If I don't understand something, I think it is best to ask the city office directly.

Yes, that's right. However, when I go to the city office, I can see that the person in charge (seeing me as a foreigner) gets nervous. So I immediately talk to them and show that I can speak Japanese. I like to see the relieved expressions on their faces.

When renting a room, a deposit and key money are required in Japan, and this is also the case in the Philippines. I pay a deposit and a down payment, which is about 3 months' rent.

In Myanmar, there is only one month's deposit. I was surprised about the key money. There is no key money in Myanmar. I thought, "Do I really have to pay this?". For my current apartment, it was 2 months' deposit and 1 month's key money.

The key money made me very angry and I was puzzled by the cultural difference. When I told my American family about it, they said, "Isn't this a scam?" (with a laugh). So I looked for a place with a condition that there would be no key money and no broker's commission. I haven't lived in Japan for a long time, so I don't have that many Japanese yen yet.

There is also a renewal fee, right?

The renewal fee is one month.

In Myanmar, we renew the contract once a year, but we just complete the procedure, and we do not have to pay a renewal fee.

There is no renewal fee in the Philippines either.

I lived mostly with family or in a dormitory, so I am not familiar with the real estate situation in the U.S., but I did look for an apartment once. There was no key money, and I needed a security deposit, a salary certificate, and a guarantor. I don't know about renewal fees. I think it probably varies from apartment to apartment in the US.

You don't need a guarantor in Myanmar.

We also do not need a guarantor in the Philippines. If you have the money, it is relatively easy to rent an apartment. In Japan, it is very difficult to find a guarantor.

Three or four landlords told me that foreigners are not allowed, and many times I was told that the guarantor must be Japanese or a permanent resident. This was more than 10 years ago, so maybe it's not like this anymore, but it was really strict at that time.

I think that houses are totally different. Houses in Myanmar are larger than those in Japan. Also, in Myanmar, when you enter the house from the entrance, the living room is first, followed by the bedroom. The kitchen, toilet, and washroom are always in the back of the house. That is a big difference.

I love Japanese houses. I like that Japanese houses (or apartments) have balconies. Philippine houses don't have them. Also, I am glad that the toilets (in Japanese houses) are at the entrance, since that means I have to always keep them clean.

That's good. That is motivating.

I especially love tatami (flooring material made out of soft rush) mats and the smell. It really makes me feel at home.

I love tatami. I like the smell and the way it feels to the touch.

In the Philippines, you have to take off your shoes to enter a house just like in Japan.

It is the same in Myanmar.

People think that Americans enter houses with their shoes on, but it is not true, because that’s dirty. I think only about 1% of the houses are entered with shoes on.

I thought that because when I watch American movies, they leave their shoes on in the houses.

That's not a real house, it's a movie set. Shoes are taken off and left on the rug. We don't arrange shoes neatly like in Japan.

The homes I have lived in so far in Japan have low ceilings. The low ceilings make them feel small. Burmese houses have high ceilings, so when I enter a Japanese house, I feel like I am entering a toy house. I wish the ceilings would be higher if possible.

I bump my head in the shower (shower head) in my current home.

That may depend on the housing. I have lived in many different homes, and the ceilings in my current public housing are high. However, I don't know why there are no locks on individual rooms or bathrooms. Maybe it is for the elderly.

Everything is different from the U.S., so I can't really compare. My room is smaller than the bathroom in my sister's house in the U.S., but it's OK. It is a modular bathroom, so I thought it looked like the bathroom on an airplane. I often bump my elbows, but I have gotten used to it. It is nice that Japan always has a bath (tub).

In the Philippines, I used to take only showers because it was too hot, but now I enjoy taking a bath with bath salts.

In Myanmar, I used to take only showers as well, but now I use a bath in Japan. Bathing is really nice and relieves fatigue. I wish we had them in Myanmar too.