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!