How much monthly spending for a student in Japan ?

 Dear my friends, 

I hope you safe and sound. Today I would like to share with you how much I spent my monthly in Japan. Before I started informing you. I would like you to know several things as follow: 

1. I have been pursuing my master degree in International University of Japan (IUJ).
2. I am a JICA scholar. So, all my tuition and also monthly spending are given from JICA. 
3. IUJ is located in Minamiuonuma, Perfecture Niigata. It is a country side and my campus is surrounded by rice fields. I close to nature. 

Because I have been living in country side, I didin't spend to much for my monthly needs. Except, I visit another place and buy the clothes or others, I will spend more.  

Here is my spending. 

STUDENT DORMITORY (SD) 

I am staying in a student dormitory which is a bit expensive than staying off campus (rental house outside campus). But, staying in SD 1 is cheaper than staying in SD3. There is no lift in SD1. My friend ever asked me whether I wanted to move out to SD3 or not, because she told me that SDI was spooky. But I like its lounge. SDI's lounge is the biggest I think among other dormitories. Actually, I am afraid of ghost. But I remember my father ever said that no human was died by a ghost (eaten by ghost). I can recite Quran or sleep whenever I feel scared.   

For example my expenses for December (related to my Dorm) in 2019, as follow: 

You can see that my hot water expense is bigger than electricity. It because in December was snowing, so, it was cold and I have a bad habit for taking a long shower. For the printer use, you see that in each of dormitory also available the print. It is connected via campus wifi. When we want to use the printer we have to log in with our username through the wifi. That's why, I like living in a dormitory for its access and also close to the class room.  

Oh yeah, actually if you choose to live off campus, you can get cheaper monthly payment by sharing with your friends. If you are lucky, you can get a sharing house. For the information of a sharing house, you can join facebook group : Uonuma Network Group.

Next, 

MONTLHY SPENDING (SHOPPING)

My monthly spending is varied from about 20.000,- yen to 50.000, yen ... Every Saturday I can shop at DAISO and AEON. But, for weekly needs, Cupid Yamato will do. I forgot what I spent about 9.670 yen. It was the most expensive I ever spent in a supermarket. 

For the tuition, I do not know, because JICA directly gave it to my university. 

I hope this blog is useful for you who want to continue study in Japan. Especially, in International University of Japan. 

Maybe in other blog I will share the different season in Minamiuonuma. 

Thank you. 

How my Friends respond to Covid19

Good morning all ... 

A couple months ago, I created a form asking my friends' opinion (IUJ students from IDP Program and Indonesian Friends) on Covid19. I made the form with nameless.  Some of my friends (only nine people) answered my question as follow: 

Question nomor 1: How did you see the effect of Corona Virus on economic condition? 

Answer : 

Student 1= Global recession.

Student 2= No worries. 

Student 3= TFP will decrease because some industries cannot get enough resources for production, especially resources from China. 

Student 4= Hm... karena wabah penyakit ini telah menyebar kebeberapa negara. Tentu saja kebijakan yang diambil oleh pemerintah negara tsb berbeda-beda. Untuk Jepang yang menyarankan warganya untuk mengurangi aktivitas di luar rumah, tentu konsumsi dan produksi berpengaruh terhadap ekonomi. Begitu juga dengan Italia. Di Indonesia pemerintahnya menganjurkan untuk melakukan perjalanan wisata dengan memberikan diskon tiket. Namun kekhawatiran akan terjangkit menyebabkan warganya tidak mau melakukan perjalanan wisata walaupun diberikan subsidi harga tiket. 

Student 5= It will effect economy by both supply shock.

Studendt 6= Kondisi ekonomi melemah, dikarenakan pemerintah dan perusahaan besar fokus untuk mengurangi resiko dan dampak dari virus tersebut. Kondisi seperti ini mungkin hanya bersfat temporary, dan diharapkan ke depannya ekonomi kembali berfungsi dengan normal. 

Student 7=It is fasting spreading. 

Student 8= In my home town in Central of Vietnam, Corona Virus has effected on tourism significantly. Since tourism is one of the key industries with top list of countries from Korea, Japan, China, and Australia, America, etc. The number of tourists is dramatically decreasing due to the infection that the government is restricting most of flights from those countries. Some of the hotels or resorts are considering to be closed down for temporary due to the high cost of service maintenance while other entertaining places such restaurants, bars, parks, etc are not in business. People are in danger of losing their jobs.

Student 9= Many trends are going the opposite way, contigency plan therefore is always important at anytime.

 

Qestion number 2: Do you have any advice how to deal with this Corona Virus? 

Answer:

Student 1=Just listent to what expert says.

Student 2= No.

Student 3= Keep clean (washing hand).

Student 4= Follow all regulation and advice from your local authority. For us in IUJ, follow the guidelines that IUJ given. In terms of medical, we need to find the "vaksin" asap. 

Student 5= Don't be panicked and be well prepared with proper information. 

Student 6= Bersikap biaja aja, jangan panik, namun tetap menjaga kesehatan. Tidak hanya karena virus corona, menjaga kesehatan itu harus terus dilakukan, bahkan setelah wabah ini usai.Tingkatkan daya tahan tubuh dengan cara mengkonsumsi makanan yang baik dan berolah raga, dan menggunakan masker apabila sedang flu atau batuk, untuk mengurangi penyebaran kepada orang lain. 

Student 7= Wash your hand systematically and frequently and keep yourself healthy. 

Studnet 8= One of the advice is that through TV and social channels, the government should provide further information on the spread of Corona Virus as well as instructions on preventing themselves from getting infected so that people can have a higher awareness on this global epidemic. Next is that people should seriously take this issue into account and properly follow basic necessary prevention measures such us washing hands frequently every 20 seconds, wearing a mask whenever going to crowded places, getting checked at hospitals if any symptoms such as fever, coughing, etc. Beside, the government may call for help by fundrising from big corporates or other stakeholders together to offer people who are in quarantine period and provide the locals with medical consultant or toolkits  so that the locals can have immediate check-up when needed as well as free supply of masks to the locals etc.

Student 9= Don't travel to those infected places much. 

NB: I wrote the form in March 2020

The basket and the Lady who gave us the dried flowers and chilly : a story from a small cafe

How to keep ourselves in a positive condition is by making ourselves busy. 

Yesterday was a full day for me. I had a lovely activities with my friend, Alex, in Koide making a basket. 

Here is my basket made by me in collaboration with the coach. 

My handmade 

Please, do not disturb with the flowers in the basket. Hehehee.. this photo is taken after we finished basket making. I took a moment with Alex to take the photos. We picked up selected flowers and put it in the basket. Really nice right? 

For the basket making we only paid about 1000 yen. But, this cost also including our lunch. I think it is cheap. There were no many participants. I think it was only about 7 people who registered. But it was fun engaging with local people, though I can not speak Japanese. Unfortunately, Popi who can speak Japanese could not come due to working reason. 

My basket and the flowers 

Also,

My basket with the pink flowers

Next, from Koide we return to Urasa. While waiting the IUJ bus, me and Alex having an ice cream in a  cafe behind Urasa station. 

When I entered the cafe, I thought the cafe was a big, in fact, it was a small cafe. 

Here is the ice cream. 

Ice cream 

The price of the ice cream is about 670 yen. The portion is worth it with the price.

There was a surprised story from the cafe. The lady whom the owner of the cafe I assumed, she looked at our basket and told me that the seeds in my basket from the flower which I could not remember it in Japanese. We told her, that the seeds were from Koide area. From the flower that has long diameter. 

This flower what I meant, do you know what is the name? 

 

So wide

Then, surprisingly, the lady return to us with the dried flowers, chilly and another one (in Indonesia we call it ciplukan). She told us, it was from her garden. When I saw the dried flowers, it was dried lavenders and hydrangea. 

The dried lavender from the lady

The dried lavender was smelled good. 

The dried "ciplukan" ore golden berry from the lady

Then, 

My basket with the lady's given to me

 Okay, before finish this blog. I have another thought about the cafe. It inspired me as follow:

1. If you want to run the small business, start it from the home. It is what Japanese people do here. The cafe is just a small place actually, but she manage to open the coffee shop. Sorry, I didin't take the picture of the place. 
2. The cafe can only served about 12 people I think. 
3. For making the place looked beautiful, we can add beautiful ornament. 
4. Even though it is a small coffee shop but there is toilet. It is very clean toilet. 
5. The menu itself has to be okay. The ice cream is delicious. 
6. Unfortunately the menu is written in Japanese. I think if the menu written in Japanese, the picture should be added. So, for non Japanese speak language, we can see the picture. 
7. The lady is so communicative with us. I think it because my friend, Alex, is so friendly and communicative as well. That's why the lady welcomed us and gave us dried flowers. 

NB: for the basket making, I will post it in my Youtube. 

Voucher from Minamiuonuma City

Good morning my friends, 

Start from today, I have decided to write my blog in English. 

I have told you about some of the benefits I received from Minamiuonuma city during this pandemic as a foreign student here.  

I will call to mind those benefits that I have received here: 

1. Subsidy benefit. 
2. Free masker. 
3. Voucher.  

Voucher is the most recent one. To get the voucher, we need to received the invitation card from the city office first. The invitation is just like this. 

From City Office 

This card is delivered to our dorm mailbox.  We need to exchange this card into voucher in certain place just like in  the Urasa station. 

Back look

In the back, they provide an empty box. We need to write how much the voucher we want to exchange. The minimum is 1 voucher, and maximum is 4 vouchers. The detail is like this;  

• I voucher = 5000 = 2500 yen 
• 2 voucher=10.000 =5000 yen 
• 3 voucher=15.000 = 7500 yen 
• 4 voucher = 20.000= 10.000 yen 

I only bought 1 voucher for 2500 yen, and I have used the voucher to for the meals. Here is the voucher's look. 

This Voucher can be used only for the things as follow: 

Notes for using this voucher: 

1. This voucher can only be used on transactions for dining, accommodation (souvenirs or services you are billed for at lodging facilities), or taxi and daiko services. This can not be exchanged for cash. 
2. Small change can not be made even when you purchase total is less than that of the total face value of the voucher. 
3. This voucher can not be exchanged, transferred or traded. 
4. Minamiuonuma City and the Minamiuonuma City Resort Tourist Association will assume no responsibility in regard to the theft, destruction,  or loss of this voucher.
5. This voucher cannot be used after the expire date has passed. 

This voucher is valid until December 31, 2020. 

Actually, if we see the voucher, there is barcode.  If we scan this barcode, we will find out the lists of the places/stores that accept the vouchers. 

But, this voucher is not eligible for the stores handling groceries and electrical appliances. 

My impression: 

I see this voucher as a policy to help the local economy. Especially, for helping the household business. As long as i knew, there are some stores owned by particular family that runs for dining business.  I personally say thank you very much for the concern of Minamiuonuma city's concern, especially to foreign students who have been studying here.