JILA logo with the text "Japan International Language Academy" underneath.

JILA (The Japan International Language Academy Hakodate School) was established in 2013, making it Hakodate's first language school. We offer a friendly style of education for international students that want to live a low stress life in Japan. Hakodate is famous for its historical architecture and and high quality fresh food. The students at J-ILA can learn Japanese through classroom studies, cultural activities, and meeting friendly local people in our small town.

Group of students and teachers standing in front of a school building with a sign for Japan International Language Academy and a vending machine to the right.
 
The word "HAKODATE" in bold white capital letters on a black background.

  • J-ILA Hakodate is located in Hokkaido city. In Hakodate, you can enjoy fresh seafood, skiing, beautiful nature, and sightseeing around famous historical areas. It's cool in the summer, and a little snowy in the winter. It’s located in the southernmost part of Hokkaido, so it is a more comfortable place to live all year round. There is also a small international airport, so you can easily fly to other place in Japan or Korea.

  • We are one of the smallest schools in Japan, around 90 students, but we have international students from: Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Mongolia, Russia etc...

  • Our school provides above and beyond support. There are English-speaking staff available to assist you with any issues that may arise during your time at the school.

Price

  • These classes focus on developing Japanese language skills for both daily conversation and preparing for JLPT.
    ・1 year: ￥773,400
    ・1 year and 6 months: ￥1,124,900
    ・1 year and 9 months: ￥1,303,400
    ・2 years: ￥1,481,900

    *The prices above includes entrance fees and textbooks, Activity, Facility, Insurance fees.
    *Enrollment Dates: April, July, October
    *Selection fee: ￥33,000

  • Depending on your Japanese level, you will be assigned to either the "morning class" or the "afternoon class." Classes 15 hours per week.

    ■ Morning class
    Monday to Friday
    9:00～ 12:50

    ■ Afternoon class
    Monday to Friday
    13:00～ 16:50

    *Class times will be decided by the school depending on the student's level (students cannot choose them themselves).

Group of people having a barbecue outdoors in a park or grassy area, cooking and eating food, some making peace signs, with a covered walkway and green landscape in the background.

  • We require students to have studied Japanese for at least 150 hours before coming to Japan, because we teach Japanese in Japanese. If student's Japanese is at level 0, he will not only be unable to keep up with classes, but will also be unable to work part-time. Students will have a hard time. To have a meaningful student life, please study Japanese before coming to Japan.

  • J-ILA offers a curriculum that is close to the Japanese version of the CEFR. Therefore students will be able to learn more Japanese and improve their conversation skills.

  • The school can also help students with finding a part-time job to fund their studies. They also post available local part-time jobs, and prepare you for the interview.

  • We provide support for students in their pursuit of higher education and employment.

Group of people having a picnic under cherry blossom trees in a park.

THIS SCHOOL ACCEPTS STUDENTS FROM:

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda , Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Côte d'Ivoire, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Vietnam

Empty room with tatami mats, window with roller blind, and built-in wooden closet with sliding doors.
A small kitchenette in a narrow room with a washing machine, microwave, refrigerator, and kitchen counter, with a window and curtains in the background.

  • We offer dormitories for all students enter our school.
    Single room: Entrance fee ￥72,000 Monthly rent ￥54,000
    Share room: Entrance fee ￥57,000 Monthly rent ￥32,000

  • We'll do our best to help you find an apartment. (Might be cheaper to buy a house in Hakodate. Just a thought, but the school probably won’t help you with that)

Housing

A bedroom with wooden-paneled walls, a bunk bed, a small TV on a stand, a rectangular coffee table, and a window with white and dark curtains.
Group of seven people standing in front of a large snow sculpture of a snowman with facial features and a red hat, in a snowy area with European-style buildings in the background.

Access

Group of people standing outside a building with snow on the ground, holding papers with Japanese characters. The building has a sign in Japanese above the door.
Bold text reading 'CONTACT' with the letter 'O' replaced by a red circle.

Japan International Language Academy