Rikkyo University's Ikebukuro Campus is about a 7-minute walk from Ikebukuro 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.
Rikkyo's Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Intercultural Communication, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Sociology, and Faculty of Law all stay at the Ikebukuro campus for the full four years. The classic choices are Ekoda Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line (6 minutes to Ikebukuro), Kamiitabashi and Narimasu on the Tobu Tojo Line, and Kaname-cho on the Yurakucho Line — all valued as safe, residential areas. The campus itself sits in a quiet residential pocket just a short walk from the station, with student-friendly restaurants lining "Rikkyo-dori."
The ranking below leans toward Saitama-side stations on the Saikyo and Keihin-Tohoku lines, while real student favorites like Ekoda, Kaname-cho, and Shiinamachi sit just above the ranking's rent cutoff. Seibu-Shinjuku Line stations such as Shimo-Igusa and Igusa require a transfer to reach Ikebukuro, so keep that in mind if rent is your top priority and you're browsing the list below.
Iriya (Hibiya Line) is one stop from Ueno in classic shitamachi — morning-glory markets, old shops, new cafés, and surprisingly gentle rents.
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.
Arakawa-Shakomae is a Toden Arakawa Line tram stop beside the tram depot, in a relaxed old-town neighborhood between Oji and Machiya.
Sakaecho is a tram stop beside Asukayama Park, walkable to Oji's JR and subway lines — a quietly excellent pocket of Kita-ku.
Nishi-Kawaguchi is Tokyo's go-to town for hardcore regional Chinese food, ~20 minutes from Ikebukuro at clearly discounted rents.
Takano is a Nippori-Toneri Liner stop ~15 minutes direct to Nippori — Yamanote access at some of Tokyo's lowest rents.
Kohoku is a quiet Nippori-Toneri Liner stop with a ~15-minute direct ride to Nippori and some of Tokyo's lowest rents.
Ukima-Funado opens onto a windmill-marked lakeside park, 10+ minutes to Ikebukuro with direct Shinjuku trains.
Kita-Toda is a growing Saikyo Line suburb with direct Shinjuku access in ~25 minutes — a favorite value pick for Tokyo commuters.
Arakawa-7chome is a tram stop in the heart of Arakawa's shitamachi; Machiya Station (Chiyoda Line and Keisei) is walkable, keeping both rents and living costs low.
Adachi-Odai sits on a narrow strip of land between the Arakawa and Sumida rivers, with a direct Nippori-Toneri Liner ride to Nippori. Riverside openness at a modest rent.
Toda-Koen is known for its Olympic rowing course on the Arakawa, ~15 minutes to Ikebukuro with direct Shinjuku trains.
Warabi centers Japan's smallest city with dense, cheap shopping streets and ~25-minute rides to Ueno — a definitive value commuter town.
Shimo-Igusa is a quiet Seibu Shinjuku Line local stop, ~15 minutes to Takadanobaba, with Asagaya and Ogikubo in cycling range.
Iogi is a quiet Seibu Shinjuku Line local stop in Suginami, under 20 minutes to Takadanobaba — an affordable pocket of a pricey ward.
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