Midream Japanese Language School is about a 4-minute walk from Okubo Station. It's in the Hyakunincho / Okubo area. For language school students, the guarantor requirement, low upfront costs, and contract flexibility often matter even more than they do for university students. Here are the 15 cheapest stations within roughly 30 minutes* of it, sorted by studio rent.
Shin-Okubo and Okubo host one of the largest clusters of Japanese language schools in Tokyo. Long known as a “Koreatown,” the area is in fact home to a wide mix of communities — Vietnamese, Nepali, Thai, and more — with Asian grocery stores and eateries throughout. It’s also known for a dense concentration of share houses and small private rooms built specifically for international students, making it relatively easy to find a low-cost, short-term place to live. The ranking below sorts stations by rent; widening your search a station or two along the same line usually opens up more options.
| # | Station | Time* | Studio | 1K/1DK | Lines | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shimoigusa | 29 min | ¥81,000 | ¥105,000 | Seibu Shinjuku Line | Suginami City |
| 2 | Hikarigaoka | 26 min | ¥82,000 | ¥83,000 | Toei Oedo Line | Nerima City |
| 3 | Shinsakuradai | 27 min | ¥83,000 | ¥98,000 | Seibu Yurakucho Line | Nerima City |
| 4 | Kitaakabane | 28 min | ¥84,000 | ¥93,000 | JR Saikyo Line | Kita City |
| 5 | Chitosekarasuyama | 29 min | ¥84,000 | ¥95,000 | Keio Line | Setagaya City |
| 6 | Fujimidai | 29 min | ¥86,000 | ¥87,000 | Seibu Ikebukuro Line | Nerima City |
| 7 | Oyama | 28 min | ¥87,000 | ¥96,000 | Tobu Tojo Line | Itabashi City |
| 8 | Ekoda | 28 min | ¥87,000 | ¥103,000 | Seibu Ikebukuro Line | Nerima City |
| 9 | Shitaitahashi | 26 min | ¥88,000 | ¥102,000 | Tobu Tojo Line | Toshima City |
| 10 | Nerimakasugacho | 23 min | ¥89,000 | ¥90,000 | Toei Oedo Line | Nerima City |
| 11 | Shin-Egota | 16 min | ¥90,000 | ¥100,000 | Toei Oedo Line | Nakano City |
| 12 | Saginomiya | 27 min | ¥91,000 | ¥99,000 | Seibu Shinjuku Line | Nakano City |
| 13 | Shirotahashi | 16 min | ¥92,000 | ¥110,000 | Keio Line | Setagaya City |
| 14 | Sakurajosui | 22 min | ¥92,000 | ¥108,000 | Keio Line | Setagaya City |
| 15 | Senkawa | 26 min | ¥92,000 | ¥103,000 | Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line / Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line | Toshima City |
Shimo-Igusa is a quiet Seibu Shinjuku Line local stop, ~15 minutes to Takadanobaba, with Asagaya and Ogikubo in cycling range.
Hikarigaoka is the Oedo Line's terminus — guaranteed seats to central Tokyo — beside a huge park and full shopping infrastructure.
Shin-Sakuradai rides directly onto the Fukutoshin/Yurakucho lines, with Ekoda's student-town eats a short walk away — low-profile, well-priced.
Kita-Akabane's platforms sit over a river, one stop from Akabane's famed eating streets — Akabane life at a discount, ~10 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Chitose-Karasuyama pairs a bustling local shopping street with a ~20-minute Keio Line ride to Shinjuku — long popular as Setagaya's affordable corner.
Oyama is defined by its 560m Happy Road arcade and a ~5-minute ride to Ikebukuro — arguably Tokyo's best cost-performance for singles.
Ekoda is a classic student town (Musashi Univ., Nihon Univ. College of Art) with cheap eats and lively shopping streets, ~10 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Shimo-Itabashi is two local stops — or a bike ride — from Ikebukuro, one of the cheapest ways to live within reach of the hub.
Shin-Egota offers direct Oedo Line rides toward Shinjuku from a calm Nakano neighborhood near Tetsugakudo Park.
Daitabashi is minutes from Shinjuku on the Keio Line yet keeps a low-key, Okinawa-town charm — the cheapest pocket this close to Shinjuku.
Sakurajosui is a Keio express stop and Nihon University student town, ~15 minutes to Shinjuku with student-friendly prices.
Most language school students arrive without a local guarantor, and courses often run just 6 months to 2 years. Share houses typically require no guarantor, deposit, or key money, so you can move in for roughly ¥30,000–50,000 — even on a short-term contract.
Find a share house →Want more privacy? Furnished apartments / Standard rentals
Compare options in Dorm vs. Apartment vs. Share House, or read Student housing in Japan: a guide for international students. Compare rents line by line on the line index.
*Travel times are estimates based on local trains (plus ~6 min per transfer). Express services are often faster.
*Rents are market estimates based on SUUMO listings and vary by season and property. Station data: ©ekidata.jp