Study Abroad Programs in Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto was spared from the destruction that many other cities endured in Japan during WWII, making Kyoto one of the few cities with many surviving pre-war buildings, from world heritage sites and important religious centers to the traditional townhouses called machiya. But, these are not the only things that have withstood the test of time; in Kyoto, you will experience Japan's thriving artistic and cultural heritage too. Kyoto is the birthplace of the tea ceremony and flower arranging, so it should come as no surprise that Kyoto is an excellent place to study art history, religious studies, and history. 

The main economic industry in Kyoto is information technology, and it is home to both Nintendo and Kyocera. For technology, architecture, and design majors, Kyoto Institute of Technology is considered one of the best. Kyoto hosts plenty of international students, thanks to its large number of academic institutions. Additionally, the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese studies is comprised of 14 U.S. based universities that sponsor study abroad programs in Kyoto for those with a focus in Japanese language and cultural studies. Kyoto University is one of the top higher learning institutions in all of Japan, coming in second place only to University of Tokyo and ranking 25th in the entire world.

If you are going to study abroad in Kyoto, you will likely not be required to understand Japanese. However, if you find that you loved your experience so much that you want to go back to Japan to pursue your full degree, or if your program is hosted by a Japanese university, you will absolutely need to take at least a two year course in the Japanese language.