Is the relatively high cost of living in Japan deterring you from coming on exchange to Japan? Well, the truth is, living in Japan does not always mean you have to burn your pockets. Here are some ways and methods to save money in Japan without much of an effort!

1. 100 yen shops

There are a number of 100 yen shops in Japan selling daily necessities of pretty good quality. They sell all sorts of knick knacks from bento boxes, laundry bags to cheap snacks. Do make use of them whenever you need to buy daily necessities, especially at the start of your new life in Japan! As a side note, although the biggest 100 yen shop in Hachioji may be the 2 storey Daiso, it is worth checking out other stores such as Seria and Lawson 100 for an even greater variety of products!

2. Make your own bento/ eat in

An average meal can cost around 300 to 490 yen. Groceries enough to last you five days can cost as little as 2000 to 3500 yen. After the math is done, you will realize that it is very much cheaper to make your own meals than to eat out. It is not that time consuming either to prepare daily meals. One tip is to cook an extra portion for dinner and pack this portion for lunch in school the next day. Microwaves are available in school for your use so fret not about having to eat cold lunches! Another tip is to cook enough rice for a few days and keep them in the fridge, so as to save time from having to cook rice everyday.

3. Know how to store your food

One important way to save money is to make sure you do not waste your groceries! Food in Japan tend to have a shorter shelf life so do plan your purchases. Divide meat into portions and freeze them once you reach home. Keep your bread in the fridge so that it lasts longer.

4. Know when you can get discounts

There are many sales and discount days that you can take advantage of. One important way is to plan your grocery shopping on days that the supermarket holds its weekly sales. More information about this can be found over here : http://www.soka.ac.jp/en/worldwide/desmond.html , in the exchange report by Desmond Pang. In addition, it is worth to go to the supermarket at night, at around 7.30 – 8pm as this is usually the time when fresh meat or fish are sold at a discounted price. As for clothes, the biggest discounts are usually on near the end of a season. For example, from July onwards, there are summer sales and discounts can go up to 70 or 80%.
Also, do not miss out on the many discount booklets available at the convenience stores. These booklets contain coupons for use at places from restaurants to hair salons.

5. Travel cheap

It is worth getting a bicycle if you are staying in Japan for a relatively long period of time as one as the cost of public transport will make up a large portion of your expenses in Japan. For me, a bus ride from my dormitory to the train station would cost around 240 yen. However, on days when I need to run short errands I usually ride a bicycle to the train station and since parking spaces are usually free for the first two hours, transport is free.
As for the train stations, it is advisable to find out which railway system is the cheaper one. For example, the train ride from Hachioji to Shinjuku using the Keio Railway would cost 350 yen. By using the JR Railway line however, would cost 460 yen.

In a nutshell, by putting in a bit of effort in your everyday life, it is possible to live in Japan comfortably on a low budget! So don’t let this deter you from an amazing experience from living in Japan!

9th July 2011. A day when all 63 occupants of Cosmos dormitory saw their efforts bearing fruit from the resounding success of the Cosmos Dormitory Festival.

From planning to the actual execution of the programs, every step of the festival was carefully undertaken by us girls living at the dormitory. Not only did we have to design the invitations to distinguished guests, including Ikeda sensei, some of us also put in extra effort and came up with performances for the day.

For over a month, meetings were held within the various departments such as Sports department, Decoration department etc. Despite our busy schedules, we managed to work together harmoniously in anticipation of the big day.
And finally, it’s the day of the Festival!

With Founder’s warm message, the festival was started. First, we’ve had performances originating from all over the world thanks to the multi-cultural community we have at Cosmos.

An event which everyone put in their utmost effort to make a success, it is definitely an unforgettable day. The friendships forged in from planning and executing, the laughs, the words of concern and encouragement exchanged, can never be replaced. These are definitely part of the things that make taking the step to going on exchange at Soka University worth it.