Special Graduate Program at the Graduate School of Engineering
Admitted Candidates

5.FAQs

This Guidance Information (for admitted candidates) provides you with information on how to enrol in the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo. First read Logistics for Admitted Candidates, and then navigate through each subsequent tab.


If you have any enquiries even after reading this Guidance Information (for admitted candidates), please read this FAQ page and you may be able to find your answers.

If you still cannot find your answers, then please contact Your ICT Admissions Desk.

Application for an External Scholarship

Q1. My financial status for admission is self-supporting, and I am now applying for an external scholarship. The scholarship foundation office asks me to submit a recommendation letter from my prospective supervisor at the University of Tokyo. What should I do?

A1. Please send your request to your designated contact on the ICT staff as soon as possible. Include detailed information about the scholarship, such as terms and conditions. Even though all ICT staff members work hard to support your scholarship application, it is impossible to answer emails immediately after you send them, because they are working with many students each with different application conditions. Please allow ample time when you send emails to your designated contact on the ICT staff, and expect to wait at most three days before you receive a reply.

Family

Q1. Why should my family come a few months later?

A1. There are many legal procedures, such as visas, accommodation, finance, etc., that need to be handled in order to welcome your family. Not only will you likely feel overwhelmed by the extra bureaucracy, but also your family members as well as your tutor may feel excessive stress. It is much easier to come by yourself alone to begin with, establish your living environment, and then welcome your family.

The School of Engineering believes that it is very natural for you to live with your spouse and children while in Tokyo. However, before inviting your family, we recommend you think carefully about the current living conditions in Tokyo.
During the first couple of months in Tokyo, you will be extremely busy both as a student, and in settling in to life in Japan. You should consider the extra expense incurred by the presence of dependents. In addition to more expensive living quarters, you will also be obliged to arrange legal documentation such as a Certificate of Eligibility for your family members.
In general, we recommend that you initially come on your own, and then invite your spouse and children after you have become accustomed and settled in to life in Japan.


Q2. Do you help with visa for my family members?

A2. No, the School of Engineering does not help you with visa applications for your family members. The University of Tokyo proapply).
For more information about support for visas, please refer to the Private Life page.

Japanese Language Classes at the School of Engineering

Q1. What is the difference between Japanese Language classes (JLC) offered by the School of Engineering and the various JLCs provided by the other departments, the JLC Komaba Research Campus, or the Center for Japanese Language Education?

A1. You can find the answers at the following link: FAQs for JLCSE
If your prospective department has its own Japanese Language Class, we strongly recommend that you visit the webpage for each relevant Japanese Language Class as well.

Health

Q1. Do I have to undergo a chest X-ray examination before coming to Japan?

A1. No, you do not have to undergo a chest X-ray examination before your enrolment at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), because every October and April, the University of Tokyo provides you with an opportunity for a physical and medical check-up after enrolment.

Housing


Q1. Why does the School of Engineering place such an emphasis on housing allocation?

A1. It is very important that you have somewhere to live immediately after your arrival in Tokyo. Your very first step is to register your residential address at a local municipal office. The resident card is necessary for you to complete other official legal registrations such as university enrolment, opening bank accounts, joining the national health insurance scheme, and so on. All of these should be completed within a short period after your arrival. A temporary residence, for example a hotel, is not usually accepted for alien registration at a local municipal office. You will need to confirm the regulations and conditions for each case by yourself.

Q2. Can I cancel my room at the UTokyo dormitory if I do not like it?

A2. The system cannot afford such flexibility. If you feel it will be difficult for you to compromise in these circumstances, please do not apply for any rooms you may not feel comfortable enough with. Simply limit your applications to rooms that you can tolerate.

Q3. Can I continue to live in a single-person room at the dormitory after my spouse arrives in Tokyo several months later?

A3. No. You will be obliged to move out of "the single-person room" at your dormitory and move somewhere else where you can live comfortably with your spouse. No room switching is available. Please note that due to limited availability, it is extremely rare for a single-occupancy tenant in a dormitory to be re-allocated a couple- or family-occupancy room in a subsequent dormitory application.

Q4. Can I reapply for another room at one of the dormitories?

A4. It is university policy to give higher priority to “first timers”, so we should advise you that it is unusual that "second timers" are allocated another dormitory room if they reapply on account of the equal opportunity policy concerning the allocation of residency.

Q5. How many opportunities are there to apply for a place in the dormitories?

A5. Twice a year. Applications can be accepted from January to move-in in April, or from July to move-in in October. If you are not allocated a room in a dormitory to move-in in October, you can try again and reapply for the UT dormitories the following January to move-in in April.

Q6. If I cannot get accommodation in the dormitories, who can provide help or support to search for a private apartment?

A6. You will need to ask your supervisor and your tutor to help, however you must understand it is impossible to conclude a contract without your physical presence at the contract signing. Also there are numerous procedures, customs, and other features of Japan’s apartment rental system you will need to understand. Please click here for further information: Private Accommodations (Apartments and Hotels)

Q7. I do not want to live in an unfurnished room. Can I easily find a furnished room?

A7. It is not easy to find furnished accommodation. Many properties in Japan are unfurnished when tenants move in. Tenants then provide their own furniture, which may mean it has to be bought. There may be furnished rooms for international residents, but those rooms cost more compared to unfurnished rooms.

Q8. I would like to live in a friend or relative's house for a certain period (more than two weeks) upon my arrival, and then I will move to an apartment which I will find by myself. What do you think of this plan?

A8. We recommend that you stay at your initial residence for at least a month or longer. You need to remember that you must register or re-register yourselves with your ward/city office, banks, university offices, etc. each time you move accommodation. This can be very time consuming. In addition, please consider the extra burden this may impose on your tutor who may need to help you as a Japanese language translator.

Q9. Which is the easiest season to find accommodation?

A9. There may be more vacancies in spring because March is the end of both the academic and fiscal year in Japan, so many more people move then.

Q10. How can I check the commuting route, and how long will it take between my future accommodation and the laboratory?

A10. The site below can be used to check train routes to and from your laboratory.

JORUDAN Norikae YAHOO Japan Norikae

Q11. Is there anything else I should know regarding my housing search?

A11. To better understand Japanese housing options, we strongly recommend you read the following URL.

(Japanese and English) Basic Knowledge of House hunting (Japanese and Chinese) Basic Knowledge of House hunting

Q12. I do not have enough money to rent an apartment by myself. Are there any student loans to support accommodation while at the University of Tokyo?

A12. No. You will need to prepare sufficient funds by yourself.


Q13. I have already bought my flight ticket and plan to arrive in Tokyo on September 23rd. If I get a UTokyo dormitory, must I change my flight reservation even though I have to pay a cancellation charge?

A12. Go to Travelling FAQ.5 for your answer.


Q14. Enquiries regarding OSTA application

Item #9.  Should I select only "a2" - "Graduate school of Engineering" alone or should I fill column (c) Administration Bureau also?

  • Answer for Item #9; Choose Graduate School of Engineering, and then write the name of your department.

Item #13. What is the difference between couple accommodation and family accommodation? I am married and my spouse will join me after my arrival in Japan.

  • On each dormitory’s page, you can find an explanation about the application eligibility for couple’s room and family room.  For example, at the International lodge, Komaba, go to the following page and click [Occupancy by Student], and you can read the explanation on Occupancy of a couple room by a student.

    Eligibility for International Lodge, Komaba Lodge Annex

Q15. Under T-cens I am listed as SELF-SUPPORTING. So in OSTA (housing online application), should I list myself as self-supporting even though I will be awarded XYX scholarship after my enrolment.

In OSTA please provide the details about your scholarship, XYZ scholarship.
In T-cens the definition of a self-supporting student is a student who does not receive any scholarships or who receives a scholarship from an organization other than the University of Tokyo or MEXT.

Traveling

Q1. Why can't I arrive on Friday afternoon?

A1. The offices of the University of Tokyo including each dormitory's offices close by 18:00. Banks and ward/city offices also close in the early evening. Even if you arrive on Friday evening, there are almost no formalities that you can complete from then. In addition you would likely be alone during the weekend. You may feel much more comfortable to arrive in Tokyo earlier in the week.

Your tutor, a student belonging to the same research laboratory as you, will assist you soon after your arrival in Tokyo. However, they do not work on weekends.

Q2. Why do you recommend us to take out travel insurance?

A2. Your official status as a student of the University of Tokyo will start after your registration at the School of Engineering. Until then, you should protect yourself against any unexpected accidents by making sure you have your own travel insurance.


Q3. Can I arrive in Tokyo earlier than the period notified by the School of Engineering?

A3.
To scholarship recipients:
You must follow the regulations of your scholarship.

To all non-scholarship students:
Please go to the Academic page and take into account the following probable consequences of an early arrival.

Q4. Can I arrive in Tokyo later than the period notified by the School of Engineering?

A4. No. You need to complete UTokyo enrolment procedures during the period notified by the School of Engineering. If you are a scholarship recipient, you must follow the regulations of your scholarship.



Q5. I have already bought my flight ticket and plan to arrive in Tokyo on September 23rd. If I get a UTokyo dormitory, must I change my flight reservation even though I have to pay a cancellation charge?

A5. To be honest, it is very hard for us to advise on this. You will need to make your own decision with due consideration for all the conditions mentioned below.

If you are successfully allocated to one of the UTokyo dormitories, you will receive a Notification of Admission to UTokyo Accommodation from the Housing Office by e-mail around the end of July with the name of your allocated dormitory and your possible move-in dates.

There is the possibility that you need to pay your monthly dormitory fee from the beginning of September due to the regulations laid down by each UTokyo dormitory. It is better for you to calculate your living expenses in Tokyo and your cancellation charge, and then decide whether it is more reasonable for you to change your flight or to arrive as previously scheduled.

Each dormitory will, of course, assist students who arrive later than the scheduled dates.

Please note that the University of Tokyo has already announced that there will be only a very few vacancies for the next round of applications.


Q6. When exactly should I arrive in Tokyo? T-cens does not provide any specific date.

It depend on your program, such as CVL, UBE, SPN, G30, JCK, and EAP, since each program may have a different schedule to welcome students. If you are not sure when to arrive in Tokyo, please contact your ICT Admissions Desk for their suggestion. We also recommend that you once again check the general academic schedule at the Schedule for Admitted Candidates.

Luggage

Q1. Usually I just carry my case with me. Why do you recommend delivery?

A1. You are likely to have to change transportation several times between New Tokyo International Airport (Narita) and your destination, and sometimes escalators/elevators are not available. You may have to carry heavy luggage up and down stairs. You may have to walk from the nearest station to your housing, which is often more than a kilometre away depending on the location. You alone are responsible for carrying your own baggage, not your tutor. Please read the following URL for better understanding: Recommendations for Luggage Delivery Service

Q2. Are there any important notes if using a delivery service?

A2. The sum of the height, width, and length of the checked luggage should be less than 160 cm.
* The weight of each item of baggage should be less than 25 kg.
* Any excess in terms of weight or size will be subject to additional fees.
* For security reasons, you may be requested to open your baggage before it is accepted for delivery.

How to work with T-cens

Q1. There are several files under the name of file1.docx, file8.exls, and file15.pdf and so on. I do not know what should I do with these files, because I have no files to upload there.

A1. Please upload files such as your scholarship certificate (for those who will be awarded scholarships from organizations other than the University of Tokyo) there. If your scholarship certificate extension is pdf, please upload your file between file11.pdf and file15 pdf, and inform your ICT Admissions Desk about these files by a email.