Students doing it tough

When we first moved out to Niigata, it was for my husband's studies, and it was one of the hardest times for us as a family. Although we'd lived in Tokyo beforehand, that was because of work, and this time we were going into things with a LOT less disposable income.

We had a small stipend and whatever else we could scrape together with the hours we could legally work (+ the small amount of work that was available to us in the countryside), along with trying to balance his classes and our young kids. Rent and utilities took a huge bite out of our budget (especially in the summer and the winter for utilities), and obviously the cost of food for a family of four isn't cheap either.

Reading a recent survey via NHK about how more than 90 percent of scholarship students in Japan are struggling really struck a chord. Some students mentioned skipping meals or not being able to meet rent payments, and I think that's so indicative of the cost of living hikes that we're all feeling.

In some ways, my family's struggles are what initially pushed me to start blogging here, since was a way to process different experiences and earn a little extra to help support my family. Seeing how many students are still doing it tough it makes me hope for real changes in support systems. I also wish that more people living in Japan as students knew about this site!

Info source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250825_B3/