IES Abroad Tokyo Summer

When I first got confirmation that I was accepted to study abroad in Tokyo, I was both thrilled and a nervous wreck. I had never been that far from home before, nor did I know anyone else attending the program. Yet, upon my arrival, I was met with the support and guidance of the IES staff, and others in the program were in the same boat. A support system was quickly formed, and although there were several new, unpredictable paths coming my way, I wouldn't endure it alone. With all the cultural activities such as making chopsticks and glass blowing and the included field trips, we were truly urged to make the most of our six weeks in Japan. You start to fall into a routine of going to the convenience store (trust me, like, a lot), going out to karaoke, taking the train to class and throughout the city, studying in cafes. Study sessions at the cafe in the hotel we were housed in had to be some of my favorite memories, oddly enough. The hotel staff even encouraged us to practice Japanese, and I was sad to say goodbye on my last day there. I'm looking forward to the next time I can go to Japan. This experience may have been filled with unknowns, but I was lucky to have the support to make me embrace it.

Going to Japan had been a dream of mine since I was young. I feel so fortunate that I was able to have this experience because of IES Abroad. Even though the program itself is shorter than most, I never felt like I missed out on any experiences. IES staff took us on amazing field trips and provided us with many opportunities to travel Japan. Classes were in the morning so we had plenty of time to explore before the last train each day. I often get sick and was worried about how that would affect my time abroad. The staff really took care of me and made sure that I got to a doctor or knew where to buy medicine. Throughout my time there I knew that the staff truly cares about each student and their well being.

I recently finished this program and would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to be in a great location in Tokyo (right next to Yoyogi Koen) and experience a lot of cultural immersion. The program follows the Genki i and Genki ii books for the beginner and intermediate speakers and more specialized books for the upper levels. Classes are a little over 3 hours a day from 8:45 to 12 noon which allows you to have the rest of the day free. The program schedules various outings and activities that have you get to know Japan outside of just the bustling city life of Tokyo. I believe the activities change a bit every year, but one of the continuing options is the weekend homestay in Mobara, Chiba. It's a more rural area, especially compared to Tokyo, however, the Homestay is definitely one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. The other trips include visits to various sites and stays like onsens and traditional Japanese inns. The location in Yoyogi is great because it's quiet, but it's only a few minutes walk from the nearest station and only a 20-30 minute walk through the park to Harajuku. It's prime location. Tokyo (compared to most cities) is expensive. I'd budget about $150 a week for necessities (food ect) and then another 150 for buying things/experiences. You don't need that extra 150, but since going to Tokyo isn't exactly a common opportunity, I'd say it's well worth the savings to do so. Also you need much less clothes then you think. I'd pack for about a week and half worth of clothing, you don't need fancy dress shirts or many long pants. Tokyo is quite warm in the summer. I'd pack a swim trunk (unless you want to buy one in Tokyo) because the homestay is right near the ocean and it's absolutely marvelous. I'd also go and check out the museums and galleries around Tokyo. I regret only being able to see a few but they're well worth it. Also for those interested in the Ghibli Museum, you have to buy a 10 ticket from a Lawson conbini (convenience store) machine. I'd either bring someone who can read a bit of Japanese, look it up online or look for ジブリ in the machine prompts. You have to get them pretty far ahead of time, but it's well worth it. The Ghibli museum is a ton of fun and has great souvenirs (but a lot of it is WAAAAY overpriced so be careful of that. The main gift shop is super expensive, but there's a bookshop a little bit hidden that is much more reasonable and has great books available. I'd recommend picking up one of the "movie novels" where they turn a Ghibli film into a manga as since you know the story it'll work as great practice to help your Japanese reading skills (plus it comes in Furigana)) The only thing I could ask from the program was to be a bit longer, 6 weeks goes by so fast! One thing that I was worried about before attending is that the website lists a "curfew", however the curfew is a curfew in name only. It doesn't prohibit you from leaving/returning to the campus after hours, it just means after a certain time instead of freely going and coming you have to just sign in before coming back. We've had many nights out till dawn and had absolutely no issue coming back.