Japan Language School Dorm Safety: A Parents' Checklist

The short verdict: choose a school-run (or school-approved) dormitory if your child is going abroad for the first time and their Japanese is still around N5. Choose a share house if they're already fairly independent, manage N4 or better, and want to trim costs. Neither is safe automatically, though, so here's how I'd compare them, criterion by criterion.

Cost: what the rent really covers

School dorms usually run about ¥30,000–¥50,000 a month in Tokyo and Osaka, a little less in Fukuoka or smaller cities. Share houses tend to sit around ¥35,000–¥60,000. These are approximate; get the figures in writing from the school or operator.

My first tip for parents is to ask one question: "What do we pay on top of the rent?" Request a line-by-line list covering electricity, gas, water, internet, bedding, cleaning fee, deposit (shikikin), and the penalty for a lost key. Plenty of dorms add a "common fee" of ¥3,000–¥8,000 a month. If you're comparing study abroad cost from Bangladesh across countries, count these hidden lines, not just tuition. More on budgeting is on our fees page.

Safety: how to check it yourself

You can verify a dorm without any middleman, and it isn't hard. This week:

1. Ask the school for the full address and the name of the owner or management company.
2. Open Google Maps Street View. Check the walk from the station, street lighting, and whether a konbini is nearby.
3. Ask about auto-lock, fire alarms, emergency exits, and whether earthquake instructions are posted in English or easy Japanese.
4. Find out how many share a room, whether bathrooms and kitchens are shared, and whether men's and women's floors are separate.
5. Get a copy of the contract in advance and have it explained in English or Bangla.

One honest caution: some dorms look wonderful in photos and turn out old and cramped. Ask your child to video-call from the room in the first week. Don't rely on pictures alone.

Rules and curfew: how much freedom

Parents often worry about student dormitory rules and curfews in Japan. In school dorms, expect a return time around 11 p.m. to midnight, or at least a rule to notify staff if you'll be late. If a part-time shift ends at 10 p.m., check the two fit. Share houses usually have no curfew, but quiet hours after 10 p.m., rubbish-sorting days and no-overnight-guest rules are taken seriously. Neighbour complaints over unsorted trash aren't something you want on record.

Emergency contacts: who to call after midnight

This is the part that matters most. Sit down with your child and make a card, and save it on the phone's lock screen too:

• 110 for police, 119 for ambulance and fire.
• The dorm manager's 24-hour number. The office line won't answer at midnight, so ask for a separate one.
• The school's emergency teacher contact.
• The nearest hospital's name and address written in Japanese.
• The Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo.
• One family member's WhatsApp, someone who will actually pick up at night.

Don't hesitate to ask the school for a written answer on the dorm's emergency contact process. Good schools don't mind. They're relieved.

Future options: where you go after the dorm

School dorms usually suit the first six months to a year. After that, many students rent their own flat near university or vocational college, which needs a guarantor, shikikin and reikin, and costs more. A share house is a sensible middle step. If you're weighing a school dorm against a share house, my rule of thumb is dorm in year one, share house later if needed. And if you're hunting for the cheapest country to study abroad, remember that cheap isn't only low rent; safety and clean paperwork are part of the real cost.

To keep the address consistent with your visa file, read our COE guide and the visa requirements guide. For the bigger picture, see studying in Japan from Bangladesh. If you're comparing a student visa consultancy in Bangladesh, ask them the same dorm questions above.

I counsel students and parents at the Inochi Global Education Institute North Badda, Pragati Sarani office in Dhaka. If a dorm contract or cost list leaves you unsure, bring the papers and we'll go through them together, as part of our study in Japan support service.