In this installment of the “study here, live here” series, we feature neighborhoods that offer a great balance of short commute time to Suidobashi as well as high livability and affordable rent.
In the last segment, we covered Yoyogi. Please click here to see the featured school and recommended neighborhoods.
Today’s featured school is the Tokyo Designer Gakuin, located in Suidobashi, between Suidobashi and Ochanomizu Stations on the JR Chuo-Sobu line. Suidobashi is also a stop on the subway Toei Mita line.
Tokyo Designer Gakuin is one of schools available through the GaijinPot Study program. Its curriculum is focused on preparing students to enter the design industry, and students have the opportunity to practice in a real working environment while being tutored by industry professionals.
The school has eight departments: graphic design, visual image design, product design, interior design, architectural design, illustration, manga, and comic. To apply for these programs you need a minimum of JLPT Level N2. To learn more about the school and how you can apply through GaijinPot Study, please visit: Tokyo Designer Gakuin.
Suidobashi
Suidobashi is a centrally located neighborhood and station on the JR Chuo-Sobu line. It is also a stop on the subway Toei Mita line.
Its main claim to fame is being the easiest station for accessing the Tokyo Dome City complex, a sprawling entertainment complex complete with a baseball stadium, called the Big Egg, where the Yomiuri Giants play; event hall, spa, amusement park, and many retail shops and restaurants.
Suidobashi is also home to the campuses of no less than seven different universities (Tokyo Dental College Suidobashi Campus, Tokyo Dental College Junior College, Chuo University Korakuen Campus, Toyo Gakuen University Hongo Campus, Nihon University College of Economics, Nihon University School of Law, and Senshu University Kanda Campus); and many vocational and cram schools.
The neighborhoods surrounding Suidobashi, namely Korakuen, Ochanomizu, and Kanda are also known for their high concentration of universities and other educational institutions.
As a student, of course, you can live right in Suidobashi or any of the surrounding neighborhoods. However, because Suidobashi is rather centrally located (part of the neighborhood is in Chiyoda Ward and part is in Bunkyo Ward), average rent here is not inexpensive.
As of October 2021, average rent in Suidobashi by room layout:
- 1R: ¥108,500 ($952 USD)
- 1K: ¥101,500 ($890 USD)
- 1LDK: ¥175,400 ($1,538 USD)
Here is an example of a typical 1R apartment currently available for rent in Suidobashi.
Please click here to see all apartments for rent in Suidobashi.
There are also many neighborhoods from which you could commute to Yoyogi.
In this post, we feature three highly recommended ones:
Koiwa
Station: Koiwa on the JR Chuo-Sobu line
Time to Suidobashi: 21-min direct ride to Suidobashi
We recommend apartments near Koiwa Station because it is a neighborhood known for having excellent value (below market average monthly rent), high livability, and a very commuter-friendly distance to Suidobashi.
It is also in a very convenient location for getting to Chiba. Koiwa is in Edogawa Ward but the next station over to the east is Ichikawa, in Chiba.
This neighborhood is very popular with workers and students commuting into central Tokyo.
Average Rent in Koiwa
Average rent in Koiwa by room layout:
- 1R: ¥57,300 ($503 USD)
- 1K: ¥67,100 ($589 USD)
- 1LDK: ¥99,200 ($870 USD)
Featured Property in Koiwa
Total Monthly Cost: ¥57,000 ($500 USD)/month
Total estimated move-in costs: ¥250,500 ($2,197 USD)/month
- No key money
Internet: Internet not included in rent
Utilities: Not included in rent
Please click here to see all apartments for rent in Koiwa.
Shin Itabashi
Station: Shin Itabashi on the subway Toei Mita line and (Itabashi) on the JR Saikyo line
Time to Suidobashi: 11-min direct ride to Suidobashi
We recommend Shin Itabashi because it is a great value in terms of location (on two major train lines – the Toei Mita subway and the JR Saikyo line) and will get you directly to Suidobashi in 11-minutes!
Shin Itabashi is a quiet residential area but is just an 11-minute direct ride to Ikebukuro and 16-minutes to Shinjuku.
Like Koiwa, this neighborhood is very popular with workers and students commuting into central Tokyo.
Average Rent in Shin Itabashi
Average rent in Shin Itabashi by room layout:
Average rent in Koiwa by room layout:
- 1R: ¥61,000 ($535 USD)
- 1K: ¥85,800 ($753 USD)
- 1LDK: ¥129,700 ($1,138 USD)
Featured Property in Shin Itabashi
Total Monthly Cost: ¥61,550 ($540 USD)/month
Total estimated move-in costs: ¥182,550 ($16,01 USD)/month
- No deposit, no agency fee
Internet & utilities: Not included
Furniture: Fully furnished
Please click here to see all apartments for rent in Shin Itabashi.
Funabashi
Station: Funabashi on the JR Chuo-Sobu line in Funabashi, Chiba
Time to Suidobashi: 35-min direct ride to Suidobashi
We recommend Funabashi for people who are ok with a slightly longer commute (about 35-minutes direct to Suidobashi).
There are many advantages to living outside Tokyo, the main ones being lower cost of living and less crowded conditions when you get home from school. However, Funabashi is a major station in the JR East network, so will have to deal with packed trains. Funabashi has fantastic shopping near the station and plenty of restaurants and convenience stores, so you will not have to venture far for your daily needs.
Keisei Funabashi Station is also nearby, which means that you will have easy direct access to Narita Airport.
Average Rent in Funabashi
Average rent in Shin Itabashi by room layout:
Average rent in Koiwa by room layout:
- 1R: ¥59,000 ($518 USD)
- 1K: ¥67,300 ($591 USD)
- 1LDK: ¥115,500 ($1,013 USD)
Featured Property in Funabashi
Total Monthly Cost: ¥60,550 ($531 USD)/month
Total estimated move-in costs: ¥78,574 ($689 USD)/month
- Very low move-in costs — No deposit, no key money, no agency fee
Internet: Available for an additional ¥2,310/month (optional)
Utilities: Not included
Furniture: Fully furnished
Special promotion: This agent is currently running a promotion with up to two months’ rent FREE. Please see the full listing for details.
Please click here to see all apartments for rent in Funabashi.
GaijinPot Housing Service
If you are looking for an apartment in Japan (whether you’re applying from overseas or are already in-country), check out the GaijinPot Housing Service. With the GaijinPot Housing Service, you:
- Can choose from 3,000+ properties throughout Japan.
- Don’t need a guarantor.
- Can apply from overseas.
- Pay all your upfront costs and monthly costs with a credit card.
- Receive full English service, from the room view, to application, to post-move-in support.
You may also be interested in
How much can you save by staying at a share house in Japan?
5 things I learned as an exchange student in Tokyo
How to rent an apartment in Japan as a foreigner
How to rent an apartment in Japan from overseas
What documents do you need to rent an apartment in Japan?
Translation of Japanese apartment lease application
How much you should budget for move-in costs to rent an apartment in Japan?
What Japanese real estate agents want foreigners to know about renting an apartment in Japan
- What is the average rent in Tokyo?
- What is the average rent in Yokohama?
- What is the average rent in Chiba?
- What is the average rent in Saitama?
- What is the average rent in Machida?
- What is the average rent in Hachioji?
- What is the average rent in Mitaka?
- What is the average rent in Osaka?
- What is the average rent in Kyoto?
- What is the average rent in Kobe and Hyogo?
What should I budget to move to Japan?
Lead photo: Tokyo Dome City via via iStock 1345003802 Credit:kuremo