Hello! I’ll be going on exchange to Rikkyo University next spring, and am applying for a dormitory now. There are a few options to choose from but I’ve basically narrowed it down to two – one in Ikebukuro that’s just a 3 min walk away from campus (17 min away from Ikebukuro station, 7 min from Kanemecho, 8 min from Shiinamachi) and another in Asakadai that’s just a minute away from the Asakadai train station. I’m leaning greatly towards the one in Ikebukuro because although Google Maps says the commute should be around 30 minutes from Asakadai to school, I’ve read online that others take around 40-45 minutes instead – and that sounds rather long… But my friend prefers the one in Asakadai so we’re struggling to come to a decision now. It’s around 263,760¥ for the Asakadai dorm vs the dorm in Ikebukuro which costs 352,000¥ (without bedding and other stuff) which is a pretty substantial difference (this is for about 4 months of stay!) My question is, do you think the convenience of not having to travel as much (plus I assume living in Tokyo rather than Saitama would be easier overall to go to places like Shibuya and so when travelling) is worth the ~88,000¥ difference in cost? The amenities and room size are more or less the same, though it might be notable that the dorm in Asakadai comes with a curfew of 12am (my friend says that probably shouldn’t be a problem since we can just stay out and wait or go back before that) and has resident supporters which I suppose would make student life there potentially a little more fun. Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated!
3 comments
It’s worth considering whether you want to take the Tobu Tojo line during the morning rush hour.
It comes down to if you prefer living in the city or living in the suburbs. That should help you answer your question.
From Asaka-dai, you have good routes into Tokyo. The Tobu Tojo line runs through there, and at Wako-shi (2 stops away) it also branches into the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line and Fukutoshin Line. Some trains will auto-branch in those directions and you can stay onboard, otherwise you can swap by walking across the platform.
All 3 lines go to Ikebukuro. Fukutoshin also goes to Yokohama through Shibuya, Shinjuku and Harajuku. There is super express service available on that line as well (F-Liner Express) that goes from Kawagoe all the way to Yokohama’s Motomachi Chukagai. The Yurakucho line has good transfer routes to places like Akihabara as well (via Ichigaya Station).
You will spend more money on transport going to hang out at Asaka-dai, but as a student you can generally get a discounted pass cheaply. However, to get to Shibuya depending on what speed of train you’re lining up with it could take you 30-40 mins to get there, so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of your budget.
If the campus in Ikebukuro is 17 min from the station, but you’re 1 minute in Asaka-dai, your transport time will probably balance out, but you’ll have much less options for local hangout without transiting by train. Asaka-dai is also a much easier station to deal with traffic wise though.