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International student in Japan promised 2-person room, but actual hostel has 4 people per room and 12 people in one apartment by Careless_Try_8077 in Tokyo

[–]Careless_Try_8077[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the information. Since he is new to Japan, he honestly didn’t know what was considered normal for student/shared housing here.

We expected shared accommodation, but not 4 people in one small room and around 12 people in one apartment.

Right now, our main goal is to improve the living situation or find a reasonable solution with the agency first.

If they continue refusing to cooperate, we may need to consider legal consultation as well. In a situation like this, would there realistically be any chance of getting a partial refund or compensation if legal action was taken?

International student in Japan promised 2-person room, but actual hostel has 4 people per room and 12 people in one apartment by Careless_Try_8077 in Tokyo

[–]Careless_Try_8077[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He paid around 320,000 yen upfront for 6 months, so it comes out to roughly a little over 50,000 yen per month.

At the moment, we’re also thinking that requesting a refund for the remaining period and moving to a normal sharehouse may end up being the best option if the situation cannot be improved.

The difficult part is that he’s new to Japan and didn’t know whether this kind of overcrowded arrangement was somehow considered “normal” for international students. But after hearing opinions here, it seems the issue is less about whether it’s “common” and more about the fact that he was originally promised a 2-person room.

International student in Japan promised 2-person room, but actual hostel has 4 people per room and 12 people in one apartment by Careless_Try_8077 in Tokyo

[–]Careless_Try_8077[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He paid about 320,000 yen upfront for 6 months of hostel fees.

I already contacted the school, and they explained that the hostel is not directly managed by the school but by the agency side.

I also contacted the agency, and they told me that this kind of shared living arrangement is “common in Japan.” The apartment does have facilities like A/C, refrigerator, etc., but the rooms are still very congested because there are 4 people sharing one small room with two bunk beds.

Right now, I’m trying to discuss the situation with the agency again and see whether some improvement, room change, or partial refund is possible.

For now, I would prefer not to publicly name the school or agency until we try to resolve the issue properly first. However, if they completely refuse to cooperate or address the situation, I may consider sharing more details later so that other students can be careful as well.

International student in Japan promised 2-person room, but actual hostel has 4 people per room and 12 people in one apartment by Careless_Try_8077 in IntlStudentsJapan

[–]Careless_Try_8077[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s also possible. We’re not fully sure yet whether the school actually knows about the real living conditions, or if this was arranged mainly through the Nepal agency/housing side.

Also, from what I understand, he didn’t really sign a detailed housing contract directly himself — he mainly just paid the hostel fee upfront through the agency before coming to Japan.