Reviews

Being surrounded by so many different cultures but having Japanese as our connection really made class interesting.

(Selected this program for a) multitude of reasons:
– Solid reputation of teaching Japanese
– Convenient location for me to get to
– Affordable but not compromising of quality

I would say that if your goal in coming to Japan is to learn Japanese (as opposed to just sight seeing) this is a good program. The teachers and staff are extremely helpful and friendly, and you will learn a lot. We did go on some fun excursions though too! After searching for language programs in Japan, this seemed to be both one of the cheapest, longest, and most language focused programs I could find, and I was not disappointed!

If you’re serious about learning Japanese and that’s your main focus, go for it! The price, the wide variety of housing options give you so many choices on how you want to experience Japan. If you’re struggling, never hesitate to contact your US program advisers. They seriously go out of your way to help you.

The Kamakura Cultural Class trip was definitely one of the highlights of my summer. It enabled me to take a moment to breathe and learn more about Japanese history and culture. The experience also allowed me to get closer to my classmates.

I enjoyed having different teachers to see how I learned and who I learn the most with. I also enjoyed learning with non English speakers so I was forced to use my Japanese to interact with others.

Speak to as many native speakers as you can during your stay in Japan. Go to new places outside of school — I found it very helpful to go to local coffee shops, izakaya, and parks to put myself into situations where I could converse with new people. Don’t be shy! If you use what you’ve learned in class outside of the classroom, you’ll have an easier time remembering it under stress.

I liked that everything was taught in Japanese, even though it took a while to adjust it was very immersive.

I’d also encourage everyone to make the most of being in Tokyo – one of the safest and greatest cities in the world. I’ve learned some spoken Japanese every day since I’ve been only using Japanese everywhere and I’ve rarely spent an evening staying at home here.
The time frame was a good match with my work & study schedule and the location of the school is good as well since it’s close enough to my favorite places in Tokyo.

The explanation of new vocab from the Kanji textbook every day in class was great listening practice, and helped us learn how the new words “fit” into the Japanese language, rather than just memorizing new sounds.