In order to get the best effect of experiencing local national culture and local language, the best method will be visiting the place and experiencing the actual environment. There are also some people who start learning the Japanese language to get the latest information because they like Japanese culture, history, animation, idols, etc. The Japanese language educational institutions in Japan are divided into three categories, including university departments, Japanese language schools, and vocational college Japanese language departments. You can choose the school according to your condition, level, purpose etc. Also, in order to obtain the status of residence of "study visa", you will need to make sure that the school of your choice is qualified by Japanese Ministry of Justice. Today, the FUN! JAPAN team will introduce the differences between these three Japanese language educational institutions.
College International Student Department
The university department of Japanese language is established for foreigners who study in Japanese universities. In short, it is the Japanese language school which belongs to the university. Students in this institution are able to use campus facilities like cafeterias and libraries and connect with other students. Also, there are many opportunities for them to interact with Japanese local people. Depending on the Japanese language ability, the student might able to enroll in some other university courses as well.
Admission time: April, October
- Qualification of Admission: A certain level of Japanese language, and for those who have completed 12 years of school education through their regular courses in their own country. Age from 18 to 30 years old.
- Application period: half year before enrollment (for details kindly refer to each school’s homepage)
- Required Application documents: Admission application form, application fee, photograph, study plan (in Japanese), academic transcript of the final academic education (with translation), final academic diploma (with translation), letter of recommendation, letter of commitment oath, medical report, passport copy, etc.
- School enrollment period: basically one year, possible to be extended
- Course: Full day course
- Annual lesson time: approximately 1,200 hours
- Annual School Fee: about 500,000 yen ~ 800,000 yen (excluding admission fee etc.)
Japanese-Language School
Since land in Japan is expensive, the size of many Japanese schools is different from the expectation. Some of them are similar to the environment of tuition school, which is only one building or classrooms of one floor only. Courses and contents of lessons are also different for each school, and other than normal courses there are courses for those who wish to continue further study at university and graduate school. There are also some schools that offer English, Society and Mathematics classes to students who wish to further their studies in university.
Admission period: January, April, July, October
- Qualification of admission: A certain level of Japanese language, and for those who have completed 12 years of school education through their regular course in their own country. Age from 18 to 30 years old.
- Application period: half year before enrollment (for details kindly refer to each school’s homepage)
- Required Application documents: Application form for admission, application fee, photograph, study plan, academic transcript of final academic record, final academic diploma, letter of commitment oath, financial support statement, medical report, passport copy, etc.
- School enrollment period: 6 months to 2 years
- Course: Half-day (4 lessons, morning & afternoon class)
- Annual lesson time: approximately 800 hours
- Annual school fee: about 650,000 yen to 800,000 yen (excluding entrance fee, etc)
Vocational Japanese Language School
A vocational school is a school where you can learn professional skills, and there are many fields such as computer and beauty. Many Japanese who graduate from high school further continue their study at vocational school. Nowadays, there are many foreigners who after graduating from their high school have further continued their study at vocational school in Japan to learn technology. Same as university in Japan, vocational Japanese Language schools are not so wide, and the image is similar to Japanese tuition. However, there are a lot of opportunities for one to interact with Japanese students when taking a course here. Since one of the Japanese language courses of a vocational school does not have a deadline to apply for residence visa under Immigration Bureau, the application of admission is open until the very last minute before the admission day.
Admission period: April, October
- Qualification of Admission: A certain level of Japanese language, and for those who have completed 12 years of school education through their regular course in their own country. Age from 18 to 30 years old.
- Application period: From half year before enrollment until 3 months before enrollment (for details kindly refer to each school’s homepage)
- Required Application documents: Application for admission, selection fee, photograph, study plan, academic transcript of final academic record, final academic diploma, pledge, expenses petition, health certificate, passport copy etc.
- School enrollment period: 6 months to 2 years
- Course: Full day course (5 lessons)
- Annual lesson time: approximately 970 hours
- Annual school fee: About 660,000 yen to 800,000 yen (excluding admission fee, etc)
As above we have briefly introduced the differences between the three Japanese institutions. If you are planning to study abroad in Japan, I hope that you can choose the educational institution that is the most suitable for you!
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