Tokyo
Japan · CIEE · IES Abroad · Temple University Japan
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Travel advisory
Level 1 · Exercise normal precautions
Normal precautions. Japan is seismically active; know your building's evacuation plan.
Visa and entry
Difficulty: Moderate Lead time: 2–4 months, most of it waiting on the school
You need a Student visa, but you cannot start it yourself. Your host school applies for a Certificate of Eligibility on your behalf, which takes one to three months, and only then do you apply at the Japanese consulate. Your timeline depends on your program's paperwork, so chase them early.
Apply or check requirements → Embassy of Japan in the US
We are students, not immigration advisers. Requirements change and depend on your citizenship and program length. Always confirm against the official consulate site above and with CU Education Abroad.
From the team
A few things worth knowing before you get there.
- Baseball beats football here. A Yomiuri Giants game at the Tokyo Dome is loud, cheap and nothing like a US game.
- Get a Suica or Pasmo card at the airport. It works on every train, bus and most convenience stores.
- The JR Pass only pays off if you are doing several long trips — do the math before buying.
- Convenience store food is genuinely good and genuinely cheap. This is not a compromise.
Students recommend
Aggregated from students who studied in Tokyo. These lists fill in as submissions come in — nothing here is invented.
Food
Where students actually eat, not where the guidebooks send you.
No submissions yet.
Nightlife
Bars, clubs and the nights out people remembered.
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Daytime spots
Parks, cafes, markets and places to work.
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Attractions
What was worth the ticket price and what was not.
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One email when we publish a new city guide
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We are students, not an agency. Everything here comes from people who went.