Cost of Living
As studying abroad can be expensive, creating a realistic budget is very important.
Living expenses vary according to your lifestyle and preferences. An awareness of the estimated cost of living, which will account for a significant portion of your expenses, will help you budget for studying abroad.
Please note that for immigration purposes, you will be required to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to meet the financial requirement of a minimum of 565,000 yen for one semester (at least five months).
The following chart provides a sample breakdown of the living expenses that you are likely to incur if you participate in the exchange program at Dokkyo University for one semester (five months).
Estimated living costs(in Japanese yen)
| Per Semester | Per Month | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | 290,000~ | 58,000~70,000 |
| Food | 150,000~ | 30,000~ |
| Transportation | 25,000~ | 5,000~ |
| Mobile phone | 15,000~ | 3,000~ |
| National Health Insurance | 5,000 | 1,000 |
| Accident insurance & residence insurance | 5,400 | -- |
| Textbooks & supplies | 5,000 | -- |
| Personal expenses | 50,000 | -- |
| Settling-in expenses | 20,000 | -- |
Dokkyo University is situated in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, which is about 30 minutes by train from central Tokyo. As such prices in Soka are relatively lower than those in central Tokyo. In addition, since you will be living in university housing at an affordable rent that includes utilities, you will be able to keep your living costs (e.g., food, clothing, and entertainment) lower than they would be if you were living in Tokyo. In Soka, you will find many supermarkets, discount stores, inexpensive restaurants, and clothing stores located near the university and your apartment. The neighboring city of Koshigaya also has one of the largest shopping malls in Japan, so you should be able to find everything you need.
Dokkyo daigaku-mae Station, the nearest station to the university, is located two stops away from Yatsuka Station, where the main university housing is located. A round-trip student commuter pass costs about 2,200 yen per month.
Working Part-time
International students with a student visa are allowed to work up to 28 hours per week (up to 40 hours during long holidays).
Dokkyo University recommends that exchange students do not work unless they are confident in their ability to balance study with work since their top priority should be given to studying.
To work part-time, you must obtain "Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted" (Shikakugai Katsudo Kyoka) from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. You can apply for this at the airport upon entering Japan. You must submit the form entitled "Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted" together with your residence card. If permission is granted, a stamp will be affixed to the back of your residence card.
You can download the "Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted" [for students] here.