Shikikin (security deposit)

Unlike reikin, shikikin is in principle your money — a refundable deposit held against unpaid rent and damage, typically one to two months' rent. The catch foreigners miss is what gets deducted on the way out: standard cleaning, sometimes repainting and tatami or wallpaper replacement, are routinely charged against it, so the refund is often smaller than expected. Japanese law distinguishes normal wear-and-tear (the landlord's responsibility) from tenant-caused damage, but in practice the burden is on you to contest unfair deductions. Some leases use a shikibiki — a portion of the deposit declared non-refundable upfront — so read the move-in fee breakdown carefully and ask exactly what is deductible before you sign.