Information about Niigata

The international city of Niigata, with a population of 800,000, is the largest ordinance-designated city on the Sea of Japan coast and serves as a window to China, Taiwan, Korea, and Russia across the Sea of Japan.
It is blessed with convenient transportation: Tokyo is 1.5 hours away by Shinkansen bullet train, and direct flights to other countries depart from Niigata Airport. Niigata Prefecture is also known as Japan's number one rice-producing region, and is surrounded by abundant nature - oceans, mountains, and rivers that offer a variety of seasonal beauty. In terms of cost of living and safety, Niigata is a safe environment in which to devote yourself to your studies.
Niigata is also famous as a manga city, having produced many famous manga artists, including Shinji Mizushima, author of "Dokaben" and Rumiko Takahashi, creator of "Inuyasha".

Townscape

Compared to Tokyo, the cost of living in Niigata is lower, and there are many commercial facilities in Niigata City, where the school is located, making it a very comfortable place to live.

	Niigata	Tokyo	Difference
Accommodation Fee	16,000	35,000	-19,000
Food Expense	20,000	25,000	-5,000
Utility Fee	5,000	5,000	0
Other	22,000	37,000	-15,000
Total	63,000	102,000	-39,000
Transportation and Time to School	Walking / Bicycle 5-20 min.	Train 30-40 min.

Food

Niigata City is proud of its famous "hegisoba" (buckwheat noodle), a specialty that has made buckwheat noodle lovers from all over the country excited. Also, while "katsudon" may conjure up images of pork cutlets topped with an egg, the most popular dish among Niigata City residents is a pork cutlet dipped in a sweet soy sauce on a bed of white rice, without the egg.

Culture

In Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, a neighboring city of Niigata City, the "Nagaoka Fireworks Festival," one of the three largest fireworks festivals in Japan, is held once a year. At Yahiko Shrine, Niigata's most popular power spot, visitors can divine whether their wishes will come true or not by how heavy the fireball stone (a stone of heavy weight) feels when they hold it.

Part-time Job

Many international students work part-time in between study hours. Since the status of residence of international students is " student", working is basically prohibited. Therefore, in order to work part-time, it is necessary to obtain "permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under the status of residence" at the regional immigration bureau. (The residence statuses that can be granted are " student," "family stay," and " designated activities. In order to work part-time, it is necessary to apply for and receive a "Permission to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence".

At the Japanese Language Department of the College of Foreign Languages, Tourism, and Airlines, staff in charge of part-time work are available for consultation as needed.

Type of Industry	Details	Hourly Wage
Convenience store	cashier/displaying merchandise	859~1,000
Sushi restaurant	serving/cooking and washing dishes	880~
Hotel	cleaning guest rooms	900~
Food factory	Food processing	860~1,000
Carrying company	Distributing packages	1,000~
Ramen shop	serving/cooking and washing dishes	900~
Hotel/Banquet hall	serving/washing dishes	950~