Nagasaki College of Foreign Languages, which is located on the northern border of Nagasaki City, offers the Japan Studies In Nagasaki Program (JASIN). The program offers two 15-week terms, one in the fall and one in the spring. Students may enter the program in either term and study for one or two terms. Continuing studies in the college's Japanese-language curriculum are possible.

JASIN offers undergraduate university-level courses in Japanese language and in Japan Studies. All Japan Studies classes are conducted in English with emphasis on exposure through field trips, tours, social activities, and arranged stays in Japanese-style housing situations. Each term is designed to provide the transferable equivalent of a semester of university study.

The JASIN Program is designed as a study abroad opportunity for current university students, although applications from those in other situatilons may be accepted. Applicants must have successfully completed at least one year of university study; be in good academic standing, and have adequate English ability to participate in the Japan Studies classes. For further information please check the program's web site at: http://www.nagasaki-gaigo.ac.jp/ncs/jasin/.

Located in a rural setting near the historic city of Seto, about one hour's travel north of Nagoya, Nagoya Gakuin University offers both Japanese language and Japanese area studies classes to students from overseas. The one-year course in the Institute for Japanese Studies (IJS) includes 16 credits for language study at five levels of difficulty and 12 credits for classes in Japanese history, society, literature, religion, art, politics, economy, education, science and technology, or business management.

IJS classes are taught in both English and Japanese, and students whose language proficiency is advanced may also enroll in regular university classes. Nagoya Gakuin's areas of specialty are economics and business management and foreign studies (English and Chinese).

The school year follows the Japanese pattern, with two four-month semesters (April through July, September through December). International students may begin their enrollment in either semester.

IJS has an internship program which offers a one-month supervised practical work experience in a Japanese business environment for students who can communicate well in Japanese.

Tuition for the Japanese Studies program is 320,000 yen per semester. Housing costs are estimated at an additional 100,000 per semester. Students may live in the International Seminar House on campus or apply for a home stay program.

IJS tuition and housing scholarships are available based on need and academic performance. International students may also be eligible for scholarships from Aichi Prefecture and the Japanese government, and for loans through the university's Center for International Exchange Programs.

For more information or application forms, contact the Institute for Japanese Studies, Nagoya Gakuin University, 1350 Kami-Shinano, Seto, Aichi 480-12, Japan, or go to the web site http://www.ngu.ac.jp/index.html. The Institute can also be contacted by e-mail, at ciepijs@ngu.ac.jp.

Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, a dynamic university in the field of Japanese language education headed by Osamu Mizutani, now invites applications for a full year/semester intensive Japanese language and culture study in Nagoya, Japan. The program, which has been open exclusively for those from partner universities, now accepts, for the first time, applications from any undergraduate and graduate students. The program offers intensive Japanese language programs at all levels, as well as introductory courses in Japanese Studies, and a wide range of cultural programs including short trips and homestays. Scholarships are available. Please visit: http://www-e.nufs.ac.jp for more information.

Nanzan University is part of an educational complex consisting of two womenÕs junior colleges and three junior and senior high schools, in addition to the University and its research institutes and campus study centers. The Nanzan schools are located in the hills overlooking metropolitan Nagoya and in the nearby cities of Toyota and Seto on the outskirts of Nagoya. Nagoya is strategically located in Central Japan where easy access to the bigger cities of Tokyo and Osaka is possible. Nanzan University has bilateral exchanges with about 48 universities and institutes in North America, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

The Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) has been a leader in Japanese language studies since its founding in 1974. Each semester, the Center hosts an average of 120 students representing about 28 countries. The CJS academic calendar runs for 9 months and is divided into the fall semester from September to December (4 months) and the spring semester from January to May (five months). Students can select to study for a semester or a full year. Applications for the fall semester are accepted until the deadline of March 30 and for the spring semester, until August 31. Details and application forms are available on request at cjs@nanzan-u.ac.jp.

There are a limited number of places available in accommodation arranged by the University. Such arrangements are handled on a semester basis and include homestays and off-campus international residence halls. Students living with host families are provided with two meals a day that are included in the fixed accommodation fee of 60,000 yen per month.

CJS courses include the following:

Visit the Nanzan website at http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/English/index.htm for the latest course offerings and additional information.

Opened in April 2000 in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture (Kyushu), Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) is the latest addition to the campus network of Ritsumeikan University, a private educational institution based in Kyoto which celebrated its 100th anniversary at the turn of the century. APU is be a truly international university, offering 4-year undergraduate programs within a Japanese/English dual language structure and admitting half its students from 50 countries around the world, particularly the Asia-Pacific Region. APU is looking for high school students who have the vitality and creativity to overcome national borders, understand the diversity of the Asia-Pacific, seek peaceful solutions, and commit themselves to positive action at the global level.

Every year approximately 400 students from inside Japan and 400 from other countries enroll at APU, with the option to start in either April or October. Half of the faculty is also non-Japanese. APU has two departments: the College of Asia-Pacific Studies and the College of Asia-Pacific Management. Lower-level classes are offered in both languages, giving students time to master Japanese while earning their bachelor's degree. Japanese is not required for admission, but all international students are expected to study Japanese intensively until they reach the level appropriate for college courses.

Affordable housing is provided for first-year international students at the on-campus residence hall, "AP House," which has more than 400 furnished single rooms. Several types of APU scholarships are available, from a minimum of 30% tuition reduction for students who demonstrate academic potential to 100% for outstanding students.

The Ritsumeikan Trust, APU's parent organization, has cooperative agreements with more than 99 universities and educational institutions in 26 countries and regions worldwide (as of April 2000). In the United States, Ritsumeikan has ties with American University, Illinois College, University of Hawaii, University of Oklahoma, University of Pittsburgh, University of Southern California, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In Canada, Ritsumeikan's partner schools are Okanagan University College and the University of British Columbia.

To learn more about APU and how to apply, please visit the school's website at http://www.apu.ac.jp or send an e-mail message to: welcome@apu.ac.jp.

Located in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, the Study in Kyoto Program provides students with a unique opportunity to study Japanese language and culture in the historical and cultural center of Japan.

As of September 2003, the One Year Program, which was established in 1988, has been updated and renamed the "Study in Kyoto Program". The program continues to offer a flexible system of Japanese language study and cultural exploration for students currently enrolled in colleges or universities with an upper elementary level of level of Japanese language proficiency. Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 200 hours of Japanese language study covering the first half of an elementary course and are expected to have mastered Hiragana, Katakana, and TE-form verbs. Students whould also have knowledge of approximately 100 Kanji characters and 800 words.

The core of the program consists of intermediate level Japanese language courses. Participants are also encouraged to take courses within the special curriculum established for international students studying for a regular four-year degree, as well as regular undergraduate courses based on language proficiency of the individual student.

For more information, please contact:

Ryukoku was founded in 1639 in connection with the Nishi-Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. It has a long and distinguished history and is located in the heart of the ancient city of Kyoto. Today, the university has seven Faculties (Letters, Law, Business Administration, Economics, Sociology, Science and Technology, and Intercultural Communications), undergraduate and graduate programs, a junior college, and the Japanese Culture and Language Program (JCLP). Ryukoku's JCLP is a one-year, intensive program, with five skill levels, and culture electives in addition to the language classes. The JCLP tuition is affordable (487,000 yen per year), and students can stay at one of four Ryukoku dormitories at a cost of around 15,000 yen per month.

Students from 44 different countries come to Ryukoku to study and explore Japanese culture. In addition to studies, many students participate in one of the university's 140 student clubs. Applications are accepted in May and October, and the two semesters begin in April and September. For more information, please contact the Ryukoku International Center at 67 Tsukamoto-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Japan 612-8577 or at ric@rnoc.fks.ryukoku.ac.jp. Fax: 81-(0)75-645-2020. On the Web at http://www.ryukoku.ac.jp.

The University of the Ryukyus Short-term Exchange Program (URSEP) offers an English-language curriculum together with Japanese language study to students interested in studying in the unique cultural and physical environment of Okinawa. Taking advantage of the university's location in the subtropical region of Japan's southernmost island, the program's faculty offer undergraduate and graduate courses in English in environmental studies, tropical agriculture and medicine, marine science and engineering, and Okinawan music to complement Japanese language and culture courses. Admission is open to students at Michigan State University, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Guam through bilaterial exchange programs.

No background in Japanese language is required for participation in the URSEP program. Three levels of Japanese language study are offered. Independent research projects can be conducted on topics proposed in advance by entering overseas students. Dormitory or International House accommodations are arranged for international students; there are also opportunities for short-term home stays and visits. Community activities are encouraged.

The academic calendar is divided into a fall semester and a spring semester, beginning October 1 and April 1, respectively. International students may enroll for the full academic year or for the fall semester only. Applications for the fall semester or the full academic year must be received by the preceding March 31.

Inquiries and applications should be directed to the International Student Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan 903-0213. The Center can be contacted by e-mail at ryugaku@jim.u-ryukyu.ac.jp. On the Web at http://wwww.cc.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/~insc/.

Senshu University, located in Kawasaki City midway between Tokyo and Yokohama, offers an intensive language and culture course for international students on a year-round basis, with four terms annually and initial admission possible on a rolling basis.

Japanese language instruction is at five levels based on proficiency; placement tests are given to students both before and after their arrival in Japan in order to determine the level of instruction.

International students are housed in a university dormitory (Kokusai Kenshu-kan); home stays can also be arranged.

Total estimated costs for the program vary with the length of the school term, and range from 236,000 yen for the 7-week summer term to 358,000 yen for the 12-week fall term. These costs include tuition and housing, but not meals and extra expenses.

Application deadlines are October 1 for the 9-week Winter term (January-March), May 15 for the 12-week Fall term (September through December), and March 1 for the 7-week Summer term.

For more information or application forms, contact the International Academic Affairs Office, Kokusai Kenshu-kan, Senshu University, 5-1-1 Masukata, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-0032, Japan. The office can also be contacted by e-mail at iaffairs@acc.senshu-u.ac.jp or visited on the Web at http://www.senshu-u.ac.jp/Welcome.html

Taisho University, a private Buddhist university located in Nishi-Sugamo, northwest Tokyo, has established a new program in which up to 40 overseas students are admitted each year to a special course designed to prepare them for enrollment in undergraduate or graduate programs at Japanese universities.

The one-year program, established in 1997, consists of two semesters, one from October to March and a second from April to July. In order to qualify for admission to the program, students must demonstrate proficiency in Japanese at the level of Grade 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. In addition to 13 90-minute classes a week in language skills, students are eligible to audit regular undergraduate courses at the university, which specializes in religious studies (particularly Buddhist studies), sociology, clinical psychology and counseling, comparative literature and culture, and history.

The one-year language program earns full-time students 22 credit hours; upon completion of the program, students should be able to pass Level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and qualify for enrollment in a Japanese university.

The fee for the program is 600,000 yen, not including housing. Students are responsible for arranging their own housing. No scholarship assistance is available.

For further information or application forms, contact the International Programs Center, Taisho University, 3-20-1 Nishi-Sugamo, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8470, Japan.

Tohoku Gakuin University, a private institution founded in 1866, offers three types of special programs for foreign students mainly at its Izumi campus in Sendai: a summer program and a fall semester program in Japanese Studies and an intensive one-year Japanese language program.

The Japanese Studies Summer Program (5 weeks in May and June) offers home placements, Japanese language classes, and a lecture series in English, as well as a tour of major cultural and historical sites in Japan. The Japanese Studies Fall Semester Program (3 months, September-December) offers lecture courses on Japanese culture and society, literature, and economy and management as well as Japanese language courses; students are housed in off-campus apartments.

The Intensive One-Year Japanese Language Course (10 months, from September-July) prepares students to pass Level Two of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, as well as offering content lecture courses in both English and Japanese. Students are housed off-campus in apartments, and are able to participate in excursions and other opportunities.

Tohoku Gakuin University has five faculties, five graduate school divisions, and eleven research institutes serving and enrollment of about 13,000 students. It has established exchange relationships with colleges and universities in North America, Europe, and Asia, including Ursinus College and Franklin & Marshall College in the United States.

For more information on the program or on admissions, please write the International Center Office at ICO@tscc.tohoku-gakuin.ac.jp. The university's web site is at http://www.tohoku-gakuin.ac.jp.

Tohoku University is a national university which was established in Sendai in 1907. Tohoku graduated its first foreign students in 1911, becoming the first Japanese university to do so. Now there are 10 undergraduate schools, 12 graduate schools, and 7 research institutions. More than 16,000 students attend Tohoku, including over 800 international students from 50 countries.

Tohoku is located in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku Region with one million inhabitants. It is northeast of Tokyo and can be reached in 2 hours by the Shinkansen, or bullet train. Sendai is known as "mori no miyako," or "the city of trees" because of the picturesque tree-lined streets. The climate is temperate with cool summers and moderately cold winters. There are mountains to the west of the city and the ocean is to the east.

The Junior Year Program at Tohoku University is a one-year program which begins in October. Each year thirty students are admitted from outside of Japan. Semesters last 15 weeks, with the fall semester running from October to March and spring semester from April to September. For students who are unable to attend the entire program, a six-month plan is also available.

Lectures on science, engineering, and education are offered in English for international students. These classes receive the same credit as equivalent courses taught in Japanese. Also available are classes on Japanese language, culture, and society.

To be eligible for this program, students must be enrolled in their home institutions as juniors. Their home institutions must have formal exchange agreements with Tohoku, allowing credits earned at Tohoku to transfer with relative ease. However, as a precaution, students are advised to discuss credits with an academic counselor before leaving for Japan.

International students are eligible for a tuition waiver whereby they are only responsible for the cost of living, which is estimated at 80,000 yen per month. Students enrolled in the Tohoku Junior Year Program can apply for the AIEJ Short-Term Student Exchange Promotion Program Scholarship which provides 80,000 yen per month, a round-trip economy-class ticket, and a one-time grant of 25,000 yen. Students may stay in the Tohoku University International House for approximately 5000 yen per month plus utilities (approx. 10,000 per month). Japanese National Health Insurance is required, and the cost was 1600 yen per month in 1997.

For more information, see the Tohoku University home page at http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/ or write to Tohoku University International Student Center, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577 JAPAN, fax +81-22-217-5031, e-mail jtype@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp.

The Japan Studies Program (JSP) at Tokyo International University (TIU) is a one- to two-semester Study-Abroad homestay program open to English-speaking students in all fields of study from accredited Colleges and Universities all around the world. The program was established in 1973, and has since hosted more than 500 undergraduate students from diverse institutions.

Composed of five schools and 7,000 students both graduate and undergraduate, TIU is located in Kawagoe City, about 35 minutes by train from downtown Tokyo. The University’s location allows for easy access to the best of this major metropolis, while enjoying the benefits of a more natural, rural setting; allowing JSP participants the to easily explore both the modern and traditional aspects of Japan.

The Japan Studies Program is designed for students who want to experience full immersion and acquire first-hand knowledge of Japan. Living with a host family, students will be able to join in a Japanese family's daily life while exponentially improving their language skills. In addition, the program offers intensive Japanese Language classes (required), Elective Courses on Japanese Culture taught in English, and various opportunities to experience Japanese language and culture through a variety of field trips and excursions.

For more information visit the TIU website at: www.tiu.ac.jp/jsp or contact the program at jsp@tiu.ac.jp.

TUFS, a leader in language/culture area studies programs, provides year-abroad students with opportunities to acquire skills for global leadership through an understanding of Japanese culture and Japan's role in the world at its International Student Exchange Program. Core courses on Japanese language and Japanese and International Studies, together with individual courses on chosen topics under the supervision of faculty members, give students an interdisciplinary base for pursuing their own interests and research topics. Classrooms provide a unique forum for intercultural learning, with students from a number of countries as well as Japanese students who wish to study in English. Core courses are taught in English, but students with sufficient language skills will be able to take regular university courses in Japanese with support from experienced staff members. For further information on the program, application procedures, and financial assistance, contact Student Exchange Division, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 4-51-21 Nishigahara, Kita-ku, Tokyo 114-8580, Japan; tel. +81-3-3974-3559; e-mail student_exchange@is.tufs.ac.jp; or visit the program on the Web at http://www.tufs.ac.jp.

Toyo University was established in 1887. It now admits 25,000 students per year, and currently there are over 300 foreign students from ten countries enrolled at Toyo. Toyo has four campuses, and the newest, Itakura, houses the Faculty of Regional Development Studies and the Faculty of Life Sciences. Itakura is 80 minutes by train from downtown Tokyo, in Gunma Prefecture.

The Regional Development Studies Department was founded in April 1997, and has four main fields of emphasis: economics, regional development management, industrial development, and environmental management. One hundred fifty Regional Development Studies students are admitted each year. Among these, approximately one-third are international students from all over the world, with a high number from other Asian countries.

Regional Development Studies prepares students for careers in Regional Development Planning and Coordinating, Project Management, Regional Researching, and positions as Regional Superintendents.

The program is four years long, and upon completion of eight successful terms, students will be eligible to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree. The courses place an emphasis on training in basic points of view and ways of thinking, basic knowledge, and basic methodology. Students may choose between generalized study areas such as liberal arts, foreign languages, and health sciences; or specialized study areas.

The department is relatively flexible, and students can choose to begin in either April or October. There is an intensive training course in the Japanese language which will bring students up to the first level in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, enabling those with poor Japanese-language skills to participate.

Toyo has agreements for academic collaboration with 15 universities and institutions in China, France, Germany, Ireland, Indonesia, Korea, and the United States. American universities with exchange agreements with Toyo are the University of Montana, Oregon State University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Total expenditures are estimated at 100,000 yen per month. Toyo does provide assistance in finding apartments and accommodations near campus. There is special housing for foreign students which costs approximately 30,000 yen per month. Tuition costs 670,000 yen, and there is an annual Maintenance Fee of 200,000 yen. There is also an Admission Fee of 280,000 yen charged only the first year. Scholarships are available.

For more information, please contact:

Tsukuba Science City, 40 miles north of Tokyo, is a good place to study the contrast between Japanese tradition and the nation's impressive progress in science and technology. The city houses not only the University of Tsukuba (one of Japan's prestigious national universities) but also more than 150 national and private research institutes. Many of the inhabitants of the rural area around Tsukuba still retain their dialect and their traditional lifestyles, and the city and the countryside are like two different worlds.

The University of Tsukuba is made up of divisions in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medicine, art, and physical education. Since its founding in 1973, it has been particularly geared towards opening itself to the international academic community and student exchange.

The Junior Year at Tsukuba Program (JTP) is a year-long program for international students that begins in September and ends in June, divided into three terms. Admission is possible either in September or in January.

Students may choose from four categories of courses: (1) Japanese language courses at the intermediate and advanced levels; (2) a small selection of courses taught in English for JTP students on Japanese politics, economics and finance, communication, and education; (3) courses taughts in English for all students at the university, including Japanese students; and (4) regular university courses taught in Japanese (available only to students with advanced language skills).

International students are housed in dormitories on the Tsukuba campus. Expenses for an academic year, including tuition, room and board, and other living expenses, are estimated to total approximately 1,800,000 yen. However, tuition waivers and scholarships through Japan's Ministry of Education are available to a number of students each year.

In principle, the program is based on exchange agreements between Tsukuba and several American universities, and priority for acceptance is given to students from those universities. But students from other universities are welcome to apply. Check with your university's study-abroad office, or write directly to Mr. Toshio Sawamura, Division of Foreign Student Affairs, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305, Japan. The Division of Foreign Student Affairs may also be contacted by fax, at +81.298.53.6204.

The Junior Year Overseas Program at Yokohama National University (JOY) offers short-term exchange programs beginning in either October or April for students interested in studying in Japan for six months to a year. The JOY Program is not an intensive language study program, but an opportunity to live in Japan while studying a diversity of subjects at one of Japan's top universities. Courses are offered in a variety of subject areas including literature, culture, science, technology, linguistics and economics. All non-language courses are taught in English, so prior experience with the Japanese language is not required. However, students with more advanced language skills can get approval to attend classes in Japanese in their area of study. There are also opportunities for students to do individual research and participate in internships.

Annual tuition is 469,800 yen. Students who attend only a semester pay half this amount. Students can stay in single rooms at one of the two international dormitories near campus. Rooms are furnished with a bed, desk, chair, blinds, bookshelf and closet. The monthly cost, including the 4,000-yen rent, is about 15,000 yen. Students who choose to live in a private apartment in the Yokohama area can expect to pay more than 120,000 in living expenses (food, rent and transportation). JOY students are eligible to apply for AIEJ scholarships, which cover round-trip airfare, a one-time settling-in allowance of approximately 25,000 yen, and 80,000 yen per month.

Approximately 20 students are accepted to JOY each year. Students planning to study abroad beginning in October should submit their applications by April. Students planning to study abroad beginning in April should submit their applications by December. For more information and an application, please go to the website http://www.ynu.ac.jp/~isc/eng/joy/joy.html or contact: