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want to study in Tokyo in about 1.5 years time

eric

後輩
25 Dec 2005
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Hello Minna San,

I'm Eric, I joined this forum a while ago, I don't usually post but I do read most of the posts here on this forum.

I thought I would make this thread at a much later date, but I've seen plenty of similar threads posted recently, so I thought I might as well post mine.

Well to start off, I will tell you guys about myself:

I've been fascinated with Japan, about 3 years ago, ever since I went to Osaka. I've been learning Japanese since then, and its been a dream since then to study in Tokyo, of course, purely to improve my Japanese and experience the culture there, and yes, I've been to Tokyo and I really liked it alot.

The course I'm planning to do is the intensive language program at Waseda University. I'm interested, because not only I want to learn the language, but also experience the college life over there.

I'm currently living in Australia (Melbourne), and planning to go to Tokyo, in about 1.5 years time, when I complete my Masters degree.

I'm an American born Chinese, parents from Hong Kong, but I've been living in Australia since I was 2. I completed all my education in Australia. I currently hold a Bachelor of Commerce (accounting/finance) degree from the University of Melbourne, and completing my Finance Masters degree at the moment.

Now, the questions that I have are pretty similar to the questions thats been posted in the past.

*I mainly want to know the costs of living expenses in Tokyo if I was to live on my own in an apartment near Waseda, etc.

*what are your thoughts about those Sakura/Gaijin Houses? where no key money is required.

*what kind of part time job can I do? teaching english only?

sorry, my post is a bit long, but it will be great if you guys can help me out.

thanks
 
Have you already looked into the programs for studying at Waseda? If you are almost done with your education, in what capacity are you going to try to go to Japan? If it's with a program, they will usually give you a good idea beforehand as to how much money will be needed. Look into SILS and BEKKA.

Living on your own can give great freedom but also be a pain in the *** at times. I have friends in apartments and they complain about it just as much as sing its praises. It's also usually the more expensive option when it comes to living expenses. Also, if you're on your own, you will have to work that much harder to go out and make friends and have a social life, instead of rotting at home. Dorms will usually throw you in the thick of things, and as long as you aren't a weirdo or a recluse, you will make friends there fast. There is a mainly Japanese all-male dorm called Wakeijuku; that's definitely one way to taste Japanese college life, as I hear it gets quite crazy there at times.

Student VISA allows you to work up to 14 hours per week, after you get a work permit. I don't think you are allowed to get a permit until you've been in the country for a while though. You can pretty much do any job if you manage to get hired.
 
Nice gaijin is almost right. A student visa ALONE doesn't let you work. You must get special permission from the government, too. (It's not a work permit.) Go here.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan
It also shows that you can work up to 28 hours per week, not 14. Pretty much any sort of work is allowed, but ask immigration about restrictions. Here's what the site says:
Foreign nationals may not engage in aforementioned activities at the following locations: Business sites where adult entertainment business or store-type adult entertainment special business is carried on; or business sites where nonstore-type adult entertainment business, visual-transmitting-type adult entertainment business, store-type telephone-based dating service, or nonstore-type telephone-based dating service is carried on.
 
The official name of the document is "permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted" (as I have the application in hand) but it is for all intents and purposes a work permit, and is actually referred to as such by the Administrative offices and by the documentation explaining the process and requirements of obtaining this permission (entitled "Have you applied for a work permit?")

Also, 28 hours a week is permitted for College students, which I believe would apply to degree-seeking students here. Students with "visiting student" status (research students or non degree-seeking, short term exchange students, such as myself) are only allowed 14.
 
nice gaijin,
I also saw the "Visiting Student" status listed there, but such a title is not on the main MOFA web site. Any idea what it means?

Also, the main MOFA site has only this to say about a "College Student" visa:
Activities to receive education at colleges or equivalent educational institutions, specialized courses of study at miscellaneous schools (senshu gakko), educational institutions designated for preparing persons who have completed 12 years of education at schools in foreign countries to enter college, or technical colleges (koto senmon gakko). Applicants must fulfill certain conditions regarding ability to pay living expenses, etc.
...so I don't know if it means degree-seekers only. Perhaps it is implied, but immigration doesn't usually have things laid out in black and white, so perhaps it could be used to get by even in the OP's situation.
 
Perhaps it is a limitation set upon us by Waseda, for I have only heard the 14 hours per week figure.
 
thanks for the advice "nice gaijin" and "Glenski"

I will defintely make sure I get things right with the immigration department when I apply for my VISA.
 
eric,
Not to nitpick, but VISA is a credit card. A visa (all lower case letters) is what you get to be allowed to enter Japan.
 
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