Joshibi University of Art and Design's Suginami Campus is about a 8-minute walk from Higashikoenji Station. Here are the 15 cheapest stations within roughly 30 minutes* of it, sorted by studio rent. Balancing rent and commute time is the key to a comfortable first apartment in Tokyo — start your search from this list.
Joshibi University of Art and Design fixes each department to a campus: the Suginami campus hosts the Art and Design Expression and Co-Creative Design departments plus the junior college, while the Fine Arts and Design/Crafts departments — the school's core studio programs — commute to the Sagamihara campus in Kanagawa. Which prefecture you should even live in depends on your department, so check that first. There's no relocation between years.
Around the Suginami campus, the real favorites are Higashi-Koenji Station on the Marunouchi Line, an 8-minute walk away, along with Shin-Nakano and Nakano-Fujimicho, both also within walking distance. The neighborhood is a quiet residential area, yet Shinjuku is only a few subway stops away.
The ranking below centers on cheaper stations toward Nerima Ward, such as Hikarigaoka and Nerima-Kasugacho — none of the real favorites (Higashi-Koenji, Shin-Nakano, Nakano-Fujimicho) appears on it. Use the Higashi-Koenji rent level as your baseline, and treat the ranking as a set of budget alternatives nearby.
Hikarigaoka is the Oedo Line's terminus — guaranteed seats to central Tokyo — beside a huge park and full shopping infrastructure.
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.
Sasazuka is ~4 minutes from Shinjuku yet keeps its friendly shopping-street life — big-city access at a neighborhood price.
Nerima crosses the Seibu and Oedo lines with station-front shopping and the Harry Potter studio tour nearby — Ikebukuro in ~6 minutes at Nerima-level rents.
In Japan there are often only a few weeks between acceptance and the start of term. A furnished apartment cuts both the setup work and the upfront costs, so you can start student life right away. See the Housing Guide (furnished / share house / standard rental) →
See the results-to-move-in timeline →
Compare rents line by line on the line index, or explore the area map.
*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