Study in Japan cost database
Last checked: 2026-11-06
Search school fees, living costs and scholarships in one table. The 19 rows come from official pages and two published school fee lists. Filter by type, or by the kind of student a row applies to.
19 entries
| Item | Type | Amount | Period | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-year language school fees, Study in Japan range | School fees | About 610,000 to 1,900,000 yen | First year | Admission and tuition only. Exam fees, materials and practical training may be charged separately. | Study in Japan |
| Yoshida Institute, 1 year | School fees | 843,000 yen | 1 year, from the October 2026 term | One Tokyo example, not a ranking or market average. Application 25,000 yen, admission 98,000 yen, tuition 684,000 yen, other fees 36,000 yen. JLPT and EJU textbooks are not covered. The application fee is not refunded. Yoshida said its October and January courses had reached capacity on November 6, 2026. | Yoshida Institute |
| JASSO Tokyo center, 1 year | School fees | 842,867 yen | 1 year, April 2027 intake | Our own sum of 822,867 yen course fees and the 20,000 yen selection fee. One Tokyo example, not a ranking. No installments. Fees paid are generally not refunded. | JASSO Tokyo center |
| Yoshida Institute, 1 year plus 6-month continuation | School fees | 1,203,000 yen | 18 months | Our own sum. The 6-month continuation lists no insurance in its operating fee, so it is not exactly like the JASSO course. | Yoshida Institute |
| JASSO Tokyo center, 1.5-year course | School fees | 1,212,337 yen | 18 months | Our own sum, with the selection fee. | JASSO Tokyo center |
| Average living cost, Japan | Living costs | 105,000 yen a month | 2023 JASSO survey | National average, excluding study costs. Our own sums: 1,260,000 yen for 12 months, 1,890,000 yen for 18 months. | Study in Japan |
| Average rent, Japan | Living costs | 41,000 yen a month | 2023 JASSO survey | National average. | Study in Japan |
| Average rent, Tokyo | Living costs | 57,000 yen a month | 2023 JASSO survey | 16,000 yen a month above the national average, or 192,000 yen for 12 months (our own sum). This changes rent only. | Study in Japan |
| Worked budget, low end of fees | Worked budget | 1,870,000 yen (2,062,000 yen with Tokyo rent) | 12 months | Our own calculation: 610,000 yen fees plus 1,260,000 yen living costs. Leaves out flights, visa costs, moving-in costs and any money you earn. | Study in Japan |
| Worked budget, example school | Worked budget | 2,103,000 yen (2,295,000 yen with Tokyo rent) | 12 months | Our own calculation: 843,000 yen Yoshida Institute fees plus 1,260,000 yen living costs. Leaves out flights, visa costs, moving-in costs and any money you earn. | Yoshida Institute |
| Worked budget, high end of fees | Worked budget | 3,160,000 yen (3,352,000 yen with Tokyo rent) | 12 months | Our own calculation: 1,900,000 yen fees plus 1,260,000 yen living costs. Leaves out flights, visa costs, moving-in costs and any money you earn. | Study in Japan |
| JASSO Honors Scholarship, language school | Scholarship | 30,000 yen a month | Not stated for language schools | Places are limited and your school must nominate you. It does not cover tuition. No Japanese requirement is listed, but you must aim to enter higher education in the following year. 360,000 yen assumes 12 months, which the page does not state. Do not plan your budget on it. | Study in Japan |
| JASSO Honors Scholarship, university | Scholarship | 48,000 yen a month | Generally one year, or six months from October | For self-funded students on a Student visa. It does not cover tuition. Japanese rule: N2, or EJU 200+, or English at B2. Also check the 2.30 grade average, money from abroad averaging under 90,000 yen a month (excluding entrance and tuition fees), and school nomination. Each school has limited places. | Study in Japan |
| MEXT, Japanese Studies | Scholarship | 117,000 yen a month, plus 2,000 or 3,000 yen in some regions | Up to one year (2026 guidelines) | Amounts may change each year, and we have not seen the 2027 guidelines. Tuition and entrance fees waived, economy ticket with conditions. Age 18 to 29. No N-level named: the rule is Japanese good enough for university study. Any certificate you send should be dated no earlier than two years before you apply. If you do not return and continue your degree, you may have to repay it. | MEXT 2026 guidelines |
| MEXT, research students | Scholarship | 143,000 yen a month for preparatory and non-regular students, 144,000 yen for master's and professional degrees, 145,000 yen for doctoral courses | Depends on the route | 2027 guidelines. Regional allowance of 2,000 or 3,000 yen in some regions, and the amount may change each fiscal year. Age: under 35. The embassy exam covers Japanese and English. | MEXT 2027 guidelines |
| MEXT, teacher training | Scholarship | 143,000 yen a month | 1 year 6 months | 2026 amount from one embassy notice. We did not read this program's guidelines, so use them to confirm. Age: under 35. | Embassy of Japan in Georgia |
| MEXT, undergraduate | Scholarship | 117,000 yen a month | 5 years by the embassy route, 7 for some fields | 2027 guidelines. Regional allowance of 2,000 or 3,000 yen in some regions, and the amount may change each fiscal year. Age: under 25. The embassy exam adds mathematics and science. | MEXT 2027 guidelines |
| MEXT, college of technology | Scholarship | 117,000 yen a month | 4 years, with exceptions | 2027 guidelines. Regional allowance of 2,000 or 3,000 yen in some regions, and the amount may change each fiscal year. Age: under 25. | MEXT 2027 guidelines |
| MEXT, specialized training college | Scholarship | 117,000 yen a month | 3 years | 2027 guidelines. Regional allowance of 2,000 or 3,000 yen in some regions, and the amount may change each fiscal year. Age: under 25. | MEXT 2027 guidelines |
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How to read this data
- Our own sums are marked. Those rows add up figures from the pages we read. They are not published totals.
- The two schools are examples. Both are in Tokyo. They are not a ranking or a market average.
- Living costs are averages. They come from the 2023 JASSO survey and exclude study costs. Yours may differ.
- Scholarship amounts may change each year. The Japanese Studies row uses the 2026 guidelines, the latest we could read for it. Research, undergraduate, college of technology and specialized training college rows use the 2027 guidelines.
- The teacher training amount is from an embassy. It is a 2026 figure from the Embassy of Japan in Georgia. We did not read that program's guidelines.
- MEXT age limits and lengths are a summary. They come from Study in Japan, which says to follow the latest guidelines if they differ.
Worked example
Filter by Worked budget. The example school row starts with Yoshida Institute's 843,000 yen for one year. Add 12 months at the 105,000 yen average, which is 1,260,000 yen. The total is 2,103,000 yen. Tokyo rent adds 192,000 yen, for 2,295,000 yen.
Now filter by Scholarship. If JASSO's language school rate ran for 12 months, it would be 360,000 yen, or about 17% of that 2,103,000 yen. The page does not state the period, and places are limited. Study in Japan itself says to plan your budget without relying on a scholarship.
What this data leaves out
- Flights, visa costs and moving-in costs. We have no sourced figure for these.
- Any money you earn. We do not estimate income.
- Other schools. We looked at two fee lists. Ask each school for its first-year total and what it leaves out.
- Who gets a scholarship. We list conditions to check. Your embassy or school decides. Do not treat a row as a promise of funding.
- The 2027 MEXT Japanese Studies guidelines. We have not seen them.
The Embassy of Japan in Ireland says Japanese Studies candidates should preferably have N2, but that it is not essential. That is an embassy page for its own applicants, not MEXT's guidelines, so it is not in the table. Ask your embassy.
Read the full language school budget and our MEXT and JASSO comparison. See also which JLPT level you need for Japan. Not ready to move? Try the tutor cost calculator.