Nihon University's College of Art (Ekoda) is about a 1-minute walk from Ekoda 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.
Nihon University's College of Art is a one-minute walk from Ekoda Station, and students remain at this single campus for all four years. The shopping street in front of the station is lined with affordable restaurants popular with students, and Sakuradai, Nerima, Kotake-Mukaihara, and Senkawa are also within commuting range. Other university campuses sit nearby too, giving the area an old-fashioned student-town buzz, and a university-affiliated dormitory near campus is popular as well.
The ranking below centers on farther-out stations along the Seibu Ikebukuro and Tobu Tojo lines, such as Kiyose, Heiwadai, and Higashi-Kurume, and none of them match the real favorites — Ekoda, Sakuradai, Nerima. They do sit further along the same lines, though, so treat the list as an option for pushing rent down even further.
Heiwadai offers direct Yurakucho/Fukutoshin Line rides to Ikebukuro (~10 min), Shinjuku, and Shibuya from a calm residential base — remarkable value for a subway station.
Ukima-Funado opens onto a windmill-marked lakeside park, 10+ minutes to Ikebukuro with direct Shinjuku trains.
Tokiwadai's radial, tree-lined streets earned it the nickname 'Itabashi's Den-en-chofu' — planned-town beauty ~8 minutes from Ikebukuro.
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.
Kami-Itabashi couples busy south-exit shopping streets with the big Johoku Central Park, ~10 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Tobu-Nerima centers on a big Aeon mall with a student crowd from Daito Bunka University, ~15 minutes to Ikebukuro.
Oyama is defined by its 560m Happy Road arcade and a ~5-minute ride to Ikebukuro — arguably Tokyo's best cost-performance for singles.
Shimo-Itabashi is two local stops — or a bike ride — from Ikebukuro, one of the cheapest ways to live within reach of the hub.
Hikawadai pairs cherry-lined riverside calm with direct subway rides to Ikebukuro (~8 min), Shinjuku, and Shibuya.
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) →
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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