If you’re traveling to Japan or planning to come and study the Japanese language, the next thing on your to-do list is probably to sort out accommodation. If you’ve already set your heart on a more Japanese immersive experience, chances are you’re now trying to choose between a share house or a homestay.
Briefly, these two options look similar. You’re going to be staying in a building and sharing co-spaces with them. However, each offers different experiences. Aide from apartments, which can be expensive, and student dorms, international students can choose from a room in a sharehouse or homestay. In this article, we’re comparing share houses and homestays in Japan and looking at their respective pros and cons.
What is a homestay?
Let’s begin by looking at homestays. A homestay is where you are hosted by a local, usually a family (though also individuals), for a fee. A typical homestay looks like this: you stay in their family home, get involved in daily family life, practice your language with your hosts and immerse yourself in a regular Japanese family culture.
Pros of homestays
- Usually include meals as part of your accommodation fee. This is great if you want to taste some authentic local food (or if you’re not a confident cook).
- Language immersion. Another huge plus for homestays is the full-immersive experience you get from interacting with your host family in Japan.
- Wallet-friendly. Homestays are usually, but not always, a relatively budget-friendly accommodation option. Especially since they’ll include your meals.
- Local support. Staying with a local family means you’ll not only get all their insider tips and recommendations, but if something happens, you’ve got someone to call.
Cons of homestays
- Less independence. Since you’ll be living in someone’s home, you’ll have to respect their rules and boundaries. This might include, for example, rules about bringing friends home or a nighttime curfew.
- Less sociable. Though you’ll be able to socialize with your hosts to some degree, you won’t have the social element of living with other people your age.
What is a sharehouse?
A sharehouse is, as the name suggests, a house that you share with others. In a Japanese context, these are very common types of accommodation. You can find a sharehouse through an established sharehouse company or through room-share groups on Facebook, for example. Sharehouses come in all shapes and forms, varying from apartments with shared space and private bedrooms, or big hostels or university-accommodation-type buildings.
Check out: Rules and Guide to Living in a Sharehouse in Japan
Pros of sharehouse
- Sociable. Sharehouses are also a great place to meet people and make friends. Since you’re likely to be sharing living spaces such as the kitchen and lounge, you’ll be able to strike up conversations with your housemates.
- Independence. The biggest draw for sharehouses is that you can live by your own rhythm (as long as you respect any house rules).
- Budget-friendly. Sharehouses often work out to be a very cost-efficient option for accommodation, particularly for the longer term.
Cons of sharehouse
- Privacy & living with others. By choosing a sharehouse, you’re choosing to live with others. Though this definitely has its perks, you may also find yourself wishing for more privacy or begrudging your housemates when they don’t put away their dishes.
- Initial costs. Be careful because some sharehouse companies charge a lot of up-front fees which can quickly add to your costs.
- International crowd. Though this isn’t always the case, sharehouses naturally attract quite an international crowd. If you’re looking for that ‘authentic’ Japanese feel, this might be a little disappointing.
Sharehouse vs Homestay IN JAPAN
So now you’re trying to choose between them. Tough choice, we know. Here’s our take:
A homestay is a great way to immerse yourself in daily Japanese life. It’s a fantastic option for students looking to practice their language every day in an organic and friendly environment. But since you’ll have to be respectful of your host’s rules and boundaries, homestays are best suited to students who aren’t looking to host friends and go out late at night. We’d also probably recommend homestays for shorter-term travel (between 1 – 3 months).
Sharehouses tend to be social by nature. If you’re looking for interaction and community, choosing a medium, big sharehouse is definitely going to tick all the boxes. Just be wary that you may get less language exposure than you might have been expecting and will have to contend with sharing a space with lots of other people. That being said, sharehouses are a great way to get a centrally located room in Tokyo for a reasonable price. So if you’re planning on traveling to Japan for a longer trip, sharehouses fit the bill.
How to find a homestay in Japan
Finding the right homestay can be tricky, especially because you want to make sure you get on with your host.
1. Talk to your Japanese language school
The first option we recommend is speaking with your language school. They may even have a special homestay program for their students. Even if they don’t, they’ll be able to point you in the right direction and recommend homestay companies that their previous students have had good experiences with.
Coto School Finder works closely with our partner Japanese language schools, and we can advise you on the sharehouse or homestay accommodations in Japan. All students that come to Japan through Coto School Finder will be supported, and we’ll make sure your arrival to Japan is smooth and secure! If you are interested in our free stud abroad service, get in touch and one of our team will help you!
2. Go through a company
The next way to find a homestay in Japan is to reach out to dedicated companies and explore your options directly. Companies like Home Stay in Japan will go through a thorough matching process to make sure you’re paired with a host family that lines up with what you’re looking for.
To help you get started in your search for a homestay, here’s a brief look at some of the most popular homestay companies in Japan:
How to find a Sharehouse in Japan
Finding a sharehouse isn’t actually too difficult. Especially because there are so many companies out there with modern and super-livable properties. Here’s a quick guide:
1. Talk to your language school
Again, talk to your language school first to see if they have any pointers. They may have specific discounts or campaigns running with certain sharehouse companies that’ll save you some money. You’ll also get a good idea of the best sharehouse companies to use.
2. Arrange viewings with sharehouse companies
The next stage will be to browse each company’s website and see which sharehouses are available. You can then arrange a viewing. If you’re not in Japan yet, you can ask to be toured around the property remotely so you can get a feel for the place. During the viewing, the property manager will also be able to answer any questions you might have and explain the relevant fees.
Some popular companies include Sakura House, Oakhouse and Borderless house (more on this below).
3. Join Facebook groups
Another way to find a spare room is via Facebook. There are a number of groups where people post about a spare room that’s available in their homes. Be careful though, a lot of these groups are saturated with posts by estate agents looking to rent full apartments out. It’s best to arrange an in-person viewing when you’re going through Facebook so that you can see for yourself what they’re offering.
Top Sharehouse Companies in Japan
It’s worth looking at a number of sharehouses before making your decision. As we mentioned, sharehouses vary in size, vibe, and culture, so that’s why investing the time to tour a few options is always a good idea. Here’s a list of some of the most popular Japanese sharehouse companies to get you started:
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Here are some benefits of using Oak House!
- Furnished Rooms: Most Oak House properties come fully furnished, eliminating the need to buy furniture upon arrival. This can be a significant advantage, especially for short-term stays.
- Simplified Move-in Process: Oak House handles most administrative tasks, such as key money, agency fees, guarantors, and utilities, which simplifies the move-in process and reduces upfront costs.
- Multilingual Support: Oak House offers support in English, French, Chinese, and Korean, which can help you navigate the rental process if you don’t speak Japanese.
Here are the links for you! Use Oak House today!
- 日本語 https://www.oakhouse.jp/?sm_tag=vTwD7ikw
- English https://www.oakhouse.jp/eng/?sm_tag=vTwD7ikw
- Français https://www.oakhouse.jp/fra/?sm_tag=vTwD7ikw
- 中文 https://www.oakhouse.jp/cn/?sm_tag=vTwD7ikw
- 한국어 https://www.oakhouse.jp/kr/?sm_tag=vTwD7ikw
Other accommodations in Japan
If you’re not convinced or want to consider other options, don’t worry. There are many other types of accommodation you could consider:
- Workaways. Workaways are where you volunteer and work for your host and in exchange, they provide you with accommodation and sometimes food. This is a really budget-friendly way to travel. And since most Workaways tend to be in rural areas, this is probably also a great way to immerse yourself in both the Japanese language and culture.
- Private rentals. If you’re planning on staying in Japan for a longer period, you might want to investigate renting an apartment. Though upfront costs can be hefty (especially when you factor in key money and furnishing your place), the monthly rent will likely work out cheaper.
- Language school accommodation. If you don’t want to spend too much time looking or aren’t that fussed about where you stay, you could see whether your language school has private accommodation available. The student accommodation will likely be well located for getting to school and will give you ample opportunity to hang out with your fellow students.
- Do your classes online. If you’ve come to the conclusion that accommodation is a little out of budget, for now, don’t worry, you can still continue with your language learning. That’s why we offer online classes and courses, so you can learn Japanese remotely, wherever you are.
FAQs about Sharehouses & Homestays in Japan
Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about sharehouses vs homestays in Japan.
How much is a sharehouse in Japan?
There’s no fixed answer to this question because it really depends on the type of sharehouse you go for, the company you choose, and how long you’re staying. For example, some companies give you a favorable rate if you’re going to be staying for 6 months rather than just 1.
Are sharehouses common in Japan?
Yes, they’re getting more and more common both among international and Japanese communities.
Do Japanese host families speak English?
Again, this depends on the family. In terms of language immersion, it’s no bad thing if they don’t!
Do Japanese language schools have dorms?
Some schools do have dorms where their students can stay. If this is something you’re looking for, it’s worth factoring this into your choice of language school. Kindly the Coto School Finder team to find out if the school of your choice has any student dorms available!
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