I think we have forgotten the poster's original questions and request for information.

The Central Business District of Tokyo is a seething anthill of salarymen and office ladies and all sorts of other cubicle clones, plus some high powered executives and flashy bankers and lawyers, and a multitude of foreigners engaged in high paying activities, PLUS all the other folk who work there to make things possible. Think Manhattan.

No teacher I knew, except those who were married to one of those high powered guys, lived anywhere near there. They lived in very nice residential areas a bit out of the way so they and their families could have a semblance of real life. There are no schools in that area.

Great restaurants and clubs, bars and all sorts of high end shopping, yes.

However, one does not need to live there to take advantage of all those things. A trip into the city from one of the so called "provincial " neighborhoods usually will suffice just fine.

A 35 minute ride on the CHUO would take me right to Tokyo Station, one of my favorite locations since its recent remodel. 3 full 35+ floor syscrapers with shopping and great bookstores and eating and drinking and jazz and numerous world class restaurants to choose from. Plus, it can all be done without exiting into weather if that should be snowy, rainy, windy or just "OMG I am going to die hot !"

After a long day of working with children, conferencing with parents, doing planning and paperwork, plus staff meetings, etc, I think the quiet, close, convenient and affordable "provincial" atmosphere of a neighborhood/ward outside of the CBD, but still with a Tokyo mailing address is an extremely viable option.

With the $1000 a month you can save on an apartment, there is a lot of fun and enjoyment to be had. Being able to easily bike or walk to work or have an option of 1-3 train stops to get there is invaluable.

You don't have to live in downtown Tokyo to enjoy all it has to offer.

I think the chance of a school in the states providing housing is non existent. They would hire local.

You might consider that move to a low coast area in a low cost country, enrolling your children in a local school while maintaining their English education via homeschooling, and enjoying a break together.

Where I live in Mexico, expat families do this quite frequently. What used to be a retirement age only community is starting to have a larger number of families and young children as residents. Public schools and a number of private schools are available.

Medical care is good and relatively inexpensive, weather outstanding, food good, clean water available delivered to your door, rents reasonable (depending on your income) and needs,access to international airport quick, wifi good, English and Spanish cable available and often included in rent, public transportation available so no need for a car. You would not be allowed to work, but your wife could continue to do so.

Just a thought.

I lived in far West Tokyo (near Musashi Sakai off the Chuo Line) for 11 years. I recently retired from what is considered THE top IS in Tokyo, and can say that without a doubt, you can live well AND save money in Tokyo. It all depends on your priorities and lifestyle.

I was a mature IT, married with a husband, and with 30 years of experience under my belt when I moved there, so you have an idea of my age then and throughout my tenure. We did NOT go out and ". hearty" on the weekends and spend the equivalent of $300 on one night's drinking at loud bars. We did have membership to a local gym with several natural onsen and swimming pools + all the usual gym amenities.

We did buy quality liquor and ate/entertained quite well at home, shopping in local markets. On our street in the neighborhood was a fishmonger, a French bakery, a dry cleaner, 2 English speaking MDs, 3 dentists, a chicken shop, a beef and pork butcher, a dairy store, a "little bit of everything " grocery store and a "little bit of everything" sundries store. One train stop away was Ito Yokado, one of the largest chain stores in Japan, with a UNI-GLO store on one level.

I agree that the 100Y or 300Y store is your friend. Furniture in Japan is $$$, but there is an English Craig's List for used items. The Japanese, as a culture, do not like to buy used items and the "gaijin" population takes full advantage of that. Each local ward also has furniture and miscellaneous item resale shops that have amazing buys on refinished and refurbished furniture: bed frames, dressers, armoires, lamps, dining tables and great bikes ! If I had known about this as a newbie I could have saved myself thousands of dollars in apartment furnishing expenses .

IKEA is now in Japan, as is CostCo. Seiyu is another store to be aware of, as it is the Japanese equivalent of WalMart. They even use the same smiley face "Prices are Falling" adverts. Great bargains to be had there, as well, especially on alcohol and inexpensive home gadgets and not too $$ clothing.

We often enjoyed many of the high end restaurants that Tokyo has to offer, went to Broadway touring plays, the symphony, movies (especially on 1/2 price days, saw Cirque du Soleil,The Stones, Clapton, The Who, and I missed out on Sir Paul because I had tickets the day he cancelled due to illness. Japanese museums have amazing exhibitions for little or nothing, but get there early ! The world comes to Tokyo, and Tokyo takes advantage of that.

One of my bigger recurring expenses was transportation. We lived out in the "boonies" and were close enough to our school to walk to work each morning, but far enough away so we did not feel like we were always at school. I used approximately 10,000 to 15,000Y monthly on my Suica Card ( a prepaid swipe card good for everything from the trains and bus to Starbucks to 7-11). I used it with abandon, because I enjoyed the transportation and freedom of access to everywhere.

I agree with previous posters that you want your traveling to school to be in the opposite direction of "crush hour" and I DO mean CRUSH. What an unpleasant way to start your day as a sardine. Once you learn the system, you can sometimes circumvent it with a minimum of time and effort and a little creativity.

Many times I was in Shinjuku and wanted to take the Chuo Line home at CRUSH hour. I would get on the train going towards Tokyo Station (opposite the majority of travelers), get off in 11 minutes, and walk across the platform to board the next departing train so I would have a seat for the 40 minute ride home. It was either that or stand up the entire way with my face in some office workers armpit or under his chin. Luckily the Japanese are very clean folks, so trains were not unpleasant, but it can be uncomfortable and difficult to maintain your balance with packages while standing in the middle of commuters and have nothing to hold on to when the train lurches.

Can't speak much to the thigh high boots, as I do not pay much attention to young girls. I was, however, often somewhat embarrassed by the very poorly dressed, loud, apparently clueless foreigners that made bad impressions on everyone. Not to say there weren't some crass Japanese, but there were very few.

Don't give up on Japan. You can have a great time in one of the most wonderful cities in the world and be frugal and save some
$$$ if you approach it in the right way. Get a small place, but one that is comfy. Be sure you bring warm clothing for the winter and an electric blanket if you can. Japanese homes are notoriously uninsulated and it gets really cold in winter. It also gets miserably hot in the summer and you will need AC and cross ventilation. Careful where the windows and big glass sliders are located.

Don't just look at all the new highrises. Check out the City/Ward housing developments. Usually bigger places, less $$ and better locations near train or bus lines.

Hope this hasn't been too long, and I hope it helps. I left just last year, so my experience is fairly recent. Best of luck to you !

ASIJ has a typical 5 day work week for teachers: M-F with SAT/SUN off.

However, we DO operate on a 6 Day (A-F) daily instructional teaching shedule, which may causing some confusion.

WAIT !!

You should NOT throw away $7K monthly savings just for an opportunity to experience the culture of Casablanca and Morocco.

There are better compensation packages out there at better locations. Wait.

You could always take one month's $7K and have an entire summer of living and traveling (very well, I might add, on that $$) in North Africa without giving up your current position, the good will of your school community, and what sounds like a great savings plan.

Hi FrenchGurl,

This is my first post since joining the forum. I would typically hold my comments, but this is too important.

I recently retired ( after 9 years) from what is considered by many to the be the #1 school in Tokyo. I have nothing but great things to say about my time there.

You state that the school to which you are applying is not offering either a housing allowance or assistance in finding housing. This help is crucial for you.

The mysteries of "key money" + $$ upfront for utilities, establishing banking ( need an address for that), coupled with the inherent racism of many Japanese landlords can make this a nightmare scenario for you. There needs to be someone on your side to help you out with this.

Our school walked us through everything with a person whose sole job was to take care of housing and settling in. I know that not all schools are able to afford this, and I was incredibly spoiled, and appreciated every bit of help.

BUT, ... this is very important to know. Japanese landlords are notorious for not wanting to rent to foreigners. I lived in Tokyo and faced this issue, and know people who had to have the school rep + Japanese teachers from the school go with them every time they wanted to look at an apartment.

You [b]will[/b] need help. Make sure they give it to you, or give you the name of someone who will. Ask for it it in writing.

Feel free to ask me any questions about Japan/Tokyo living. I had 9 years and 3 different apartments there. I have some recommendations, should you wish to hear them, about furnishing your place once you get it. It is info that, had I known it when I moved, would have saved me big bucks !