The theme of the Nippon Television series "Shiawase! Bonbi Girl" (“Happy Poor Girls”) is one of the most resilient on Japanese television: People of limited means getting by. As the title indicates, the subject is young women and one of the regular segments, "Jokyo Girl," highlights a young woman "moving to Tokyo" to find an apartment.

The base assumption of the segment is that Tokyo is much more expensive than wherever the subject is coming from, and the parameters are always the same: The newcomer sets a maximum monthly rental target, indicates preferred conditions and neighborhoods, and then visits realtors to secure a place to live. In many cases, these women are not students. They have already found jobs or want to fulfill some sort of dream in the big city.

As anyone who has lived in Tokyo on a budget knows, finding apartments can be frustrating, but for the most part the women on "Shiawase! Bonbi Girl" do not get flustered despite being presented with residences that are cramped, dark and lacking in amenities many would take for granted. The idea that you have to put up with such limitations when you're young is built into the show's DNA, and the subjects go through the motions of inspecting apartments and pondering their options without a trace of disappointment. As renters, they understand they are in no position to complain about what's available.