More than a third of its 200 apartments are occupied by Japanese tenants. Management doesn't keep track, she said, but Barbuto estimates that some 70 of the apartments in the Charlton are occupied by Japanese tenants. For these Japanese, the Charlton serves as a comfortable cocoon from which to venture and explore the unfamiliar territory of North Jersey during what's typically an abbreviated stay. Japanese and Fort Lee became virtually synonymous three decades ago as Japan Inc. began setting up North American headquarters in Manhattan and North Jersey, and proximity to the George Washington Bridge brought the first Japanese to the borough. Though many Japanese remain, the community is no longer centralized in Fort Lee.
Corporate families move in and out.
Large homes and treed landscapes in Tenafly and Ridgewood now lure many newcomers. Within walking distance are a Japanese grocery, two Japanese physicians, and other amenities tailored to Japanese homemakers. All true, but those reasons don't cover the most important attraction for Ryoko Hattori, a four-year Charlton resident. Like most Japanese here, she appreciates the convenience of washing machines and dryers inside each apartment, the luxury of an outdoor pool and tennis court, and the security of gated parking. But the best thing about the Charlton is its bathtubs.