Waseda

If you stay in Tokyo for a long time, why don’t you visit some universities? Waseda University, for example, is located in Shinjuku, the central Tokyo. It is just 20 minutes from the crowded and noisy Shinjuku station, however, is surrounded by the quiet residences. In the daytime, you will see a lot of lively students hanging around tiny streets. You will also see lots of Gaijins (or foreigners) in this area. You might see them chatting on the street in varieties of languages, hanging out with his/her Japanese boyfriend/girlfriend, or even working at a grocery store. Along the main street, there are several shops and restaurants opening until late night / early morning, or ever for 24 hours. On the other hand, once you go into the tiny streets, you may find some old aspects of Japanese culture. Even for the Japanese, it is sometimes a time-traveling experience back to 40 years ago.

It is quite expensive to have lunch at old-fashioned restaurants in Japan. Set meals are still cheaper, and definitely help students with little money in this area. Obento (or lunch box) is another option to save money. You can find cheap apartments and guesthouses for students. Some do not even have bathroom. In that case, they go to Sento (or public bath). Sento is not only for cleaning their body but also for communicating with others. When you go into the bathtub, you have to make sure that you can stand the hot water. It is often too hot, even for the Japanese, so you should really be careful.

Enjoy your visit to Tokyo.