Tokyo furnished kitchens: what to check on arrival

Before buying groceries for your Tokyo apartment, open the cupboards and check the equipment. A kitchen photograph won't tell you whether there's a saucepan lid, enough cutlery for everyone staying, or room in the freezer for the food you have in mind.

If you're booking before arrival, ask for an inventory. “Kitchen included” is a starting point; the useful information is which appliances and utensils are in this particular apartment. Mention anything essential to your cooking, such as an oven, a large pan or a rice cooker, rather than assuming it comes with the room.

Start with the equipment you'll use

Look for a frying pan, saucepan, knife, chopping board, stirring utensil and something to drain pasta or vegetables. Count plates, bowls, glasses and cutlery against the number of people staying. Check for a can opener if tins are part of your usual shopping.

You don't need a complete kitchenware collection on day one. A pan without a lid might be fine for frying eggs, but inconvenient if you planned to simmer dinner. A single chopping board can work if you clean it appropriately between ingredients. Make the list around the meals you actually want to cook.

Look at condition as well as quantity. Report loose handles, damaged electrical cords, cracked dishes or cookware with a badly damaged surface. Send a clear photograph and ask whether the item can be replaced. Don't sharpen, repair or discard the apartment's equipment without checking first.

If something on the inventory is missing, report that too. Keeping the arrival record helps distinguish a missing item from one lost during your stay. The apartment basics guide covers the other useful checks when you first get the keys.

Find out what the appliances can do

If the hob is induction, or IH, the supplied pan needs to suit that appliance. Panasonic's tabletop IH guide explains that pan material, a flat base and base size matter. For the equipment covered by that guide, an unsuitable pan makes the power indicator flash and heating stops after about a minute.

Check that the guide is for your model before trying this test. Put some water in the pan, centre it on the hob and select 加熱, the heating setting. Don't test an empty pan. If the model's indicator shows that the supplied pan is unsuitable, send management the pan and model details rather than buying a replacement cooker or assuming the power is broken.

This is also worth checking when shopping. A pan labelled by its wide rim can have a smaller base, and the appliance's measurement concerns the base. Ask for cookware confirmed for your hob; a familiar-looking saucepan is not enough.

A microwave may have additional oven or grill functions, but check the model and manual before planning a meal around them. The suitable containers, accessories and settings can differ by mode. Use only equipment the instructions permit; a metal pan that works in an oven is not automatically suitable for microwave mode.

If there's a rice cooker, look for its measuring cup and instructions. Follow that appliance's quantities and markings rather than substituting a drinking cup or guessing cooking times. Ask where the manual is kept, or send the model number to the person managing your stay.

Check the extractor fan while you're looking at the hob. Find its switch, and ask about any controls you can't identify. If a fan or appliance isn't working, report it before attempting a repair.

Give the fridge a quick look

Find out how much usable shelf and freezer space you have. Check whether the compartment is suitable for the frozen food you intend to store, using its markings and manual. Check whether shelves or door pockets already contain items, and ask before using food left by someone else.

Plan the first shop around one or two meals. Mushrooms and greens could work in noodles one evening and with rice the next. Smaller packs may fit the available space better. Leave room for opened packets, drinks and leftovers you can store safely.

For a kitchen with one burner, think about the order of cooking. If a rice cooker or microwave can handle part of the meal, the hob is free for the main dish. Prepared side dishes are useful too; cooking dinner doesn't require making every part of it yourself.

Check the things that aren't cookware

Look for washing-up liquid, a sponge, dish towels, rubbish bags and somewhere to drain dishes. Find out whether any starter supplies are included and whether you'll replace them yourself during the stay. Sakura House's FAQ, for example, lists shared-kitchen supplies separately and says actual room contents take precedence over general descriptions. For a private apartment, use that room's inventory to plan your shopping. Don't count on oil, salt, coffee or other ingredients unless the inventory says they're supplied.

Check the building's rubbish instructions before opening several packages at once. You may need separate places for food waste, packaging and recyclables. A small bag or container in the right place is easier to manage than sorting everything from the sink later. The short-stay rubbish guide explains how to find the rules for your address.

A clear patch of counter is useful kitchen equipment in its own right. Put luggage and unopened shopping somewhere else while you cook. If storage is limited, buy enough to start and see what you use before adding more.

Ask before buying replacements

Send one message with the missing items, any damage and photographs. For example:

I've checked the kitchen inventory. I can't find the saucepan lid, and the frying-pan handle is loose; photos attached. Could you confirm whether replacements are available? I'd also like to check which containers are suitable for the microwave's oven mode.

Wait for the reply before buying an item you expect to be reimbursed for. If you choose to buy something for your own convenience, decide whether you'll take it home or need an approved way to leave or dispose of it.

Kitchen shears, an extra food container or a second bowl may be useful after a few meals. They don't all need to come in your suitcase. Try the supplied equipment before adding more, and ask for anything unsafe or missing to be replaced.