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. 

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.