Throughout the Year Study Abroad Programs in Japan

From beginning to end my time in Kansai was bloody amazing. Osaka is bustling with great food choices and activities day & night. The teachers at Meiji did a wonderful job and were supportive throughout my studies. Big shout to Akira for taking me around the city and also the spa world trip was awesome. Highly recommend!

지금까지 다녀본 어학원 중에 단연 최고예요! 다른 어학원들과 비교해 봐도 이렇게 짧은 시간 안에 많은 걸 배운 건 처음이에요. 수업 진도가 빠른 편이라 처음에는 조금 어렵게 느껴질 수도 있지만, 하루하루 실력이 눈에 띄게 느는 게 보여서 정말 신기하고 뿌듯해요! 문화 체험 활동도 정말 재미있었는데, 특히 야간 보트 크루즈와 현지 일본인들과 함께한 본오도리가 가장 기억에 남아요!

Fabulous time with these bunch of amazing people. They instructors did a great job and went the extra mile to explain me all my questions in detail. I know myself very well I can be demanding so I really appreciate their patience😉 The events were top-notch and they had such a great time exploring the city and engaging in a lot of cultural events. Two weeks were not enough! Next time I make sure to stay in Kenai for at least two months!

Simply fabulous and full of culinary experiences were my two weeks in Osaka. The instructors were very well organized and classes were fun. My class was small with only three other students, which I personally preferred. The school location is within less than 10 minutes walking distance from Shinsaibashi subway station which made it super central. A lot of foodie spots around and yes I had almost every other day takoyaki or okonomiyaki! Osaka is really Japan’s kitchen hub No.1! And let me not start about the crazy karaoke and club nights I had😁 Highly recommend.

I had fun in my two weeks I've been there. The events were very unique and different from what I have experienced years ago when I went to Tokyo at another school. Osaka people are much friendlier and warmer. The school helped me a lot with finding an accommodation and also assisting with info for food recommendations as I'm Vegan. The community is very inclusive and I never felt insecure or unsafe. If I could do it all over again I would go for Osaka for sure.

Osaka hat richtig geflasht! Meine Zeit hier war einfach nur genial und ich habe viele Freunde kennen gelernt. Der Unterricht war sehr gechillt und die Lehrer waren super nett. Die Location von der Schule ist auch sehr zentral. Shinsaibashi Station ist ein kurzer Spaziergang entfernt, aber das geilste war die extrem fashionlastige und kunterbunte Amemmura Nachbarstadt mit coolen Cafés, sehr extrovertierten Leuten und einer lebendigen Nightlife Szene. Kann Meiji und Osaka nur sehr empfehlen.

2026 so far has been a year of adventure and my month at LTL Osaka was a definitely a stand out experience! The initial application process was straightforward. The Director of Studies, Hiyori Ito, was extremely responsive and great at answering my questions. I felt like I had a connection to the programme right from the beginning. Going into my first day I was extremely nervous. Prior to LTL, I had no experience with Japanese output as I’d only studied the language from textbooks. Despite this, the LTL learning approach was accommodating to my skill level – adapting to where my strengths and weakness were across listening, reading, speaking and writing. LTL employs a conversational approach to learning. Using the textbook as a guide, we covered new grammar and vocabulary points with the majority of the learning being conducted in Japanese. At first this was quite intense but with the teachers help it becomes the best method of learning through exposure. All the teachers were friendly and approachable. I elected to do both group and one-on-one sessions. My daily schedule was slightly overwhelming so I don’t recommend it for everyone but for people who work well in a fast paced environment, I felt it expedited my learning experience tremendously. In the group class we worked through the majority of the Genki 2. I had previously gone through this textbook but it was really beneficial to revisit the grammar constructions and vocabulary with a teacher present. Things I never fully understood the first time, now I feel like I’ve really solidified. Furthermore, being able to delve into the textbook’s content alongside other students allowed me to practice outputting the grammar in a safe and enjoyable environment. In addition to the group classes, I participated in one-on-one classes every afternoon. This was a valuable asset. Throughout the one-on-one classes I set the priority of developing my conversation skill as I felt that was most vital for daily interactions. Due to these sessions being less structured, I was able to revisit basic grammar as well as use what I had learn in the group classes. These classes ended up being my favourite. Over the month I had developed a strong repot with many teachers. From a personal standpoint, I think LTL is best suited for people looking to have a passionate learning experience, focusing more so on developing your ability to speak real Japanese rather than passing the JLPT (it’s definitely visible through LTL but not the main goal). LTL conjures a more relaxed environment, feeling less like a strict school and more like an hyper-invested language club! Outside of class, Hiyori regularly plans group activities such as trips around Osaka or group dinners. Additionally, thanks to the close-nit feeling from the other students during my tenure at the school, we would made plans together for food or drink. On school days during lesson breaks and lunch breaks both teachers and students would hang out in the spacious common area. By not separating the students and teachers it created more opportunity to practice Japanese as well as letting us get to know each other, teacher and student, in a less formal setting. I’d like to highlight a few teachers who really made an impact on me during my time in Osaka: Naomi, Nanaho and Sae Sensei made group classes a joy. We engaged in lots of fun discourse around the textbook. As well as lots of laugher playing vocabulary games and learning about Japanese culture. A massive thank you to Satoko and Hiroko Sensei for creating such friendly atmospheres during our one-on-one classes. I can firmly attribute much of my Japanese progression to their help. Every class was fun yet contained the perfect balance of conversation and teaching. By the end of my time at LTL I felt as if my conversational flow had drastically improved thanks to the consistent and attentive corrections to my speaking made by Hiroko and Satoko. We had many long discussions about a variety of topics but it never felt intimidating due to the pace of the conversation as well as us stopping to discuss grammar and vocabulary throughout. As a place to live and study for an extended period of time I can wholeheartedly recommend Osaka. The city is very well connected by public transport, the underground system is convenient and affordable. Furthermore, for weekend trips Osaka is perfectly central in the Kansai-region offering amazing excursions to surrounding areas such as Kobe, Nara and the various waking trails or tradition villages. Lastly, but maybe most importantly, during my time studying I also engaged in the homestay programme. Without a doubt this was the highlight of my time in Osaka. Getting to experience life with a family abroad is an eye opening experience and something I’d definitely want to do again. When being inducted to LTL, if you select to do a homestay, you can provider preferences for what kind of house you want to stay in, such as ‘being with other students or alone’ or ‘the families level of English’ – in my case, I was the only foreigner with a family where they spoke little English. After the month I truly felt I’d made a connection with the host family. Many nights after dinner we’d talk for hours, with a little help from google translate, on all manor of topics and discussing each-other’s culture. I’d play video games with the kids and join them on weekend trips to the river or out for food. The entire time I felt so warmly welcomed and accommodated both in my language ability and in comfort around the house. Being able to communicate with them became a massive motivator for me to put more effort into my studies! Many thanks again to the LTL Osaka team!

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 27, 2026

Wow Luke! We are thrilled the homestay became the highlight of your month in Osaka! Hiyori, Naomi, Nanaho, Sae, Satoko and Hiroko sensei will all love reading this. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review. Keep up the great work studying Japanese and we hope to see you back at LTL soon! LTL Team

I started going to LTL Osaka in the beginning of July 2026. From the beginning, Hiyori Ito, the Director of Studies, was very helpful and was ready to answer any questions that I had as I arrived in Japan. Hiyori planned one to two weekly events with students that ranged from a field trip or a meal with students. This made it really easy to make friends and experience Japanese culture in a way I wouldn't have had the opportunity without these adventures. Additionally, I learned so much from the teachers at LTL Osaka. Going in, I had finished the first 6 lessons of Genki I textbook, and quickly finished the textbook after about 2-3 weeks. Although the pace is fast, I found it very easy to adjust. I had the privilege of having one-on-one lessons where I was in more control of what I learned, and what I wanted to focus on. Sometimes if I felt that I had not grasped a concept completely, I would just have a review day with a teacher, or if I wanted to just practice my Japanese and have a conversation, that was an option too. I would recommend this school if your goal with the Japanese language is to gain conversational skills, immerse yourself in the culture, learn more about the grammar, or even for those who are traveling. LTL really allows you to customize your learning experience, even when you start, which was one of the main selling points for me when I was considering LTL among other schools. If your goal is to pass the JLPT in as little time as possible, that is still achievable with LTL, however, I think that one would need to do a lot of outside studying as well. Despite all of the teachers at LTL being exceptional, the ones that I would like to highlight are Nanaho, Kagawa, Tanaka, and Junichi. Each one brought their own unique teaching style which really exposed me to the various aspects of the Japanese language and culture. With Nanaho sensei, we focused on vocabulary and she ensured that I understood a grammar point. If I was confused I was not afraid to ask her a question and found it very easy to talk to her. We laughed all the time and she would even join me in dancing to songs on our 10 minute breaks. In Kagawa sensei’s class, we only talked in Japanese. She talked at a slower pace and used vocabulary words that I knew, so that I could understand her. I got a lot of Japanese conversation practice with her, often not using the exercises within a textbook, instead putting them into a real world context. Tanaka sensei really helped me understand and practice short forms in Japanese and we often ended the last hour to thirty minutes focusing on kanji. I remember laughing all the time and having a very positive experience with her. I have to attribute a large part of my flow improvement to Junichi sensei. When first speaking, he noticed that I had trouble with the flow of the Japanese language. He helped me through speech exercises and helped me find the rhythm within the language. All of these teachers were outstanding and I enjoyed having various teachers because each one taught in their own way and helped me improve in many different aspects. Furthermore, I stayed with a host family for the duration of my time at LTL. One of my concerns when going into this journey was whether or not the homestay would be clean and safe. The homestay exceeded my expectations and Hiyori would always ask me about what was happening in the homestay and if I needed anything. I could not recommend this program enough. If you are considering attending LTL Osaka school, I think that this could be the best decision in your Japanese language journey. I would love to return in the future.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewAugust 05, 2026

Love to hear it, Nicolas and the pictures of you and your friends and the staff are just so nice! We're so happy Hiyori accommodated you and made sure you had a blast in Osaka with us and equally delighted you had a great time with your teachers too. Thanks so much for sharing your story and we hope you come back soon :) LTL Team

One hell of an adventure! Japan felt like a roller coaster and it’s definitely hit a good spot doing my first travel to Japan not a busy city like Tokyo or Osaka. Sapporo was amazing and I loved my school a lot. The teaching was pretty smooth and the activities were my favorite. Be back in Japan soon. Peace

Das Team der LTL Sprachachule Tokyo ist ein lustiger und bunter Haufen mit vielen unterschiedlichen Interessen, was im Hinblick auf den Unterricht super ist! Wenn man die Lehrer zeitnahe informiert, gehen sie auf Wünsche und Forderungen ohne Weiteres ein. So kann man sich also auch mit Wortschatz, Phrasen und Redewendungen seines eigenen Interessengebiets eindecken lassen, denn man ist keineswegs an das Lehrbuch gebunden. Der Stoff, der in der Stunde durchgenommen wird, wie viel und auf welche Weise kann von der Gruppe/einem selbst bestimmt werden und ist daher hervorragend für Personen, die aus eigener Motivation lernen können und wollen. Die negative Seite dieser Flexibilität ist, dass es schwer werden kann die richtige Gruppe zu finden. Es wird durchaus versucht Schüler mit unterschiedlichen Sprachleveln unterschiedlichen Gruppen zuzuteilen, jedoch passiert dies mit Hilfe von Einschätzung des Lehrers und vorallem des Schülers selbst. Dies kann manches Mal den Lernprogress des Unterrichts verlangsamen. Auf der einen Seite ist es wirklich super, dass es im regelmäßigen Abstand Events/Ausflüge gibt, die man besuchen kann. Auf der anderen Seite wirkt die Art und Weise, wie man davon erfährt bzw. dazu motiviert wird leicht chaotisch und/oder ist manches Mal zu kurzfristig. Da der Altersdurchschnitt relativ jung ist, denke ich, dass in diesem Bereich möglicherweise mehr Struktur nicht schaden könnte. Beispielsweise könnte man am Vortag/Vormittag Listen durchgeben, mit denen man sich (un)verbindlich für das anstehende Event anmeldet. Auf diese Weise müsste man nach dem Unterricht nicht die Schüler anwerben sondern zählt nur einmal durch ohne großes Durcheinander. Abgesehen von den paar angesprochenen Mängeln habe ich mich während meines zweimonatigen Aufenthalts gut aufgehoben gefühlt! Man wird immer mit einem strahlenden Lächeln und einer familiären Atmosphäre an der Rezeption begrüßt und auch während des Anmeldeverfahrens wurde mir mit viel Geduld bei meinen Problemen geholfen. Ich bin sehr froh diese Schule gefunden zu haben und kann sie herzlich weiterempfehlen.

LTL Language School responded to this reviewApril 05, 2026

Vielen herzlichen Dank für dein ausführliches und ehrliches Feedback! Es freut uns sehr, dass du dich bei uns wohlgefühlt hast und die familiäre Atmosphäre sowie die Flexibilität im Unterricht schätzt. Deine Anmerkungen zu den Events und der Gruppenstruktur nehmen wir uns sehr zu Herzen – das sind wertvolle Hinweise, die uns helfen, unser Angebot weiter zu verbessern. Wir hoffen, dich bald wieder bei LTL begrüßen zu dürfen!

여기 사람들 다 좋은 사람들이었습니다. 제가 운이 좋아서 좋은 학생을 만난 것도 있지만, 스탭들도 다 친절하고 좋아서 너무 즐겁게 보냈어요. 저는 일주일만 신청했는데 그 시간들이 너무 짧아서 아쉽습니다. 나중에 기회가 있다면 다시 오고 싶어요. 그때는 좀 더 길게요. 제가 있었던 장소는 5월부터 다른 장소로 옮긴다고 하는데 추억의 장소가 옮겨져서 아쉽습니다. 다음에는 다른 장소에서 추억을 남기고 싶어요.

Muy recomendable!! La gente del staff es super maja, las actividades que proponen son super entretenidas y te permiten conocer Japón de verdad. Además, en las clases aprendes mucho no solo el japonés “escrito” sino especialmente el hablado. La gente es increible, si tienes dudas, ven aqui!!! 10/10 y si tengo oportunidad volveré

I have been studying japanese through JaLs and at the sametime I have been living in a homestay with an amazing family. Mr and Mrs Nozawa ほんとうにありがとうございました。 My course was 1 week intensive lesson with classes of 7 people and private lessons as well as activities.

It was my first time coming to Japan, and also my first time in Asia. I was extremely nervous because I didn’t know how to speak Japanese, aside from saying ‘thank you’ and ‘hello.’ Despite not speaking the language, everyone was always very kind and respectful to me. I met a lot of amazing people, who I now consider my friends. I have enjoyed every single day I’ve been here, and I would love to come back as soon as possible.

The past three months passed by so quick. Looking back at my time here I made a lot of long lasting friendships, got really close with my host family and also planned my next steps. I did quite a unique preparation studies before starting my JET teaching program here in Hokkaido and I'm glad I did it with Meiji! This school felt more than just learning Japanese. It is my spot to get back when homesickness kicks in and the community here is really warmhearted. The best thing is even if you are a graduate you can always come back and join their social events and language exchanges. Once a Meiji student, always a Meiji student!♡

Learning Japanese in such a snowy megacity and also making friends from all around the globe was mesmerizing. I loved my instructors and the casual pace on how my classes went. The nightlife was also fun and I did get more than one opportunity to rock the mic during karaoke! lol

Studying at Meiji in Sapporo was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far. I came to improve my Japanese speaking skills and school’s focus on communication and conversation really helped. In class we practiced speaking a lot through role plays, discussions and practical situations, which made it much easier to use Japanese confidently in everyday life. One of the things I loved most was how the school combined language learning with cultural activities. We tried traditional things like calligraphy and local festivals and teachers always explained the cultural meaning behind what we were doing. It made learning the language feel much more connected to real life in Japan. Sapporo is also an amazing place if you enjoy winter sports. During the winter I went skiing and snowboarding several times. The powder snow in Hokkaido is incredible!!! The atmosphere at Meiji Academy was really friendly and international. It helped a lot for an introvert nerdy like me to make friends from many different countries while practicing Japanese together. Between the engaging classes, cultural activities I had the chance to experience Hokkaido’s famous winter.

My three months in Hokkaido are nearing towards the end and looking back at my time here I can only say it was life changing. This is my third time in Japan but the first time in Hokkaido. After the comment travel to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and all the spots between I wanted to get off the beaten track and experience the real Japan. Meiji’s program in Sapporo seemed intriguing and really caught my attention. The classes were well structured and the instructors were very passionate and helpful all the time. I loved staying in the share house which helped me as well to make friends with local Japanese students and other international students from Meiji and the other universities studying here. The best part were the activities that were so diverse and included a lot of cultural activities as well as social gatherings informed of karaoke, language exchange and casual dinners with Japanese volunteers and other students. I really miss my time here already and hope to be back soon. Thanks for everything and hope to see everybody else sometime in the future.

I simply loved it. The Japanese lessons were fun with a lot of group practices and focus on communication. The grammar lessons were sometimes a bit intense but a lot of rehearsals and sample sentences practices helped for tricky grammar chapters a lot. I recommend going out of your comfort zone and engaging with Japan is the best solution to improve your Japanese. My fellow classmates were nice and I always hang out with them. I was even able to make friends at some of the language exchange and culturally events that Meiji organized. My recommendation is to stay at the share house as it is very affordable and it helps a lot to not get home sick and also make Japanese friends to practice your Japanese.

It all started at a snowy day arriving in Shinchitose airport and seeing all the fairy landscape covered in snow. A staff from the school picked me up and escorted me to my host family where I had the pleasure to spend the next five weeks. The Winter course was filled with wonderful winter sport activities and excursions to unique snow festivals. I wholeheartedly enjoyed every minute with my lovely classmates and also the warm hands-on support from the fellopw staff members. Everybody was so welcome and I never felt excluded or wrongly treated during my time there. The classes were very entertaining and I had so much fun in exploring Hokkaido's wonderful streetfood after the classes. Can't believe everything passed so quick. Thanks for the great time♡