When it comes to negotiating, although the seller’s agent will usually advise them on the pricing strategy for their property, there are a variety of factors that will influence the seller’s minimum acceptable price especially Market.  If you think the price is far higher than current market prices, then you may find the seller purchased the property during a peak and is too stubborn to sell at a loss. As transaction prices are not made public, the seller is not obligated to tell you how much they paid for the property. The process begins when the buyer will submit a written offer which is a declaration of their intent to purchase the property at the price they have offered. This is usually considered to be a serious offer, so a buyer is not expected to back out if their offer is accepted. The buyer would then have to come up with another offer. The seller will come back with a counter-offer. The buyer can either accept this offer or negotiations will ideally continue until both parties are happy. If the seller accepts your offer, you cannot change any of the terms of your offer or it will no longer be valid.”. Sometimes the seller may offer to do an alteration or renovation for the buyer, but this must be made clear in the negotiations process.


To improve your bargaining powers have your finance sorted!  One should find banks that you are eligible to apply for mortgages from. You may be in a weaker bargaining position when your agent is also representing the seller and is trying to get them the best possible price. A buyer’s agent is solely working for the buyer and wants to get their client the best possible discount.


It is important to choose one who will work in your best interests because most property transactions in Japan will involve one or more real estate agents, so It is the agent who will be negotiating on your behalf, so do not be afraid to ask them lots of questions about the seller, and about how they plan to negotiate for you. At the end of the day there may be some properties where the seller is simply not in the mood to negotiate. If the seller is stubborn and the price is not what you are happy with, then walk away.

In Japan, Christmas celebrations take place on Christmas Eve and not on December 25, the actual Christmas Day. Shopping for the season begin in earnest right from the beginning of December. The retail stores and shopping malls of Japan present an enthusiastic attitude towards the celebration.  Every store is ready to greet with Christmas trees, Santa Claus and other seasonal decorations. The malls in Japan invites to gaze on their widely spread Christmas ornaments and decorations.


There are 2 special traditions in Japan. First, the daiku, which refers to Beethoven’s ninth symphony which is performed in many places at Christmas time. The second is the Christmas cake.    Handing over presents & gifts to friends and family members is also quite popular tradition. The festival culminates with everyone in the family partaking in an extravagant meal specially prepared to mark the occasion. The traditional Japanese Christmas food is the Christmas cake, generally made of sponge cake, strawberries and whipped cream.


Most Japanese people decorate their homes with evergreens and beautify the exteriors with electric colorful lights during Christmas. There are no live Christmas trees in Japan, only artificial trees. The trees are decorated with small toys, dolls, gold paper fans, lanterns and wind chimes.


Even business establishments house a Christmas tree to celebrate the season of Jesus. For a few weeks before Christmas, shops set up displays of appropriate gifts for men, women and children (especially children). On Christmas day, families sit around the tree to exchange their gifts, whether it be at their house, relatives or friends.


For young children, it is the time to accept presents from a Buddhist monk who is seen as the Japanese equivalent of Santa Claus. For single women in Japan, the Christmas Eve is the time to spend quality hours with their special someone. Christmas presents given to girls are mainly consisted of Teddy Bears, flowers, scarves, rings and other jewelry items. Greeting cards are also given to friends during this time.


In Japan, everyone wishes another ‘Meri Kurisumasu’, meaning “Merry Christmas”, during Christmas time.

Just like major cities, there are communities with cliques in Tokyo based on where you come from. If you want to be around other English –speaking foreigners, try visiting the Azabu Juban. Azazu is found in Minato and is a community of foreigners and English-speaking Japanese at the foothills of central Tokyo. Expect to have to pay high rates to live in this upscale neighborhood. In exchange, you can expect to have celebrity neighbors and artists, along with top executives and diplomats.
Azanzu is also home to the embassies of Germany, Norway, the Philippines, South Korea, China, Russia, Switzerland, Finland, Taiwan, France, Greece, Iran, and Austria.
Another area in Tokyo where you can find an English-speaking community would be in old Tokyo or Euno. This is found in the Taito district where apartments are not very expensive. However, it cannot be compared to Azanzu’s safety. Here in Euno there are sex clubs and high rise condominiums. It’s a strange mix of malls and markets; nightclubs and restaurants. Not every foreigner will be comfortable staying in this part of Tokyo.
Fortunately though, in Japan many already speak conversation English. It does have a Japanese accent but it isn’t that difficult to understand. With this in mind, you shouldn’t have to fear about where to find an apartment in Tokyo. The Japanese are generally welcoming and polite culture; they respect others and demand the same. Also, they have certain requirements about renting to foreigners and usually expect a minimum of 6 months stay.

There are two kinds of night life in Tokyo: the girlie places which aren’t something you should want to visit because the alternatives are more enthralling. Tokyo has its gentler, more refined side where you are entertained by theater shows or theme parks. Food is glorious experience in Tokyo especially if you love Japanese cuisine.
Many of the restaurants around the tourist areas are expensive but should be tried at least once. Don’t just sample the sashimi and sushi but try some of the more exotic dishes like eel or sea urchin. Don’t worry about the appearance of the spiny sea urchins. You will only be eating the meat. Other must-try dishes that will make your night something to remember always are the raw horse meat and blowfish.  The horse meat is very red and raw but quite delicious and one for the books. On the other hand, the blowfish is probably something you read about or heard in movies. It has a poisonous sac which can kill you in seconds, so if you plan on trying this, do go to a first class restaurant. This way, your chef will know exactly what should be removed entirely before serving.
There are always mini concerts and bands playing in clubs where one can go to either listen to the music or dance the night away.
If you would rather be in a theme park, Tokyo has its very own Tokyo Disneyland. It’s a thrill to be in a Disneyland and to see it all in Japanese/English signs is something worth developing a picture album for. Another place to visit would be Tokyo Disney Sea or the Sanrio Puroland where you can find the fabulous brand, Hello Kitty.
There are certain areas in Tokyo that can be dangerous at night like Uguisudani and Roppongi, so try to visit these areas during the day instead.

In term of choosing apartment, there are two type of apartment suggested for the families in Tokyo to reduce the financial burden in accommodation expenditure.  Firstly is the gaijin house.  It is a shared house in term of sharing bathroom and kitchen but you can choose to stay in hostel style or even have your own room.  It is a great deal for the young families, unmarried couples and single.  It is much more deserve to stay instead of renting whole apartment as its rental just about 50,000 to 90,000 yen monthly compared to more than hundred thousand monthly.  On the other hand, the dirty environment and the unreasonable housemates will always make people frustrated but these conditions seem seldom happens in Tokyo as the high ethical standards.

Besides that, you can also choose a private renting apartment for yourself or your family.  In term, this living place is always cost you on “key money”, deposit and rental agency fee.  The “key money” can be said as a gift to the owner of house and always can be negotiated if the tenants dare to do so.  Deposits are usually cost as one or two month’s rental.  For those house owner who wish to get some pleasant income from the tenants will always charge you on new furniture and fittings or even maintenances and repairing fees.  When choosing from these alternatives, you shall get know your priorities such as location, affordable rental and type of apartment preferred.  Some people will seek help from the conventional real estate companies.  It will charge you an amount of real estate agency fees.  Choose the apartment based on the considerations will always be the better way.