It is difficult for foreigners to immediately rent a standard residential apartment upon or prior to arriving in Japan.In addition, a standard lease is for a minimum of two years.
Regardless of nationality, you need to meet most of the same basic requirements that would be expected of typical Japanese tenant. The biggest difference is that as a foreigner, you will need a proper visa such as a work visa, student visa, etc.
In addition to your passport, you must have a residence card issued to you by the immigration bureau.
Additional requirements that apply to foreigners and Japanese equally, include a Japanese person to act as your emergency person of contact, in some cases a personal guarantor, a Japanese bank/postal savings account passbook and cash card, a Japanese name sea (hanko stamp), a domestic Japanese telephone number (landline or cell phone) and an address that is registered with your local municipality. These items are required before you can begin searching for your new house or apartment.
In cases where two or more individuals wish to live together, each additional tenant must also have a passport, a residence card, and a telephone number before house hunting can start.

By the time you find a unit that you would like to rent, you will be required to provide additional documents and information: - Name and personal details of a Japanese person acting as your emergency person of contact or as your personal guarantor. This person must also be willing to provide their registered name seal on applicable documents.
- Details regarding your place of work or study.
- Copies of pay slips for the last three months of employment or a copy of your Japanese bank/postal savings account passbook showing sufficient funds to pay the rent for at least a year without causing undue hardship and your daily lifestyle where the rent does not exceed 1/3 of monthly income.
- Students must provide documentation, typically a copy of the Japanese bank/postal savings account passbook, showing regular monthly deposits for the last three months in an amount that shows the rent does not exceed 1/3 of the monthly allowance, or showing sufficient funds to pay the rent for at least a year without causing undue hardship and your daily lifestyle where the rent does not exceed 1/3 of monthly income.
- Submit a completed application form to the property manager to initiate the tenant screening process, which is conducted by the landlord’s guarantor company.
- Upon passing the tenant screening process, you will be expected to pay the full amount of the invoice that includes your initial rent, initial monthly fees, and all of the initial one-time fees in one lump sum, which can range anywhere from three- to six-months’ rent.
- Once full payment has been confirmed, a lease agreement will be prepared and agreed upon by all relevant parties. - Utilities are turned on and new contracts are made with each utility once you receive the keys to your new home.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for some property managers or landlords to refuse renting to a non-Japanese tenant, especially where they have had a negative experience with a foreigner in the past.
If you are visiting Japan on a short-term stay, on a working holiday, on a short-term language student visa, etc., it would be incredibly difficult or impractical to pay all of the necessary fees and associated costs, thus preventing you from moving into a new rental property.
Conversely, a short-term rental is much easier to move into being free of cumbersome procedures and documentation. The entire process is somewhat likened to checking it at a hotel.

Unfortunately, the number of affordable hotels is insufficient in the Tokyo and Yokohama areas due to the increasing number of visitors from abroad.
Staying at a hotel can be very costly. However, a furnished apartment can be very economical and just as comfortable.
Due to the many difficulties you will face when trying to rent a standard residential property, you should take advantage of a short-term furnished unit to first, and then start searching for a standard rental apartment once you have your credentials, employment, etc. in order and are prepared to go through with the rental process.