Who this suits
Temporary housing before a long-term lease is signed
Executive business stays of several weeks
Relocation assignments while a family or full household follows later
Family stays needing more space than a hotel suite
Corporate-sponsored accommodation booked under a company name
Extended stays where privacy and residential amenities matter
Furnished luxury rentals in Tokyo
Choose the contract and service model as well as the apartment. A furnished home, a serviced apartment and a monthly apartment can suit different arrival plans; the label alone does not establish the booking terms.
| Option | What to compare | Confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term furnished rental | A residential lease with furniture, intended for a longer stay. | The actual lease period, furniture inventory, deposits, key money, guarantor screening and separately billed utilities. |
| Serviced apartment | For this guide, a furnished option with a minimum stay of roughly one to three months, no key money and no guarantor company, with at least one of utilities, Wi-Fi or cleaning included in the rent. | We check these conditions against the operator quote. Inclusion and cleaning frequency vary. A building name alone does not confirm that a particular room or plan meets this definition. |
| Monthly apartment | A furnished apartment offered with a monthly stay arrangement; its service level may differ from a serviced residence. | The minimum stay, total charge, utilities, internet, cleaning, deposits and cancellation terms of the specific plan. |
For an unfurnished long-term home, compare current rental listings and confirm furnishing for the unit you select. HR teams and company-name contracts can use the Corporate Housing Desk.
A place to land. Time to choose your home.
A personal-name lease can be difficult to choose from abroad, especially when you need to see the apartment and neighbourhood before committing. One option is to secure a furnished residence for your first one to three months, then view long-term homes after you arrive. We plan both stages in the first consultation so the temporary stay fits your intended move, budget and lease timeline.
If a suitable long-term home and workable screening are available before arrival, we can pursue that directly. For either route, I help compare areas, arrange viewings, negotiate with the landlord and explain material lease terms, including the contract period, renewal or re-contracting, and early exit conditions.
The reality of short-term housing
Japan's standard rental market is built around 2-year leases, key money, and guarantor screening. Most landlords and agents have little incentive to accommodate month-to-month tenants — so the pool of genuinely private apartments willing to take a 2-month tenant is very small.
If daily amenities like a fitness center and 24-hour concierge are must-haves, realistic options concentrate in a handful of serviced apartment operators — not the broader rental market. Knowing which specific buildings actually meet the bar saves weeks of searching.
A one-bedroom of roughly 80–100㎡ is unusually difficult to find in Tokyo's premium serviced-apartment market. Most one-bedrooms cluster closer to 50–75㎡; once a unit is larger, operators often configure it as a two-bedroom. That extra bedroom does not always produce a larger living room, so the best comparison is the actual living-area layout, not bedroom count alone.
Tokyo's top-tier serviced apartments include a real kitchen, cookware, in-unit laundry, and hotel-grade housekeeping — a proper home base for the length of your stay, not a hotel room with a mini-fridge.
The best units in this category turn over quickly, especially for windows that don't align neatly with standard 30-day minimum-stay policies. Early inquiries materially improve your options.
If a fully private, unfurnished apartment is genuinely required, plan for a minimum stay of 6–12 months. Japan's leasing customs — key money, guarantor company screening, 2-year lease structure — make anything shorter impractical for most landlords to agree to.
Compare building-specific prices
Use the building comparison below as the displayed price reference. It includes different room sizes and service packages, so a rent shown for a studio must not be treated as an 80㎡ one-bedroom quote. Actual pricing depends on the operator plan, dates and availability.
Brokerage fees depend on the arrangement and contract term. Fees also depend on whether the arrangement is for an individual or a company. We explain the applicable amount when you engage us and proceed only after you have agreed. Accommodation charges and any operator-imposed deposits or fees are confirmed separately before booking.
Read each displayed rent alongside its building, room type and size. Where the table says “Contact for rate”, no numeric quote is implied.
Ask for the operator quotation, included services, taxes, deposits and cancellation conditions. The comparison is context, not a promise of current vacancy or a booking rate.
Where these apartments come from
Design-forward, boutique-style residences — popular with clients who want a more residential feel, in areas like Aoyama and Hiroo.
Residences built into Mori Building's own towers — Roppongi Hills, Azabudai Hills, and Toranomon Hills Residential Tower, the newest and highest-spec of the series. Residents also get access to the members-only Hills Spa network across six locations, including Roppongi and Toranomon.
One company operating several sibling brands in Tokyo — Ascott (flagship), Somerset, Oakwood, and Citadines. Different brand names, same parent (CapitaLand/Ascott), with generally consistent standards and strong experience with corporate-negotiated rates.
A boutique luxury hotel in Nagatacho built on the legacy of "Kitano Arms," Japan's original long-stay apartment hotel. A dedicated long-stay plan is available on request. Only the four suites (62–80㎡) have an in-room kitchen and washer-dryer; other rooms do not. Guests have access to a 24-hour basement fitness room.
Hotel-grade service standards paired with residential-style suites — a good fit when brand consistency and loyalty programs matter.
Building comparison
A factual side-by-side of the buildings that come up most often for gym-and-concierge grade stays. Icons are spec data, not a ranking — on-site, off-site / limited, or not available. Which one actually fits still depends on dates, budget, and what you will not compromise on.
| Building | Sizes | Monthly rent | Kitchen | Pool | Gym | Desk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Homes — Mori Trust / 1 Hotels, premium tier | ||||||
| 1 Homes Tokyo | Studio ~60–63㎡ · 2BR ~89–93㎡ | Contact — premium tier | Yes | On-site | On-site | 12H+12H by Hotel |
| Mori Living — Minato-ku, from 1 month, 24h English-speaking front desk | ||||||
| Toranomon Hills Residential Tower | 1R 34–37㎡ · 1BR 56–61㎡ · 2BR 112㎡ | ¥580K–620K · ¥960K–1.02M · ¥1.8M | Yes | On-site | On-site | 24h |
| Azabudai Hills Residence B | 1R 32–34㎡ · 1BR 54–57㎡ · 2BR 100–101㎡ | ¥550K–570K · ¥860K–890K · ¥1.5M–1.6M | Yes | Off-site | On-site | 24h |
| Atago Green Hills Forest Tower | 1BR 67–76㎡ · 2BR 95–103㎡ | ¥800K–920K · ¥1.1M–1.2M | Yes | On-site | On-site | 24h |
| ARK Towers | 1R 37–46㎡ · 1BR 53–64㎡ | ¥500K–550K · ¥600K–700K | Yes | On-site | On-site | 24h |
| Roppongi Hills Residence D | 1R 35–38㎡ · 1BR 54–70㎡ | ¥530K · ¥800K–960K | Yes | Off-site | Off-site | 24h |
| Ascott Group — sibling brands under the same parent company (CapitaLand/Ascott) | ||||||
| Ascott Marunouchi Tokyo | 1BR–2BR (incl. tatami room options) | Contact for rate | Most | On-site | On-site | 24h |
| Oakwood Premier Tokyo | Studio–3BR | Contact for rate | Yes | — | Off-site | 24h |
| Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown | Studio–3BR | Contact for rate | Yes | — | On-site | 24h |
| Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Azabu Tokyo | Studio–3BR | Contact for rate | Yes | — | On-site | 24h |
| Oakwood Residence Azabujyuban | Studio ~43㎡ · 1BR ~52㎡ · 2BR ~92–93㎡ | ¥1.62M (2BR Deluxe 92㎡) | Yes | — | Access | 7–22 |
| Oakwood Residence Roppongi T-Cube | Studio ~48㎡ · 1BR 68–79㎡ · 2BR 93–169㎡ · up to 4BR 209㎡ | ¥2.22M (2BR Exec. 130㎡) | Yes | — | On-site | 7–22 |
| Citadines Shinjuku Tokyo | Studio ~25㎡ | Contact for rate | Studio | — | On-site | Yes |
| Boutique Hotel Long-Stay Program — hotel-operated, not a building-based apartment | ||||||
| The Kitano Hotel Tokyo | Rooms from 36㎡ · 4 suites 62–80㎡ | Contact — long-stay plan | Suites | — | 24h | Hotel |
| Hyatt House — hotel-operated extended stay | ||||||
| Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya | 32㎡+ apartment-style rooms | Contact for rate | Kit. | On-site | On-site | 24h |
Sizes, rents, and amenity icons are general guidance, not live availability. Off-site access hours and which units include a kitchen can change; both are confirmed with the operator before anything is treated as a quote.
How I work
"Most short-stay enquiries start with 'I want a private apartment, not a hotel.' In practice, for stays under three months with real amenities, the best available option is almost always a serviced apartment — just one with a genuine kitchen, laundry, and living space, not a hotel room with a mini-fridge. I help clients see that distinction clearly, then negotiate the right one at the right price."
A recent stay
Brief: A furnished 1–2 bedroom apartment with privacy, a gym, and concierge, for a 1–2 month stay ahead of a permanent relocation.
Challenge: A short lead time and individual screening arranged entirely from abroad.
Details are anonymized. Not every enquiry results in a booking — this reflects the type of case we typically handle.