study in Tokyo
The largest city in Japan by every measure — most institutions, most part-time work, the biggest Nepali community, and the highest cost of living.
Tokyo holds the densest concentration of universities, vocational colleges and language schools in Japan, and by far the deepest part-time job market. For a student funding study through work, the availability of hours here is the strongest practical argument.
It also has the largest Nepali community in Japan, with restaurants, grocers and community organisations concentrated in areas of the north and east — which makes arriving considerably less isolating than it would be elsewhere.
The costs are correspondingly the highest in the country, and rooms are small. The transport network is exceptional but commuting distances are long, and rush-hour trains are as crowded as their reputation suggests.
A very large sector. Verify that any language school or college is properly accredited and its student visa sponsorship is legitimate before paying anything — this is where Nepali students are most often defrauded.
The University of Tokyo
Japan's leading national university; engineering, sciences, medicine, law and economics.Waseda University
Large private university with one of Japan's biggest international intakes; politics, economics, science and engineering.Keio University
Private and long-established; economics, medicine, law and media studies.Tokyo Institute of Science (Institute of Science Tokyo)
Formed from the merger of Tokyo Tech and Tokyo Medical and Dental University; engineering, materials and medicine.Tokyo is the most expensive city in Japan — rent above all, though rooms are small and rents per room are lower than Western capitals. The offsetting factor is the part-time job market, which is the deepest in the country.
Against the other cities we cover in Japan, Tokyo is one of the more expensive. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
Japan publishes no single living-cost threshold — your financial capacity is assessed case by case, against no published national figure.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Hot humid summers with a rainy season, and cold dry winters. A typhoon season in late summer. Broadly similar in feel to the Tarai in summer.
Getting around
The most extensive rail network in the world, on an IC card. Student commuter passes offer large discounts — apply through your institution.
Housing
Small and expensive, often requiring key money and a guarantor. School-arranged accommodation is the usual first step for new arrivals.
Working
28 hours a week maximum with the work-permission endorsement. Convenience stores, restaurants, hotels and logistics are the common roles.
Community
The largest Nepali community in Japan, with restaurants, grocers and community organisations — a genuine practical support network.
Language
Some degrees are English-taught, but part-time work almost always requires conversational Japanese. JLPT N4–N3 changes what jobs you can get.
A student residence status does not permit work by itself. You may work 28 hours a week, and only with prior permission — and exceeding the limit is the most common way a Nepali student in Japan loses their status.
Three practical points. Apply for the work-permission endorsement when you land — it can be requested at the airport on arrival, which saves weeks. The 28 hours is a total across all jobs, not per employer, and employers report wages to the tax system, so a second job does not go unnoticed. And during long scheduled holidays the limit rises to eight hours a day — confirm your institution's official break dates before relying on that.
Tokyo is one of 4 cities we cover in Japan. Tap any pin to compare — the city you pick moves your total cost more than almost any other choice you make.