Meiji Academy - Winter Course in Hokkaido

My time in Hokkaido was good and my Japanese improved a lot. Back in January I went for a month and wanted to explore Hokkaido. The school and instructors made the whole trip worth it. Japanese classes were interactive and events a lot of fun. Recommend.

I’ve had sooo much fun in Hokkaido and learned the hidden fun up north. The snow activities were much fun. I loved the snow hiking we did to mount moiwa and also the ice festivals they took us to in Sapporo. The classes were fun and instructors paid a lot of attention to maintain an interactive and engaging lessons. Can’t wait to visit again!

Couldn't ask for more, would never thought it to be this way. I had an amazing time with friends in my absolute dream country and going up North during the Winter season is a MUST when visiting Japan! The snow festival was so much fun and the powder snow is another level. Besides the social events I had so much time with the Japanese lessons and the very welcoming instructors. My favorite thing was I did not have homework to do :-P

I stayed 4 weeks in winter course and it was really nice experience. Japanese classes was good and not too hard, teachers very kind. I liked the small class size. Best part was winter activities. We go ice festival, very beautiful with big snow statues. Also mountain hiking was cold but amazing view. Hot spring after that was perfect, very relaxing. I meet many people from different countries and we enjoy together. Even a fellow Hungarian and a few Austrians! Food also very good, especially Miso ramen in cold weather. I want come back again maybe longer time :)

I always had a fable for Japan’s Nordic reagion and this unique winter program was just made for. The school did a great job in organizing a variety of events and the sightseeing trips and ice festivals were magnificent. 4 weeks were not enough but it gave me a good taste about what I still have on my extended to-do list to take care of after this exciting trip. The classes were at a great pace and I never felt stressed out. I loved the communicative part of it a lot.

I spent six weeks with Meiji's winter course in Hokkaido. Studying was great, but what really made it special was everything outside the classroom. The Sapporo Snow Festival was absolutely unreal. Be prepared for huge ice sculptures with my favourite Anime characters and some crazy sculptures. I also got to try skiing and snowboarding for the first time, which was so much fun. After long days in the cold, relaxing in hot springs was honestly the best part. The only thing which was very weird for me is getting fully naked in the hot spring!! hehe We even did some winter hiking, which was peaceful and gave me a whole new appreciation for snowy landscapes you don't really get back in Australia. The balance between study and activities kept things exciting the whole time. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had so far.

Normally I don’t really write about my experience but I think it’s worth sharing this experience for other students considering going to Japan. Please consider Winter and yes, Hokkaido should be definitely on your radar. My time was so much fun and I loved my teachers. The lessons were much focused on group practices and grammar. I like their focus on using day-to-day situations and topics by practicing Japanese, which helped me immensely. One thing I think Meiji with distance out is the activities and social parties they had. I made so many Japanese friends and had a great time. Absolutely loved it.

I went to Hokkaido for six weeks last Winter and had a blast! My instructors were super fun and very attentive to my study needs. As I have dyslexia and need special attention for reading and test practices I was relieved that the Meiji instructors took my concerns serious. At the beginning I was worried how it would turn out but it went really well and everybody was very helpful. Outside of the class there was always something happening. I often went with fellow classmates to explore more Miso Ramen places around the school. Pssst you have to make sure to check them out! The Winter activities were also so much fun. I recommend to always ask the teachers or Kai for recommendations as they are super lovely in helping out with all my queries.

I had a blast in Hokkaido last Winter with Meiji and enjoyed the Winter activities a lot! My favorite memory was the trip to Mount Moiwa and the ski gliding fun we had with Meiji students in Otaru. Can't wait to come back and meet all:(

Meiji did a great job with this very well structured program and did not save on a good bunch of activities and winter sports I could engage into. I loved my classes but just found it to be a small drawback that you cannot choose between classes being scheduled either in the morning or afternoon depending of your level.

The activities, sightseeing trips, overall organization of social gatherings with fellow Japanese locals and the full hands-on support was simply top notch! I've wholeheartedly enjoyed my time with these guys and hope to visit Hokkaido again! Grazie mille!

Zima u Japanu s Meiji Academy bila je jedno od najboljih iskustava u mom životu! Dobila puno više od samog učenja jezika. Od prvog dana svi profesori, studenti i moja obitelj domaćina bili su nevjerojatno srdačni i uvijek spremni pomoći. Nastava je bila dinamična i praktična, stalno smo radili vježbe razgovora i učili kroz stvarne situacije, što mi je dalo puno samopouzdanja. Osim škole, aktivnosti na snijegu bile su nevjerojatne. Prvi put sam probala skijanje i vožnju na sanjkama kroz snježnu šumu! Posebno mi je ostao u sjećanju posjet Sapporo Snow Festivalu! Osjećaj kao da sam u bajci, okružena ogromnim ledenim skulpturama i svjetlima. Meiji je savršeno organizirala sve! Od dolaska, smještaja, pa do svake avanture na snijegu. Stekla sam prijatelje iz cijelog svijeta i upoznala pravu japansku kulturu izbliza. Ne samo da sam napredovala u jeziku, nego sam stvorila uspomene koje ću zauvijek nositi sa sobom.

Mi experiencia con Meiji el invierno pasado fue increíble. Los profesores japoneses fueron muy amables, pacientes y siempre dispuestos a ayudar. Me encantó la variedad de actividades culturales que el personal organizó para nosotros. En especial, los deportes de invierno con estudiantes japoneses de la universidad fueron una gran oportunidad para hacer amistades locales. Recomiendo mucho Meiji Academy a quien busque un programa de estudios en Japón que sea divertido e intenso.

Being a first-timer in Japan was quite frightening and I had a lot of concerns how it would turn out. Thanks to Meiji Academy all of my worries were unnecessary. The teachers, students and even Japanese volunteer staff were very friendly and accommodating. I feel like my studies improved a lot in the 4 weeks I've been there. Highly recommend Meiji.

The perfect place to spend an exotic Winter break while indulging in high-quality local Japanese food and hidden spa gems! The instructors did their best assist me with my studies and were cracking jokes most of the time. Winter sports activities were also not lacking with several options they offered me to please my snowboarding passion. lol

메이지 아카데미에서의 시간은 제게 정말 특별하고 의미 있는 경험이었습니다. 선생님들은 모두 친절하셨고, 수업도 재미있고 잘 구성되어 있어서 일본어 실력이 확실히 늘었다고 느꼈어요. 수업이 소규모라 질문하기도 편했고, 다양한 나라에서 온 친구들을 만나 여러 문화를 접할 수 있었던 것도 좋았습니다. 수업 외 활동도 많아서 일본에서의 일상과 문화를 더 깊이 경험할 수 있었어요. 일본어를 배우면서 현지 생활도 함께 느껴보고 싶은 분들께 추천하고 싶습니다.

Everyone at Meiji became like my second family last winter. The teachers, students and my host family were very welcoming. From the initial onboarding all the way to my arrival, everything went smoothly and was well organised. The winter sports we did from snowboarding to skiing and snow gliding at the local festivals held in Sapporo and nearby were superb. My favourite memory was the trip to the Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival. The classes were also very good, with a strong focus on group practices and speaking drills. I will never forget my time with Meiji and will be back again.

Meiji's 4-week winter course turned out to be the best decision I made so far! The best things besides incredibly supportive and patient teachers were the events for sure. Skiing and snowboarding is so much fun with the powder snow and something I can't do back home. Even though I was one of the youngest in my class, they made me feel comfortable and encouraged me to speak Japanese from the start. Highly recommend.

The teachers were super kind, classes fun and challenging, and the winter activities were the best. My host family was super nice and helped me a lot with everything. I made great friends and my Japanese improved so much. Super much arigatoo to all Meiji team. luv ya all!

Back in January I did three weeks of Winter course with Meiji at their Hokkaido school and it summed up best all the things I wanted to do. Japanese classes were very interactive with a speaking practice and role plays to apply daily life situations. Activities included skiing, hot spring, lamb BBQ, the famous Snow festival and language exchanges with local students. Loved my time and will be back next Winter! See you then.