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HOUSING OPTIONS

Housing

While Tokyo has a reputation as being an expensive place to live, there are actually quite a large number of possibilities open for foreigners coming to study in Japan. A large percentage of Japanese university students study in the Tokyo area so there’s a wide Shrutee and Tomo variety of student housing available, from dormitories to private apartments. While Yoshida does not provide any sort of housing for students, we can definitely help you with your housing search.
When you arrive in Japan, there are a number of hotels and inns that are a short commute away from the school, especially near big train stations such as Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Ueno. Several are listed on our housing options page.

For short stays in Japan, a guest house is often the easiest option. Students live together with other foreigners and Japanese. The monthly rent includes the use of a furnished room, internet connection(WiFi), a shared kitchen and often all utilities also. Some are quite large with up to fifty people living in one building but others are small with only five or six people living together. When you arrive you can investigate the possibilities and see what works best for you.

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Procedure at municipal office

After finding housing, students who come to Japan on a student visa will need to register at the local civic center within 14 days after arrival in Japan. You will need to bring your residence card. Once you’ve received a residence card (zairyuu-card), which can be used as a means of identification in lieu of your passport. : Application form(PDF-30.2kb)

     Moving-Out, Moving-In:

When you move out to another city or ward, you must submit a moving-out notice and receive a moving-out certificate before you proceed with moving in to your new address in another city or ward. A moving out certificate will be issued free of charge. After moving in, the certificate must be submitted to the new municipal office to complete the moving-in notification. Soon after you moved, please tell us your new address.

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Guest Houses and Dormitories

Guest houses and dormitories provide affordable short-term or long-term accommodation for many students. Guest houses provide rooms in small houses, from three rooms and up, with shared kitchen and bath facilities. Rooms in dormitories are typically the cheapest but afford very little privacy.

 

1. OAKHOUSE – guest house and apartment rental agency. Earn Oakhouse PAO points you can use when moving in!  Register as an Oak Member now and get 10,000 PAO points (1 PAO=1 yen)!
2. Soleil Waseda – It’s a five minutes’ walk from our school.Clean, Safe & Convenient(Ladies only)
3. Sakura House – guest house and apartment rental agency.
4. Borderless House – Let’s room share with Japanese! – Location: More than 60 places inside Tokyo area.
5. Fujimi House – Monthly furnished Guest house(with private bed room) in centrally located in Tokyo.

There are also listings for guest houses and rooms in apartments shared with other foreigners in two free weekly magazines, Tokyo Notice Board.

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Apartments

Students planning to live in Japan for a long time can rent an apartment on their own but the process is somewhat complicated. A typical strategy for finding an apartment is to first explore various places that are a convenient commute away from school and visit real estate agents in the area. Information on apartments is only provided in Japanese so it’s best for beginning students to wait a while before trying to rent an apartment on their own.
The following three companies will be able to handle phone calls in English(or Multilingual).

1. Fontana – Short term rental real estate company with no key money or guarantor required! All apartments are fully furnished. Move-in today with only first month’s rent and 1 month refundable security deposit.
2. Kimi Information Center – apartment listing service.
3. Fujimi House – Monthly furnished private rooms in Tokyo.

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A rental system in Japan

Students are expected to make their own arrangements. There is usually a kitchen, toilet and bath in every apartment. Many apartments in Japan are unfurnished, and students will need to provide themselves with daily necessities.
* The size of the private apartment is 9㎡ – 12㎡.

Cost

Rent is normally paid on a monthly basis. The following shows the average monthly rent in Tokyo City. Click red number : Convert yen into dollars.

1. room rent : ¥55,000 – ¥100,000
2. Common service fees : ¥3,000 – ¥5,000
3. Common service fees are fees for facilities shared by tenants.

SHIKIKIN / REIKIN

When the contract to rent a room is signed, the tenant must pay a lump sum of money known as SHIKIKIN and REIKIN to the landlord.
SHIKIKIN (key-money and/or deposit): a sum of money to be paid to the landlord as security money for possible damages. SHIKIKIN will be refunded upon vacating the room after a check has been made for any delinquency of rent and/or damage to the property.
REIKIN (remuneration): a non-refundable fee to be paid to the landlord when the contract is signed.
The amount of the commission to the real estate company is equal to one month’s rent or half month’s rent.
* SHIKIKIN and REIKIN combined amounts to around 2 to 4 times the monthly rent.

Utilities, such as electricity, gas and water, are typically not included. Electricity is usually the most expensive of the three followed by gas and water. The average cost for utilities for one person is just under 10,000 yen a month: about 4,000 yen for electricity, 3,000 yen for gas and 2,000 yen for water.

Internet connection services.(WiFi)

1. NTT East (English) : NTT East Official Site for Internet Connection Services
2. au Hikari (English) : au Hikari Official Site for Home Internet Connection
3. Softbank (English) : Softbank Hikari Official site for Home Internet Connection

Housing Guarantor System

Generally, when you sign an apartment rental contract in Japan, a co-signer is required. When a co-signer is not available, you must use the services of a guarantor company. The guarantee company is introduced by a real estate company.

1. You do not have to find anyone to co-sign for your housing. You can enjoy the company’s co-sign guarantee simply by designating both an emergency contact person in your home country (family), and an emergency contact here in Japan (Yoshida staff).
2. Guarantor fees：First time service fee: 25,000 yen to 45,000 yen.

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Hotels and Inns

The Yoshida Institute is located in the western part of Tokyo, near Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. When you first arrive you’ll most likely need to spend a short amount of time in a hotel or inn until you get settled. There are a large number of hotels nearby and the ones below are some of the more affordable choices. Booking in advance is recommended but you can always reserve a room at the Welcome Inns Reservation Desk at Narita Airport when you arrive.

1. Kimi Ryokan – a modern Japanese-style inn popular with foreigners
2. Taito Ryokan – very inexpensive inn near Asakusa
3. New Koyo Hotel – backpacker’s hotel with a mixture of Western-style and Japanese-style rooms.
4. Tama Ryokan – small Japanese-style inn in Takadanobaba, a 20 minute walk to school.
5. House Ikebukuro – modern Japanese-style inn in Ikebukuro

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The Welcome Inns network also runs an online reservation service where you can look up hotels and make reservations.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This page contains a lot of information on the courses and programs we offer along with a whole myriad of details, but sometimes we get questions that are specific to a given student’s situation or desires. Below we’ve listed the answers to many of these sorts of questions. If you don’t see the answer to your question please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Classes :

Q: I’ve never, ever studied Japanese at all! Can I still attend your school?

Yes, we have classes for absolute beginners but we do ask that you learn how to read and write hiragana and katakana before coming to Japan. If you practice an hour a day this should only take a couple weeks. See our hiragana and katakana pages for a description of how to read and write HIRAGANA and KATAKANA.
Depending on your nationality, you may be required to submit proof of at least 150 hours of study.

Q: I’d like to study Japanese for a year but I’m wondering if you have conversation-only classes?

Sorry, all students at Yoshida learn how to read and write while learning how to speak and listen.

How big are the classes?

The number of students in a class ranges from 10 to 18 students.

Q: What sort of qualifications do teachers at Yoshida have?

Our teachers are typically university-educated teachers with an abundance of experience, both as teachers and in other professions prior to teaching.

Q: What are the nationalities of students at Yoshida?

Our students come from a wide variety of countries, including Vietnam, Sweden, USA, Italy, Mongalia, Sri Lank, China, Spain, France, German, U.K., Canada, Korea, Brazil, Holland, Belgium, Australia, Maxico, Noeway, Finland, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and other.

Q: Are any of your classes taught in English?

At Yoshida we use the direct method of teaching Japanese so our teachers use only Japanese in all of our classes. However, our office staff can assist you in English when you need help with something outside of school.

Q: Is the textbook available with explanations in other languages?

At the beginning level, the textbook we use has an accompanying grammar explanation written in a wide variety of languages – English, French, German, Russian, Thai, Portuguese, etc. The textbooks used in the intermediate classes likewise have a grammar explanation written in English. You’ll find links to these books on our class contents page.

Further study :

Q: What sort of test to I need to take to enter a Japanese university?

Typically you’ll need to take both the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the International Student University Entrance Exam. You can find more information on these tests on our test preparation page.

Q: I’m interested in attending a Japanese university. Is there someone who can answer my questions?

Several times a year we have a general school meeting to explain about continuing on to a Japanese university or technical school. At the end of each quarter, students talk about their progress with their instructor at which time they have an opportunity to talk about their future plans.
If you are a beginner studying Japanese for the purpose of going on to higher education, we will not accept you for the January term, which is a short period of study.

Q: From elementary school through high school I’ve only studied for 11 years. Can I enter a Japanese university?

Technically no, but depending on the country where you studied a variety of university degrees are recognized.

Visas :

Q: Can I apply for a student visa at anytime?

The application periods are quarterly — see the long-term page for a complete description.

Q: I don’t know the meaning of a Certificate of Eligibility.

If an applicant wishes to study in Japan, he/she should in principle first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility. A Certificate of Eligibility is issued before a visa application by a regional immigration authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice as evidence that the foreign national meets the conditions for landing in Japan, including the requirements that the activity in which the foreign national wishes to engage in Japan at the time of the landing examination is not fraudulent and is an activity that comes under a status of residence (excluding Temporary Visitor Status) stipulated in the Immigration Control Act. (Application for the Certificate of Eligibility by Yoshida Institute is allowed.)
A foreign national in possession of a Certificate of Eligibility can get a visa issued more easily at an embassy or consulate within the standard processing period (five working days from the day after the date of the acceptance of application). (However, issuance of the visa is not guaranteed.) Furthermore, by presenting the certificate at the time of the examination for the landing, the examination procedures will be smoothly carried.

Q: Who can apply for a Working Holiday Visa?

Citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Poland, Taiwan, Slovakia, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Iceland, Czech, Korea and Hong Kong, who are between the ages of 18 and 30 inclusive, and citizens from Australia, Canada and Korea who are between the ages of 18 and 25 inclusive, can apply for a Working Holiday Visa(except in those cases where the competent authorities of Japan agree to extend the limitation of age to 30 years). There are other conditions too, which vary from country to country. These conditions also change over time. Please contact your local Japanese Embassy or Consulate for more information.

Q: I’m Swiss and I’d like to study Japanese for six months. Do I need to apply for a student visa?

Students from England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Lichtenstein are allowed to study in Japan for six months on a tourist visa. Upon arrival you’ll receive a 90-day visa which can be extended another 90 days during your stay in Japan.

Q: I’m Swedish and I’d like to study Japanese for two years. Do I need my guarantor to apply for a student visa?

In the case of you, the guarantor isn’t necessary. Use CSN if you are Swedish. CSN är den myndighet som administrerar det svenska studiestödet, det vill säga lån och bidrag för studier.

Q: I’m Thai and I’m wondering what are the necessary documents needed to apply for a student visa?

In addition to the documents listed on our admissions page, students from non-OECD countries need to provide documents listing the name of the person that will be supporting them financially during their time in Japan. As this varies from country to country and often depends upon current conditions, it’s best if you contact us directly for more information.

Q: I’m Russian and I’m wondering what are the necessary documents needed to apply for a student visa?

Students from Russia are required to submit not only proof of financial support. However, the Japanese government has imposed additional requirements for students from your country. You must typically submit documents verifying the status of their sponsor, typically a parent, during their time in Japan. If you’re not sure whether these requirements affect you or not, please contact us directly.

Q: Can I apply for more than one Japanese language school or apply for a Japanese language school and university at the same time?

You cannot apply for a COE to more than one school at the same time. So you need to choose the right school for you before applying.

Q: If my attendance or grades are bad what happens to my visa?

If your attendance is lower than 80% or if you’re failing your class, you won’t be able to renew your visa.
Many students maintain 90% and go on to higher education.

Q: I have a working visa. Is it possible to change to a student visa?

Yes, it’s possible. Please contact us for more details.

Q: Is there an age limit for getting a student visa?

There’s no strict limit but if you’re middle-aged or older (over 30 years old) your reason for studying Japanese and your school history will be more carefully evaluated. Please contact us for details. (Please let us know your age, nationality, educational background, and whether you have studied Japanese.)

Q: OECD countries

The OECD countries, which include countries in the EU nations, Norway, Ice Land, Poland, Hungary, South Korea, Canada, U.S.A, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Czech, Slovakia, Switzerland, China (Taiwan, Hong Kong), etc.

Living in Japan :

Q: Is it possible to get a commuter pass at a student rate?

This depends on the type of transportation you want to use. For subways and JR, you’ll have to pay the standard rate but bus lines (6,480 yen/m) and Tokyo Sakura Tram/Toden Arakawa Line/(5,930 yen/m) offer student passes. Other lines : Toei Subway (Asakusa Line, Mita Line, Shinjuku Line, Oedo Line) and Nippori-Toneri Liner.
If you use transportation, we recommend you buy SUICA or PASMO.

Q: Would I be able to open a bank account in Japan?

You are able to open a bank account in Japan, if you have a student visa. You need a seal (HANKO), residence card and Student ID.
More details : To open a bank account

Q: In case I return to my country, is it possible to bring my residence card as a souvenir?

If you get confirmation of embarkation without re-entry permit (including special re-entry permit) at a port of departure, you are required to return the residence card, but it will be return to the person after a hole is made in the returned residence card for invalidation.

Miscellaneous :

Q: If I bring my own computer(smartphone), can I connect to the internet at school?

Yes, you’re free to use our internet connection(WiFi) with your own computer(smartphone).

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