Tohoku University Dorm or Private Accommodation?

kushagra · 29 May 2022

Hi Everybody,

I applied at Tohoku University, I have passed the screening exam and have been nominated for MEXT. Now I am waiting for my final result from the MEXT.
I was told that I would be contacted by the Lab Staff in the middle of June if I wanted to live in the dormatory. June is around the corner, So, I started thinking about what should I do.
I have some doubts, It would be really helpful if anyone could answer them.

1. Should I take the dorm or try to find private accommodation?
2. There are 2 types of Dorms at Tohoku University, Type 1(International House[IH]): For Internation Students only, and Type 2(University House[UH]): For international/Japanese students. All the UH have a shared Kitchen/Washroom. Which one should I choose?
3. There are multiple Type 1(UH) Dorms, The one I think is the best is Aobayama Campus Dorm, what do you think?
4. If I do stay in the dorm what would be the right time to move out of dorms, as the maximum stay for an individual is 2 years.

Thank you for reading, I would love to hear your thoughts.

IronDove · 30 May 2022

I'm not a student or a resident of japan so my input isn't worth a great deal but i have looked into this so here's my 2 cents:

No. 1 for Japan Real Estate

Miyagi apartments and houses for rent. Long-term, furnished, serviced and short-term apartments. Many with no key money. English speaking agents.

realestate.co.jp

dorm or private rental?
well i hear foreigners have a tough time finding landlords for private accommodation in the first place. there are specialised estate agents for foreigners but they're not cheap. even if you do find a landlord, odds are, once your 1 year contract ends, you'll find there's no incentive to stay as a contract renewal fee costs like 2 months rent and finding a new place could save you enough money to warrant going through the stress of finding a new place to stay.
id recommend a dorm. less stress and its usually cheaper.

international or uni house?
well you're probably new to japan and unfortunately, the language barrier might isolate you initially from "local" Japanese people so i personally, would play it safe and chose international dorm for a couple reasons. you might find people that speak your language/s and what with you being in a new country and culture, you'll have a lot to talk about. now that's not to say you shouldn't try make local Japanese friends, quite the contrary, you really should, but at least in joining the international dorms, you wont be lonely from the get-go.
id chose international house, but again, that's just what id do.

aoba ward stretches from central sendai waaaaaaay out into the sticks, right to the yamagata prefectural border. ahh on closer look, yeah the dorm is just a stones throw away from campus and has a railway station that goes right into sendai.
in terms of location, it looks good.

in terms of when to move out, idk how long your studies are gonna keep you in sendai but if its more than 2 years, i would max out my dorm stay if i could to give me plenty of time to learn the language and master the art of "alleviating risk" to landlords so id have a better chance of securing housing when the time comes.

be sure to check out this thread.
Post Japanese-related YouTube links here
its a goldmine for info on japan, as is this entire forum

hope you find all that useful. good luck in your studies <3

kushagra · 30 May 2022

IronDove said:
I'm not a student or a resident of japan so my input isn't worth a great deal but i have looked into this so here's my 2 cents:

No. 1 for Japan Real Estate

Miyagi apartments and houses for rent. Long-term, furnished, serviced and short-term apartments. Many with no key money. English speaking agents.

realestate.co.jp

dorm or private rental?
well i hear foreigners have a tough time finding landlords for private accommodation in the first place. there are specialised estate agents for foreigners but they're not cheap. even if you do find a landlord, odds are, once your 1 year contract ends, you'll find there's no incentive to stay as a contract renewal fee costs like 2 months rent and finding a new place could save you enough money to warrant going through the stress of finding a new place to stay.
id recommend a dorm. less stress and its usually cheaper.

international or uni house?
well you're probably new to japan and unfortunately, the language barrier might isolate you initially from "local" Japanese people so i personally, would play it safe and chose international dorm for a couple reasons. you might find people that speak your language/s and what with you being in a new country and culture, you'll have a lot to talk about. now that's not to say you shouldn't try make local Japanese friends, quite the contrary, you really should, but at least in joining the international dorms, you wont be lonely from the get-go.
id chose international house, but again, that's just what id do.

aoba ward stretches from central sendai waaaaaaay out into the sticks, right to the yamagata prefectural border. ahh on closer look, yeah the dorm is just a stones throw away from campus and has a railway station that goes right into sendai.
in terms of location, it looks good.

in terms of when to move out, idk how long your studies are gonna keep you in sendai but if its more than 2 years, i would max out my dorm stay if i could to give me plenty of time to learn the language and master the art of "alleviating risk" to landlords so id have a better chance of securing housing when the time comes.

be sure to check out this thread.
Post Japanese-related YouTube links here
its a goldmine for info on japan, as is this entire forum

hope you find all that useful. good luck in your studies <3

Thank you soo much for a comprehensive answer and including these informative links.
I am actually learning Japanese though i am still a beginner.(cleared N5, studying for N4).
The UH have common kitchen/bathroom. Whereas the IH have private kitchen/bathroom. But one problem is that all the IH are quite old(built in 1970's, 80's, and 90's).
The one I liked the most is Aobayama campus which was built around 2018 and would be closest to my department but again it is UH. So I think I will have to compromise and live with Japanese/international students.

Here they have explained the accomodation with a introductive video. All the UH are available here with their respective details. Here are all the IH.
Thank you again for your time.

IronDove · 30 May 2022

didn't know UH have a mix of students. aobayama is new and kitted out with reasonable facilities, plus, it has a shop and decent travel links. i could see why you'd chose that over sanjo I II and III but holy spirit..... 10m2 living space? i couldn't fit my bed in that room :F

ahh might be worth adding that alot of old buildings have been retrofitted to be earthquake resistant to at least some degree. since these are educational facilities, id hazard a guess and say these have to be retrofitted to get a green light for students to live in.

Hiroyuki Nagashima · 31 May 2022

Tohoku University University House (UH) Aobayama introduction video
2019/01/18

ユニバーシティ・ハウス | 東北大学

国際化をけん引できる人材の育成、8人を1ユニットとする居住構成、安心・安全・快適な生活環境などをコンセプトとした教育的施設の学生寄宿舎です。

www.tohoku.ac.jp

Expenses borne by residents:

Item Amount (yen) Remarks
Boarding fee 28,000 monthly fee, for all residents
Common service fee 1,500 〃
Utility charges Actual cost 〃
Deposit at the time of moving in 30,000 Only at the beginning of moving in, for all residents
Bedding and sheets rental 2,000 months, for all residents
Tableware rental 500 〃
Sanitary goods such as towels and towels 500 〃
Foot wipe mat 1,000 〃
Internet connection usage fee 1,600 〃
Inter-resident exchange fee 300 〃
Printer, refrigerator, closet Established by the management operator
As shown in the price list, monthly fee, for applicants

Tohoku University Dorm or Private Accommodation?

kushagra

Registered

IronDove

Kouhai

No. 1 for Japan Real Estate

kushagra

Registered

No. 1 for Japan Real Estate

IronDove

Kouhai

Hiroyuki Nagashima

TAN

ユニバーシティ・ハウス | 東北大学

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