Where to Study in Japan (Singapore Students) 2026: Use the Official “47 Prefectures” Guide to Pick a City
TL;DR
A Singapore-friendly, source-first way to choose where to live and study in Japan: how to use the official “47 prefectures” pages on Study in Japan, then sanity-check your shortlist with the official cost-of-living and accommodation guides…
22 Jan 2026, 00:00 Z
Reviewed by
Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)
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> **Q:** Japan sounds great — but where should I actually live and study? Tokyo? Osaka? Somewhere cheaper?
> \
> **A:** Don’t guess. Use Japan’s official “47 prefectures” pages to build a shortlist, then sanity-check costs and housing on the official Study in Japan pages. Your goal is not to find the “best city” — it’s to pick **a city you can actually afford and function in** for 6–24 months.
> **TL;DR (fast route)**
> - Start with the official map + prefecture pages: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/why/47prefectures/
> - Then cross-check the official baselines:
> - living costs: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/life/cost-of-living/
> - accommodation (dorm vs apartment, deposits, guarantor): https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/life/accomodation/
> - If you want a Singapore-parent friendly budget checklist too: https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/scholarships/Japan-vs-Korea-Student-Budget-Singapore-Practical-Cost-Checklist-Guide-2026
> - If you want the “what housing questions should I ask?” version: https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/scholarships/Housing-in-Japan-vs-Korea-Singapore-Students-Dorms-Deposits-Questions-Guide-2026
> - If you’re still deciding Japan vs Korea overall: https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/Study-Abroad-Japan-vs-South-Korea-Checklist
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*Status:* Last reviewed 2026-01-22. City costs and housing rules can change; treat official numbers as planning baselines and always verify current tuition and housing conditions for your exact programme.
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## 1) The “three-city shortlist” rule (it prevents a lot of stress)
If you try to pick one perfect city on Day 1, you’ll overthink it.
A calmer workflow for Singapore students and parents is:
1. Pick **3 candidate prefectures/cities** (not 1).
2. For each, identify **2 universities** you’d realistically apply to.
3. Then decide after you’ve checked cost, housing, and admissions constraints.
This is exactly what the official “47 prefectures” pages are good for: they help you explore options beyond the default “Tokyo-only” mindset.
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## 2) Use the official “47 prefectures” pages like a tool (not like travel content)
Open: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/why/47prefectures/
Here’s the practical way to use it:
### A) Pick a region first, then click into prefectures
The official page groups Japan by areas (e.g., Kanto, Kansai/Kinki, Hokkaido, etc.), and each prefecture has its own page.
### B) On each prefecture page, capture these 5 facts (as bullets)
The prefecture pages typically include:
* an overview + “access” section,
* cost-of-living items (with sources),
* climate information,
* and a **list of universities in that area**.
So for each candidate prefecture, save:
* **Your top 2 universities** from the list on the prefecture page
* **Housing expectation** (dorm vs private rental, and what you’d prefer)
* **Cost-of-living baseline** (use it as a rough check, not a final budget)
* **One lifestyle constraint that matters to you** (e.g., “needs walkable commute”, “needs cheaper rent”, “prefers dorm first year”)
* **One question to verify with the school** (e.g., “dorm availability for first-year international students”)
Tip: Keep screenshots of the official pages in a single “Japan shortlist” folder so you’re not re-searching the same info later.
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## 3) Sanity-check costs using the official cost-of-living page (Tokyo vs national baseline)
Open: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/life/cost-of-living/
The official page is useful because it explicitly states (as of our last review):
* rents in Tokyo and other large cities are higher than in rural areas
* it gives a national-average monthly housing baseline (and a Tokyo baseline)
* it also cites a national-average total monthly expenditure figure for international students (excluding study/research costs)
**How to use this without misusing it:**
* Treat the official figures as a **starting baseline**.
* Then replace “average” costs with **your actual plan**:
- your actual tuition
- your actual housing plan (dorm vs private, deposit rules, location)
- your actual commute pattern
If you want a Japan vs Korea “buffer-first” budgeting checklist:
* https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/scholarships/Japan-vs-Korea-Student-Budget-Singapore-Practical-Cost-Checklist-Guide-2026
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## 4) Sanity-check housing with the official accommodation guide (this is where surprises happen)
Open: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/life/accomodation/
This page is one of the most useful “reality checks” for Singapore families because it highlights:
* dormitories exist, but they’re limited
* many international students live in private rentals
* private rentals can involve multiple upfront costs (e.g., security deposit, gratuity money, agent fees)
* a joint guarantor is commonly required (and there are systems that may help, depending on school/contract)
**What to do with this information:**
* If dorm is important to you, verify dorm availability **early** (don’t assume).
* If you may rent privately, budget for **upfront costs**, not just monthly rent.
If you want a Singapore-friendly list of “housing questions to ask” (Japan vs Korea):
* https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/scholarships/Housing-in-Japan-vs-Korea-Singapore-Students-Dorms-Deposits-Questions-Guide-2026
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## 5) A practical decision filter: what kind of student are you?
This isn’t “Tokyo vs Osaka”. It’s usually one of these:
### A) “Keep costs predictable” type
* Use official cost + accommodation pages first.
* Prefer cities and housing plans where you can keep surprises low (dorm first year, clear deposit rules).
### B) “I want a big university environment” type
* Use the prefecture pages to shortlist universities.
* Then verify your programme requirements on the university site (language of instruction, deadlines, documents).
### C) “I’m open to regional Japan if it’s practical” type
* Use the map to explore beyond the default big cities.
* Then use the official cost-of-living page to sanity-check costs using the published baselines.
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## 6) Next action (today)
Pick one “today” task:
* Build a 3-prefecture shortlist using the official map:
- https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/why/47prefectures/
* For each prefecture, write 2 bullets:
- “Which 2 universities would I apply to?”
- “Dorm-first-year: yes/no — what must I verify?”
* Then sanity-check costs/housing (official):
- https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/life/cost-of-living/
- https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/life/accomodation/
