International Residences FAQ

There are 2 international residences: “International Residence Chuo” on Tama Campus and “Seiseki International Residence,” 6-minute walk from Seiseki Sakuragaoka Station on Keio line. Undergraduate students, graduate students, international exchange students, and research students enrolled at Chuo can live in the IRC and the Seiseki International Residence (Distance-learning division students and non-degree students are not acceptable).

International Residence Chuo (IRC)
IRC accepts applications twice a year (April enrollment and September enrollment) at the International Center. Please check the website for April enrollment in mid-November and for September enrollment in June. Applications will be conducted online and residents will be decided by screening of documents (those who wish to serve as a leader position will have a face-to face or an online interview). When applications begin, you can apply from the bottom of the application guidelines website.

Seiseki International Residence
Seiseki International Residence is a residence with private rooms for Chuo students, co-managed with Kyoritsu Maintenance. For inquiries and applications, please contact Kyoritsu Maintenance (0120-88-1030).

Both IRC and Seiseki International Residence (co-managed with Kyoritsu Maintenance) are residences where students cook own meals.

1. Kyoritsu Maintenance has student residences with meals. For inquiries, please directly contact Kyoritsu Maintenance.
https://dormy-gakuichi.com/chuo/

2. College Town (Hachioji-city) managed by Friend Park has student residences with meals.
https://www.collegetown.or.jp/

IRC is a mixed residence with separate floors and suites for men and women. Entry into living areas of other genders is prohibited at all times. Seiseki International Residence is a mixed residence with individual, private studios.

No. There are cooking facilities in the common kitchen, or residents can use university cafeterias or nearby restaurants.

No. Please use the university Co-op or nearby shops.

Near the IRC are a pharmacy Welcia (1-minute walk), Starbucks (1-minute walk), Seven-Eleven (1 minute walk), Family Mart (2-minute walk), and an OK discount store (15-minute walk).

Around Seiseki International Residence, there are Kodaira Udon (1-minute walk), Family Mart and Lawson (1-minute walk), and 6-minute walk, near Seiseki Sakuragaoka station, there are many shopping buildings such as Keio Department Store, OPA, and many more shops.

We are not offering individual IRC tours, but there are some opportunities for tours, such as campus tours held several times a year.

Please see the photos and videos on the IRC website. The link is below:
International Residence Chuo

In the second semester of 2022, the ratio of foreign nationals is 60%.

In the second semester of 2022, the male to female ratio was 2:3 with slightly more women (depending on the academic year, it may change).

In the second semester of 2022, the percentages are 1st year students over 50%, 2nd year students a little over 30%, 3rd year students nearly 10%, and some 4th year students. As the numbers accepted for enrollment differ by faculty, they cannot be compared, but generally Law and Global Management 30% each, Letters 20%, Economics, Commerce, and Policy Studies 10% each.

In the second semester of 2022, there are no residents other than Tama Campus students.

There are an English speaking live-in manager and commuting staff in the Front Office on the 5th floor of the IRC. Office hours are 8:30～21:00. It is closed on Sundays, national holidays, summer vacation, and New Year holidays.

First-aid kits and Ice-non (cool pad pillows) are available at the Front Office. Minor injuries can be treated, but there are no regular medicines. Please prepare and keep medicines on your own. For serious injury or poor health, you will consult external medical institutions.

Depending on the diagnosis of external medical institutions, if necessary, we ask you to isolate in a spare room. Because the IRC is accommodation with units that contain several private rooms, if the symptoms are potentially infectious, in principle, you will be asked to stay in a spare room.

According to the Application Guidelines posted on the university website, please apply with the designated procedure within the application period. For further details, please see the Application Guidelines.

＜April move-in schedule＞ New students who are accepted to Chuo University can only apply for one of the following selections.

• December selection 【current students who wish to be UL】: Early December
• January selection / February selection / March selection 【new students】: Mid-January to Early March

＜September move-in schedule＞

• July selection 【new students and current students】: Early July

IRC wants students who understand the concept of the IRC: “to facilitate interculturality among students from various backgrounds through daily life living together” and who are highly motivated to join the residence management that is conducted by all residents, in a positive manner and are committed to interactions.

We will select residents based on what applicants tell us about their intentions and motivation for activities in the IRC. Therefore, it is important to have a vision of and commitment to the activities in the IRC.

* Entrance exam results, academic performance, and where you live are not included in the selection requirements.
* To realize an optimum environment, residents are required to participate in the events held in the IRC (various training, unit meetings, events, gatherings). The IRC is not just housing, but a community. Students who do not have the intention or motivation for interaction should refrain from applying.

The acceptance rate varies depending on the number of international exchange students to be accepted and depending on gender as recruitment is separate for men and women. In addition, the numbers to be accepted for April entry and September entry differs greatly.

No. The University will assign your room. Conditions may vary depending on the floor and room location, but you cannot change that room.

No. Because you sign a lease with a housing company designated by Chuo University, you cannot change.

Moving into the IRC for new residents is twice a year (April/September) and you cannot move in or move out early during the period of the contract.

Undergraduate students, graduate students, international exchange students, and research students enrolled at Chuo can live in the IRC (Distance-learning division students and non-degree students are not acceptable).

If you live abroad, fill out your contact address and phone number in your country. In principle, necessary documents will be sent by postal mail in Japan, and for those who live abroad they will be sent by email.

If you are already accepted to Chuo, you can apply even if you take entrance examinations for other universities. Please include the information of the other universities you apply for in the entry application. Taking entrance examinations for other universities does not affect the results of the application of the IRC. But depending on the situation, we select substitutes to fill vacancies, so please fill in the information.

In principle, the period of residence is one year until the end of February for spring semester move in, and until August 15 for fall semester move in. Residents can request an extension of their residence contract for one year, but only after permission is given following a contract extension screening (comprehensive screening for contributions to the IRC and activity participation). In such cases, the period of residence can be extended up to one year.

In principle, the eligibility for the screening is those who wish to become a resident assistant (RA) or a unit leader (UL) in the IRC. In addition to the required applications, interviews and performance of activities in the IRC (participation in conferences, events, and unit meetings) will be considered for the screening, so not everyone can be accepted to extend a contract. Therefore, please consider the period of residence to be one academic year, as a general rule.

In principle, you cannot move out before the expiration of the contract. Those who plan to move out early due to studying abroad, please consult us at the time of application (for continuing residents, at the time of the extension screening) (Only for academic reasons, we will shorten the period of the contract in advance).

You can live in the residence during the long vacation. If you are away from the residence such as going home, there is still no reduction of the rent.

Smoking is prohibited both inside and on the grounds of the IRC. Except in one designated area, smoking is prohibited on campus (The only Smoking area on the Tama Campus is beside Building 9, far from IRC).

You can drink alcohol in your private room, but in common areas, there are date and time restrictions. Please refrain from behaviors that trouble other residents. Drinking by persons under 20 years old is strictly prohibited.

Yes, but to prevent noise, it is prohibited to enter other residents’ rooms after 21:00. Areas for men and women are separate, and for security, entry into the living areas of other genders is prohibited at all times.

There is no lights-out time, but do not make loud noises that disturb others after 21:00 (loudly opening and closing doors, music, mobile phones, alarm clocks, hair dryers, etc.).

No, but when you return after 21:00, enter your room quietly so as not to disturb others in your unit.

Yes. However, in preparation for emergency contact during disasters, when you stay away overnight or return home, please submit a “Temporary leave” form to the Front Office in advance (Submission is online).

Entry into the IRC by non-residents is prohibited. Family members of residents can visit only the common area on the fifth floor with advance permission.

Each unit contains 6 members in principle, and among them there is a unit leader (UL). The UL serves as a core member of each unit, and at least once a week all members should have a meeting. Meetings will be held in order to create and review unit contracts, which are the rules in the unit, to consult on various matters about community life, to ensure the quality of the environment in the unit, and to improve the environment for comfortable unit life. Each unit holds meetings to plan cooperative activities, such as shopping, cooking and eating together. When a new resident moves in, in principle, members of the same unit will show them around the IRC.

Each unit consists of various nationalities, faculties, and age.

Resident Assistants (RA) support all residents to develop strong identification within the residence, as well as to have comfortable and fulfilling community life. They facilitate communication to organize events and play a role in developing the continuity of residence life. In addition, they cooperate with the Front Office and the International Center in planning and running events and improving the environment in the IRC.

Unit Leaders (UL) strive to bring the unit together, create unit contracts, hold meetings in the unit, engage in maintenance of the unit environment, and ensure comfortable unit life. In addition to coordinating the unit and supporting residential life, ULs also play a role as a bridge among students in the unit, the Front Office, and the International Center.

RAs and ULs are required to have leadership, intercultural understanding, and communication skills for the management of the Residence. Training courses are provided free of charge, though some are compulsory

• Training for team building and leadership
• Training for cultural understanding, communication skills, and personal relations
• English language course (on-campus TOEIC course)
• Emergency first-response and disaster prevention training

Both RAs and ULs are responsible for residence management and are expected to give time and effort to support the IRC and fellow residents. Therefore, the following benefits are provided.

In principle, 2nd year or above current students will be recruited as RA/UL, but new students can be also recruited. If you are not RA/UL when you first move-in, why not give it a try after moving in?

On the day of moving-in, we will explain the basic IRC rules, mainly from RA/UL students, then at a later date, guidance will be held. For details, we will inform you in the move-in procedure document.

Yes. Every month, events are held with RAs in charge of events as core members. You are not allowed to be absent from the IRC official events except when you have classes. You are required to participate.

Yes. Many residents deepen friendships through interactions in the IRC. Under the leadership of RA/UL in the IRC, various opportunities to make friends are provided, but the most important thing is personal behavior in a positive manner.

The IRC has 50 units (6 private rooms in each unit). Each unit contains a shower (no bathtub), dressing room, toilet, wash basin, mini kitchen, dining table, chairs, shoe storage, microwave, white board, and separate trash bin. Private rooms (approx. 10㎡) are equipped with air conditioner, open closet, bed, desk, chair, fridge, lighting, curtain, hanging laundry-pole holders, wireless LAN, and TV socket (terrestrial channels only).

As for common facilities, there are a lounge, kitchen, hall, mailbox room, delivery lockers, spare room (isolation for infectious disease), and vending machines. Common facilities, separated for men and women, are bath, storage room, coin laundry (with dryer), toilet, theater room, meeting room, Japanese room, and training room. Internet is available.

Washing machine 200 yen per cycle, dryer 100 yen / 30 minutes. There is no automatic detergent or softener system (please check the timing and add these yourself).

Your belongings should be limited to what is necessary, and please buy things after moving in. There are tableware, pots, kettles, and other cookware in the common kitchen on the fifth floor, and items that can be checked out from the Front Office are: iron, ironing board, handy vacuum cleaner, and Ice-non (cool pad pillows). Things you need to bring are clothes, laundry detergent, shampoo, a hair dryer, food, and seasoning. Depending on your lifestyle there will be various necessities (if you don’t use a clothes dryer, you may need a pole or clothesline).

There is a TV socket in private rooms, so you can watch TV, but you need to pay the NHK reception fee. You can watch terrestrial channels only (satellite channels such as BS are not available).

There is no clothes pole. Please provide this yourself. The size of the circle on the edge of the pole holder is about 3.5cm, the distance between 2 holders is about 1m15cm.
Adjustable pole is recommended, but some residents use clotheslines or directly hang a laundry hanger with clothespins on the holders.

You can access both wired and wireless LAN in your room. You don’t need a wireless router, but please prepare a LAN cable if necessary.

Cooking in your room is prohibited. In principle, use the common kitchen on the fifth floor for cooking. There is a small kitchen in each unit, but it is only for simple cooking, such as reheating.

The amount at the time of move-in in April is 125,190 yen. Breakdown: initial cost 27,500 yen (it will be applied to the move-out cleaning fee), rent for March 12,300 yen, rent for April 64,000 yen (including electricity and heating charges and the Internet), Linen rental fee (in lump sum payment for the contract period) 17,490 yen, and Fire insurance (3,900 yen a year). If you use a guarantor company, instead of your own joint and several guarantor, a guarantor fee 19,200 yen is required.

Your rent payment will be automatically deducted from your designated bank account in Japan. For international students who have difficulty opening a bank account, payment by credit card is acceptable.

Rental fee is 1,540 yen (tax incl.) (monthly), plus a set-up fee: 550 yen (tax incl.) (first month only). A lump sum payment for the contract period is required and all residents need to rent a futon set. The fee includes the cleaning of sheets and covers twice a month, and storage of a winter quilt during summer.

Rent is required from the start date of the contract. In principle, residents move in on the designated date, and even if the move in date is delayed for personal reasons, there is no rent reduction.

You need a joint and several guarantor in Japan, but you can also use a guarantor company (19,200 yen/year).

If you cancel after completing the move-in procedure, you will be charged the amount equivalent to one month's rent (64,000 yen). After moving in (the start date of the contract), you cannot cancel.

If you cannot move in on the designated date, you may delay the move-in date with advance notice. There is no rent reduction for the period you do not live in the dorm before moving in.

After the designated date, you can send packages in advance. For details, please check the move-in procedure document.

Only family members (a limited number) can support your moving on move-in day. One family member of the same gender as the resident is permitted to enter the room to help moving. Other family members need to wait in the common area. Your friends can help you as far as the entrance. In the IRC, RA/UL can help you with your luggage.

Yes, but many residents arrive by car. As soon as you finish unloading your belongings from the car, please move to a nearby pay parking lot. Pay parking lots around the IRC may be full depending on the time of day. In that case, you need to park farther away.

Please submit the move-out form by the 5th of the month prior to your move-out date.

The rent for the final month will be 32,000 yen if you move out in August, and 64,000 yen if you move out in February. There is no per diem reduction.

Within 2 weeks after moving in, please complete procedures, such as resident registry at the Hachioji City Office. By law, you are required to establish residency in the region where you live.

Within 2 weeks after moving in, please complete procedures, such as resident registry at the Hachioji City Office. By law, you are required to establish residency in the region where you live.

Pre-registration is required for bicycles and motorcycles. Those who wish to need to answer the questionnaire on cycle parking (online questionnaire) sent from the Front Office. Motorcycle parking is charged (1,100 yen (tax incl.) a month). Bicycle parking is free of charge, but if there are many applicants, you may have to park in an area without a roof.

Refrigerated or frozen foods cannot be stored in the delivery lockers. Please adjust the delivery time so that you can meet the delivery (The management office will not temporarily store deliveries).

With prior notice, you can delay your move-in day. However, even if it is delayed, there is no rent refund or reduction.

In order to prevent COVID-19, residents are obligated to wear masks except when eating, drinking or taking a shower, etc. Sanitizers are placed in various places. We conduct health monitoring, use acrylic screens, and limit use of some common facilities. Residents are encouraged to wash their hands frequently.