Language Programs in Hokkaido, Japan

A very productive and fun way to spend time in Japan. Every teacher I've met had been very professional and passionate, making the most out of the curriculum. Every week is packed with different events and activities, especially Summer/Winter/Autumn/Spring Courses, and pretty much every one of them is worth doing. The location and school facilities are very convenient. Staff is amazing too. Nothing negative to say, really. Highly recomemnded.

My 6 weeks in Hokkaido are nearing the end and looking back at my time here I can only say good things. The people at Meiji were superb and very passionate about helping out always. The classes and activities were also very engaging. My best part was the summer beer festival in Odori Park and the trip to Otaru for an unforgettable summer beach party we had. I grew very close bonds with my host family and will be back sometime in the near future. Thank you again for everything Meiji.

I was in a bad place mentally before I decided to abruptly get on a plane to Sapporo. JALS was exactly what I needed at the time to once again find direction and meaning in my life. The community and staff are amazing and. It's my second family.

This was my first time abroad, and it was a very smooth and memorable experience. I was already excited to be in Japan and meet people, but I wasn’t expecting how quickly I made good friends with people from all sorts of different places. The activities were so fun and the lounge became the best place to spend time. Everyone at Jals, students, teachers and staff have all become my second family. I will never forget it.

I love the vibe Jals classes offer. Kind, caring & Hard-working teachers & staff deliver a quality language program in a beautiful campus setting. Each day is a challenge and the rigour is very effective in improving language skills.

The activities arranged by thre school are all super cool. I had a lot of fun and learnt a lot about japanese culture. We learnt the material a little fast for me but it was managable. My Japanese has improved a lot with he classes. I've gone from basically zero japanese to being able to understand a lot of basic sentences.

My time with Meiji in Hokkaido was simply amazing. I loved every one of my teachers except of the one who teased me with Kanji practice :-P Jokes byside everybody were lovely and caring. The events were plenty and Winter is the best season to make the most out of your time in Japan. I learnt a lot and this first Japan trip turned out so much fun. Will be back for the Summer!

I took a six-week winter course and found it both challenging and enriching. I appreciated the focus on practical communication through engaging lessons and small class sizes paired with super friendly teachers. What really set the experience apart were the cultural activities. The Sapporo Snow Festival, ice sculpture displays in Susukino, skiing in Nakajima Park and our super adventurous trip to Asahikawa were unforgettable. Make sure to try the different Ramen spots all over Hokkaido. In Sapporo alone I tasted over 10 different Miso Ramen shops and still didn't get bored. The fresh seafood at the Nijo Market, and sampling the unique flavors of Hokkaido’s soup curry were other highkights I discovered during Meiji's foodie trips we did. I recommend this winter course to anybody who wants to experience the real Japanese and looks for some fun cultural immersion in local Japan.

I had the best month of my life last winter in this spectacular month, filled up with so many many activities and beautiful statues all made out of snow! My time with Meiji was short but intense and I made a lot of friends in the 5 weeks I was there. The classes were a bit intense but I loved their strong focus on speaking and communicate application of Japanese. Even though my level was just C2 I managed to pick up quite a bit in this time. They also found a wonderful host family for me which made my stay even better. Will be back for the Summer for sure. Thanks and big hugs to Nakamura-sensei and Kubo-sensei. You are my besties!❤️

Cultural immersion paired with communicative Japanese lessons and Japanese teachers that had an unseen passion for their profession. I fully enjoyed myself in the two months I was there last Summer. One thing I didn't like was that I had to ask for additional homework as the lessons are structured in a way to focus on self-studies. But the teachers were very eager in assisting all my requests and provided me with additional study material. Just make sure to always ask!

This Summer I had a mindblowing 2 months in Hokkaido with this school. The Meiji staff was super helpful and always answered all my questions to make me very satisfied. Teachers are friendly and focus a lot on each student. I love Sapporo because so much to do and cultural events were very diverse. I recommend Meiji a lot. Grazie mille and arrivederci until next Summer!

Moje iskustvo sa Meiji Academy je pozitivno u svakom smislu! Tečajevi japanskog jezika su dobro organizovani zahvaljujući mnogim govornim praksama koje smo imali na satu. Ugodan prostor u centru grada, osoblje ljubazno, profesori stručni i predani. Moje znanje japanskog jezika značajno se poboljšalo. Preporučujem od srca.

Once Hokkaido always Hokkaido. My time here was intense and fully packed with so many lovely memories. I couldn't imagine how it would have turned out without Meiji as they contributed a lot to my whole experience here. The school is very well equipped with a library, spacious student lounge and regularly organizes in-house events as well as outside events. I loved my teachers and class, which had a great mix of nationlities. The majority of students was from Western countries except of a few Taiwanese and Korean students which gave a good mix in terms of study needs and focus on speaking practices. Can't recommend Meiji enough and hope to come back soon.

I've had the time of my life with Meiji Academy in Hokkaido and every day was packed with events and other fun stuff to do. The classes were fun with teachers that you could feel had a passion for their job. The focus is a lot on speaking and grammar was applied in fun conversational practices. Highly recommend Meiji.

Where can I start as there is too much to write about? In short, I loved my Summer with Meiji and the classes tremendously improved my Japanese level. The center point of the study was placed on Communicative Japanese and the small class setting (only had three classmates). I had so much fun at the events and parties organised by Meiji and even met a cute Japanese guy. haha I won't reveal too much about my whole experience but I can say you won't get bored. Too many things going on and no time for being homesick. lolol I just wished that the 2 months wouldn't have passed so quick...

I think my title hit the nail on the head. Hokkaido is full of surprises and with a good bunch of people such as Meiji's teachers and staff, it can only get better! I fully enjoyed myself in the three months I was there and loved the quirky staff, enthusiastic teachers and very international atmosphere at the school. In my class I was the only American which was great because I had never met so many Europeans in a language school before. A vast variety of activities were offered and the cultural excursions caught my eye in particular. Loved the katana sword practice session and also the Ninja village we went to. My advise is to make sure to stay in the sharehouse they organize. Met some of the best people ever! I really recommend this school for any length of study.

Good Summer program with Meiji and super enjoyable acitivies and events all the time. The teachers are very good and give each student a lot of attention. You're not just a number but they know you all by the name. Small class sizes, strong focus on speaking and sporadic kanji practices for super beginners like myself balanced it out pretty well. Highly recommend!

All the people and friends I made during my time here were so friendly. I enjoyed my time a lot at Meiji with their very good teachers, small classes focusing a lot on communication and a ton of fun activities made it an unforgettable time. My accommodation at their sharehouse was also great. Highly recommend!

I fully enjoyed my time at Meiji Academy Hokkaido and made a lot of friends. Classes were intense but fun. I liked my teachers a lot and improved my Japanese speaking skills. My favorite memory was our school trip to Asahikawa Zoo and also Biei natural park which was so beautiful. I think this program is very good for anybody who wants to experience more than just learning Japanese and make many friends from around the world.

What can I say other than this was a mild summer breeze in the exotic north of Japan paired with an amazing bunch of genki staff and teachers who never stopped surprising me with their enthusiasm:) I loved the small class setting focusing on communicative Japanese combined with a lot of grammar practice. I felt my Japanese high jump in the four weeks I was there. The extracurricular activities were well selected and gave me a good insight on how to further immerse myself into Japanese crafts and arts. My only critique would be that you cannot choose the traditional cultural activities as they have a program structure in place. But saying that I would still go and study with them again. Next time Hokkaido again for sure!