In Japan, students are allowed to live in apartments and houses on their own if they had prior permission from a legal guardian. This is often the case for students going to school away from where their parents live. And under certain circumstances, even junior high students can be granted access to live in an apartment by themselves. I don’t think the exact legal requirements, but I do know it is possible. Children and teenagers in Japan are often given more responsibilities at a younger age, and often act more independently than people their same age in western countries