January in Tokyo - J.F. Oberlin University

I was able to attend both the 2024 and 2025 January programs with CIS Abroad. The staff and faculty are excellent and are very kind and accommodating. Outside of classes, there was ample time for me to explore parts of Japan and Tokyo. The work load was very light for the courses I took (Japanese Language Beginner and Intermediate). The excursions were also very informative, my favorite being the calligraphy class. The winter in Japan is fairly mild (compared to New Jersey, United States of America) and the weather was sunny for my entire trip in 2025.

はじめまして、よろしくお願いします！Nice to meet you! Have you wanted to experience a culture where the traditional blends with the modern in a unique environment with a vibrant culture and beautiful language? Well good news, this program is for you! 2 weeks in Tokyo was a dream come true for me. Having the opportunity to not only study the Japanese Language, but interact with Japanese students and local Japanese people was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The campus I studied at was Seisen University, which is a beautiful European styled building and a historical landmark on the grounds of an old samurai family. I learned so much, and have continued my studies on my own after the program. We learned grammar but also wrote Haikus with the vocabulary we learned. My Japanese language sensei was wonderful, and excellent at teaching. I am still close friends with several of the Seisen students who helped teach the class, and was thrilled to be able to see them when I returned on another trip. Now I didn't spend all my time in class, there was plenty of free time to explore the city of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures on my own. I went to the entertainment center of Tokyo—Odaiba, and saw the giant Unicorn Gundam at Diver City. I spent an evening at an outdoor onsen, which was super relaxing. I even left Tokyo and went south to the historic ancient capital of Kamakura, known for it's shrines and temples. CISabroad also includes numerous excursions during the program as well. I got to participate in a traditional tea ceremony, wear kimonos around Takeshita Street in Harajuku and go on a Scavenger hunt in Asakusa around Sensoji Temple. If you're nervous about studying abroad alone, this program is not only a perfect way to dip your toes in studying internationally (it's a nice short two week time period) but you also have the excellent on site team ready and willing to provide any assistance they can.

I overall enjoyed my time in CIS Abroad's January in Japan program. As the title states, it was indeed my first time in Japan! The advisors were really cool people, and thanks to both the excursions we had, and their advice to us students about various aspects of the country (how the public transportation system works, many different places of interests to visit, etc.), I'm more knowledgeable about the country, so the next time I visit the country on my own, I'll have no trouble getting around!