Living in Japan on MEXT: The Honest Reality
Nobody talks about the 40% housing discrimination rate, the loneliness that hits at month three, or how a trip to the bank becomes a two-hour ordeal. Here is what daily life in Japan actually feels like as a foreign student.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
1 min read
Updated Oct 5, 2026
City cost comparison
Typical monthly figures (our estimates) against the ¥143,000 research stipend.
| Item | Tokyo | Osaka | Regional cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | ¥60K–85K (studio) | ¥45K–60K | ¥30K–45K |
| Food | ¥35K | ¥30K | ¥25K |
| Transport | ¥10K | ¥8K | ¥5K |
| Left before phone and utilities | ¥13K–38K | ¥45K–60K | ¥68K–83K |
See the scholarship amount guide for full budgets in Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai and Fukuoka.
Culture shock and challenges
Housing discrimination (about 40% report it)
In a 2017 Ministry of Justice survey, 39.3% of foreign residents who had looked for housing in the previous five years said they had been refused because they were foreign. Japan has no specific law banning this. University dorms or guarantor companies are your best options.
MEXT itself notes that rooms in university residence halls for international students are limited, that accommodation costs are yours to pay, and that housing for scholars with a spouse or children is especially hard to find.
Language barriers in daily life
Banking, medical visits, municipal offices — all primarily in Japanese. Even basic N5 knowledge helps enormously.
Social isolation
Breaking into Japanese social circles is difficult. Join university clubs, attend international events and learn the language.
Now that you know what life in Japan really looks like, the next step is understanding the application process from start to finish: start your application or choose your track.