Sharing with someone is a much cheaper way to stay in Tokyo if you're here for the long term. Here are a few sites....
http://www.sharese.com/new/top.html
http://roomshare.jp
If you're looking at guesthouses try:
http://www.jafnet.co.jp/plaza/
http://guesthouse-tokyo.jp/
A type of accommodation gaining popularity are social apartments. Japanese people also stay in these (unlike the rundown, dirty Sakura House accommodations that refuse to have Japanese tennants....) so you can meet and mix with native Japanese people. These places are very clean and definitely worth checking out. They charge the same as what the Sakura House mob do but provide far superior accommodation and service. I really hope these social aparments force guesthouse places like Sakura House to lift their game, and if they can't manage that they'll be out of business...
Check out the following article and links below
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20071012f1.html
http://www.social-apartment.com
http://j-amscourt.com/e-index.html
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Sakura House rip off potential tennant
http://www.eltnews.com/community/?board=Living;action=display;num=1156143209
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Approaching winter and the cockroaches are still around
Sakura House residents are still fighting the battle with cockroaches - some residents have had the little beasts find their way into the fridge!
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
rats at Sakura House
even people being nice about it talk of rats in the Sakura House accommodation....
http://biginjapan.japanphotographer.com/biginjapan/2003/01/
"
First, Mr. Smithers. Smithers is a rat who treads the topside of the first-floor ceiling much like I used to tread upon my floors of my parents' house, which is to say like a herd of frickin' buffalo. I've seen a silhoutte of the Mister, and a sewer rat he's not. Kind of thin, at least from the shadow his body cast upon the frosted glass door, a little bony around the edges.
But he doesn't do much, as far as rats go. Many of the 15 of us here keep food in our rooms, since the kitchen doesn't have the cupboard space, and that wastrel Smithers hardly has shown the fortitude to go foraging in private rooms.
So I think Smithers, the rat with buffalo hooves, is harmless. He's just a bit mischievious, with a fondness for scaring the more faint-hearted residents of Sakura House Hiroo.
"
http://biginjapan.japanphotographer.com/biginjapan/2003/01/
"
First, Mr. Smithers. Smithers is a rat who treads the topside of the first-floor ceiling much like I used to tread upon my floors of my parents' house, which is to say like a herd of frickin' buffalo. I've seen a silhoutte of the Mister, and a sewer rat he's not. Kind of thin, at least from the shadow his body cast upon the frosted glass door, a little bony around the edges.
But he doesn't do much, as far as rats go. Many of the 15 of us here keep food in our rooms, since the kitchen doesn't have the cupboard space, and that wastrel Smithers hardly has shown the fortitude to go foraging in private rooms.
So I think Smithers, the rat with buffalo hooves, is harmless. He's just a bit mischievious, with a fondness for scaring the more faint-hearted residents of Sakura House Hiroo.
"
Thursday, 9 August 2007
more woes.....
some older posts on gaijin pot - it shows that things have been bad for a while....
"Sakura House is such a scam if you decide to stay for anything more than a short period of time. I am talking about their apartments and not dorm rooms, which I have no clue of.Tiny...like less than 15 square meters. Mainly north or west facing apartments (not manshon, but aparto therefore no auto lock etc.). Thin walls. Unit baths etc. Locations that usually aren't near prime. And they will charge 100,000yen and more for these. When the real value would be more like 60,000 for the same thing (granted you will pay an extra 10,000 for all your utilities). Sakura House is fully furnished...ha! Well their idea of a desk (or more apt, a folding table) costs 1,000 yen.Now as a gaijin it is much much easier than it used to be to find a apartment. More and more places have you just paying about 3 or 4 months rent when you move in as opposed to 5 or 6. But also will get a bigger place for the 100,000 you were paying at Sakura House. If new, modern amenities like the auto 'wash toilets'. Wood floors. South facing etc, better location. You will have an all around better place that you could even have pride and not shame...and that you could invite someone to.If you stay for anywhere near a year...find your own place. I hate to say it but I stayed at Sakura House for more than a year. I was just too lazy to go through the apartment hunting process. But is is much easier than ever with internet. Also go to a big realtor, and not a mom and pop one. They will have worked with Gaijin many times.i.e. Tokyu http://www.livable.co.jp/ (in Japanese)I am free free free from the chains of Sakura House. Sakura House apartments MOSTLY SUCK. I thought they were okay until I saw the light and visited other apartments. They SUCK SUCK SUCK. RIP OFF!"
"Sakura House=CHEAP, GREEDY PEOPLE !!!
Please, i know this message has been responded to before. But let me add just one thing.Don't you ever rent a Sakura House appartment!!! BEWARE. Those people are without any conscience and purely concerned about money making, and ripping off foreigners.I am writting this, because I made my own experience with their policy. One time during stormy weather the ceiling in my room came down. Water dripping from the ceiling when I came back home. Well, you'd think they'd give you a notice if something severe as this would happen?? You are wrong!- They left a note saying, they would fix it asap. ALRIGHT, I lived in a shared room which means I have a roomate. Sakura House was so considerate moving her to a different room, because the leak was over her bed. However, for me they had no more room available, so I had to spent FOUR days in a damp, mould fungus smelling room before they glued a board over the opening. On top of that I had to pay the FULL rent for entire time.If you still think you want to RENT a ROOM at Sakura House, then good luck! -I hope you never have to rely on their service!! "
"I recently stayed a Sakura House Apartment for six weeks.I had the following problems:- Because my apartment building was old with paper thin walls I could hear my neighbors chatting loudly, arguing, playing music, walking, and having sex.- The cost of changing apartments is 10,000 yen. And most of Sakura's buildings are old and poorly constructed, making it unlikely that one would want to change.- Sakura requires tenants to clean the apartment and mine had a layer of grease over the kitchen area and the bathroom could have been cleaner.- My apartment had only two cockroaches. One big and alive and one small and dead.- When moving out, the tenant has to put out the trash, but in Tokyo trash is separated and the trash not collected that day must be taken to the train station or the airport or given to Sakura who will charge you to take it away.- The website advertises unlimited utilities. This is not true. The rental contract states that the limit is 10,000 per month. But the agent told me the limit is 15,000 yen.- If you stay for a partial month, then the rent for these last days is prorated. Except that Sakura charges you for the last day - regardless of the time you move out. Normal business procedure is to charge by the nights of your stay. This allows Sakura to charge the next tenant for the day you move out!- Three weeks notice is required for moving out. This is somewhat inconvenient and is not shown on the website.- The staff will not give the address of an apartment if you would like to see the neighborhood and apartment building.- Sakura advertises that it does not charge an agent fee, etc. But you must pay a 30,000 yen deposit with a maximum of 20,000 returned. The 10,000 not returned is a fee!- I found many of the staff at Sakura unpleasant to deal with."
"Sakura House is such a scam if you decide to stay for anything more than a short period of time. I am talking about their apartments and not dorm rooms, which I have no clue of.Tiny...like less than 15 square meters. Mainly north or west facing apartments (not manshon, but aparto therefore no auto lock etc.). Thin walls. Unit baths etc. Locations that usually aren't near prime. And they will charge 100,000yen and more for these. When the real value would be more like 60,000 for the same thing (granted you will pay an extra 10,000 for all your utilities). Sakura House is fully furnished...ha! Well their idea of a desk (or more apt, a folding table) costs 1,000 yen.Now as a gaijin it is much much easier than it used to be to find a apartment. More and more places have you just paying about 3 or 4 months rent when you move in as opposed to 5 or 6. But also will get a bigger place for the 100,000 you were paying at Sakura House. If new, modern amenities like the auto 'wash toilets'. Wood floors. South facing etc, better location. You will have an all around better place that you could even have pride and not shame...and that you could invite someone to.If you stay for anywhere near a year...find your own place. I hate to say it but I stayed at Sakura House for more than a year. I was just too lazy to go through the apartment hunting process. But is is much easier than ever with internet. Also go to a big realtor, and not a mom and pop one. They will have worked with Gaijin many times.i.e. Tokyu http://www.livable.co.jp/ (in Japanese)I am free free free from the chains of Sakura House. Sakura House apartments MOSTLY SUCK. I thought they were okay until I saw the light and visited other apartments. They SUCK SUCK SUCK. RIP OFF!"
"Sakura House=CHEAP, GREEDY PEOPLE !!!
Please, i know this message has been responded to before. But let me add just one thing.Don't you ever rent a Sakura House appartment!!! BEWARE. Those people are without any conscience and purely concerned about money making, and ripping off foreigners.I am writting this, because I made my own experience with their policy. One time during stormy weather the ceiling in my room came down. Water dripping from the ceiling when I came back home. Well, you'd think they'd give you a notice if something severe as this would happen?? You are wrong!- They left a note saying, they would fix it asap. ALRIGHT, I lived in a shared room which means I have a roomate. Sakura House was so considerate moving her to a different room, because the leak was over her bed. However, for me they had no more room available, so I had to spent FOUR days in a damp, mould fungus smelling room before they glued a board over the opening. On top of that I had to pay the FULL rent for entire time.If you still think you want to RENT a ROOM at Sakura House, then good luck! -I hope you never have to rely on their service!! "
"I recently stayed a Sakura House Apartment for six weeks.I had the following problems:- Because my apartment building was old with paper thin walls I could hear my neighbors chatting loudly, arguing, playing music, walking, and having sex.- The cost of changing apartments is 10,000 yen. And most of Sakura's buildings are old and poorly constructed, making it unlikely that one would want to change.- Sakura requires tenants to clean the apartment and mine had a layer of grease over the kitchen area and the bathroom could have been cleaner.- My apartment had only two cockroaches. One big and alive and one small and dead.- When moving out, the tenant has to put out the trash, but in Tokyo trash is separated and the trash not collected that day must be taken to the train station or the airport or given to Sakura who will charge you to take it away.- The website advertises unlimited utilities. This is not true. The rental contract states that the limit is 10,000 per month. But the agent told me the limit is 15,000 yen.- If you stay for a partial month, then the rent for these last days is prorated. Except that Sakura charges you for the last day - regardless of the time you move out. Normal business procedure is to charge by the nights of your stay. This allows Sakura to charge the next tenant for the day you move out!- Three weeks notice is required for moving out. This is somewhat inconvenient and is not shown on the website.- The staff will not give the address of an apartment if you would like to see the neighborhood and apartment building.- Sakura advertises that it does not charge an agent fee, etc. But you must pay a 30,000 yen deposit with a maximum of 20,000 returned. The 10,000 not returned is a fee!- I found many of the staff at Sakura unpleasant to deal with."
Another poor tennant....
again, lifted from Gaijinpot....
http://www.gaijinpot.com/bb/showthread.php?t=39836&highlight=sakura+house
"Because some people in the building haven't been separating their garbage correctly, the management company has decided to put very large garbage bins INSIDE the hallways on each floor of the building for trash deposit days. I have never known--even in the most horrid rundown ghetto flats--any building to put garbage bins INSIDE the building. Obviously the management company was frustrated and decided this was their last resort. But now we will likely get: Terrible garbage smells right outside our doors in the halls, have to take our shoes off and walk the same floor where a public garbage bin sits, and worst of all the roaches and rats will love this development and I'm very worried about a pest surge coming now. So to recap: REALLY great location, tiny apartment, not expensive. But frankly I've never lived in a building where the garbage was put right in the hallway to sit and rot outside your door (keep in mind this hallway is 'inside' the building, not an outside walkway). I feel offended, and I feel like the company is just abusing us because we're gaijin in a weak position. Sure, a few people didn't sort their garbage, that's very bad (I'm very diligent about sorting my garbage), but this solution is extreme in my opinion.I feel like I should move. Other than this, I have no problems with the building or the management, but this seems like a big deal. If you were in my shoes would you move, or stay and deal with the possible smelly hall, dirty floor and roaches, to keep the great location?
"
This was an interesting comment posted ....
"other people seem to have had issues with sakura house and pests (bedbugs at sakura hostel!!)http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n.html#8296916
Agree with the posts regarding contacting the local kuyakusho or police to see if they can do anything. Must be awful to have garbage inside with the current temperatures. Maybe they should call themselves Sakura Gokiburi House."
http://www.gaijinpot.com/bb/showthread.php?t=39836&highlight=sakura+house
"Because some people in the building haven't been separating their garbage correctly, the management company has decided to put very large garbage bins INSIDE the hallways on each floor of the building for trash deposit days. I have never known--even in the most horrid rundown ghetto flats--any building to put garbage bins INSIDE the building. Obviously the management company was frustrated and decided this was their last resort. But now we will likely get: Terrible garbage smells right outside our doors in the halls, have to take our shoes off and walk the same floor where a public garbage bin sits, and worst of all the roaches and rats will love this development and I'm very worried about a pest surge coming now. So to recap: REALLY great location, tiny apartment, not expensive. But frankly I've never lived in a building where the garbage was put right in the hallway to sit and rot outside your door (keep in mind this hallway is 'inside' the building, not an outside walkway). I feel offended, and I feel like the company is just abusing us because we're gaijin in a weak position. Sure, a few people didn't sort their garbage, that's very bad (I'm very diligent about sorting my garbage), but this solution is extreme in my opinion.I feel like I should move. Other than this, I have no problems with the building or the management, but this seems like a big deal. If you were in my shoes would you move, or stay and deal with the possible smelly hall, dirty floor and roaches, to keep the great location?
"
This was an interesting comment posted ....
"other people seem to have had issues with sakura house and pests (bedbugs at sakura hostel!!)http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...n.html#8296916
Agree with the posts regarding contacting the local kuyakusho or police to see if they can do anything. Must be awful to have garbage inside with the current temperatures. Maybe they should call themselves Sakura Gokiburi House."
The toilet that is Sakura House
I hope the gaijinpot user is ok with me lifting his comment from the forum, but this is what this person had to say.....
"Sakura House....I stayed there for a few months a couple of years back. Not bad if you're an impoverished student type looking for a place to crash for a month till you get things sorted, or if you're between apartments (like I was). Other than that, it's a toilet. Anyone staying there longer than 3 or 4 months needs their head tested. Awful buildings, awful service. What's more they are supposedly the best of what's on offer. I dread to think what the standards are like for lesser companies..."
"Sakura House....I stayed there for a few months a couple of years back. Not bad if you're an impoverished student type looking for a place to crash for a month till you get things sorted, or if you're between apartments (like I was). Other than that, it's a toilet. Anyone staying there longer than 3 or 4 months needs their head tested. Awful buildings, awful service. What's more they are supposedly the best of what's on offer. I dread to think what the standards are like for lesser companies..."
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