Tokyo International University

An outstanding program with a great support network, dedicating and inspiring instructors, and many opportunities to make friends and build relationships. You also get the opportunity to learn about Japan from top-notch professors.

Participating in the Japan Studies Program at Tokyo International University was truly one of the most exciting and influential experiences in my life. Not only did I get some amazing exposure to the Japanese language and culture, but I made new friends from Japan, Europe, and across the United States. JSP was the perfect balance of classroom time and free time in which to immerse myself in all that is Japan. TIU's location in Kawagoe also offered a great view of normal small town life, while being only a short 45-minute train ride from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.

The Japan Studies Program offers the unique experience of living with a Japanese family while you study. You can practice the Japanese that you are learning in school while having other cultural experiences with your family and have a first hand experience with everyday Japanese life.

The JSP program at TIU is a great way to improve your knowledge of Japanese language and culture! The language classes are awesome. The professors are enthusiastic and they have classes for all different levels, so no matter what your previous experience is you can jump right in. The experience of living with a Japanese family was invaluable both for language learning and cultural awareness! I absolutely love my host family and I still keep in touch with them. On top of that, JSP offers a variety of ways for its students to become active participants both in school life and Japanese cultural events. I was able to join the school band where we practiced music from famous Japanese movies and tv dramas. It was the perfect opportunity to meet other Japanese students and learn some interesting vocabulary. The JSP program also organizes cultural field trips. Visiting the beautiful mountains of Chichibu, heading on the Shinkansen down to Kyoto and Miyajima, or helping to pull the floats in the Kawagoe Festival were a few of the events I was able to experience first-hand. TIU's location in the city of Kawagoe is the ideal place for students to explore traditional Japan while still having the benefits of a modern urban setting. Kawagoe is a beautiful city that strives to preserve much of its ancient cultural history. Kurazukuri Street is famous for its clay houses that still maintain an Edo period form of architecture. The city is just 45 minutes from Tokyo by train which makes frequent outings to this unforgettable metropolis both easy and convenient. Participating in JSP was an awesome experience for me. I made lifelong friends and have many great memories of TIU. The contacts I made while at TIU even helped me to find employment in Japan after I graduated! I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn more about Japan!

Studying abroad at TIU was one of the most positive experiences of my life. As a program, it provides a fantastic opportunity for me to not only study the language and the culture, but also to experience it firsthand. The academic portion of the program was rigorous but never overwhelming. The Japanese language classes in particular are quite intense, but extremely effective; there were students in the program with me who came to Japan not being able to speak a word of Japanese but by the end of one semester were accomplished enough to deliver a natural sounding speech. One big highlight of the program is the chance to live with a host family, which is a great way to experience the Japanese lifestyle firsthand. My host family taught me a lot about everyday life that I never would have found in any textbook. The host families are also great about giving advice about what to see or do, and I can't imagine what my experience would have been like without them. I think JSP is a great program. I learned a lot, I had a lot of fun, and I made a lot of friends. It was a very positive experience overall, and if I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.

I can firmly say that I will never forget the amazing experiences I had during my enrollment in the JSP. Not only did I make life-long friends, but I learned Japanese in almost three months! I knew absolutely nothing about the culture and language before going to Japan, but luckily the classrooms and teachers create efficient and quick methods for improvement. The location of the program is perfectly distanced away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, and if you feel like you want to go explore the city, it's only a short train-ride away. Everybody knows each other in Kasumigaseki, and I found myself making friends not only with students, but with local business owners as well. If I could, I would rewind my life and go through this program all over again. The coordinators of this program really understand the notion of culture immersion; they set up multiple field trips and are extremely knowledgeable of Japan. This program taught me how to speak Japanese and about the culture, but it has also strengthened my resume. Employers are very enthusiastic about studying abroad, and I can truthfully say that this program has made it easier for me to find a job. Participating in the JSP was the best decision I could ever make, and I know that I will never regret it.

Studying abroad in Japan was easily the most memorable semester I have had in college. The Japanese Studies Program provided so many different opportunities for learning about Japanese language and culture. The language classes were excellently taught, and tailored to the specific proficiency levels of the JSP students. My host family was very friendly, and provided even more opportunities to practice my language and cultural skills, while also helping ease the transition to living in a foreign country. TIU's location gives students the opportunity to experience life in rural and suburban Japan, while still being just a short train ride from the metropolis of Tokyo. I have far too many wonderful stories of my time in Japan to be able to list them all here, but I will say that JSP was everything that I could have asked for from a study-abroad program.

I strongly recommend TIU for those looking for a great study abroad experience in Japan. The Japanese language classes are difficult, and students spend a lot of time speaking in class, but the amount of work isn't overwhelming, and homework assignments are fairly limited, which is great when you're in a foreign country and want to have time to explore as well. My Japanese improved a huge amount in just one semester. One strong point of TIU is that it's a relatively small program, so some classes are quite small, and students get a lot of individual attention and time to speak and ask questions. TIU also organizes a good number of cultural events--I got to make washi and pick mikans--and opportunities for the study abroad students to meet and hang out with the Japanese students. They also have several Japanese peer assistants in the program, who are usually very helpful organizing events for study abroad students and are happy to help with Japanese study. TIU also runs one big trip to the Kansai area, visiting Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima. TIU also goes a great job with their homestay program. Every student lives with a host family. In my experience, they do a great job placing students with a family they are well suited to--for instance, if you ask to have a family that wants to spend a lot of time with you, or lets you do things more on your own, you tend to get it. The host families are also close and very supportive of each other, and the TIU staff handles issues or problems between host families and students very well, which makes the homestay experience a lot easier for everyone involved. I had a great time with my host family and we're still in close contact. The location is great in lots of ways, although it's basically located in the dreary, never-ending suburbs around Tokyo, because Tokyo is about a 45-minute train ride away, so it's easy to get there, and the cities close to TIU are smaller, easy to get to know, and still have a lot to do. Me and my friends did a lot of karaoke, bowling, and eating delicious food in that area. The Japanese skills I got at TIU have been very helpful to me--I found a great job using Japanese. I also found that the cost of going to TIU was quite low compared to other study abroad programs in Japan