Sunday, April 29, 2012

Peter from England

My name is Peter and I have been living in Tokyo for a number of years. I recently decided to move and this was my first time to change apartments in Tokyo.

Hikari Apartments was recommended to me by a friend and I have been very impressed by the service I received from Tommy Yoshida. She listened carefully to all of my criteria and searched for suitable apartments in a very efficient and professional manner. I appreciated her flexibility and hard work, such as coming in early on her days off, to ensure that I had all the necessary information and documentation. All of the apartments I was shown were of a high standard and I was shown the perfect place within one day of searching! This was at a very reasonable price.

I would highly recommend Tommy to anyone looking for a new apartment and rank Hikari Apartments as a strong agency.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Annette from Italy

When I arrived in Tokyo, it was my first time to Japan and I had to find an apartment really fast (within 1 week). I fell on Hiraki Homes by chance when looking through online offers. Since they offered furnished apartments, it was very convenient for me as I had no idea where to find furniture in such a short time. Also, you don't have to worry about the disposal afterwards, so it's ideal for people that only plan to stay for a year or so.
I called Miho Sakanishi and she was very helpful and organised a visit the same day. It is not common to find someone who speaks so well English and can explain the differences in terms of housing in Japan. Everything went on very smoothly and I could sign the contract a couple of days later. Miho even took the time to translate all Japanese instructions to me when I moved in (for using the washing machine or air conditioning...)! I am very happy to have fallen on this agency and this apartment in particular as it saved me a lot of troubles. And everything worked out as she promised without any hidden surprises!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Caroline from UK


I'd like to thank Kaz and Hikari Homes for finding me a great new apartment in a perfect area for my new life and job. Kaz is knowledgeable, friendly, and understands the difficulties people face when coming to Japan for the first time. He speaks excellent English, and is happy to take the time to make sure that you understand everything that you are seeing and signing. I don't intend to be moving for a good long while, but if I was, I'd choose Hikari Homes.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Patrick from Germany


"I always rather like to handle things myself. But when you are looking for a decent apartment in Tokyo, especially when you are a foreigner, you sooner or later (mostly sooner) get to the point where you will need some help from an expert. Miho and Kaz of Hikari Home offered great help and expertise. First and foremost, both of them are remarkably friendly. They always respond to your questions via mail or phone very quickly and they work very transparently.  Also, I always know what I am not looking for, but rarely can I specify what I am looking for... Responding to that with patience while continuing to act in the best interest of the client is very good service, I think. With Miho and Kaz, that`s what you get. They hear your expectations, they guide you through myriads of offers, they tell you what might be good and what not, they drive with you through town to several locations - and if it`s not what you are looking for, no one tries to persuade you, come hell or high water.  Definitely a good address!  Thank you both very much helping me find a nice apartment, for your time, your effort and for your support."  

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Mike from the United States.


Hi, I'm Mike Ramsey from the United States. When searching online for an apartment in Shibuya, I came across the Hikari Apartments. They looked like a small trustworthy company so I went to their small office one day. I was immediately impressed with the professionalism and courtesy I recieved especially as a foreigner. They helped me so much to get exactly the apartment I wanted in Shibuya. It was so easy. They could find all the available apartments in Shibuya that fit the criteria I wanted and were within my price range extremely quickly and within days I was walking around shibuya learning about local hot spots, the culture of Shibuya, and fun activities to participate in while I'm there. As a single American living in Tokyo, I am going to have a great time living in Shibuya thanks to Hikari Apartments! Thank you so much!

Mamiko moved from USA


Hikari Home is the best realtor ever! Hikari Home responds well to your needs and provides an efficient service in a minimal turnaround time. If you are new to Japan and are looking for a place to live in Tokyo metropolitan area, I highly recommend that you get in touch with Hikari Home. After living in the US for fifteen years, I was intimidated by the thought of apartment hunting from scratch in a metropolis like Tokyo, but Kaz made sure that I found just the place I was looking for in the right neighborhood and in the right price range. Kaz has a vast experience with the real estate market in Tokyo and makes you feel at ease and your apartment hunting experience stress-free (he even set up all my utilities!) He is a very fluent English speaker - so nothing will get lost in translation. Overall, I am very pleased with their service and of course, with my new home!  
  

Monday, April 2, 2012

Brian and Ava from Singapore and Philippine


House hunting in Tokyo is no easy task. Language barrier aside, Tokyo's attitudes towards foreigners looking for a place to live, spans a complex spectrum from benign curiosity on one end to downright hostility on the other. Having already spent almost two years in Tokyo, we felt we were already in a solid position to find a place for ourselves. But somewhere between puzzling the mysteries of key money and deciphering the jargon of LDK, we realised we were in too deep, lost, confused and overwhelmed.

At this point, Kaz and Hikari homes stepped in with their friendly and professional services to rescue us and shine a guiding light. Trustworthy, straightforward, and always with our best interests at heart, Kaz helped us navigate the convoluted Tokyo housing scene, patiently taking us from one house to another until we found the perfect one. Armed only with a vague description of what we were looking for and a rough outline of our budget, Kaz was able to line up one showing after another of increasingly impressive houses and apartments until finally, we discovered our new wonderful "Sweet My Home".

Once we made our choice, Kaz spared no effort and expense in securing our application, working tirelessly and acting as the go-between ourselves and the landlord, negotiating a reasonable price and answering any questions and readdressing any concerns we had, quickly, efficiently and most importantly, with reassuringly professional proficiency.

Beyond his multi-linguistic abilities and tireless professionalism, Kaz possesses a truly sincere desire to do right by his clients that permeates through every aspect of his work and thanks to him, we were finally able to find the perfect apartment to suit our particular needs. Thank you Kaz and thank you Hikari Homes. We couldn't have done it without you.