Along with divorce and bereavement, hikkoshi (引っ越し, moving house) is widely considered one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through, and adding an unfamiliar language to the mix can be enough to drive the best of us bonkers. It doesn't help that in Japan fudōsanya (不動産屋, estate agents) and ōya (大屋, landlords) have a pile of infuriating and expensive customs; simply renting a place to live here can take almost Spartan stamina.

Perhaps the most painful element of finding a new home is reikin (礼金, or key money), a nonrefundable wad of cash usually equal to two months' rent that most ōya demand you to pay as a "gift" when signing a keiyakusho (契約書, contract). Think of it as reciprocating their great generosity in letting you give them rent every month from now on. Feeling stressed yet?

Many ōya also expect you to pay kōshinryō (更新料, a renewal fee) when renewing a lease, so even staying put can be costly. However, these days you can find many koushinryō nashi no ie (更新料なしの家, homes with no renewal fee).