Your First Apartment in Osaka as a Student: The Furniture & Appliance Checklist

You land a week before classes and the room is empty. Now what?

Student studios and 1K apartments in Japan are usually handed over completely unfurnished. No fridge, no washing machine — some rooms do not even have a ceiling light installed, and the management company will not provide any of it. If you are used to furnished rooms back home, this often comes as a surprise on arrival day.

Your first week will be swallowed by getting a phone plan, opening a bank account, and registering your address at the ward office. There is realistically no time to shop around electronics stores and wait for deliveries. Treat furniture and appliances as something to settle before you arrive: first ask your agent or school what the room includes (especially lighting and curtain rails), then fill the gaps with the list below.

The checklist: what to rent, what to buy, what to bring

Here is the full starter kit, with a recommendation for each item. The rule of thumb: rent anything big that is hard to dispose of, and buy locally anything that touches your skin or wears out.

Save your suitcase space for clothes and any medication you rely on. Shipping bulky items internationally tends to be expensive and risky, and in most cases renting or buying locally works out cheaper. Small appliances from home may also run on different voltage or plug standards than Japan's, so they will not necessarily work well. The rule is simple: if you can sort it out locally, do not pack it.

How much should you budget for a year?

Let us run the numbers with KUMAGO's actual prices — all figures are the total for the full term.

• Set A (fridge 90–130L, washer 4.2–6kg, microwave) — ¥45,100 total for 1 year
• Set B (A + single bed) — ¥55,080 for 1 year
• Set C (A + semi-double bed) — ¥72,320 for 1 year
• There are also a 6-month plan (Set A ¥38,490) and short-term plans of 1–5 months (from ¥28,400 for one month). See the full price table

Within Osaka City, delivery, installation, and end-of-term collection are all free, so the numbers above are your total cost. Payment is by credit card only, and you can pre-order from overseas — everything can be settled before you even board the plane.

What if you bought everything new instead? Even at entry-level big-box prices, a fridge, washer, microwave, and bed will generally run tens of thousands of yen, plus disposal fees when you leave. Secondhand is somewhat cheaper, but you handle the hauling and setup yourself, and quality is a gamble. For a one-to-two-year stay, once you factor in that hassle, renting the set is usually the lightest option.

Why renting beats buying for most students

The biggest reason is what happens when you leave. Under Japan's Home Appliance Recycling Law, fridges and washing machines cannot go out as bulky trash — disposing of them generally costs a recycling fee of a few thousand yen each. Hunting for buyers or arranging pickup during your busiest final weeks is a real burden. With a rental, you simply send one message to book the collection.

Student housing also tends to change: dorm to apartment, or a share house after one semester. Renting lets you match the term to your plans instead of hauling large appliances between moves. And on an annual rental, breakdowns under normal use are repaired or replaced for free — reassuring when it is your first time living alone.

When should you book?

Aim for one to two weeks before you arrive. Lock in a delivery date via LINE or the online order form, and your fridge and washer will be working from day one. Ordering from overseas works like this: pay by card first, then coordinate the delivery date. Deliveries run 10:00–16:00 by appointment, so schedule it around the day you pick up your keys.

Your first week will roughly go: pick up keys, register at the ward office, get a phone plan, open a bank account. Slot the appliance delivery on key day or the day after, and setup gets done between those errands — no need to burn a whole day waiting at home. And if anything is unclear, you can just ask on LINE in your own language.

Not living in Osaka City proper?

Within Osaka City, delivery, installation, and collection are all free. We also deliver to students heading to Nara, Kyoto, and Kobe: see the Nara delivery page, Kyoto delivery page, and Kobe delivery page. Full prices are on the price table, and you can order online when ready.

FAQ

These are the four questions students ask us most often on LINE — worth a quick read before you fly.

Can I pay without a Japanese credit card?

Yes. Cards issued overseas are accepted, so you can book and pay before leaving home. Payment is by credit card only.

My semester is only six months — can I still rent?

Yes. Set A (fridge, washer, microwave) is ¥38,490 for six months, and there are 1–5 month short-term plans from ¥28,400 for one month — exchange students are covered too.

Do you speak Chinese?

Yes. KUMAGO offers support in Chinese, Japanese, and English. Message us on LINE and handle everything from questions to booking in your own language.

Is returning everything a hassle when I go home?

Not at all. Send one message to book a collection date — end-of-term collection is free, with no bulky-trash or appliance-recycling paperwork on your side.