Japanese Language Programs in Kyoto, Japan

The school is centrally located within walking distance of Shijo downtown Kyoto and nestled within Omiya which is a student neighborhood of Kyoto. My studies were fulfilling with a variety of cultural events I scheduled with the school. If you are looking for something special and community driven I think this school is the right choice.

This Autumn was my first time to travel to Japan. I planned this trip in advance and I was thrilled to hear about this new school campus and all the things they offer. Lessons were entertaining and very informative. I had a wonderful time with extracurricular activities and my homestay was also great.

I had a great time with Meiji and the instructors made a significant contribution to it. Classes were informative and the structured learning approach for grammar, speaking, listening and Kanji studies was good. Sometimes I felt a bit of struggle to catch up with the Kanji volume but you can always ask the teachers or for additional Kanji exceises. The city tour was a lot of fun and definitely helped me to get around Kyoto for the first few days. Hope to visit Kyoto again soon😁

From my first contact up to graduating this week my study experience with Meiji was good. Japanese classes, cultural activities and staff support were very hands on. My sharehouse was also good and I made a lot of friends during my time there.

Well well good and crazy times with these fellas! The school staff was super nice and the classes were smooth sailing except of one teacher who was overly obsessed with Kanjis. I know I’m here to learn Japanese but he took it to another level. Anyways I’m thankful for dealing with me during the intense Q&A sessions on Kanji and grammar headaches. All went well and yes the underground party scene in Kyoto is crazy. Recommend checking out Kawaharamachi where the night never sleeps.

When talking about studying in Japan, for me the biggest concern was finding a trustworthy and legitimate language school. As I have studied in the past with Meiji Academy I was all set for this experience. But I have to say that it was a Meiji vibe but ten times more large and in a traditional Kyoto coverage which I loved!! The school facilities are high-class with a whole school building, a large student lounge, a study library and a level community engagement I haven’t seen so far. Despite the wonderful temples and rich history. Kyoto can sometimes feel lonely. That’s why I completely felt the need and glad I chose to study again with this school. I stayed in a sharehouse they organized which was great but unfortunately a bit far away…30mins is not what I was expecting. My friend said the apartments are much closer to the school and well equipped but it comes with a price tag. Nevertheless I would do it all over again if I had the choice!

Kyoto is fascinating through and through all facets of Japanese culture and traditions. I think I made the right choice to experience the “real Japan” by choosing this location and the Meiji staff helped making my stay pleasant throughout. The classes were fun and entertaining while the intensity and grammar practice were well balanced. One thing that stood out to me the most is the variety and detail to organizing superior events and cultural exchanges. The local Japanese students were also an enrichment for the community at school. Loved it!

Grüezi an das liebe Meiji Team! 4 Wochen in Kyoto mit Meiji Akademie waren einfach nur spitze. Das Team ist sehr engagiert und hat mir meinen Aufenthalt hier war von Anfang an sehr gut organisiert. Es gab sogar einen Mitarbeiter der deutsch sprechen konnte was sehr half. Besonders haben mir die vielen kulturellen Aktivitäten und Exkursionen gefallen. Von japanischer Töpfereikunst, Katanaschwertern und traditioneller Matchazeremonie war das Angebot sehr vielseitig. Der Unterricht war strukturiert und interaktiv mit vielen Gruppenübungen. Besonders haben mir der kulturelle Sprachaustausch mit japanischen Studenten von lokalen Unis gefallen. Merci vilmal und bis bald. Euer Ben

Meiji's Kyoto campus was simply one of the best schools I've been so far. I've studied in the past at their Hokkaido campus and it was a lot of fun. But Kyoto is a complete another level! The school is huge with a dedicated study library and huge student lounge. The best thing are the unique traditional crafts and arts workshops. The classes were as always great but I could tell that the teaching style is much more advanced due to the very experienced teachers I had. Local language exchanges with a variety of university student circles were also an often engagement. Highly recommend checking it out!!

My adventure with Genki started in 2023 when I did a 2 week study vacation. I chose them because they were accredited by the German government (state of Berlin) to provide Bildungsurlaub. I learned a great amount during those two weeks and made at least two new good friends with whom Im still in contact. Academically I found them really strong, they have a system where they alternate teachers every two hours so you get different perspectives and explanations while following a consistent program focused on useful grammar. I liked the school and the teaching system so much that I decided to continue online for a year. My online teacher has been fantastic and she took over exactly where I had left. One year later I decided to take more time off and come back for a month. This time was also great, I was in a more advanced smaller group, so we were able to make very fast progress. There was a public holiday during my time the school took us to see the Kabuki for free which was a fantastic plus. In summary: - location (Tokyo): unbeatable in the heart of Shinjuku - teaching staff: super kind, patient and competent. I was particularly impressed by Mamiko-sensei who really motivated us to talk and improve. - support staff: also very good and competent. We got a useful first day briefing and my questions and doubts were always promptly answered. - academic quality: its focus is on grammar and conversation there is a bit of Kanji every week, but you will probably need to study Kanji on your own. The method is good with some tests every few units to track progress. -cultural activities: they are optional but very very interesting combining food, culture, entertainment and creativity. They do repeat the more popular ones or seasonally appropriate ones sometimes. Definitely 5*+ and already hoping to go back again. More than the

Great for anyone who wants to learn Japanese and also have enough time to visit the surroundings. Teachers and staff are the best I have seen in my life, and to be honest I don't really think that I will be able to go back to my school after this amazing experience. Everybody is so lively and exciting, like really lively and sometimes funny. Lessons are always understandable, and the books they gave contains so much information that even if you don't have enough courage to ask the teachers books will always come in help. With the 4 hour class every weekday, you can always go to surrounding cities like Nara, Ōtsu and Osaka if you have mourning classes. Overall, such a great experience to have in life

I started with pretty much nothing. After two months of studying everyday, following up on homework, learning vocabulary and taking private courses, I can really feel the progress. It was not exhausting at all, because everyone at the school is friendly and helpful - I had a lot of fun! とても面白かったです。ありがとうございます。

Kyoto JaLS is a unique Japanese language school. It allows you to tailor you Japanese study according to how much time you have in Japan on a weekly basis. I studied 4 weeks there, on my total 7 weeks of my last trip to Japan, and it was such a nice experience. First of all, the Teacher and Support staffs are very very supportive and friendly to everyone. It is not uncommon that you will be greeted and struck a convo in Japanese everyday. Second, the classes are very small, 8 students tops, which will put you in an immersive class study environment. In no time, you will feel that your classmates and teachers as your family members, and soon you will find yourself speaking Japanese, and you won't be afraid making any mistakes in doing so. Third, I joined Private Classes for 3 times a week. These private classes are tailored to what you would like to focus on in your study, be it Conversation, Grammar, Reviews, the teachers will help you in achieving them. Fourth, JaLS has very interesting after class Activities, which you can decide to join on weekly basis, Japanese cooking classes activities (i.e. Ramen, Soba, Sushi), Day sightseeing trips, Japanese Crafts and Arts. Conversation with Native Japanese speakers, etc. These activities will immerse yourself more in Japanese Culture and Language Learning. Overall i really enjoyed the experience very much. I made good friends with not only fellow classmates, but also the teachers and support staffs. I would definitely do this again in the future, and definitely would recommend Kyoto JaLS to anyone interested in learning Japanese during their trip.

GenkiJACS one-month Japanese course provided a foundational understanding of the language. The course covered essential aspects such as grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Pros: 1) Small Class Sizes GenkiJACS maintains small class sizes, allowing for more personalized attention from instructors. This facilitates a conducive learning environment where students can actively engage and receive feedback. 2) Immersive Environment Being located in Fukuoka, Japan, GenkiJACS provides an immersive language learning experience. Students have opportunities to practice Japanese outside the classroom, enhancing their language learning in real-life interactions. 3) Varied Teaching Methods and Teachers GenkiJACS employs diverse teaching methods, including interactive exercises, role-playing, listening and comprehension activities, ensuring a dynamic learning experience catering to different learning styles. 4) Teachers The teachers were patient and friendly. 5) Resources Excellent and useful after the course. Cons: 1) Intensive Pace The one-month duration was challenging, especially those new to the language. The fast-paced nature of the course was sometimes overwhelming. 2) Limited Proficiency Gain Due to the short duration, I feel I only achieved a very basic level of proficiency by the end of the course. I needed a lot more time to gain deeper ability. 3) Resources Sometimes the Furigana over Kanji in photocopies was so small that it was hard to read. Overall, GenkiJACS' one-month Japanese course offered a solid foundation in Japanese. It provided a structured curriculum, immersive environment, and excellent resources which can be used after the course. The teachers were friendly and the school felt like a community. I really enjoyed my time there and have definitely improved my understanding, reading and writing of Japanese, although my ability to formulate spoken answers is still quite slow, but that's more me than the school.

Its funny because when i came Genkijacs i expected good japanese classes from what i read online, but i didnt expect the most high quality language classes in general, i rarely experinced this during my normal school time in the past. I dont really see a reason to pick any other school than this one if its the first time you are studying in Japan. If you are new to japanese and have had this fantasy image in your head of going to Japan and speak japanese with japanese people and living there like a community because of youtube or anime etc., the teachers and school gives excatly that image and are very welcoming for newcomers and beginners. There is no reason to be nervous or the feeling of pressure or any of that. Been there 2 times and even though i havent checked out other schools out i cant see how it could be done better than this to be honest.

I studied for over a little then 6 months with Genki Jacs in Japan. I started of with 3 months in Kyoto and then did 3 months in Tokyo. I honestly can not recommend this enough. I had so much fun and made so many amazing memories with new found friends. Now that I look back on it I am also very happy with the amount of progress I made with my Japanese. Japanese is a very hard language, especially if youre not familliar with asian languages. But I think Genki Jacs does a great job at teaching Japanese, you learn so much in such a short time without being at school all day. I only had about 4 hours each day and could just explore Japan with the rest of my day. And i still learnt so much Japanese. If i could change one thing though, it would have to be the housing. You don't have to do the housing via the school obviously but I did. I ended up in a very nice share house where I had a lot of fun, but it was quite far from the school and it did cost me a little money to travel to school everyday. Maybe I am just used to short distances, being from Holland and all, but that would be the only negative. All in all, I would highly recommend everyone to do it.

Everyone at JaLS is so supportive and friendly. The teachers are fantastic and make difficult content fun and easy to understand. This experience was fantastic preparation for the JLPT, and if you are able, I would highly recommend the private lessons. If I could continue those from my home country, I would. That's how much I got out of them. I absolutely love this language school and would love to return one day!

The teachers were extremely friendly, small class sizes (I had classes with one other student, up to 6 others, and I stayed at the school for 13 weeks!), school staff was always there to help, and made a lot of friends with the other students from all over the world!

This language school is amazing, really great teachers and staff. Class sizes are small and makes learning and focusing on new lessons so much easier and so much more fun. If I could I would be going back to this school everytime I go back to Japan.

An important aspect of attending a language school is a correct class assignment. JALS is placing students according to the placement test but makes sure the difficulty is appropriate for a students and readjust the placement as necessary. The difficulty of my final class was perfect, i.e., with enough challenge to keep me improving while keeping up with the pace. Classes are maintained at a size where all students get enough attention and oportunity to participate. Teachers are patient and very supportive. School premises are adequate and pleasant. School also organizes a lot of fun activities so there are many opportunities to get in contact with other students and locals. One can therefore practice the language while having a good time. Great overall experience and easy choice for my next language trip.