Renting in Japan comes with customs you will not have met elsewhere, such as key money and guarantors. Here are the terms worth knowing before you sign.
LDK stands for Living, Dining, Kitchen — one connected space. The number in front is how many separate bedrooms come with it: 1LDK is one bedroom plus the LDK, 2LDK is two. With no number, 1R means a single room with the kitchen inside it.
Japan lists floor area in m², not sq ft. 30 m² is about 320 sq ft. A 1R is usually 20–35 m², a 1LDK 35–50 m².
A gift to the landlord that you never get back. Usually one to two months' rent.
Refundable at the end of the lease, minus any restoration costs.
Paid to the real-estate agent, typically one month's rent plus tax.
Monthly charge for shared areas, usually billed on top of rent.
A Japan-based person who guarantees your payments. The single biggest barrier for foreign renters.
Usually required so rent can be auto-debited each month.