The management company for the apartment I’m renting sent a letter stating that the two-year rental contract between the company and me would be terminated this July and that, at the next renewal, the monthly rent would be raised by almost 20,000 Yen. I won’t be able to afford to keep living with the new rent!

In fact, I expected to some extent that the rent might be raised at the next renewal because I knew the real estate prices around the Tokyo area were surging because of various causes, including possible occupation of land for apartments and condos by foreign capital for remodeling them into so-called “minpaku mansions” to let incoming foreign tourists stay for lower prices than hotels in that area. They allegedly drive all the tenants out of the apartments and rebuild them, renovating the rooms to make them suitable for short stays by foreign tourists. Though it is galling to give my place to such people, I can’t help. The average Japanese working class today, like me, is poorer year by year and unable to live within the Tokyo Metropolis. Besides, I’ve lived in this apartment for almost 14 years, and many parts of the room are damaged, so I think it’s time to move out.

Anyway, I’ve got to start looking for a new place to live by the end of the current contract. I think Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, or Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, is the best option for me. I usually work from home, so I don’t have to live close to the office in Tokyo. Since I have my own car, I have no problem shopping, dining, and buying groceries in those cities. The monthly garage fee will be lower than here. I’m sure my standard of living will be higher than now!