I spy with my little eye, something that rhymes with "mouse"...
It’s been chilly and rainy for a while now, but everyone guarantees that soon enough it will turn hot and humid! We hope to be in our apartment soon. We’re currently still in Fuchu, waiting for the landlord to get the apartment “ready” for us.
Kazuya, our realty agent (you have to have one here) is a young guy, and he has always felt that it was going to be hard to find a landlord who would rent to foreigners “without a place of employment” (I explained that “I AM my place of employment” and “Until you find me a building I don’t HAVE a place of employment”, but he was still nervous). I think we’re his first foreigners (well, I DID get him off Craigslist). Regardless, we “passed the Lessor’s test” (as Kazuya put it) and while we don’t sign the contract until next week, “we’re in” (I’m hoping it’s one of those “honor” things).
So we wait. According to Kazuya, this is the usual timeframe for getting an apartment in Tokyo. And now, all of Japan is observing “Golden Week”, a week of vacations where everything grinds to a halt, from a few days before, to a few days after. Once offices open back up, we should be able to get into our apartment, purchase furniture and appliances, and find a car (you can’t buy a car here without proof of a parking space!).
Since January we’d been considering an area in near-west Tokyo, called Kichijoji as a possible starting point for the church. It has 2 subway lines and tons of foot traffic. There are lots of people out late, swarms of college-age students - a really diverse-looking mass of people.
Wikipedia says: “The area is one of the most popular areas for younger people to spend their weekend, due to the fact that it features one of Tokyo's most varied and complete shopping areas, as well as the almost constantly crowded Inokashira Park together with its zoo. Supporting the fact of its popularity is that it was voted the number 1 place where people in Japan wish they would live.”
We didn’t know that before. We were just there catching a bus to the airport, when we were impressed by all the people from different walks of life. We both thought "maybe this is the place?"
Well it turns out that our future apartment is on a really main street, Inokashira Dori, and only a 17 min walk from Kichijoji. Funny thing is, that neither we nor our Kazuya knew that (being that we had arrived there from a different train station and cut through some back streets to get there!). We will be really close to a really good area to evangelize. This guy has some good photos: Kichijoji - Danny Choo
So please keep praying for us. Once we get into our little apartment (and get some furniture, a washer, a fridge and some pots & pans), we'll be looking for a building for the church! (35 million people! Whoooweee!)
We so greatly appreciate everyone's fervent prayers! We’re excited about everything we’re seeing here and all that God is going to do!
Kazuya, our realty agent (you have to have one here) is a young guy, and he has always felt that it was going to be hard to find a landlord who would rent to foreigners “without a place of employment” (I explained that “I AM my place of employment” and “Until you find me a building I don’t HAVE a place of employment”, but he was still nervous). I think we’re his first foreigners (well, I DID get him off Craigslist). Regardless, we “passed the Lessor’s test” (as Kazuya put it) and while we don’t sign the contract until next week, “we’re in” (I’m hoping it’s one of those “honor” things).
So we wait. According to Kazuya, this is the usual timeframe for getting an apartment in Tokyo. And now, all of Japan is observing “Golden Week”, a week of vacations where everything grinds to a halt, from a few days before, to a few days after. Once offices open back up, we should be able to get into our apartment, purchase furniture and appliances, and find a car (you can’t buy a car here without proof of a parking space!).
Since January we’d been considering an area in near-west Tokyo, called Kichijoji as a possible starting point for the church. It has 2 subway lines and tons of foot traffic. There are lots of people out late, swarms of college-age students - a really diverse-looking mass of people.
Wikipedia says: “The area is one of the most popular areas for younger people to spend their weekend, due to the fact that it features one of Tokyo's most varied and complete shopping areas, as well as the almost constantly crowded Inokashira Park together with its zoo. Supporting the fact of its popularity is that it was voted the number 1 place where people in Japan wish they would live.”
We didn’t know that before. We were just there catching a bus to the airport, when we were impressed by all the people from different walks of life. We both thought "maybe this is the place?"
Well it turns out that our future apartment is on a really main street, Inokashira Dori, and only a 17 min walk from Kichijoji. Funny thing is, that neither we nor our Kazuya knew that (being that we had arrived there from a different train station and cut through some back streets to get there!). We will be really close to a really good area to evangelize. This guy has some good photos: Kichijoji - Danny Choo
So please keep praying for us. Once we get into our little apartment (and get some furniture, a washer, a fridge and some pots & pans), we'll be looking for a building for the church! (35 million people! Whoooweee!)
We so greatly appreciate everyone's fervent prayers! We’re excited about everything we’re seeing here and all that God is going to do!
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