Studying in Shinjuku? Where Students Actually Live

Shinjuku is home to Waseda University and a large share of Tokyo's Japanese language schools, especially around Takadanobaba, Shin-Okubo and Yoyogi. Many students start by searching for Shinjuku apartments for rent, then realize that living one or two stations outside the ward often makes more sense. Here is how to decide.

Living inside Shinjuku ward

Inside the ward, a 1K or 1DK averages about ¥100,800 a month (Hato Mark Site, April 2026). That is high for a student budget, but there are pockets that work:

• Takadanobaba: the classic student station on the Yamanote, Tozai and Seibu Shinjuku lines. Lots of small 1K units and cheap food.
• Shimo-Ochiai and Nakai: quiet stops on the Seibu Shinjuku line, a few minutes from Takadanobaba.
• Okubo and Shin-Okubo: close to many language schools, very international, lively at night.

If you can walk to school, you save both the commute and the cost of a train pass.

Living on a direct line into Shinjuku

If your budget is tighter, choose a neighborhood with no transfers to Shinjuku Station:

• JR Chuo Line: Nakano is one stop away, and Koenji is next. Both are full of student apartments, cheap restaurants and secondhand shops.
• Keio Line: Sasazuka is about five minutes from Shinjuku and has a local shopping street with cheaper groceries. Meidaimae gives you direct trains to both Shinjuku and Shibuya.
• Odakyu Line: Kyodo and Seijo-gakuen-mae are quieter and more residential, with newer buildings for the money.

A direct line also keeps your student commuter pass (teikiken) cheaper, because the pass covers one railway company without transfers.

How station distance changes rent

Walking distance matters almost as much as the area. As a rough guide for a 1K near Shinjuku-bound lines:

A 12-minute walk with a bicycle is often the best value for students.

Paperwork for students

Most landlords ask for a residence card, proof of enrollment, proof of funds (scholarship or parental support), and a guarantor company. Start with a share house or dorm if you are arriving before you have a residence card, then move into your own apartment later.

This guide to direct train access to Shinjuku for students compares the Chuo, Keio and Odakyu lines in more detail, with full move-in cost examples.

Find your room

See what is available now on the Shinjuku apartments for rent page, or widen your search to apartments for rent along any line into Shinjuku. Arealty works with landlords who accept student visas and helps you in English from the first inquiry.

The right student apartment is not always in Shinjuku. Often it is one direct train away, and searching Shinjuku apartments for rent alongside those stations shows you the full picture.