Sumitomo Realty & Development makes rental-living in Tokyo easy

Finding a rental apartment in a new, unfamiliar city is always a hassle, but without the right realtor, it can quickly become a nightmare.

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co.'s rental apartments offer a wide selection of properties such as the prime "La Tour" and high-grade "Platine" series, smaller "Heights" developments and fully furnished serviced apartments.

No brokerage fee is charged for direct inquiries. Walking up the hill from Iidabashi Station past the L'Institut Franco-Japonais de Tokyo, you're soon in a tranquil neighborhood that used to be an exclusive residential district for samurai in the Edo Period. La Tour Ichigaya-Sadohara II, one of the company's premier rental apartment properties, sits in the heart of this area.

The property is equipped with all the luxury and services the La Tour brand is famous for, including floor plans up to five bedrooms, 24-hour bilingual hotel-quality concierge service, multilayered advanced security system, free high-speed Internet connection, high-grade interiors and quake-absorbing structure. Ironically, what makes Ichigaya-Sadohara II stand out is that it doesn't, stand out.

Unusually, for a La Tour property, it is a low-rise building, designed to harmonize with the surrounding homes.

"La Tour," meaning "the tower" in French, got its name because many of the properties are high-rises, as represented by the well-known Izumi Garden Residences in Roppongi 1- chome. The "Grand Cru" apartments, with monthly rents ranging from around \800,000 to \1 million, are located within Tokyo's 23 wards. Many units have breathtaking panoramic views of the city, some even from the bathroom, where you can enjoy the city lights while soaking in the tub. Most of the properties have a fitness studio, party room, kids' rooms and some allow pets.

In addition to the well-established La Tour brand, the company has launched a new rental apartment property series called "Platine," featuring "Premier Cru" apartments targeted at singles and DINKS (double income no kids) that offer mostly one- to two-bedroom floor plans, with monthly rents averaging between \300,000 and \400,000. The properties have 24-hour security service and are built to withstand earthquakes.

Platine Shinjuku-Shintoshin and Platine Yotsuya apartments in Shinjuku are ready to accept tenants, and new developments are planned in Uguisudani close to the American School's bus stop and Aobadai near Shibuya's Shoto area.

The Platine Shinjuku-Shintoshin rental apartments are located near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government headquarters in a business district west of Shinjuku Station, just a 10-minute walk from the station's Shintoshin exits. With the Shinjuku terminal so close, the apartments are extremely convenient for traveling, shopping and dining.

The Heights apartments target singles, with monthly rents starting from \100,000. More than 70 locations are available throughout Tokyo. Luxury, fully furnished serviced apartments with bilingual hotel-quality service are available at selected La Tour properties such as Izumi Garden Residence, Chiyoda and Shibakoen, and Heights apartments such as Daikanyama, Villa Fontaine Roppongi Annex and Villa Fontaine Otemachi. Free breakfast is available at some locations.

For foreign clients, a bilingual rental sales representative will be there to hold your hand, all the way from choosing the right location and visiting apartments to helping you through the registration process. Inquiries in English can be made via e-mail or through an English free-dial service. Detailed apartment information is available on the company's English Web site at www.sumitomo-latour.jp

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