Here are the recommended areas for living alone in Tokyo's 23 wards that are safe and have affordable rent!



The safest area in Tokyo's 23 wards is Bunkyo Ward. So, which is the second safest area with affordable rent? This article introduces hidden gem areas based on crime rates and rental price data. We hope this will be helpful for those choosing an area for living alone for the first time.




Rental prices and crime rates by area for share houses and one-room apartments

Central Tokyo Share House Prevailing Rent Studio Prevailing Rent Crime Rate(violent and heinous crimes)
Shibuya¥75,000¥114,0002932 cases (313 cases))
Minato¥77,000¥124,3002228 cases (339 cases)
Shinjuku¥61,000¥104,1004421 cases (556 cases)
Chuo¥64,000¥110,8003156 cases (139 cases)
Bunkyo¥69,000¥97,300808 cases (93 cases)
Chiyoda¥65,000¥115,1001856 cases (190 cases)


Southern Tokyo Share House Prevailing Rent Studio Prevailing Rent Crime Rate(violent and heinous crimes)
Setagaya¥62,000¥89,1003973 cases (309 cases)
Meguro¥63,000¥103,1001417 cases (116 cases)
Ota¥56,000¥82,8003361 cases (274 cases)
Shinagawa¥59,000¥92,3001818 cases (158 cases)


Western Tokyo Share House Prevailing Rent Studio Prevailing Rent Crime Rate(violent and heinous crimes)
Suginami¥67,000¥79,0002041 cases (154 cases)
Nakano¥54,000¥86,5001843 cases (170 cases)
Nerima¥51,000¥72,6002819 cases (170 cases)


Eastern Tokyo Share House Prevailing Rent Studio Prevailing Rent Crime Rate(violent and heinous crimes)
Taito¥58,000¥98,4002354 cases (272 cases)
Edogawa¥52,000¥68,8003369 cases (241 cases)
Katsushika¥45,000¥68,1002290 cases (246 cases)
Arakawa¥46,000¥79,0001078 cases (104 cases)
Koto¥52,000¥95,0002537 cases (223 cases)
Sumida¥58,000¥93,0001817 cases (202 cases)


Northern Tokyo Share House Prevailing Rent Studio Prevailing Rent Crime Rate(violent and heinous crimes)
Adachi¥43,000¥69,7003212 cases (311 cases)
Toshima¥62,000¥91,3003191 cases (373 cases)
Itabashi¥48,000¥75,3002563 cases (176 cases)
Kita¥46,000¥80,6002005 cases (241 cases)

*Note: Studio Prevailing Rent are based on HOME'S market data.

*Note: Crime rates are based on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's 2021 municipal crime statistics by type and method.

*Note: Violent crimes include robbery, etc. Property crimes include assault, injury, threats, extortion, etc.

*Note: Share House Prevailing Rent are based on our listing data, excluding dormitory-style rooms.




Top 3 Areas with the Lowest Share House Rents

Tokyo's rental market is generally characterized by higher prices in the west and lower prices in the east. This trend is also seen in share house rents. For instance, Shibuya Ward has a high rent of ¥75,000, and popular areas like Meguro Ward and Setagaya Ward have rents exceeding ¥60,000.

On the other hand, Edogawa Ward in the east is relatively affordable at ¥52,000. However, the truly inexpensive areas are in the northeastern part of Tokyo according to the data. Let's introduce the top 3 areas with the lowest rents.


1st Place: Adachi Ward


prevailing rent ¥43,000


Located in northeastern Tokyo, adjacent to Saitama Prefecture, Adachi Ward is known for its affordability. The Arakawa River flows from left to right, with higher rents on the southern side and lower rents as you move closer to Saitama in the north. The famous terminal station in Adachi is Kitasenju Station, served by the Joban Line, Chiyoda Line, Hibiya Line, Isesaki Line, and Tsukuba Express. This area is popular due to its excellent access and high convenience, leading to higher rents.

Takenozuka Station, closer to Saitama, is only served by the Isesaki Line but offers good access to central Tokyo via the direct Hibiya Line connection. This makes it an ideal choice for those looking to keep costs down.


2nd Place: Katsushika Ward


prevailing rent ¥45,000


Also located in northeastern Tokyo, Katsushika Ward is adjacent to Adachi Ward, Saitama Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. It is served by the JR Sobu Line and Joban Line, as well as the Keisei Main Line, Keisei Oshiage Line, and Keisei Kanamachi Line. Properties along the Keisei Line tend to be more affordable.

The ward is also famous for being the setting of the long-running "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo" manga series, which is set around Kameari Station.


3rd Place: Arakawa Ward


prevailing rent ¥46,000


Arakawa Ward, located in northeastern Tokyo and adjacent to Adachi Ward, offers a mix of affordability and accessibility. West Nippori Station and Nippori Station on the JR Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line, as well as Minami-Senju Station and Minowa Station on the Hibiya Line, and Machiya-mae Station on the Chiyoda Line, are areas with higher rents due to their excellent access.

Stations along the Nippori-Toneri Liner, Toden Arakawa Line, and Keisei Main Line, however, offer more affordable rents. The ward combines nostalgic charm with modern convenience, thanks to areas that have preserved their old-town atmosphere and areas undergoing redevelopment.




Incidentally, the top 3 areas with the highest rents are 1st place Minato Ward, 2nd place Shibuya Ward, and 3rd place Bunkyo Ward. Next, we will introduce the ranking of the safest areas.




Top 3 Safest Areas with the Lowest Crime Rates

Crime can range from serious threats like robbery and assault to less harmful incidents like bicycle theft and shoplifting. Here, we focus on overall crime rates and violent crime rates to rank the safest areas. Although crime rates can also be calculated by dividing the number of crimes by the population of the ward, this method can be misleading. The individuals committing crimes may not necessarily live in the ward where the crime occurs, making population-based crime rates somewhat inaccurate. Therefore, we rank the areas based on the total number of incidents.

If ranked by crime rate per population, Chiyoda Ward would be considered the most dangerous area due to its extremely low population and the high likelihood of crimes being committed by non-residents. This further demonstrates the limitation of using population-based crime rates to understand the real situation.


1st Place: Bunkyo Ward


Crime Incidents: 808 (93 violent crimes)


Located in eastern Tokyo, Bunkyo Ward is home to campuses of the University of Tokyo, Ochanomizu University, Tsukuba University, and Toyo University, designating many places as educational districts. These districts prohibit establishments like pachinko parlors, adult entertainment, and nightclubs, resulting in a lack of large entertainment districts. Notably, Bunkyo Ward has only four pachinko parlors, the fewest in Tokyo's 23 wards. Additionally, the "Toshimaoka Cemetery," the exclusive burial site for the Imperial Family except the Emperor and Empress, is in this ward, with police officers patrolling 24/7.

Although Bunkyo Ward lacks JR stations, it has many subway stations, allowing residents to walk to the nearest station without using bicycles. This results in fewer abandoned bicycles, which correlates with a lower number of bicycle thefts, contributing significantly to the reduced crime rate. (Bicycle theft is the most common crime in all areas.)


<Areas with Particularly Low Crime in Bunkyo Ward:>

Address Crime Incidents Nearest Station
Yayoi 2-chome1Nezu Station
Kohinata 1-chome2Edogawabashi Station, Myogadani Station
Hakusan 4-chome2Hakusan Station
Hakusan 3-chome4Myogadani Station, Hakusan Station
Honkomagome 6-chome4Sengoku Station, Sugamo Station


2nd Place: Arakawa Ward


Crime Incidents: 1,078 (104 violent crimes)

Since declaring its goal to be the safest city in March 2004, Arakawa Ward has steadily reduced its crime rate. The following are the crime statistics for the past ten years, showing a significant reduction over time.


20132,386
20142,505
20152,385
20161,999
20171,676
20181,517
20191,537
20201,242
20211,078

In collaboration with shopping streets, Arakawa Ward has installed security cameras along the roads, with 534 cameras installed by the ward and 497 by community groups as of the end of 2021. Additionally, the ward has established private police stations known as "Safe and Secure Stations" at four locations, among other unique initiatives.


<Areas with Particularly Low Crime in Arakawa Ward:>

Address Crime Incidents Nearest Station
Higashiogu 7-chome2Kumano-mae Station
Machiya 8-chome3Machiya-ekimae Station
Nishi-Nippori 4-chome6Nishi-Nippori Station
Nishiogu 6-chome7Arakawa-yuenchimae Station, Odai Station
Machiya 4-chome7Machiya-nichome Station

3rd Place: Meguro Ward


Crime Incidents: 1,417 (116 violent crimes)


Located in southwestern Tokyo, Meguro Ward has a low crime rate partly due to the presence of many embassies. Additionally, the ward is known for its high awareness of disaster prevention as well as crime prevention, with fewer fire incidents reported. Meguro Ward does not seem to implement any special measures, suggesting that the residents themselves have a high level of awareness.


<Areas with Particularly Low Crime in Meguro Ward:>

Address Crime Incidents Nearest Station
Komaba 4-chome3Komaba-Todaimae Station
Ookayama 1-chome3Ookayama Station, Midorioka Station
Midorigaoka 3-chome/td>3Midorigaoka Station
Kakinokizaka 3-chome3Gakugei-daigaku Station
Yakumo 5-chome3Komazawa-daigaku Station



Incidentally, the top 3 areas with the highest crime rates are 1st place Shinjuku Ward, 2nd place Setagaya Ward, and 3rd place Edogawa Ward.




Areas with Low Rent and Low Crime: Arakawa Ward

From the above data, if we screen for areas with average rents below ¥50,000 and annual crime incidents below 1,500, Arakawa Ward meets the criteria. While Adachi Ward has lower rents, its crime rate exceeds 3,000 incidents. Bunkyo Ward has fewer crime incidents than Arakawa Ward but higher average rents at ¥63,000. From the perspective of both rent and safety, Arakawa Ward can be considered a hidden gem.

Finally, we will introduce recommended properties in Arakawa Ward.




FlatShare NIPPORI Campus


Just a 4-minute walk from the Yamanote Line's "Nishi-Nippori" Station, this property is very close to the station. It is also a 6-minute walk from "Nippori" Station, which offers multiple lines such as the Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Joban Line, Keisei Main Line, and Nippori-Toneri Liner. The proximity to the station is a major advantage.

The key highlight of this property is not just its excellent access but also the potential for international exchange. With 70% of the residents being foreigners (from countries like France, Italy, Belgium, the Philippines, Taiwan, etc.), you can easily enjoy international interaction at home. Living here might even help you improve your English.

HOUSE DATA

NameFlatShare NIPPORI Campus
Rent¥49,000 - ¥51,000
Access4-minute walk from Yamanote Line "Nishi-Nippori" Station
Number of rooms10 rooms
Move-in conditionMen women OK




Bluria Minami-Senju


Just a 4-minute walk from the Hibiya Line's "Minami-Senju" Station, this property is also very close to the station and exclusively for women. While properties along the Keisei Line tend to be cheaper, Minami-Senju Station offers both the JR Joban Line and the Hibiya Line, with rents starting at just ¥30,000, making it quite a hidden gem.

Additionally, the house features amenities such as a massage chair and a relaxation room equipped with aroma and Nanoe systems, providing a restful environment for your tired body after work. There's also a rooftop terrace where you can relax in your own hammock.

HOUSE DATA

NameBluria Minami-Senju
Rent¥30,000 - ¥50,000
Access4-minute walk from Hibiya Line "Minami-Senju" Station
Number of rooms14 rooms
Move-in conditionWomen only




Minna no ie Machiya


Just a 4-minute walk from the Chiyoda Line's "Machiya" Station, this property is also very close to the station and newly built, exclusively for women. It is 12 minutes to Otemachi Station and 27 minutes to Omotesando Station on the Chiyoda Line, offering excellent access and convenience. Despite the many second-hand share houses, this newly built property starts at a very reasonable ¥44,000.

The rooms on the first floor are all equipped with wooden decks, the rooms on the second floor offer green views, and the rooms on the third floor have open vistas, each floor offering different charms. With shared spaces on both the second and third floors, you can maintain an appropriate distance while living.

HOUSE DATA

NameMinna no ie Machiya
Rent¥44,000 - ¥54,000
Access4-minute walk from "Machiya" Station
Number of rooms12 rooms
Move-in conditionWomen only






SHARE PARADE provides information on share houses primarily in Tokyo.

If you want to check out more properties in Arakawa Ward, you can do so below.

>>>Arakawa Ward Share House Listings





If you have a higher budget, properties in Bunkyo Ward, the safest area, are also recommended.

>>>Bunkyo Ward Share House Listings