Regarding the Nov. 18 Views From the Street question -- "Have you ever had any problems renting accommodation in Japan?": When my wife, a Japanese citizen, and I were seeking our first apartment, the first housing agency refused us before I even parked the car and entered the office. My wife was in tears. She explained to them that I was not military, but they refused to change their position.
I went to the office of the agency and discussed the options that I had, and showed them that it would be more difficult for their company if they did not rent the apartment to us than if they allowed us to live there. Once they had a clear understanding of these issues, they relented and allowed us to rent the apartment. You do not have to take "no" as the final answer.
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