and we need to find a new place to live ASAP.

急いで次の家を探します

Finding a home for a family of six in the Tokyo area is challenging enough, but will it be an impossible task for foreigners?

東京で6人家族が家探し 外国人というハンデもあります

Find out in this Life in Japan.

舞台裏をお届けします

OK let's see, what does the kitchen look like?

台所はどうかな？

Oh, this is tight!

狭い！

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

ネットで検索してみましたが

Like any search these days, it usually starts online,

大家族向けの賃貸物件は限られています

and that's exactly where we're going to see if there's any housing suitable for a large family near us.

ダメ？

Nothing?

4LDKは無い

No 4LDKs, oh here's one.

あった

It's kind of far.

遠い

¥230,000/month

月23万円

Well...

ちょっと…

And a little smaller than I'm in.

今より狭い

And 3 floors. Won't work.

3階建て

So either I'm going to have to go far far away,

大変ね

Pay a ton of money

今より遠くになるかも

Or go smaller.

家賃も上がる

We thoroughly searched the popular Japanese real estate websites at home, sumo and others to find options, but the results were not encouraging.

小さな家にするか

Look at that. I'd have to have a little burner stove.

アットホームやスーモで調べてますが 現実は厳しいです

Nope nope nope, not going to work.

ストーブがほしい

We really wanted to stay in the same neighborhood so that our kids could go to the same Japanese public schools

ダメだわ

and because it is also very close to where we work

子供の学区内で物件が見つかれば 負担も少なく済むでしょう

so we compiled a list of possibilities and sent them to our realtor.

私の職場も近いです

When she got back to us, the challenging reality of foreigners finding a place to live set in.

学区内が第一希望でしたが

What's the word now?

在日外国人が直面する 不動産探しの現実が待っていました

Well we got a couple of properties that we wanted to see,

調子は？

None of them here close, kind of far.

候補がいくつかある

And we sent them to the realtor and she got back to us

でも 別の学区ね

And one of them is not going to open up until next March,

業者に問い合わせたけど

One will not rent to us because we're foreigners,

1件は3月までダメ

And one we can go see.

もう1件は外国人はダメ

So we're...every third I guess we can go see.

内覧できるのは1件

The next day, we would go look at some options together as a family.

確率は3分の1ね

OK guys, where are we going now?

翌日 内覧に出掛けました

To look at houses!

何しに行く？

We go in the house!

家を見る！

And we get to go in the house!

家に行く！

The first place we visited had just gone on the market, so it was still under renovation.

そうね！

We were glad we were able to go in and see it anyway.

最初の物件は改装中でした

This one to us on paper it looked like a very ideal layout.

それでも内覧できたのでよかったです

Whoa, look at the size of this.

間取りは良さそうだったね

You might need to change these curtains...

広いね

Yea, we would change the curtains, that's for sure.

カーテンは換えないと

But boy, look at all that light!

そうだね

But look at this though, it's got a big [storage room]

日当たり！

Oh yea, boy that's nice.

収納が広いね

The house was spread vertically across three floors, a common building practice these days in the greater Tokyo area.

いいね

We tried to picture what it would be like if we did indeed live here.

3階建て戸建ては 首都圏でよくある間取りです

Oh but the toilet's in here with the washing machine.

引越した時の想像が膨らみます

Oh that's a little different.

トイレが洗濯機の背後ね

It's so big in here.

珍しい

Wow, wow.

ここ広いよ！

It's big Mommy!

ビッグ・マミーだよ！

Look at mommy's face.

ママがうれしそう

OK, I've got to see the kitchen.

台所はどうかしら

OK, let's see. What does the kitchen look like?

台所を見てみよう

Oh! This is tight!

狭い！

Yea. So the kitchen is a downer.

今と比べると狭い

It was time to check out the upstairs bedrooms.

2階の寝室をチェックします

This must be the toilet...

トイレよね

Oo large

広い

Is it? That's nice.

いいね

Here's a closet.

収納がある

It's nice.

いいね

Oh wow, yeah.

いいね

This one has no air.

エアコンが無い

I want this to be my room.

私の部屋にしたい

Well Ruth, what do you think here seeing this place?

ルース 感想は？

This living/dining area is amazing.

リビングダイニングは素晴らしい

The kitchen's—I'm used to a large kitchen,

台所は 今より狭いわね

So I don't have much space.

収納が大変かも

But I would probably try to put our dining here so that could all be living.

ダイニングをここにしたら リビングを広く使える

I know, that would be awesome, wouldn't it?

それは最高だね

And then we could always put out an extra table if we need to.

来客時はテーブルも置ける

Well let me tell you what, this first house definitely a contender.

間違いなく候補ね！

Did you guys like this one?

気に入った？

I loved it.

うん

OK, let's go see the other ones.

もう1件見に行こう

Alright, we're checking out the next place.

次の物件です

And it is like 2 minutes from the station, it's so close.

駅徒歩2分の近さです！

We're the only ones living on the 5th floor?

5階はこの家だけ？

Oh my goodness! This is the tiniest!

小さい！

Look at the tiny little elevator.

小さなエレベーターだね

How do you move stuff in here? That's what I want to know.

家具はどう運ぶんだろう？

I don't think our things would even fit.

入らないと思う

Here comes 5.

5階です

Do you hear them coming guys?

上がってくる？

Yea, I see them.

見えた

You can see them coming?

上がってくる？

Here we go guys Take off your shoes.

靴を脱いで

Look, it's a big bathroom.

大きな風呂場

Big bathroom. Oo la la.

広い！

Ooh! Oh this is the living/kitchen.

おお！

Oh look at that.

リビングキッチンね

It's all in one.

見て

Wow. Now that's something else.

まとまってる

Oh, and look at the kitchen, Ruth.

これはすごいね！

Bye bye!

台所を見て ルース

I want to see what Momma chan thinks of the kitchen.

バイバイ！

Oh wow, this could almost be a room.

ママちゃんの台所

This right here?

別の部屋みたい

It's a storage, but it's really big.

ここ？

Holy cow!

大きな収納

Look at the pantry.

すごい！

Oh my goodness!

パントリーです

Tatami!

すごい！

This would be your office, and this would be our room.

畳！

Yeah.

あなたのオフィスと寝室

There's a lot of storage in here. It smells mildewy

いいね

Wow, good-sized room here.

- 収納がたくさん - 少しカビ臭い

This is nice.

いい部屋だね

Whoa!

いいね

Yea but look at this! Holy cow. This is like a whole other bedroom.

ワーオ！

It is.

見て！すごい！

The space in here is just ridiculous.

ちょっとした寝室みたい

I don't know if my stuff would fit in here because the elevators the size of a peanut.

そうね

So now we've seen the second one. Decision's harder, huh?

広さは十分ね

The thing with this house is that it's next to the station,

エレベーターが小さいから 家具を持っていけるか分からない

The space is amazing

2軒見たけど 難しいね

They said it's been cleaned, but I would probably have to hire cleaners because it just kind of—yuck.

この物件は駅に近い

I don't know how long it's been opened.

広さもいいわね

And the elevator is like me and her wide.

ただ 入居前に清掃が必要ね

And you guys aren't wide.

退去から長いのかも

Yea, like that!

エレベーターが小さいから

It's teeny teeny tiny.

小柄でよかったね

We were squished.

こんな感じ！

Over the course of several days, we went back and forth,

小さい

searching for options on line, sending them to the realtor, getting turned down for nearly half of them and seeing the other half.

ぎゅうぎゅうだった

All that searching almost makes you a little bit crazy,

物件探しが続きます

so we needed to take some time with family to clear our minds and make a decision about where to live.

検索して問い合わせては 断られることを繰り返します

What's happening Sarah?

頭がパンクしそうなので

The hunt begins again.

家族で出掛けてリフレッシュします

The hunt begins again? What are you going to find today?

どうした サラ？

What's on your list?

虫取りだよ

A frog or a lizard.

虫取り？今日は何をとる？

Oh ok.

予定は？

That's a scary path.

カエルかトカゲ

I just found some poop.

OK

Huh?! Fresh poop.

すごい道

You found some fresh poop! Awesome!

うんちを見つけた

Let's put it in the bug box. Gross.

は？

Oh, we see a grasshopper! Oh!

何だって？！

OK get it.

- 虫かごに入れる - 汚いよ

We're still going for the big hunt?

バッタがいるね

I guess so!

捕って

We're going to find some bugs here.

捕れそう？

Good things we have Ben here to help us out!

たぶん

When we made our big international move over 8 years ago, we moved close to where other friends and family were living.

虫がいるね

Those relationships were key for us adjusting to life in Japan.

ベンがいてくれてよかった！

But then, along the way, we've built some strong friendships here in this area.

8年前に来日した時は 家族の近隣で家を探しました

It's fun to imagine ourselves in a bigger house with more space, which we could afford if we move over 30 minutes away from here.

日本の生活に順応するには 家族の繋がりが大切です

But our life revolves around these relationships and this area.

この8年間に 地域でよい日本人の友人も得ました

In the end, the decision of a bigger place or a closer location became clearer.

今より30分離れた場所の物件は 広くて魅力的です

Izzy, what did you get?

でも 地域の友人や家族との繋がりは かけがえのない財産です

I got a grasshopper!

優先順位は明らかでした

You got a grasshopper? Yeah.

イジー 何を捕った？

Oh that's pretty good. That's a start, huh?

バッタ！

I got a pikachu.

バッタを？

A pikachu?!

よかったね

Yeah!

ピカチュウ

What? You got three grasshoppers?

ピカチュウ？

Hold 'em up, let me see!

うん！

Oh nice.

バッタが3匹？

The day out did just the trick. In the end, we knew which place we needed to move on.

見せて！

We just needed to make the phone call and make it happen.

いいね

We put in an offer on an apartment... Oh!

外でリフレッシュして 答えが決まりました

Now we're just waiting to see if we get accepted.

業者に電話します

The movers came this morning, gave us an estimate,

申し込んだ

And now we have to pack, pack stuff up and throw stuff away to make it work.

あとは待つだけ

Ties ties ties. I used to wear a lot of ties, but now hardly anymore.

引越しの見積もりをもらいました

We chose a place that is more convenient over a place that was a bigger house

荷造りと断捨離をします

But a long ways off from the station, a long ways off from all that we do here at the coffee shop.

ネクタイ

So we have to downsize a little bit.

昔はよく締めましたが 最近は使いません

A full life is built on good relationships, first with God and then with others,

家の広さではなく 便利さ選びました

so prioritizing these relationships will only help our lives flourish more and more.

広い家は駅やコーヒーショップから離れていました

Read the Bible and asking God to speak to me through your word this morning.

荷物も減らします

[Japanese translation]

充実した人生は 神様との関係 人間関係に基づきます

Look at the Sakura trees, they are changing colors.

だから 引越しでも人間関係を大事にしました

Fall is on the way, oh boy!

聖書を通して語られることが大切です

And in case you think this episode is going to end on a cliff hanger, I have good news for you.

紅葉が始まりそうです

Guess what? We just got a big call!

もうすぐ秋です

We're going to move!

今回はクリフハンガーで終わりません！

I've gotta call my sister...

業者から返事が来たよ！

I'm going to be close to my sister!

引越し！

The search is over. Oh!

電話しなきゃ

Hello?

妹の近所よ！

[Excited noises]

遂に決まった！

Yea!

ハロー

Oh, it's so exciting!

すごくうれしい！

It happened, wow!

決まりだよ！

Oh my goodness!

すごい！

Our new neighbors! Say hi!

ご近所さんだ！

Did you hear the news? We're going to move, it's official!

聞いた？決まったよ！

In two weeks we're moving.

引越しまで2週間

But with the good news, came some not so good news.

良いニュースもあれば 悪いニュースもあります

What's that say there?

どうした？

Japan braces for flooding/destructive winds from super typhoon Nanmadol

ハリケーン・ナンマドルの被害予想

Anyway, is it going to come hit us?

ここに来るの？！

Yea, category 4 major hurricane.

カテゴリー4の大型ハリケーン

Just what you need while you're trying to move, right?

引越しと重なる？

Hopefully it passes within the next week because we move in two weeks.

来週中に過ぎてほしい

Sustained winds of 130-156 mph.

時速 130 ～ 156 マイルの風

Whoa.

休校になるかも

We might be able to skip school.

予報だと…

We're getting like...

♪ ベイビー ♪

Oh yea, baby.

気を付けないと

Yeah, we'll keep an eye out.

＜次回予告＞

Next time on Life in Japan

新しい家の契約はクリアしましたが

Now that the huge hurdle of finding a place is done, we move towards an even bigger challenge —

引越しを前に 大型台風が接近するという展開

getting ready to move out while a typhoon moves towards Japan.

前進あるのみですが 気を緩めることが出来ません

We do our best to keep things moving forward, but a snag in the process could put everything in jeopardy.

明日 契約書にサインします

We got the word, tomorrow we are signing the papers for our new place.

その次は引越しです！

And then very soon after, the move!

チャンネル登録をお忘れなく！

Subscribe and don't miss the next Life in Japan.