So, do I get an air conditioner?

[lurkingheretic]

I just moved to Kyushu (Yamaga city) from Gyeonggi-do (Hanam city) and I'm being careful with my money.  Unfortunately I have an old-style unfurnished apartment and need to decide whether to buy an air conditioner, before the prices start going up

Comments

[aisasami]

Hello there! I currently live in Japan too but in Nagano Prefecture.

I really suggest to get an aircon because it does get humid here. Have you consider the second hand shops (like Book-Off/Hard-Off and the second hand mom and pop stores)? They might have an aircon unit there that was used but in decent condition.

[rirakkumiru]

I lived in Aichi for 5 years. Please do get an air conditioner. It will dry your apartment out in the rainy season AND it gets extremely hot and humid in Kyushu.

Whereabouts are you living? I stayed in Oita a few times with my friend. It's so friendly and nice there!

[tabular_rasa]

While I can't comment on this summer specifically, I would highly recommend getting the AC regardless. I lived north of you in southern Honshu (Hagi, Yamaguchi prefecture) between 2009-2011 and even despite it being coastal with breezes and whatnot the summer was still brutal, hot and very humid. I have a pretty good tolerance for heat (I had a far bigger problem regarding the winter and staying warm enough) and now that I live in southern California barely ever run my AC at home. But the high levels of humidity in southern Japan make the heat a completely different monster. In addition to basic comfort, there were also things like heat rash to contend with. The money I spent on owning and running my AC after work was well spent in my opinion.

You might be able to swing it without out one if you can find a hangout where you can stay a while and be assured of cool temperatures for part of your day (a local mall, an Internet cafe, a friend's apt with an AC they use liberally), but I hear because of the nuclear shutdowns around the

[lurkingheretic]

Yep, looks like I'll be getting one. Lots of used goods stores here but even there they're not cheap, plus I have to think about installation. On the bright side, my apartment has outlet holes in all of the rooms, so one less thing to worry about. :\

Yamaga is about an hour out of Kumamoto, if that helps any.

Boring little town, and the coffeeshop where I hang out keeps things warmish at this point. No malls, a couple department stores, and one internet cafe/pool hall/karaoke/pachinko place where I've already spent too much money.

Got a space heater the second day I was here. March was surprisingly chilly...either that or my insulation is terrible.

[tabular_rasa]

either that or my insulation is terrible.
Probably that one :-P I get the impression a lot of Japanese apartments (at least in the south) simply don't have additional insulation beyond the natural properties of whatever the structure was built with, plus older buildings can be very drafty; I sometimes felt like I was as good as living outside. There were a lot of things I loved about Japan, but I can't say the interior climate control was one of them!

I hope you don't have too much trouble in the expense and convenience of setting up!

[ext_1234502]

I have tried once this product and it was Mini-Split Ductless Air Conditioner Cooling , it's nice and great. I have nothing to say about it but good. Good ideal for home usage.

Air Conditioner

[lurkingheretic]

I checked out that site but couldn't find your Mini-Split thing. Googled it and--that's pretty much the standard A/C unit here. I had one in Gyeonggi-do and they were very nice for one room, and looking at the holes in the walls in my current place they had them there too. (The starlngs just fledged from one of those holes, sigh.)

On the bright side the link did give me the specs on an upright machine, the kind they had for cheap at the local thrift store. I didn't buy it at the time because I wasn't sure if it was an aircon or merely a fan. Now I know; thanks!