1.Gather information about areas to live and their rent ranges
(The internet and real estate information magazines are good sources of information. There are also multiple real estate agencies near the university campus and nearby train stations. If time permits, it will be beneficial if you could directly approach these agencies as a means to gather information.

2.Decide on your desired conditions about housing
(Please see Chapter02-7 for reference to prioritize conditions that match your lifestyle.)

4.Visit the room
（Please try to go during the daytime to get a better feel for the room and its surroundings.）

8.Set up for use of water, electricity, gas and internet
(To set up, you will have to register to each of the utility companies on your own. For water and electricity, you can register either by telephone or by internet. For gas and internet, you will need to set a meeting with a staff of each company. Actual internet access after registration can take about 1 month.)

9.Purchase of furniture
Please use the list below for reference when thinking of what to purchase. Housing in Japan tends to be very small, so we recommend that you consider ways to bring the furniture into your room beforehand, as well as to measure the width and height of your entrance door, corridors, stairs, and other passageways that may become a physical blockage. It would be a big disappointment to find out later that you cannot fit your purchased furniture into your room.

●Furniture (1) Curtains or blinds （Rooms in Japan tend not to come with curtains. Since windows of each room are different in size, please measure the size of the windows prior to buying your curtains or blinds.） (2) Futon or bed, pillow and linen (It would be nice to have these delivered on the day you move in. Also, please note that big furniture such as beds will cost money to dispose when you move out because you have to call up a designated collector upon disposal.) (3) Desk, chair, bookshelf

●Electronic Appliances (1) Lights （Japanese housing tends not to come with lights） (2) Laundry machine （If you are only staying for a short-term, you may want to use the coin laundry.） (3) Refrigerator (4) TV (5) Microwave oven

●Daily necessities (1) Tools for cleaning (i.e. vacuum cleaner, broom) (2) Utensils for eating (i.e. fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks, dishes) (3) Cooking utensils

※When buying electronic appliances, you may want to visit the big electronic appliances stores located near major terminals (such as Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Yurakucho stations) as their prices tend to be low. Also, Akihabara station is located in a district filled with electronic appliances stores, with shops offering services in multiple languages, such as English and Chinese. (Akihabara is famous for its huge cluster of these stores, and is a major tourist attraction for overseas travelers.)
※When you buy big items such as furniture and appliances, you can ask the store to provide you with delivery service (in many cases this service is not free.)