Life in Tokyo Q&A

The average rental for a 6 畳 (10㎡) room with bath, toilet, and kitchen is around JPY 80,000 – 90,000. In general, 2 months rental worth of 礼金 (reikin) and 2 months rental worth of 敷金 (shikikin) would be required upon signing a contract, thus preparing 5 – 6 months’ worth of rental in advance is advised.

Reikin is the handling charges and it is not refundable. Shikikin is the security deposit and it will be used to cover any expenses occurred for repairs. The balance of the shikikin will be refunded upon ending of the contract.

Yes, you do. The school can be your guarantor when you are studying at JET Academy. If you would like us to serve as your guarantor, a refundable payment of one month’s worth of rental to the school is required. This payment will be kept by the school as 保証金 (hoshoukin), a form of deposit for you.

On average, JPY 40,000 – 60,000 would be required if you cook your meals; eating out will cost at least JPY 900 each time.

JPY 5,000 – 10,000 for transportation, JPY 5,000 – 15,000 for utilities (water, electricity, & gas). On top of these basic expenses, you are advised to allocate JPY 30,000 – 40,000 for personal expenses. Thus, excluding tuition fees, around JPY 120,000 – 140,000 would be required for cost of living every month.

Firstly, it is important to understand that you should not rely on part-time jobs to sustain yourself while studying in Japan. In general, those with student visas are allowed to work up to 28 hours a week except in certain entertainment and amusement industries like bars and pachinko parlours.
JET Academy will only allow students to engage in part-time jobs 3 months after arriving Japan.
That being said, all College Preparatory Course students at JET Academy are prohibited from engaging in part-time jobs. This is a general ruling set by the school so that students could focus entirely on studying in order to achieve the main goal of getting into a university in Japan.

Jobs like serving tables in a restaurant, helping out in the kitchen and cleaning buildings are common among students. The pay is around JPY1,100 an hour.

All students are recommended to apply for health insurance. When students join the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, if medical attention is needed, they only need to pay thirty percent of the total medical fee. Also, all students are required to pay an additional JPY 3,000 per year (or JPY 300 per month for short-term courses) for insurance covering accidents at school and when commuting to or from school, and in daily life.

Our school’s buildings are built with reinforced concrete, making the building structure earthquake-resistant. No damages to the school building and our school dormitory were found even during the massive earthquake occurred on 11 March, 2011. We also hold fire drills regularly; participation is compulsory for all students as it is crucial to learn how to act in times of emergency.