Plaza Homes offers various information about living in Tokyo and is especially
useful for newcomers.
Japan : Useful Information
July 02, 2010
companies for your goods locally as well as
to and from overseas to Japan.

International Moving
Santa-Fe
Phone: 03-3589-6666
http://www.santaferelo.com
Local and International Moving
Art Corporation
Phone:0120-0123-88
http://www.the0123.com/english/home.html
Asian Tigers Premier Worldwide Movers
Phone: 03-6402-2319
http://www.asiantigers-japan.com/
Crown Worldwide
Phone:03-5447-2301
Nissin Corporation
Phone: 03-3238-6512
http://www.nissin-tw.co.jp/nissine/move/index.html
NITTSU (Nippon Express)
Phone: 03-6251-6300
Phone: 0120-1504-22 (Toll free)
http://www.nipponexpress.com/moving/index.html
Local Moving
Tokyo Helping Hands:
Phone: 090-6289-5824
Quoz:
Phone: 03-5932-7777
http://www.quoz.biz/default.asp
Search for Local Movers:
http://tokyo-movers.com/
Search for international movers:

Click >> Real Estate Information (Apartment, Houses & Offices) in Tokyo
Click >> Furniture Lease & Sales in Tokyo
Click >> Relocation Support Services in Tokyo
January 18, 2010
Convenient Value-Added Tickets
Here are some tickets good for one day only that can
save you money and time.
JR Lines:
One-day Tokunai Pass
(Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass):
One-day pass for travel on all JR lines (only) within the 23 wards of
Tokyo. It can be purchased from automatic ticket vending machines.
Adult: 730 yen Child: 360 yen

One-day “Tokyo Free Kippu”
(Tokyo Round Tour Ticket):
One-day pass for all JR train lines,
subways and Toei buses or classic Toei streetcars in the 23 wards of Tokyo.
It can be purchased at JR Ticket Offices (Midori-no-madoguchi)
and Travel Service Centers (View Plaza)
Adult: 1,580 yen Child: 790 yen
For details, check the JR East website : www.jreast.co.jp/e/
Subways: There are 2 different subway operators in Tokyo. One is
called “Tokyo Metro”, and the other is “Toei”, the latter of which is run
by Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Tokyo Metro One-day Open Ticket
One-day of unlimited travel on all Tokyo Metro
lines. It can be purchased on the day of use or
in advance.
Adult: 710 yen Child: 360 yen
One-day Economy Pass (Toei-Marugoto-Kippu) for Toei streetcars,
Toei subway lines, Nippori-Toneri liner and
Toei buses
This pass is valid for travel on Toei streetcars,
buses and subways for one day, and available
at automatic ticket vending machines in Toei
Subway stations, and Nippori station and also
on Toei streetcars and buses. Advance
purchase is available at station counters,
pass vending machines and Toei Streetcar/
Bus offices.
Adult 700 yen Child: 350 yen
Common One-day Ticket for Tokyo Metro & Toei
Subway
Good for one day of unlimited rides on all Tokyo Metro and
Toei subway lines.
Adult: 1,000 yen Child: 500 yen

For details, check the Tokyo Metro
website:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/ticket/valueticket.html
Buses: There are numerous “Toei” buses routes within 23
wards of Tokyo.
This pass allows one day of unlimited
use on Toei Buses.
It is valid for 6 months after the date of purchase, (but activates on the day used).
It can be purchased at Toei bus offices,
Toei bus pass vending machines or on Toei buses.
Adult 500 yen Child: 250 yen
For details, check the websites for “Toei” Transportation
Information:
http://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/english/
For passengers using Narita International Airport, discount
tickets can be purchased. Check the Tokyo Metro website
for details:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/ticket/narita.html#narita1
For information about Real Estate in Tokyo, click here.
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in Tokyo, click here.
November 05, 2009

Plaza Homes lists many of the major hotels in Tokyo and
Yokohama areas. Please make use the below website
when you look for accommodation for a business trip or
vacation trip. You will qualify for the “Special Rate” for
hotels listed under ‘Tie-up’, due to our business
collaboration agreement, if you book through the
website reservation form.
http://www.realestate-tokyo.com/info/hotel/
We, Plaza Homes, provide a variety of information to
support you for a very comfortable life in Tokyo,
especially those of you who do not speak Japanese.
Please feel free to contact us regarding questions
you may have on Housing and Relocation Support
Services.
For information about Real Estate in Tokyo, click here.
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in Tokyo, click here.
March 30, 2009
6th April (Mon.) - 15th of April (Sun.) 2009
Haru no Zenkoku Kotsu Anzen Shukan
(Spring's National Traffic Safety Week)
starts next Monday.
Speed limit in most of the local streets in Tokyo
is from 30km/h - 50km/h. Even on express ways
it's from 60km/h to 80km/h.
You will loose your points and
your license can be suspended if you don't follow the
rules such as driving over the limit, illigal parking,
or ignore signs like Stop Sign.
Drinken driving is strictly prohibited in Japan.
If you drink and drive, your license will be suspended instantly
or you could be convicted or loose your license
from the result of alcohol level in your blood.
To talk on mobile phones holding the hand-set while you are
driving is also illigal in Japan. Even just holding a mobile phone
without talking you may get a ticket.
During this Traffic Safety Week, police will be standing in
most of the main streets and could be hiding anywhere.
It is important to drive safely EVERYDAY, ANYTIME.
All road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, should be
aware of Japan's road rules.
If you don't know the rules, please get a book called
'Rules of the Road'.
It is an easy-to-read translation of the "Rules of the ways
of the Road" prepared by the National Public Safety Commision.
Road usage diagrams and traffic signs with English translations
of meanings enable understanding of basic driving rules.
It is available in 5 languages
(English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Hangul)
from JAF offices from 1,000 yen per copy.
Drive safely, and enjoy Spring in Japan!!
TOMARE (Stop) sign. You must stop at stop signs.
January 20, 2009
do not forget to contact post office for mail forwarding serivce.
Please fill out a change of address card which is available at any
post office so that your mail will be forwarded properly inside
Japan for one year. When leaving Japan, we suggest you to
arrange to forward your letters to your friends in Japan.
Please note: Forwarded address cannot be the company address.
It needs to be an address of individual house or apartment.

Procedure at post office
you may initiate the procedure at the post office close to your residence.
You are required to present your ID such as driver's license or
alien registration card.
In case you can not be at post office
Simply fill in the form and post it. In this case, postman might visit you
to ensure your move.

*Form is available at any post office.
For information about Real Estate in
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in
November 04, 2008
Every country has different traffic regulations.
Please see the Japanese 'Violation of Traffice Reguration' below:
| Type of Offence | Amount of Fine (JPY) | Losing Point |
| Parking Violation | 10,000 - 18,000 | 1-3 |
| *If your car was towed, then you must pay additional 15,000 - 30,000 yen. | ||
| Overtaking Violation | 9,000 | 2 |
| Not stopping at railroad crossing | 9,000 | 2 |
| Violation of Speed Limit | 9,000 | 2 |
| Ordinary roads: | ||
| Less than 15km/hr. | 9,000 | 1 |
| 15km - 20km/hr. | 12,000 | 1 |
| 20km - 25km/hr. | 15,000 | 2 |
| 25km - 30km/hr. | 18,000 | 3 |
| Freeway: | ||
| 30km - 35km/hr. | 25,000 | 6 |
| 35km - 40km/hr. | 35,000 | 6 |
| Intoxicated driver | over 100,000 | 13 |
| *Driver while intoxicated is strictly prohibited. The penalties include the loss of driving privileges, fines and gaol term. | ||
Suspending driver's license:
If you lose 6 points, your driver's license will be suspended
over 30 days by the order of the police.
You will be requested to take a traffice rule course
in the driving center for restarting driving.
Using mobile phone while you are driving is also
prohibited. You will be fined 9,000 yen and lose 2 points.
If you don't stop at stop signs, fine will be 7,000 yen and lose 2 points.


'Tomare' 'Jokoh'
Stop sign Reduce speed sign
*Data as of November 2008.
For information about Real Estate in
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in
August 22, 2008
September 1st is National Disaster Prevention Day
(Bousai-no-hi) in
The day was established in 1960 in accordance with the a
harsh and bitter experience of the Great Kanto Earthquake
which struck on September 1st 1923.
The day was also set for the typhoons which often hit
at this time of year.
At your residence, we suggest you to re-check the location
of the nearest evacuation site and also prepare an emergency kit.
The emergency kit should be minimal, light-weight and can be
easily taken out by one person.
Also check the contents at least once a year. If batteries,
bottles of water, emergency canned food etc. are getting old,
you need to replace them.
We also suggest you to store some water, canned and instant food
for a case of emergency. They may not be brought out with you
immediately upon a disaster but can be taken out when
your safety is guaranteed.
After the Great Hanshin Earthquake, there were many reports of
accidents caused by falling furniture and appliances.
Please take this opportunity to check if you have any unbalanced
furniture and hazardous materials, etc. in and out-side your home.
Please also read our previous article to check Earthquake Survival Manual.
http://blog.realestate-tokyo.com/archives/50555003.html
For information about Real Estate in
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in
April 30, 2008
SHIBU-KASA name stands for 'Shibuya - Kasa (=umbrella)'.
Shibu-Kasa is a new eco-project started in December, 2007.
Aoyama Gakuin University students volunteer group established
a 'Shibu-Kasa' project.
When people are caught in a sudden shower,
they often run into a convenience store close by and
purchase a plastic umbrella which costs around 500 yen.
And after a shower, at convenience stores and Izakaya bars,
people often leave their umbrellas behind.
Most of them just forget about picking it up later.
Those 'left-behind' umbrellas were used to be collected from
the metropolitan government collector as a large waste and
convenience stores had to call them and pay collection fee.
Students from Aoyama Gakuin Univ., located in Shibuya-ku,
found out about this situation and decided to recycle those
plastic umbrellas as 'ECO' (ecology).
They picked up left-behind umbrellas from convenience stores
and bars in Shibuya with no fee, and put a 'Shibu-Kasa' sticker
on each umbrella.
They asked shops such as bookstores and cafes in Shibuya
to give them a small space for 'Shibu-Kasa'.
Anybody can use 'Shibu-Kasa' for free and if they return to
any shops have a space for 'Shibu-Kasa' in Shibuya,
they receive a ticket called 'Earth Day Money'.
Every time they return an unbrella receive '50r' ticket which is
50 yen discount ticket can be used at any 'Shibu-Kasa'
project support stores.
At the moment there are over 70 stores in Shibuya have a space for
'Shibu-Kasa'.
Please look for a logo like below for 'Shibu-Kasa'
when you are shopping in Shibuya and get caught in a shower,
it will help you and help environment as well.![]()
You can find shops with Shibu-Kasa here: (sorry, only in Japanese)
For information about Real Estate in
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in
July 31, 2007
Korea early in the 7th century and then developed in
some unique ways. The primary material is the bark of
the shrubs 'Kouzo' (paper mulberry), 'Gampi' and 'Mitsumata'.
The most commonly used is Kouzo, which produces a
very strong paper. That made from Gampi is finely textured
and glossy, while Mitsumata paper is known for its softness.
Washi (Japanese Paper) is made by a special process of
collecting the pulp for each sheet on a screen by hand,
to make sure the fibres are properly entwined.
The merits of Japanese paper, its beauty and utility,
result from this painstaking hand crafting.
Washi lamp shade softens the light and it's getting popular
in many countries. Washi has a strength, quiet elegance
and warmth not found in Western paper.
Gift wrapping with Washi is also very popular.


You can purchase Washi wrapping paper from most of
stationery stores in Japan.

For information about Real Estate in
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in
July 23, 2007
Naomi Lawrence is a well known artist in Europe,
based in Munich, Germany.
Now she is coming for her first Exhibition in Tokyo!
She draws many kind of animals.
Most have a hint of bitterness hidden behind cute characters.
You might find what is hidden behind in Tokyo!
Workshop with Naomi herself will be there and you can
also purchase original goods of her cute characters!!
Naomi Lawrence in Tokyo Exhibition
Date: August 5, 2007 (Sun.) - September 2, 2007 (Sun.)
Hours: 13:00 - 20:00 (Mon. - Fri.)
11:00 - 18:00 (Sat. & Sun.)
Address: +Case Gallery
Court Annex 1F., 18-23 Oyama-cho
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5452-3171
Access: 5 min. walk from Yoyogi-Uehara Station on
Odakyu Line or Chiyoda Line.
*No admission charge


For information about Real Estate in
For information about Furniture Lease & Sales in



