Testimonials

Participate in class!!! It makes all the difference and the teachers will get to know you better. Also it is easier to make friends when you are active in class.

—Milla

My teachers were really supportive and I made some great friends while at KCP ! One of the best experiences of my life! I’m so happy with the time I had at KCP !

—Michael

I found the school bbq to be a very memorable and satisfying experience. I was able to bond more with my classmates while learning a little bit more about there own culture through the food they prepared. I also found talking with the teachers in a more casual setting was very enjoyable. overall, a very great experience.

—Sabrina

You will love Japan and it will be a hard goodbye once it ends, it happened to me. With that said, the hardest goodbye won’t be to the country, but to the people you will bond with. So make the best of it and cherish the moments.

—Néstor

Study is the reason you’re here, but be sure to make friends too. Being in a foreign country can be stressful and having friends you feel “have you back” really helps when you feel home sick. It’s also a great study motivation to study together It’s easy to feel isolated so be sure you have someone you can talk to.

—Nicole

As I’m nearing the end of my time here and look back at the people I’ve met and the memories we’ve made I tell myself that if I hadn’t pushed myself to the limits of my Japanese capabilities I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience them. And these are memories that I will be carrying with me forever.

—Aileen Deleon

I say KCP is totally worth it! The things that I’ve learned, as well as the friendships that I’ve made with classmates are priceless. I am so thankful for this experience.

—Amanda Clayton

Pretty much anything that was done as a school. I love the other American students, but hanging out with my classmates was a great chance to make new friends and practice Japanese. If possible, I think there should be more schoolwide events.

—Colette Kinder

The most productive aspect was speaking Japanese in and outside of class. It helped cement the information for me so that I could think on my feet quicker in situations where I needed to respond quickly. Also, every cultural excursion was a great insight into the Japanese way of life.

—Benjamin De Angelis

I enjoyed visiting the National Diet Building because I was able to see inside where the House of Councillors resides. I also enjoyed going to the Sakura Gates near the Diet Building and learning about its historical relevance.

—Christopher Clayton

I found the games most helpful, because it engaged our minds and made us learn in a fun way!

—Amanda Clayton

The 朝日新聞 [Asahi Shimbun] field trip. It was fascinating to get an inside look on how a rigorous company in Japan works from day to night to day again, along with the methods and messages that need to be passed from department to department in order to get the perfect story out for the rest of Japan to know about as soon as possible. It was really eye-opening to see the passion in a Japanese workplace.

—Aileen Deleon

I enjoyed some of the Japanese history and culture lectures before going on excursions. I specifically liked how KCP would provide a lecture and then have a field trip that would demonstrate what was explained in the lecture.

—Alexei Rekow

Although it’s not necessary for the program, I’m an active member of the ACG [anime, comic, games] club. While communicating outside of class in daily life is important, the clubs provide an opportunity to use your language skills to discuss something you enjoy in a more relaxed setting. Those more open, less outlined conversations really allow for use of the language rather than just following an outline provided in class.

—Larry Vires

I really liked visiting Hosei University to visit and interview other college students. Everyone was very nice and I genuinely had a great time. It wasn’t awkward and the tour around the main campus buildings was fun. I liked seeing college life in Japan.

—Kayleigh Ward

The walking trip we took around Shinjuku was very fun and really helped me feel more comfortable walking around the city on my own. I wasn’t used to big cities, so I felt without this initial guided tour, I wouldn’t have been as confident in my solo explorations.

—Kayla Vincent

The visit to Hosei Daigaku was an excellent opportunity to practice conversation skills as well as meet Japanese friends who are in a similar age group.

—Alexander Courtney

Making friends with the other international students is one of the most fun parts of KCP as you’ll not only practice more Japanese, but learn about other cultures and have friends worldwide once you return home.

—Sophia Warren

Have fun and work hard. If you do these simple things then you can enjoy KCP to the fullest and make some great memories.

—Alberto Ossori

Time goes fast, and your schedule is packed during the term. Make sure you start planning early to exploit every second of free time to experience Japan while you have the chance. In particular, your few long weekends will likely be your only chance to leave Tokyo (to see, for instance, Kyoto, Hokkaido, etc) especially if you are in the culture class.

—Joseph Comer

Know who you are, budget your money, and don’t be afraid to try new things! And get ready to go on a voyage that will greatly impact your life!

—Janet Mingo

I think the most productive part of the program was all of the international students that I was able to befriend and communicate with that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. It really made me feel like I was using Japanese in more than just a studying aspect, but also as a means to make friends and have fun.

—Mary Davison

Once you are able to make friends from your class and outside of your own country, it really helps you learn the language better when you’re forced to use it in order to have fun and communicate. It helps a lot in class and outside of class.

—Mary Davison

I found that all of my time was productive at KCP. Both inside and outside of the classroom I was learning Japanese. Whenever I would go out on the weekends I would always try to use at least a little of what I had learned in class. Class itself was challenging and extremely interesting.

—Andrew Kustodowicz

Tokyo is FULL of things to do and places to go; I was practically out every day experiencing new things! Plus, you can practice speaking to locals. Most if not all have loved trying out their English with me and were surprised to hear me speak Japanese.

—Andrew Kustodowicz

Even if you’re shy, try your best to interact with fellow students. Everyone here has some mutual interest (the Japanese language), and although I didn’t expect to, I’ve made friends here that I plan (hope) to keep for a long time. You’ll meet some amazing people here, from many different places, which is an opportunity you rarely get.

—Maggie Cruz

Take full advantage of the environment. Everyone is friendly and willing to help so if you ever encounter problems, don’t hesitate to ask.

—Marilou Torres

I liked the picnic at the park because it gave me a chance to hang out and talk with my new classmates.

—Britny Eberhard

I really loved going out with classmates where we could only really communicate in Japanese. That was a lot of fun.

—Charles Madere

The most interesting aspect is that students are from all over the world and we can only communicate in Japanese to understand each other. Living in Japan in itself is a great experience overall.

—Stephanie Peng

While I found class as a whole to be informative and interesting, the best part for me was what happened outside of class. There are a lot of really great people from all over the world studying at KCP, and many opportunities to make new friends through the Japanese language. I liked living in a place where I could use what I was learning at any time and the opportunities KCP offers to try new things while using your new language skills (cooking classes, etc).

—Sarah Zakrzewski

I think the most productive part of the program was all of the international students that I was able to befriend and communicate with that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. It really made me feel like I was using Japanese in more than just a studying aspect, but also as a means to make friends and have fun. There wasn’t really anything that I found uninteresting. I thought the entire experience was great.

—Mary Davison

The most productive and interesting aspect was the chance to practice my Japanese with fellow classmates from different backgrounds and getting to know some of my good friends that I would have never otherwise met.

—Derrick Lieu

Studying is important, but do your best to make friends, too! With the American program students and the other students at the school, even if you only speak limited Japanese. It will make your experience so much more enjoyable and when you finally are able to have conversations in Japanese and see each other outside of class, it will feel good. Also, if you can, join a club! The more you get involved, the more Japanese you will use and learn! So don’t be scared!

—Onjel James

Dedicate plenty of time to study before and after class. However, also make sure you are going out, exploring, and having fun! Don’t study so much that you aren’t able to experience the Japanese culture by not going out. I would suggest attempting to speak only in Japanese while you are abroad in Japan, even with your English-speaking friends. The more you use it, the more fluent you will become. It’s hard to not use your native language with your English-speaking friends, but it’s worth it in the long run.

—Shayla Jarman