VIBES: There are over 600 Japanese language schools in Japan, but most of them DON’T want students from America / Europe / Korea / Australia. I have visited over 200 Japanese language schools in Japan, and 80% were not interested in being on this website. The majority of the schools in Japan only work with visa agents in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries. These schools specialize in students from 2 or 3 countries, and don’t know how to accommodate western students. These schools typically don’t provide a fun language school experience. They’re just in business to teach Japanese to GAIJIN. The schools on One Year Visa are excited to have students from a variety of countries, and they will welcome and support you.

SIZE: The smallest school on this website has 50 students, and the largest was over 4000 students. The larger schools will have a more international student population, but are typically 25% more expensive than a smaller school in the same city. The smaller schools will also have more of a family vibe, but might be 95% Asian students.

LOCATION: We have over 50 schools on this website, in different cities all over Japan. We have done our best to explain what it’s like to actually live, as a student, in these different places. If you like city-life, live in Tokyo or Osaka, because they have everything, but you won’t have easy access to nature. If you want easy access to nature, live in Sapporo, Chiba, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka, or Okinawa. (Okinawa is my favorite place. However, most people would say Okinawa is not “real Japan,” and they would be correct. Okinawa is like “island Japan,” and that’s some people like it). The culture of Tokyo is colder and more professional than other parts of Japan. Smaller cities have a slower pace of life, so the Japanese people will have more time to engage with you. You can expect the most friendly (GAIJIN style) Japanese people probably live in Okinawa and Osaka.

HOUSING: Most schools have affordable housing for students, just make sure the housing location isn’t too far form the school, because a long commute to school (on the train) can be exhausting. The bigger schools typically have more student housing options. If possible you should live close enough to school, that you can ride a bicycle. You’ll save a lot of time and money.

PRICE: There are cheap and expensive schools in every city. Most small schools are around $5000 USD/year, and most big schools are around $7000 USD/year. The cost of living in Tokyo and Kyoto are the highest in Japan, and everywhere else is pretty much the same. So, don’t focus so much on price, and try to find a school that you will enjoy.