Have you thought about taking an intensive course in Japan? Staying from 2 months to 2 years with a student visa attending a school daily solely with the goal of learning Japanese? Besides universities, Japan consists of thousands of different language schools catering to foreigners. There are so many different schools that it becomes difficult to know which one to choose. Thinking of helping those who wish to study Japanese in Japan, we wrote this article.
Before choosing the school you want to go to, you need to take into that classes are usually taught entirely in Japanese and sometimes in English. It is not necessary to know English or Japanese, they use a method to teach anyone of any language, however some schools in English. Some schools provide accommodation and help with the student visa. Prices can vary and easily exceed 20,000 reais per year.
Some schools, in addition to the intensive Japanese course, offer cultural classes or other things like manga and illustration. The classes are usually daily and last from 3 to 4 hours. You should take into the location; Tokyo has several schools that are expensive, but it is easy to find part-time jobs. The most important thing is to know what your needs are!
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Choosing Language School in Japan
Japanese schools can be divided into 3 groups:
- Big and expensive school;
- Small and expensive school;
- Cheap school;
Most large schools and universities are expensive because of their expense and location. Some small schools are also expensive because they pay private tutors for more intensive classes. Cheap schools are usually small and pay private tutors and do not divide the class by levels. The cheaper the classes, the less effective they will be. There are Japanese courses that can leave you in the N1 for a year, others don't even leave you in the N3. Schools that allow enrollment at any time of the year tend to be chaotic in the months of July and August.
In addition to traditional language schools, some universities have departments that teach Japanese, but they are more expensive. You can also get scholarships to learn Japanese and not just study at universities. Another option is to pay private tutors who charge around 2000 yen an hour, but this usually doesn't help with the visa.
Choosing a Japanese language school in Japan is not easy, especially the payment and visa process if you don't have any knowledge of English. Calmly research all the details and information before choosing the school you want.
The best Japanese schools in Japan
Are you wondering, what is the best Japanese school in Japan to study? When you google this, you'll come across Booking-style sites that feature several Japanese language schools at exorbitant prices. It's easy to find schools that cost as little as 20,000 a year, while searching google through these sites I found schools that charged over 100,000 reais for 6 months. I will leave a list of websites below so you can do your research and decide among the best and most well-known language schools in Japan:
KAI Japanese Language School – Students from 40 countries attend this school which is located in Shinjuku – Tokyo. The courses last about 3 months to 2 years and also have shorter courses. A great option for those looking for in English and classes usually cost 25,000 reais per year.
Shinjuku Japanese Language School - SNG School was founded in 1975 and today is an institution recognized by the Tokyo city government as a vocational school. It serves students from over 40 nationalities including Portuguese. The fees vary at 22,000 reais per year, and this school is good enough to help you reach JLPT N1.
Genki Japanese and Culture School Tokyo - Considered one of the best Japanese schools in Japan located in Shinjuku. Classes are held with few students, a maximum of 8 students. Their annual price is usually 30,000 reais. They also have a school in Fukuoka.
This Japanese Language School – Located in Kichijoji, Tokyo, JLS offers lessons based on everyday activities so you can apply what you learn directly to your everyday life.
TCJ - Tokyo Central Japanese Language School – Located in Shinjuku, founded in 1988 and serving students from over 40 countries. In this school you can find annual courses for 22,000 reais.
Hokkaido Japanese Language School – for those looking for a different option, this school is located in Hokkaido.
ECC - Kokusai College - Language school located in Osaka.
Go-Nihongo - On this website, you can find other language schools in Japan.
Unfortunately, not everyone can take an in-person 日本語 course. If that is not possible for you, we recommend an online 日本語 course.
