Kanagawa to Tokyo: 2.5hrs wasted per day

I'll be literally spending 80 minutes on each single trip, including about 30 minutes of walking time and 40 mins on the train, from school and to school. However, this really balances out the high rental fee for the International Student House「国際学生会館」(what you call hostel, or dormitory).

Tokyo「東京」...is a very... VERY expensive place to live in. Especially if anyone wants to stay in or around the "circle of Yamanote「山手線」". My school just happens to be right in the centre of it, Shinjuku「新宿」. I was planning to stay at Hatsudai「初台」, which is just one-stop away by train. If i really stayed there, i'll end up spending literally close to SG$1000 solely on accomodation.

I know... I'm on scholarship, and the Japanese goverment also gives me monthly living allowance. But...THAT is definitely still too expensive, even for an average Japanese family. In comparison, I'll only be spending about SG$670 on accomodation in Kanagawa, compared to Tokyo's SG$980.

And so, I'm just a little glad I got posted to stay at the International Student House at Kanagawa Prefecture「神奈川」 (Sagamiono「相模大野」). Although Kanagawa is still like the 3rd largest city of Japan, after Tokyo and Osaka「大阪」, living cost there is relatively lower than really staying in Tokyo itself.

Kanagawa is NOT in Tokyo, for your information. It's going to be like travelling between two different areas, imagine Singapore to Johor Bahru. But thank goodness the train network in Japan is so wonderful (messy and complicated at the same time)it literally connects everywhere in Tokyo, so i'll still just be taking one line straight to and from school everyday, it'll take 40 mins on train though.

I just have to imagine Japanese rush-hour trains and I'll want to vomit...and yes, i'll have to deal with that.

Odakyuu-sen 「小田急線」is HELL in morning rush-hour, and so my Japanese friend tells me. I just hope I can get to SIT throughout my 40-min journey straight to Tokyo Met. Shinjuku.

Mai stayed at Kanagawa for the exact same reason, maybe it's pure coincidence, or maybe it's just THAT obvious...that nobody would want to stay in Tokyo, and so looks for cheaper options in Kanagawa (or Saitama).