Meiji Academy - Japanese Traditional Culture Course

The start was a bit disruptive due to a long overlay flight I had from New York, but safely arrived at my amazing sharehouse. The cultural activities especially the workshops in Kendo, Karate and Katana sword practice were an awesome experience. In terms of classes everything was sailing smooth and I can confidently say that after 7 weeks my Japanese significantly improved. All in all the best time to spend a part of my sabbatical year.

Loved every minute of it!! Such a cool way to approach learning a language, this is definitely a rare school and I’m so glad I found it :) I am especially somebody who learns best through experiences, so having Japanese lessons at the same time as cultural experiences was the perfect balance for me. We were guided through many different activities that introduced the culture of Japan to us - my favourite was visiting Atago Shrine, I’ve never felt so much peace in my life… One thing I didn’t expect to gain from this was so much confidence. Taking part in these activities showed me that actually it isn’t so scary to be out alone in Japan without speaking Japanese. Theres so much to see and everyone is so friendly - sometimes you have to just do it!

Combining my interest in both the Japanese language and the culture that comes with it was what really drew me towards this course, it’s such a good idea! I was provided the opportunity to try all of the classic elements of Japanese culture you’d expect to see (wearing a kimono, tea ceremonies, festivals etc.), whilst also being taught Japanese by honestly some of the most passionate teachers I’ve met in my life. Fukuoka is also a city well worth visiting, and you’ll most likely be surprised at how underrated it is :) Don’t let the visa requirements scare you off - Japan is definitely open to foreigners right now, and there’s never been a better time to visit! Taking a trip to Kyoto and seeing absolutely 0 tourists was a rare sight that I think I’ll treasure for my entire life. Without all the crowds, it is absolutely gorgeous. This was truly an unforgettable experience!

Like many, I love Japan. I wanted an experience that was unique, and unlike what most have experienced, so I chose this program with Meiji Academy. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for, and I had a really interesting experience with the school. First but not the last time in Fukuoka!

For me, Japan was always a point of interest, but more specifically the unique culture and the unique language. I chose the traditional culture course with Meiji as it provided the opportunity to learn about both at the same time. In hindsight, the course was excellent. The language classes were always concise and they covered all of the key fundamentals of the language, I ultimately reached a level in which I could easily handle myself when out alone. Being exposed to the elements of traditional Japanese culture was so fun, my particular favourite was the tea ceremony and learning about the meaning of all the precise movements involved.

Meiji were perfect in every way during my studies, I learnt many interesting things while learning so much about the language. It is really good to mix the two because I think if you learn one, it is more easy to learn about the other. Meiji Academy is really a great language school.

If there is one country in the world that has arguably the most interesting and unique culture, it is Japan. I wanted to learn more about the culture, but felt that I’d need some level of Japanese to fully comprehend it all. For this reason Meiji’s traditional culture course was the perfect solution as I could kill two birds with one stone! The lessons were super engaging and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would. I would definitely recommend Meiji Academy!

You can find everything you are looking for in Fukuoka. It is the perfect location for a study abroad experience. Not only the classes but the activities were awesome! I fell in love with Japanese traditional culture which is so captivating. By the end of my stay, I was able to have complete conversations only in Japanese with my professors and even with total strangers. This trip affected my vision of the world is a very positive way. Japanese people are so nice and likeable. One day, I got lost when I was looking for a specific temple and I couldn't find it. This lady saw me struggling and immediately asked me whether I was lost. Then she took me all the way to the temple! I actually have many other memories of people helping me throughout my stay which made the entire experience marvelous!

The classes were engaging and active. We focused on speaking Japanese which was exactly what I wanted. Locals are very friendly and easy to talk to, so there were lots of opportunities to practice Japanese outside the school. After classes, we had so much time to explore the downtown area and go shopping. I tried to stay active every day and experience Japan the best I could. Sometimes we had very cool activities like the tea ceremony, which was my favourite by far. The school really did an amazing job planning out weekend activities and trips, answering each question we had and always being cheerful and bright. I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it was hard to leave Japan after all the memories I created there, and the new amazing friends I got.

My experience with Meiji Academy was outstanding and I will never forget it. I already told them how much I love them and how much I am grateful for this incredible experience, but I gotta share it with everyone on here as well. I studied 3 months with Meiji, and I became friends with everyone, which is really the best part. Having friends all over the world is amazing and I am thankful for that. Fukuoka is a beautiful city full of life and you can never get bored of this place. If you need to catch a nice sea breeze, you can take a train and 20 minutes later you are in the middle of nature. I recommend you to go to Nanzo in when you need some air btw. This place is crazy. Let's talk about food! Japanese food is always good, but you have to try the Hakata Ramen in a yatai. It is the speciality of Fukuoka, and it worth its reputation. If you don't know what a yatai is, it's a street restaurant typical of Fukuoka. As I chose the traditional course, I had the opportunity to take part in different events as tea ceremony, ikebana, meeting a geisha etc. I would recommend you to take this course but they have different events you can choose depending on what you like.

Meiji Academy was a great school and I had a very good experience in Japan. The security was particularly important to me because I was a bit worried to travel alone for the first time. They organized an airport pick up and provided me with an apartment and pocket wifi. It was a relief to have access to the internet directly. They also provided me with a subway card. The subway was a bit expensive, but I already knew that so it was not a surprise. Anyway, I tried to walk most of the time and avoid using the subway because this is the best way to discover the city and some hidden places. As I had my pocket wifi it was not a problem to do that. :-) I was very satisfied with the Japanese lessons and the teachers. I improved a lot and learned many things about Japanese culture.

The staff is extremely responsive to the student's requests for any help or information. I had tons of questions before going there as it was my first trip to Japan but everything went smoothly thanks to them. Once I got there, I had Japanese classes and traditional culture classes with activities outside the school. I already had a certain level in Japanese so they put me in the right class after a little test and I had lessons adapted to my level. The only negative matter about my stay is that I got sick at some point, and I couldn't focus during the classes so I had to rest for a couple of days. But things like that can happen to anyone. So as Japanese people would say "shou ga nai"!

The classes are small, which is perfect for practicing Japanese under the best conditions. On top of that, the teachers are nice and qualified, so the atmosphere is really pleasant. I loved the diversity at Meiji, with Japanese and European staff, students from all over the world and with different cultures and languages. Japan is a really charming country with a beautiful culture. Everyone should go to Japan someday to experience the Japanese "Omotenashi"!

I studied Japanese at Meiji Academy. I can say it's a very good school with very satisfying services and I improved my Japanese quite a lot. At the school, the staff often brought what they call "omiyage" in Japanese, it's little things to eat that they bring from the places they have traveled to. So they often gave us tasty treats on school days, it was really fun! Ever since I visited Japan for the first time, I fell in love with... matcha!! In fact, I love all kinds of tea, from all over the world. I believe it perfectly represents the culture from all different countries! So when I heard that we could take part in a traditional tea ceremony with this course, I went for it right away! I had the opportunity to wear a kimono and drink matcha tea during the ceremony, I loved it. It's really bitter, but that's what makes it peculiar. Matcha is everywhere in Japan so I felt lucky! :-D

I went to Fukuoka last December and stayed for one month. Winter in Japan is great! It's not that cold, maybe because Fukuoka is in the South of Japan, but the whole city is decorated quite Christmassy. We went to Hakata Station a couple of times because there was a Christmas Market with some good food and also some concerts, and the illuminations were really nice. It was a good place to hang out with Meiji fellows and to do some shopping as well. My best memory at Meiji is when we did the Ikebana activity. An elderly lady showed us how to do it at school and it was so pretty in the end! I was proud of myself for being able to create something like that. I liked the atmosphere at school as well. There were not so many students, I guess because it was not during the peak season, but the atmosphere was warm and everyone seemed happy to be there!

I love the atmosphere of the Japanese autumn! And Meiji Academy made this experience even more fantastic in taking us to lovely places around Fukuoka. I used to say that spring is the best time to visit Japan with the sakura season, but I think I changed my mind a bit now! The Momiji season (autumn leaves) is so beautiful in Japan. The colorful leaves combined with temples and shrines in the background is stunning! We went to a city called Daizaifu, where you can find an important shrine and eat the Umegae mochi, which is famous there. The Momiji there were beautiful, it was a good spot for taking nice pictures. One of the other activities that were awesome is the onsen! It is much more enjoyable in autumn than in the spring/summer season! I had a delightful time at Meiji!

Fukuoka is probably not the first destination that comes to mind when looking for Language School. But it should be! I have studied Japanese in Tokyo before and it does not compare to my experience in Fukuoka. Tokyo is hugely westernized and many people speak English. Fukuoka feels more ‘Japanese‘ so-to-say. No huge billboards, no overly-internationalized cuisine, no McDonald’s at every corner. Instead, you will encounter many shrines and temples, friendly locals who are often up for a chat and traditional food that is too good to be missed. You see, I have fallen in love with Fukuoka. Meiji Academy definitely played a big part in this. They introduced me to many cool restaurants, traditional activities, and obviously: the language. Meiji’s staff is friendly and helpful and classes fit all needs (I chose the Intensive course, which is fas-paced, but outstandingly useful). I think one of the reasons why I enjoyed my stay as much as I did was the fact that I had so many opportunities to practice speaking Japanese. During Language Exchanges, in stores and even while waiting for the bus. The fact is: Fukuoka is any Japanese-learner’s paradise!

I am a third year student in Far East Asian studies with a major in Japanese. As studying abroad for a whole year was a big step for me and I have never been in Japan before, I decided to do a short term program. Meiji Academy offered me exactly what I was looking for: personally customised programs, a lot of cultural activities and also language exchanges with locals Japanese students. I have to say that the cultural differences between Germany and Japan were bigger than I expected, but the staff and teachers at Meiji Academy were always there for me to consult. AND they have also German speaking staff, which made me feel like at home! ☺ The only thing that I cannot recommend is to come during tsuyu (summer rainy season). It was so hot and humid everyday I couldn’t stand it. Next time I will come in Autumn and study again with Meiji Academy! I want to watch the nice Autumn leaves and also try some of the nice hot springs I couldn’t go to (because it was summer!). Meiji Academy vielen lieben Dank für alles und doumo arrigatou gozaimasu! ☺