Applying: Accommodation

My Allocated Accommodation – Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory

Having applied for and successfully received my first choice accommodation at Keio, I thought a post about Keio’s options and the application procedure would be useful for anyone looking to apply in the future. International / exchange students essentially have two options regarding accommodation:

• Keio University-owned Dormitories

There are nine International Keio University owned dormitories in Tokyo (Kanagawa really) for exchange students to choose from – these range in location, price, facilities offered, and date built. As these are owned by / partnered with Keio University, rent is often lower than like-for-like private accommodation. All dormitories house both exchange and Japanese students, fostering a rich international experience, whilst also helping you to fully integrate into Japan and the local community.

• Private Accommodation

Students are also free to find their own accommodation during their stay, but Keio strongly advise against doing so. This is due to the notorious difficulty of finding a guarantor in Japan. Despite doing so in the past, home-stay experiences are no longer available or organised by Keio.

As finding private accommodation is strongly advised against, applying to one of Keio University’s nine International Dormitories is the most popular and only realistic option. I’ll break down the dormitories by several factors that’ll hopefully help anyone applying in the future decide based on your needs and wants, as well as what you can afford (Tokyo isn’t cheap!).

University-owned Dormitories

General Information

• For all the accommodation options, you’re looking at a 40-65 minute commute to Keio’s Mita Campus / the heart of Tokyo, a mix of both international and Japanese students (to help prevent that international student bubble!), and prices ranging from ¥55,000 to ¥79,000 per month (£380 to £540). All accommodations are further broken down by bathroom type (shared or private), kitchen type (shared; private; or meal-plan), and bedroom size (ranging from 12sm to 23sm, which means nothing to me!).

1. Shimoda Student Village

   

   Shimoda Student Village

• Bathroom: Private
• Kitchen: Shared
• Bedroom: 16sm
• Price: ¥63,500 pm
• Commute: 60 mins

On the more affordable end of the dormitories, Shimoda Student Village has a reputation for being very Western-friendly regarding the exchange student portion of the student population. Nearly every person I know going to Keio applied to stay at Shimoda Student Village (except me!) – I assume partly because of this reputation. The cons are international students can’t use the on-site gym and athletic fascilities, and international students also live completely seperately from the Japanese students, so if you’re looking for integration and a wide variety of friends on your year abroad, this may not be the place for you.

Shimoda Student Village Information

Shimoda Student Village Pictures

2. Plume IS

   

   Plume IS

• Bathroom: Private
• Kitchen: Private
• Bedroom: 18sm
• Price: ¥68,300 pm
• Commute: 45 mins

In the middle regarding affordability, Plume IS is located in the city of Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture (just underneath Tokyo). Built in 1992, Plume IS is another dormitory with a long-standing international reputation. I do, however, wonder how students get to know each other over a good ‘cuppa when everyone’s got a private kitchen!

Plume IS Information

Plume IS Pictures

3. Omori Student Dormitory

   

   Omori Student Dormitory

• Bathroom: Shared
• Kitchen: Shared Facilities & Meal Plan
• Bedroom: 12sm
• Price: ¥79,100 pm
• Commute: 40 mins

Located in Ōta near the bottom of Tokyo, Omori is a relatively short commute to the university. Omori is also a catered accommodation regarding food, with meals being served at breakfast and dinner near all year-round. It has both small and large public baths, which take the place of private bathrooms. A midnight (00:00) curfew is in place (and is a bit baffling given it’s students), but nothing those allocated can’t work around.

Omori Student Dormitory Information

Omori Student Dormitory Pictures

4. Tsunashima Student Dormitory

   

   Tsunashima Student Dormitory

• Bathroom: Private
• Kitchen: Meal Plan
• Bedroom: 16sm
• Price: ¥78,000 pm
• Commute: 55 mins

Tsunashima Student Dormitory is a relatively new accommodation choice, having been built in 2012. It is also very modern inside, with a large dining room available for students to use alongside an outside terrace. Tsunashima is catered accommodation, operating a meal plan for breakfast and diner all year-round. There are no kitchen facilities for students.

Tsunashima Student Dormitory Information

Tsunashima Student Dormitory Pictures

5. Motosumiyoshi Residence

   

   Motosumiyoshi Residence

• Bathroom: Private
• Kitchen: Private
• Bedroom: 23sm
• Price: ¥64,000 pm
• Commute: 55 mins

Located in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa prefecture, Motosumiyoshi residence is around an hour commute to Keio’s Mita campus. A few friends stayed here during my year, and it’s lovely. It’s also only a five minute walk from Keio’s Hiyoshi campus. Motosumiyoshi Residence is on the more affordable end of the dormitory choices, and boasts a private kitchen in student’s rooms. Just make sure not to cook anything that’ll make your clothes stink!

Motosumiyoshi Residence Information

Motosumiyoshi Residence Pictures

6. Okurayama Dormitory

   

   Okurayama Dormitory

• Bathroom: Shared (& Public Baths)
• Kitchen: Shared
• Bedroom: 13sm
• Price: ¥55,000 pm
• Commute: 65 mins

Based in Yokohama City, Kanagawa prefecture, Okurayama Dormitory is the furthest accommodation from Keio University’s Mita campus. This is probably why it’s also the most affordable of all accommodation. It boasts shared bathroom facilities in the form of huge Japanese-style Sento public baths, which you’ll have to use sooner or later with only 3 shower booths available.

Okurayama Dormitory Information

Okurayama Dormitory Pictures

7. Hiyoshi International Dormitory

   

   Hiyoshi International Dormitory

• Bathroom: Shared
• Kitchen: Shared
• Bedroom: 9sm (Unit)
• Price: ¥72,000 pm
• Commute: 65 mins

Hiyoshi International Dormitory is a tad special. Students share an apartment consisting of two Japanese students, and two exchange students. If you applied to Japan hoping for a home-stay experience, this is as close as you’ll get. Sharing kitchen and bathroom with three other ‘flatmates’, you’ll become the best of friends in no time. However, based near Keio’s Hiyoshi campus means it’s a 65 minute daily commute to Mita campus.

Hiyoshi International Dormitory Information

Hiyoshi International Dormitory Pictures

8. Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory

   

   Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory

• Bathroom: Private
• Kitchen: Shared & Meal Plan (Ticket Based)
• Bedroom: 14sm
• Price: ¥75,700 pm
• Commute: 50 mins

One of two new dormitories built in March of 2018, Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory is based in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa prefecture, and has a very modern, clean and attractive interior. Boasting an in-house cafeteria, it operates a meal-ticket system, instead of a meal-plan. Students have access to shared kitchen facilities, but are also able to purchase meals should they ever want or need to.

Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory Information

Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory Pictures

9. Tsunashima SST International Dormitory

   

   Tsunashima SST International Dormitory

• Bathroom: Private
• Kitchen: Shared
• Bedroom: 18sm
• Price: ¥78,000 pm
• Commute: 60 mins

The second of two new dormitories built in March 2018, Tsunashima SST is rather unique. SST in this case stands for ‘Sustainable Smart Town’, with the dormitory based in a brand new next-generation smart town (yes – town!). A collaboration between government, business, and Keio University, the new smart town aims to reduce CO2 emissions, reduce water usage, and increase use of ‘new’ energies. Students staying here will be apart of this new SST project, and wider community.

Tsunashima SST International Dormitory Information

Tsunashima SST International Dormitory Pictures

Sustainable Smart Town Information

Application

June – July

Overall, the accommodation application process is pretty straightforward. In 2018, the application window ran from 10am June 18th to 10am July 2nd Japan time – meaning it opened at 2am UK time! Applications are sorted on a first-come, first-served basis, so be prepared to apply at an unreasonable hour! You’ll need to whittle the nine choices down to a top three. By the time the application process begins, you should have done a few things:

• Decide which accommodation you want to apply for, and ensure you can commit to paying rent.
• Register on the Dormitory Application System – Keio will send you all the links and information needed to register with your acceptance letter, which you should receive early June (I received mine on the 8th of June). I strongly suggest you register way in advance, because the last thing you want to be doing at 2am is copying down your name and student number whilst everyone else is taking places away at your preferred dormitory!
• Decide whether you will be staying in the accommodation for 1 semester (half a year), or 2 semesters (full year). Some may not have a choice, e.g. you’re only here for half a year, whilst exchange students here for a full year could opt to stay in university dormitories for the first semester, and find private for the second. Though Keio don’t recommend it.
• Evaluate your top priorities for housing. Keio will use these if you’re unsuccessful in getting a place at one of your top three choices to attempt to place you somewhere you’d be comfortable. The top priorities are private bathroom; meal service; distance from station; co-ed (male and female); traveling time to campus; and cheap rent. Again, you will have to choose three priorities.

With nine options to choose from, I whittled down my options through my priorities, as I’ve done in this post. The only thing I was really bothered about was having a private bathroom, anything else would be something I could live with. Having already lived the cheap student-housing experience in my second year of university, and with a whole summer of work ahead of me, I decided I’d apply to the fairly new dormitories. In the end, I chose the new Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory as my first choice, with the aesthetic, flexible shared kitchen / optional meal-tickets, and attractive location outside of Tokyo in Kanagawa prefecture overall winning my heart. Plus the fact it was a similar price to some accommodation already decades old, it was really a no-brainer in my mind. My second choice was Tsunashima Student Dormitory due to the attractive inside, price, and meal-plan – something I’ve never experienced. Tsunashima SST was my third choice, which was slightly painful given the price, but as my third choice I thought the chances of being placed there were slim. However, despite the price, living in a brand new Sustainable Smart Town and being apart of a project researching how to best protect the planet would be an incredible opportunity and experience.

July

On the 17th of July, at 7:45am, I received an email notifying me I’d been allocated my first choice of accommodation – Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory. I was super happy – the perfect balance between a new and attractive dormitory I was willing to work all summer to live in, and a price I could actually manage to save for! The email included directions to the accommodation, details of check-in dates and times, a cartoon map of the surrounding area (super useful!), and a link to register your arrival details. The email stated your flights to Japan should be booked and registered with the university no later than the 9th of August. If you wanted to cancel your accommodation, you had until the 23rd of July.

And that’s where I am now! Check-in dates are the 4th, 5th, and 6th of September, and on one of those dates I’ll be moving to Japan and heading to Motosumiyoshi International Dormitory to begin my year-long exchange! I’ll be booking flights in the next week or so, and am still on the edge of my seat waiting for my Certificate of Eligibility to arrive, which Keio has now said is shipped, and should arrive by the end of July! After that, it’ll be a trip to London to apply for a student visa, and then prepping to leave! But all of that in another post. I hope this was helpful for anyone reading this months or years down the line, and that it’s just as exciting for you as it currently is for me! Today I’ll leave you with a cute gif of Gon. Isn’t he cute.

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Anime Recommendation: “91 Days” – Set in the prohibition era, 91 Days follows a interwoven cast of characters involved with the notorious mafia through a gripping and compelling story of murder, redemption, family and revenge. Dubbed version is great.

Manga Recommendation: Devils’ Line by Ryou Haneda – Slow first few volumes, but really picks up. Follows the story of Devil Police Task-Force member Anzai and human Tsukasa, and how they navigate an un-accepting political and societal environment.