Depending on the research of Japan Student Services Organization made in November 2007, one month living expense (including tuition fee) for foreign students is 138,000yen throughout Japan on average. The lowest is in North-east area: 111,000 yen per month while the highest is in Kanto area:152,000 yen per month. Tokyo is included in Kanto area and its expense for per month is 155,000 yen, 44,000 yen higher than living in North-east area.
The reasons contributed to these difference are that: renting a house in Tokyo is expensive and it cost a lot for transportation expense. Moreover, subjects of this research include those living in dormitory and those renting a house by themselves. The fee for dormitory are comparatively cheap whereas renting expense are expensive. Therefore, it is better to prepare that living expense for living in Tokyo cost 160,000 yen per month on the condition of renting a house privately.

If you choose A Hoshiki to enter Undergraduate course or vocational schools, you may take several schools entrance examination. Nearly30,000 yen for per school, transportation fee, expense for living in hotel if the school is far away from the place you live and other expense expected will mount to a big amount. Certain amount will be necessary at that time.

Tuition fee for national schools or universities are the cheapest regardless of the fields. Municipal university is second cheapest. On the other hand, tuition fee for private school are the highest and varies from the department. Tuition fee of department of law and economic are 1.4 times as high as the one for national universities. (department of Art is 2.3 times while department of dentistry is 6.2 times, which is the highest)
The amounts of money to pay on the condition of national universities are showed below. It include tuition fee and entrance fee. (Average amount of tuition fee of private school are showed on each school’s homepage.)

Graduate School: 802,800yen.
Undergraduate Course: 802,800yen.
College: 548,400yen.

There are 50% or 100% tuition reduction in National schools. However, it does not grant that everyone could receive this reduction. There are also reduction systems in private schools. The rate of reduction depends on the schools you enter. For instance, there is 30% reduction system for which all foreign students could be applicable.

Scholarship available to apply before coming to Japan is Japanese government scholarship. Application process will be undergone in the Japanese embassy in your homeland. Besides, there are a few of unofficial scholarships applicants could apply for before coming to Japan. The homepage address showed below will help search list of scholarships.
The scholarship most foreign students which could be applied for before coming to Japan are sponsored by Japan Student Service Organization. There are 8,300 foreign students of preparing course, vocational school, language school, college or undergraduate course could receive Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students by 48,000yen per month for one year. Likewise, there are 3,470foreign students of graduate school(including research student, master and doctorate course) could receive this scholarship by 65,000yen per month for one year. Even if foreign students with pre recollege studentEvisa could also be subjects of this scholarship. There will be 700 students to receive this scholarship by 48,000yen per month for one year(as of 2009).
Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Student allows from April each year to March of the next year. No designation of applicants native place, however qualified recipient should be recommended by the school (s)he registers. Besides the scholarship provided by Japan Student Service Organization, totally there are 300 associations providing scholarship. It includes local assembly, informal international communication association, private organization provide scholarship to private-financed foreign students. Some of these scholarships allow candidate to apply for directly, whereas some of them demand an application through the schools candidates registered. The amount of scholarship varies from 4,000yen per month to more than 200,000 yen per month.
On the other hand, there are prerequisite for applying. For example, local assembly scholarship only permits foreign students who are local residents. In addition, prerequisite for applying will be native place of candidate, major or status of residence. It is possible for you to search information of scholarship depending on major, place of school, etc via the scholarship guidance of this homepage.