Studera utomlands

Here’s some information regarding my student accommodation at the University of Tokyo!

While the university has a few student accommodation locations, as a “Special Research Student” coming in outside normal semester dates, I was only eligible to apply to Mejirodai International Village (normal semesters here start in April and October). It is a bit pricier than the other options, but it is a modern and nicely kept building.

Room Application Deadlines

The deadline for room applications is the 25th of every month. I applied in September and received a room in mid-October.

My Room (Type A)

There are a few different room types, but I went for the cheapest and most abundant one, which is a 10m2 room with a balcony. It comes furnished with a bed, desk, wardrobe, sink and fridge. The kitchen, showers and toilets are shared with the whole floor/corridor, but they are not busy and is kept clean.

Costs

My monthly accommodation fee is 55,300 yen (~SEK 4000). However, unlike SSSB, there are additional fees. There is the monthly maintenance fee (12,000 yen) and utilities fee (15,000 yen), as well as a one-time entrance fee (67,800 yen) and mattress cover fee (3,600 yen).

A mattress cover fee is mandatory; it is just a waterproof bedsheet cover for the mattress to protect it, and you still need bedding on top of it. I brought my own, but you can also rent bedding from the accommodation. When renting, they include bedsheets, duvets and pillows, which would cost around 16,500 yen (SEK 1200) for your whole stay.

Adding everything up, my monthly fees are around SEK 6000, with one-time fees of SEK 5000.

Distance from UTokyo

Despite being a university accommodation, it’s not really within walking distance to campus (1h walk). It takes about 30 minutes by metro, with a transfer in between. If you want to bike, Google Maps say it’s about 20 minutes!

NB! You can only move in on your project start date.

One thing to note about the accommodation is that you are not allowed to move in until the start of your project. For me, my thesis project started on the 20th of January (Monday), so I could only move in on the 20th. I told my supervisor about it, and I’m very grateful that he was flexible about when I could start, so I could land in Tokyo on the 20th and start my project on the 22nd (Wednesday). Nevertheless, you can always come earlier and find an alternative place to stay for the moment too.

Other Rooms or places to stay?

Regarding other types of rooms, there are rooms with a bathroom or kitchen as well, but they were more expensive and there are much fewer of them. My first choice was this one since it was the cheapest XP.

Renting privately is an option as well; however, it would take a bit more research and would be more complicated than living at the university’s student accommodation.

Here is the link to MIV’s website if you want more information regarding the room layout, the building, or fees. Housing Office | Housing Information | Mejirodai International Village

And that’s all I have to share about my accommodation here! 😊 Hope it was useful!

Introductory image: The view from my balcony on the 6th floor. Picture by: Yi Cheng Chng