How it works
One lease, one payment,
one honest rule.
No accounts, no instant-book, no nightly anything. You tell us your dates, we set up a real fixed-term lease, you pay once before move-in, and the house is yours for the month or three. Here is the whole process, start to finish.
1 · Tell us your dates
Send an enquiry through the form or by email: your move-in date, how long you want the house, and anything you can't live without. We ask for at least three weeks' notice before move-in, because every house is set up fresh for each lease: checked, cleaned and made ready before you arrive.
2 · We confirm the fit
A human replies within a day. We confirm availability, talk honestly about whether the house suits your plans, and answer everything about the neighbourhood, the practicalities and the paperwork. If a house isn't right for you, we say so and suggest what is.
Then the lease is prepared. For the house we own, you sign directly with Kichi's operator, Property Pilot Japan. For partner-owned houses, a licensed Japanese real-estate agent prepares and executes the lease, including the important-matters explanation that Japanese law requires, and we support the whole exchange in plain English so you understand every line before you sign it.
3 · Sign once, pay once
You e-sign a fixed-term residential lease and make one secure prepayment by Wise before move-in: your own bank account, your own currency, the mid-market exchange rate. No Japanese bank account, no guarantor hunt, no cash at the door.
The amount you agree before signing is the amount you pay. No cleaning fees stacked per night, no service charges appearing at the end, because there is no checkout. For stays beyond about three months, we agree a payment schedule with you in writing before you sign.
4 · Move in and settle
Self move-in on your first day, with utilities connected, Wi-Fi running, and an English house guide waiting: everything from rubbish day to the nearest onsen. A local contact stays one message away for your whole stay. The neighbourhood does the rest.
Every Kichi is a genuine fixed-term residential lease of at least 30 days, under Japanese tenancy law, not accommodation law. That minimum is a booking condition displayed before any agreement: bookings cannot be made, shortened, amended or partially cancelled in any way that results in a stay of fewer than 30 days, before or after signing. You can always leave early, but early departure never converts your lease into a sub-30-day stay or a refund below that floor. The full terms of stay.
What's included, and what isn't
Included in every house:
- A fully furnished house: real kitchen, washing machine, proper bedding
- Utilities, arranged per house and explained clearly before you sign
- Wi-Fi, installed and tested
- An English house guide and a local support contact throughout your stay
Not included, by design: daily housekeeping, linen service, a front desk. Hotel services, in short. A Kichi is a house, not a hotel, and no one enters it uninvited.
Optional, if you'd like them: paid add-ons such as mid-stay cleaning visits and linen changes. Just ask when you enquire, or any time during your stay.
The maths, once more
Two weeks in a decent city hotel often costs more than a whole month in a Kichi, and the month comes with a kitchen, laundry and a living room attached. That is not a discount; it is what living somewhere costs when you rent it like a resident instead of a visitor.
Stay the full month and the comparison stops being close. Kichi pricing is monthly only; we never price by the night.
Questions
Everything everyone asks
Why is there a 30-day minimum?
Because every Kichi is a genuine fixed-term residential lease under Japanese tenancy law, not accommodation law. Thirty days is the line that keeps it that way, so it is a hard booking condition on every house. It is also where the value is: monthly rents in Japan are dramatically cheaper than nightly hotel pricing.
Is this a hotel or a vacation rental?
No. You sign a residential lease and become a tenant, with a tenant's privacy and a tenant's home. There is no daily housekeeping or front desk, and we are not a hotel, minpaku or lodging business. What you get instead is a whole house at a resident's price.
Can I cancel, leave early or shorten my stay?
You can always leave early, but the lease itself cannot be shortened below 30 days, before or after signing, and rent is not refunded in a way that would turn your stay into a sub-30-day booking. Cancellation terms for each house are stated clearly before you sign. Details here.
How do I pay from overseas?
One prepayment through Wise before move-in, from your own bank account in your own currency, at the mid-market exchange rate. No Japanese bank account needed. For stays beyond three months we agree a payment schedule with you directly.
What about visas?
Most Western passport holders can spend up to 90 days in Japan visa-free, which fits one- and two-month stays comfortably. Japan also offers a six-month digital nomad visa. Check your own situation; we can't give immigration advice, but we can tell you what our guests typically do.
What's included in the rent?
The furnished house, Wi-Fi, and utilities as arranged for that listing. Every house's page and lease state exactly how utilities are handled, before you sign. There is nothing waiting to surprise you at the end, because there is no checkout bill.
Is there a deposit?
Any deposit or one-time setup cost is stated per house, in writing, before you sign. Never after. Our policy is simple: the numbers you agree to are the only numbers there are.
Can my family or a group stay?
Depends on the house; each page lists what it sleeps. Kichi Narao on the Goto Islands is built for exactly that, while the smaller houses suit one or two. Occupancy is set in the lease, so tell us honestly who's coming and we'll match you to the right place.
What if something breaks during my stay?
Message us and we handle it. We manage these houses, so arranging the fix is our job, not yours. That is the point of renting from the people who hold the keys.
Can I stay longer than three months?
Often, yes, subject to the house's availability and your visa situation. For longer terms we agree the lease length and a payment schedule with you directly. Say so in your enquiry and we'll lay out the options.
Ready when you are
Book a Kichi for a month.
Dates, people, hopes. That's all we need to start. A human replies within a day.