The Japanese lifestyle can be a little different compared to the way of living in our home country. The first thing that surprised me (in a good way) is that the tap water is potable in Japan. From where I came from, drinking water directly from the faucet can be very suspircious for your health. Meanwhile, living alone in a single studio type unit in Tokyo, one must know the nuts and bolts of taking care of everything all by yourself. This can require courage and knowledge somehow because independent living is not for the faint of heart.
If you are a first-timer, some apartments or mansions in Japan especially Leo Palace 21 requires a personal registration of your (Home) Gas Utility. As Japan is a four-season country, heating facility is as important as air-conditioning. For Leopalace mansions, the gas is directly connected to the cooking stove as most houses use electric stove in urban areas. Mind you, your electricity is separate from your gas utilities- this is basically connecting the water heating and electric stove cooking primarily. Without gas, you won't survive in winter so to speak. Let me show you...
Steps to your register your gas:
Step 1:
1. A personnel from the gas company will come to your apartment. Usually, prior to visit they will schedule an appointment to ensure that you are at home when they visit and initialize your gas.
Step 2:
2. You will be given a form to fill up with the following details (name, address, phone number, room number). If you opt for an auto-pay which means direct/automatic deduction from your bank/debit card account then you have to input your bank details such as bank branch number and bank account number. They will also ask for an Emergency Contact Person's Name and his/her mobile number.
You will be deducted every 25th of the month (or so). Otherwise you will receive a monthly paper bill anyway.
Step 3:
3. More importantly, a money deposit of 10,000¥ will be asked from you- the tenant as an initial deposit payment. This amount shall be reimbursed to you once you move out of the apartment/house.
Step 4:
4. As mentioned, you should pay the monthly bill and failure to comply by the payments will result in disconnection. You don't want this to happen especially during winter so pay your bills accordingly.
Step 5:
5. Consequently, the gas personnel will initialize the setting of your gas. To avoid accidents or short-circuit, make sure it is properly installed and always wipe-dry the electric stove which is usually next to your sink.
And that's all you need to know about gas registration in most Japanese households. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
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