What is Key Money? When renting a Japanese apartment, many foreigners are surprised at the number of fees that you have to pay before moving in. For example, before you move in you may have to pay for agency fees, signing-on fees, renewal fees, maintenance fees, cleaning fees, guarantor fees – the list goes on! One common fee is ​​礼金, ‘reikin’, or ‘key money.’ But, what is key money? …

There are always buildings getting knocked down and re-built in Japan, it is a country keen on redevelopment. But, when it comes to Danchi renovation, Village House is taking a different approach. The Danchi renovation trend is becoming increasingly popular since it is one of the best options for affordable housing. On top of this, Danchi is more sustainable and is nearly always conveniently located – close to stations, …

Bills in Japan For many people whose dream is to move to Japan, the last thing that comes to mind is utility bills. Finding an apartment can be stressful enough with so many options to consider. You’ll be asking yourself: where should I move to? How much should I be paying for rent? What’s key money? For all of those needs, you should head on over to the Village …

Energy Saving More than ever people are looking into energy saving solutions. So, how to save energy? The most common reason people begin looking into energy efficiency is simply to save money. Running the heating all winter will drive electricity bills sky high and there’s nothing worse than spending a giant chunk of your monthly wage on the utility bills.  But it isn’t all about saving money, especially not …