Japan for 3 months?

I'm currently studying for my degree and I have some time free from Oct 2010 to Feb 2011 and I was thinking I'd like to spend some time in Japan then. I know I can only 90 days on a tourist visa though. So...

1. Could I rent an apartment for 3 months easily? how much Japanese would I need to know to get it sorted? I'm learning but I've only been doing it around 6 months so know hardly anything.

2. Could I live in a guesthouse for such a short time period? only thinking because I'll be a lone female so it might be nice to have some other people around.

3. How much money would I need for rent/utilities/food/travel etc... basically how much overall to stay there for the whole time?

4. I obviously wouldn't have a bank account so would it be easy to pay bills with a foreign bank account?

Just enquiring for now whether it's possible, if not I'll probably just stay in a hotel for a month, but I wanted more of a living experience as I've already been on holiday to Japan twice and I've done a lot of the touristy stuff.

Thanks :)

Hi there Michelle!

As I can see you want to be a "budget tourist" over here.

Have you ever considered a homestay (program)? As for apartments, there are quite a few companies offering short term rental contracts. The rent depends on where you want to go (of course Tokyo is more expensive than countryside). Same goes for everything else. You can live on 3.000 a day, you can easily spend 30.000! With a little more information what you want to do, see and so on, I am sure there will be precise answers coming up. If there is anything I can help you with, send me an e-mail klausdorth(at)web.de.

Could I rent an apartment for 3 months easily?

Yes, in big cities like Tokyo, you have dozens of companies targeting foreign residents with medium-term accommodation. Some of them are listed on the following pages:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2032.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2200.html

Outside of the big cities it is more difficult, but the following company offers medium-term accommodation across Japan and foreign language service:
http://www.eg.leopalace21.com/index.html

how much Japanese would I need to know to get it sorted?

None.

Could I live in a guesthouse for such a short time period?

Certainly.

How much money would I need for rent/utilities/food/travel etc... basically how much overall to stay there for the whole time?

Depends very much on your rent and living standards. Monthly rent can be below 50,000 yen. So, you could make a living for under 100,000 yen per month.

I obviously wouldn't have a bank account so would it be easy to pay bills with a foreign bank account?

No, it would be impossible to do so. But you can pay in cash. ATMs are probably the easiest way to get cash. Try to get a credit or debit card with reasonable rates for oversea withdrawls:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2208.html

How about a short term internship in Japan? Internship will eliminate most of your uncertainty about Japan.

http://www.eurolingua.com/content/view/51/105/lang,english/
http://www.europlacement.com/en/1/3-14-register-now.html
http://www.bailliegifford.com/pages/generic/Careers/SummerInternship/T...

Thanks for the replies everyone and the links. I feel a lot better about doing it now!

I never knew about the internship so I'm going to read about it :)

try to see here:
http://www.tokyo-weekly-hotel.com/
it is hotel in Asakusa,
or here, about monthly rent:
http://www.tokyorent.com/monthly.shtml