Welcome to Japan! You finally did it! You went through the long process of applying to be a Japanese language student , came up with the funding to pay for the initial payments , and you have finally boarded that plane to study and work in Japan. Now, get ready to face your first challenge. How much will you be earning and spending as a Japanese language student? When you're a student, chances are, you don't have much spending money because you only work part-time. Your main focus is to study and thus, you are only allowed to work 28 hours. But this also means you have to work with a budget to avoid mishaps like having to eat instant ramen for 2 weeks because you blew your money on something trivial. Here's a preview as to how much I earned and spent as a Japanese language student. Part-Time Job Salary Money matters I studied in Oarai, Ibaraki. Much like other countries, the minimum wage will vary from place to place, and since Oarai is a little seaside town, the minimum wa...

 In my previous post , I described the process of coming to Japan as a Japanese language student. Now that you have an idea of the " How  to? ", let's now talk about the "How much?" Will this be enough? Education, no matter where you are in the world, is expensive. Even more so when you are aiming to study abroad. Studying in Europe averages about 20,000 USD in tuition fees, plus about 4,000 USD for living costs (food, utilities, phone, transportation, etc) per semester. Studying in Japan is no different.  In a glance, let me give you a simple breakdown as to how much you will need to initially prepare to come to study in Japan. Tuition Fees Yearly, language school tuition fees alone will cost about 700,000 yen. The cost will vary from school to school and the length of the program you choose. Take note that this amount does not include dormitory fees yet. Depending on where you decide to study in Japan, costs do vary from place to place, as well as the size of...

On our third day in Japan, we started with our very first part-time job or arubaito (アルバイト). When you come to Japan to study, you will be allowed to work for 28 hours a week to help with your day to day expenses (rent, utilities, food, etc.) At the time, the hourly rate for part-timers in Ibaraki was 800 yen per hour. One good thing about working as a part-timer in Japan is the fact that everyone is paid the same rate. They don't look at age, gender, or nationality. Across the board, the minimum wage is the same. Update: As of 2020, the minimum wage in Ibaraki is at 850 yen per hour. There is a multitude of part-time jobs available all over Japan. But if you come here with practically zero language skills, then your options become limited. Let me show you a few of these arubaito  gigs that can be done even when you barely speak Japanese. Let me tell you our story... After the school orientation, we were given the rest of the day off. Or so we thought. At around 3pm, (if memory ser...

On the way to JLPT Test Site If you dream of living in Japan, the first step is to learn the language. Japan is a country where English use is uncommon despite the effort Japan puts into strengthening English proficiency. To enjoy Japan to the fullest, you will need to get a good grasp of the language. And the best way to do this is to be a Japanese language student. Sometime in late 2015 (if I remember correctly), I saw an ad on Facebook about a study and work program in Japan. I checked it out, attended a seminar, and got application forms and a list of requirements. I submitted my documents and waited for the COE result, which took a couple of months. I passed, paid the processing fees, and I was on my way.  I studied at Oarai International Exchange Academy (大洗国際交流アカデミー ） for a year and a half from October 2016 to March 2018. Simple right? Now let me break down the steps on how to come to Japan as a Language student .  Prep Work Before making life-changing decisions (like q...