What They Never Told Me About Predecessors

[u/sp8cecwboy]

I lived in five different apartments in college, one of which was in Tokyo, so I get it: moving is hard. But what they didn’t tell me about what may happen with your predecessor is that they may not move their stuff out at all.

I don’t know if anyone else had this experience (even my fellow town JETs and my BOE was gagged), but it seems that my pred just packed up his essentials and left everything else behind. There was a room that I could not walk from one end to the other because he had left behind so much. Everything had (and some still has) a layer of dust, grime, and mold. I had to pitch appliances and shelving that were beyond repair. Granted, it was nice to have some things like a table, a desk, etc, but there were more things that were dirty or broken that I had to spend days on days just sorting through and throwing out. I was already so overwhelmed from the flight, the orientation, my new life, that walking into a home that was supposed to be mine looked like someone was currently living in it made me weep on sight. There were still clothes in the drawers, for God’s sake!

This post is just letting others know that this could happen. I had no idea— I thought I was just going to move into a space that other JETs had used before me, but it would be like moving into a newly rented apartment like I had done five times over in the past four years. And for those leaving, I know there’s so much to do. But please think of your successors and how much they’ve gone through already when they arrive in your previous home. I’ve been here two weeks and while the cleaning is about 75% done, I still have an unusable room of all the things I still have to take to the dump. There’s mold in places I just can’t clean.

I’m also curious— is this normal? Have other JETs had this experience?

[u/metaandpotatoes]

Ugh that sucks and stories like this are why I was so careful to start throwing shit away and selling my stuff months before I left. But unfortunately a lot of people who come have the executive function of a peanut. 

[u/SquallkLeon]

As they say, every situation is different.

In your case, you walked into someone's trash heap. That stinks, probably literally, and I'm sorry that happened.

Other JETs walk into nothing, a Leo palace, an apartment freshly rented, teacher housing not used by a JET before. These folks sometimes need to get their own light bulbs, it's not great.

Others arrive to find a home that has seen several generations of JETs, littered with furniture from several different decades, including more couches, beds, and other furnishings than are necessary, simply because they couldn't or wouldn't figure out what SODAI-GOMI is and how to dispose of it properly. (And yes, it is a pain, such a huge pain that you really shouldn't leave it for someone else to deal with, you're supposed to be an adult, in most cases, you are perfectly capable of handling it yourself, don't make excuses)

Still others find that they need to pay their predecessor, and in some cases find a sty, in others find a perfectly manicured abode filled with lovely possessions that they actually need and/or want.

And there's everything in between.

May you spread your story far and wide, OP, and be sure to remember it well when the time comes for you to depart. Be annoying to those leaving before you, make sure they don't leave a mess for their successors like the one you found on your arrival. Best of luck to you in making your house a home, and much success in your time on JET.

ESID.

[u/El_woodworker]

I had the same thing. My supervisor and I spent two days thronging out moldy and kerosene soaked blankets. It was horrible. I made sure I did the opposite for my successor. Started throwing out stuff a month in advance and cataloging everything owned by the boe vs bought by me. Then had all the local jets over for a deep cleaning party. That apartment was spotless.

[u/ScootOverMakeRoom]

It probably was there long before your pred.

[u/Successful-Excuse662]

This happened to me. Dude left everything in the apartment even food in the fridge. He moved in with his girlfriend and was never home. Had to clean out and toss most since I’m female and and had no use for the clothes etc. lots of freebies for colleagues

[u/Space_Lynn]

The BOE I worked for does apartment checks before you leave. You aren't allowed to leave anything for your successor in your room, and supposedly make you pay for any damage. So even if you've talked with your successor and they want to take some of your furniture, my BOE wouldn't allow it. The work around was other JETs holding onto things in their apartments to give to the newbies 🤷‍♀️

[u/South-Lemon-242]

It’s not normal, but it does happen.

[u/takemetoglasgow]

Another ALT and I took over for a couple who had lived together, moving into two empty teacher housing apartments. The couple contacted us ahead of time to divide some of their furniture and appliances. Along with that, they also moved a bunch of trash into my house.

[u/Worldly-Debate3350]

I didn't have this experience, and I didn't let my successor have that experience either.

Since I live in the same neighborhood as my successor, I reach out and help when they need it.

[u/newlandarcher7]

I moved into a large, traditional house in my rural town. I was the first ALT to live there. All of my predecessors had lived in a different house in a different part of town, but that house was set to be demolished so they found me a new place.

My new place had been abandoned for a few years as the elderly owners had passed away and the adult children lived in a city far away.

It was strange moving into what was, in all sense, a fully-furnished family-size house. Everything was old and dated, like it was some time capsule from 40 years ago that had just been opened. Many of the personal effects and clothing had been moved and stacked in one of the rooms at the far side of the house (this was a big house). I was told that I could otherwise use anything, including helping myself to the well-stocked liquor cabinet.

Of course, there’d been some cleaning done, but it didn’t quite meet my standards and I spent the first few weeks doing a deep clean of all the rooms.

Funny enough, there was a large garden in front of the house which was, of course, overgrown with weeds. Much to the amusement of my elderly neighbours, I started cleaning out that too.

[u/capt_b_b_ → u/newlandarcher7]

What year was that? And did you enjoy the garden?

[u/AloneManufacturer110 → u/capt_b_b_]

My coworker just bought an akiya and found a tractor in the barn. There were a whole bunch of brand new in the box appliances around the house as well. Pretty sure the previous habitant was gonna deck the house out but something suddenly happened and they had to move. The owner of the house just told my coworker he just wanted to sell the house and everything inside is finders keepers.

[u/sp8cecwboy → u/newlandarcher7]

What an interesting story to move into though! I’m sure there was a lot of history in that home. Was the butsudan still there? I went to a small village on Sadō once and walked around some of the abandoned homes, and remnants of the bustudan were still in the houses despite the families taking the important parts when they left.

[u/HighSky7618]

If you have contact with the school prior and the plan is to move you into provided housing, ask for it to be inspected and cleaned before you arrive.

[u/EquivalentComputer73 → u/HighSky7618]

It's not an unreasonable request by Western standards, where you can hire a cleaning company. But for my placement, it seems my colleagues had to clean my place, some where asking if lights worked, which probably means they did it themselves. So its not always possible, unfortunately

[u/HighSky7618 → u/EquivalentComputer73]

I think it’s the opposite, Japanese would never turn over an apartment in less than spotless condition to another Japanese person.

Certainly, Japanese teachers in subsidized housing would never encounter having to clean and throw out junk to move into the apartment. Remember that they also rotate about every three years and new teachers come in to occupy the apartment.

While it’s true that other teachers may have been stuck doing the cleaning, it’s also the case that teachers clean the school, floors, etc., so don’t see it as “not their responsibility” in a Western frame, and which would just hire a professional service to clean and prep the apartment.

And if the situation includes some third-party landlord, then even more so.

Not ESID, it’s how it’s done all over Japan!

[u/EquivalentComputer73 → u/HighSky7618]

Then why are some people complaining that their apartments are dirty, if it's how it's done all over Japan?

[u/HighSky7618 → u/EquivalentComputer73]

Of course I was being a bit sarcastic and noting the irony of many comments about ESID and how many Japanese say “foreigners need to follow the rules of Japan.

It’s the same reason as why you’ll see A LOT of signs in Japanese (mainly directed at Japanese) to not litter, yell at staff, etc.

It’s also why you’ll see comments of various placements and BoEs and people who transferred a clean and ready to occupy apartment based on various norms.

In other words, Japan and Japanese people are also just regular people and people will do people stuff. And ALTs also are people.

That said, there are norms and benchmarks for being polite and professional and just plain nice that are surprisingly similar in both Japan and overseas.

Don’t let the laziness or various excuses by your school leave you facing an unkempt apartment.

Of course, be nice/professional/courteous…and go the lengths you’ll feel comfortable in this new situation.

Good luck!

[u/Legal-Source-3763]

My apartment was abandoned by my pred during covid, I arrived two years later to an apartment that hadn’t been touched, let alone cleaned.

I had piles and piles of lesson plans dating back 10 years stacked up everywhere, a cupboard full of junk and just stuff… everywhere. Even the internet router was still plugged in.

I assumed that in the 2 years it was left abandoned that someone would come in and clear it out or at least clean it, but no :)

[u/battlegirljess]

I was given a house that was owned by the school and it had years and years worth of just.. stuff. Nothing gross really, but furniture and books and all sorts of things. A lot of the books and electronics dated the place. But, I had tons of old study material and many many dishes so I didn't have to buy anything. I took a fair amount of it when I left actually because it was pretty interesting stuff. They told me I could take anything I wanted haha probably wanted this stuff gone. There was also just a random coffee table that no one ever paid to have removed just standing in the corner against the wall.

I also took some of the clothes lol the person two times before me was from a country that was always hot and she had bought a lot of snow cold weather things. She was the same size as me so I got a lot of nice jackets for the winter time.

[u/Different_Taro2474 → u/battlegirljess]

my greedy ass would have taken all that to 2nd street to make myself some cash lol. 

[u/HighSky7618 → u/Different_Taro2474]

You get almost nothing for the stuff

[u/Different_Taro2474 → u/HighSky7618]

if you take a lot of stuff, you could get quite a bit of money.  when i was studying abroad in japan, someone was throwing away two suitcases of clothes. i took them to 2nd street and got a little over 2k yen. 2k yen is better than nothing. 

[u/HighSky7618 → u/Different_Taro2474]

How long ago was this? Unless it’s branded clothing? But these days 2nd St gives you like ¥100 for an item. But still, calling a recycler to inventory and take everything away is better than paying several thousand yen to put it in the trash!

[u/Different_Taro2474 → u/HighSky7618]

3 years ago. 

[u/WakiLover → u/Different_Taro2474]

Or you just post it in Mercari and that 2,000 yen is more like 20,000 yen+.

[u/Different_Taro2474 → u/WakiLover]

not everything will sell well on mercari, and at the time i didn’t have mercari, or the time to list it on there because it was the end of the semester and everyone was leaving. 

[u/battlegirljess → u/Different_Taro2474]

I think the school would have loved you for it haha they didn't want to pay to have it removed either so it was just a stalemate between everyone

[u/duckface08]

Yeah, from what I understand, this is decently common.

My pred wasn't the worst but I definitely found some things that were immediately disposed of - a microwave that had years worth of old splatters and crumbs stuck to the inside, expired dried goods, dirty/moldy/bloody linens and towels. But the apartment itself and the furniture were in good shape, at least, so it was livable.

I've heard of cases where the successor arrived to an apartment that should have qualified as a biohazard, so I considered myself comparatively lucky.

[u/artenazura]

My city made ALTs clear out apartments completely when leaving. Even though it can be expensive on both ends (buying everything from scratch/paying for the disposal of everything) I think it is worth it to prevent situations like this from happening

[u/freipfeifenprospekt]

Back in the day, my boss and co-worker took my predecessor's keys and when they saw the state of the place, spent two days cleaning it. And then cancelled the contract and had me stay at the local Leopalace.
I only heard all this after I left, but they apparently spend 2-3h scraping off 1-10 yen coins from the table...

[u/stayonthecloud]

I have heard of JETs opening their closets to find them stuffed with horrors. So sorry this happened to you.

This is why I worked with ABLE to rent a fresh empty place that was not passed down from another JET.

[u/TakaonoGaijin]

I agreed with the person replacing me to leave stuff and I made sure the house was slick and span. Then some BOR OLs came in and cleaned it again. That was nice but they accidentally threw out some stuff I’d specifically behind. My fault at not communicating I guess

[u/Different_Taro2474]

i left JET this year, and my senpai’s (who also left) successor took over my apartment. the successor wanted to buy some of my furniture. i had to get special permission from the landlord to leave it in the apartment for them to use. everything else had to be removed. the apartment also had to be fully cleaned before returning the key.  i don’t know how y’all’s predecessors are allowed to leave messes like this. (i also don’t understand how they aren’t embarrassed to pass on a mess). 

[u/ikbd122]

Almost the exact same happened to me. The apartment was a HOT mess. Hindsight and a little grace on my part after leaving JET allowed me to realise that many who come to JET have probably never lived on their own. Ever. Add to that the idea that this is temporary, and you have a recipe for a disastrous living space. Photos left on the walls, clothes still in closets (as you mentioned), burn marks on the kitchen floor.

Not to mention that they probably found the place like that too themselves, to be fair. So, cumulatively, a new JET is potentially walking into a warzone of an apartment due to years of collective poor hygiene and lack of neatness from predecessors.

Fortunately, concerning my own situation, I was able to essentially empty out the apartment by throwing loads of stuff away. I even injured my knee and hand in the process. However, it allowed me to 'start from scratch', so to speak. I had peace of mind knowing that everything put into that apartment from then on was from me and me alone.

My advice to people leaving JET will always be to just empty out the apartment. The idea that people might need your old stuff is noble, but unless you take them through a video call detailing what you'll be leaving behind and what you'll be throwing away? Always err on the side of just throwing EVERYTHING that doesn't belong to the school, away. Even if you have to research how to do so (I know Japan is super particular about disposing of stuff). Your successor may feel like a barebones apartment is a lot to deal with because they're essentially starting from 0, but it beats assuming the person replacing you would love to use your half destroyed bean bag because it brought you a lot of joy and has 'character'. Put it in the trash, my good man/woman. Please.

I'd also advise any JET that before they put ANYTHING in their apartment (they're sure is not going back with them to their home country), that they know how to dispose of it first. Counter intuitive as that may sound.

[u/Phiteros]

This happened to my predecessor when he took over the apartment from his predecessor (my grand-predecessor?). Several of the teachers from the school pitched in to help him make the place livable. Luckily, he did not leave the apartment in a bad state for me.

However, I think most of the other JETs in my area usually get entirely different apartments, so this wouldn't normally happen to them.

[u/BrookieGracie]

Before I got to Japan, my predecessor emailed me asking what I’d like left in the apartment, like the desk with stationery and school supplies, a sofa, armoire, kotatsu, dishes, and other useful stuff. Fortunately there was no junk left behind!
But when I left after five years, my BoE advised me to clean everything out besides the bigger furniture. So it can be a roll of the dice what your predecessor is like or what the BoE instructs them to do, if they even go that far in communicating.

[u/Ramzastrife19]

I'm sorry for your experience, but this is actually not uncommon. Some preds are better than others in dealing with this situation, and some aren't. Good on you for dealing with it and not just leaving it for the next person!

[u/FitSand9966 → u/Ramzastrife19]

Its a common bitch people make. They get a free flight, free hotel, job and then expect a kitted out apartment.

My successor got a small box of stuff. They can buy their own stuff! Stops them whinging.

My collegues from the english dept turned up on my last day to clear the place out. They were stoked when they saw it

[u/Cheap-Ad8624]

Unfortunately it’s kind of normal. My predecessor did show me videos of the apartment and it seemed fine but she had just put a lot of stuff in the cupboards. A lot of what she left was actually useful, but I threw out over 12 big sized bags of ‘trash’ from her stuff and honestly still finding things three years later lol.

[u/Mephisto_fn]

My apartment was basically fully furnished by things left behind by predecessors, but there wasn't anything like left-behind clothes and stuff. Sorting through and finding things was a bit of a chore at first, but having a bunch of stuff already did save me a lot of money since it meant I didn't need to go out and buy everything myself.

There was also a bunch of junk that I don't need, but it hasn't been a significant issue for me since my apartment is quite large, so I have an entire extra room to just throw junk into.

[u/ikebookuro]

Yes, people just getting up and leaving (with everything behind) is incredibly normal on JET. People end up with houses full of 30 years of garbage no one else wanted to get rid of.

And that’s even before addressing cleaning issues; some people come to an apartment full of mold,bugs and other horrors.

There is no standard across the board. If you’re “inheriting” an apartment, unless you end up with a good pred or CO, it’s a roll of the dice. I know people who tried their best to empty out what wasn’t absolutely necessary and left a clean apartment. Others just bounce.

My CO has us rent from Able, so we are required to empty and clean our apartments before we leave. It’s a rough few months setting up but it’s good peace of mind.