Kyoto

Japan, a unique country where ancestral culture and ultra-modernity blend together, never ceases to fascinate.

Although Kyoto is no longer the imperial capital of Japan, it is still its heart. It has preserved its fabulous secrets, such as the old quarter of Gion, the famous Geisha quarter, its numerous Buddhist temples, its Shinto shrines and its magnificent gardens hidden on the surrounding hillsides.

The school is located in the famous district of Gion, the oldest and most traditional district of Kyoto, if not of all Japan.

The school offers a wide range of facilities:

  • 9 classrooms equipped with interactive whiteboards, projector and WIFI
  • Comfortable relaxation areas to provide you with an environment conducive to learning
  • Game consoles, TV and large DVD library
  • DVD and CD players available for personal study
  • Manga Library
  • Free tea and coffee

General information

The courses are offered for a duration ranging from 2 to 24 weeks in order to allow European citizens to travel without a visa (it is indeed possible to make 2 stays of 12 weeks) provided that you leave the territory at the end of the first period of 3 months and re-enter again. For stays of at least 6 months, a student visa is required (in this case, you should register at least 6 months in advance, as the time required to obtain one is very long). Stays of 6 months or longer take place at the school in Fukuoka.

  • Duration of a lesson: 50 minutes
  • Maximum number of students per class: 8 (exceptionally 9)
  • Timetable: classes are given in the morning and/or afternoon depending on your level group.
  • Placement test: on the first day of class
  • Certificate of participation at the end of the stay
  • Weekly evaluation test
  • Personal work to be done at home, corrected and evaluated
  • The teachers are all qualified in teaching Japanese to foreigners. They are therefore fully aware of the difficulties you may experience and the different learning phases you will go through.

20 lessons per week

These practical courses give you the linguistic and cultural keys that will allow you to express yourself quickly and correctly, and thus be autonomous to fully enjoy your stay in Japan.

The courses focus on practical everyday situations that will allow you to quickly become independent in daily life. You attend 2 weekly lessons based on grammar and 2 weekly lessons based on listening, writing and reading.

Levels: beginner* to advanced

*Beginners can start on the 1st Monday of each month all year round and during the summer on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.

25 lessons per week

In addition to the 20 Japanese basic courses, you also take part in 5 conversation classes per week.

Levels: elementary to advanced

25 lessons per week: 20 lessons of the basic course + a complementary module of your choice

  • Choice of modules :
    • Traditional culture: 6 hours of cultural activities per week, on Saturdays.Maximum duration: 4 weeks Levels: beginner to advanced
    • Pop culture: 6 hours of cultural activities per week, on Saturdays.Maximum duration: 4 weeks Levels: beginner to advanced
    • Private tuition** : possibility of 5 to 20 hours of private tuition per week in addition to the basic course outside the summer period (beginning of June to end of August).Consult us for details Levels: beginner to advanced

Duration of the cultural activities module: 4 weeks. Possibility to choose another module after 4 weeks, such as conversation, pop culture or traditional culture.

Levels: beginner to advanced

June, July and August only

20 lessons of the basic course per week + 6 hours of cultural activities per week, on Saturdays.

The program includes many cultural activities such as pottery, drawing, manga, tea ceremony, zazen meditation, wearing a kimono, paper making…

In order to enable students to enjoy a cultural, traditional and modern experience at the same time, the school offers a large number of cultural and linguistic activities, free of charge or at cost price.

Free activities: conversation workshop (students are grouped in pairs, 1 foreign student with 1 Japanese student to facilitate conversation), cinema session, city tour, game night (hanafuda, shogi…), festivals, etc.

Activities at cost price: cultural modules in addition to the courses, Friday night outing, concerts, events, bowling, karaoke…

Sample program for example purposes only:

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Single room, half board

This is the ideal formula for any student wishing to immerse himself completely in the Japanese culture and language. You will follow the daily life of a typical family, carefully selected by the school for their kindness and willingness to share their culture.

Travel time to the school: maximum 60 min. by public transport.

Single room in shared apartment (up to 8 people per apartment), shared bathroom, living room and kitchen, without meals.

Minimum duration: 2 weeks

The residences are located in different neighborhoods, close to metro stations.

Travel time to school: between 35 and 50 minutes by public transport

Travel

Day of arrival : Sunday Day of departure : Sunday

**Arrival and departure between 8am and 8pm in residence and before 6pm in a host family

Airport of arrival :

  • Kyoto Airport : Kansai ou Itami Airports

Transfer possible on request (subject to a fee, see tab “Dates & rates”).

Note: do not book your ticket until we have confirmed your registration with us.

Visa Information

Stays of less than 90 days, renewable once

Citizens of the European Union(1) may travel to Japan without a visa if their stay does not exceed 90 days. They must have a passport valid for the duration of their stay and a return plane ticket.

The tourist visa can be renewed once after 12 weeks by leaving the territory and re-entering for a further 12 weeks.

(1) Other nationalities: consult the website of the Embassy of Japan in your home country.

You will also find the list of visa-free countries on the link.

A stay of over 24 weeks

All stays of more than 24 weeks are considered long-term stays and require a visa. Visa applicants are required to provide a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) (issued by our partner school) in order to apply for a visa.

See more information on [visa info](/linguistic days/ info-visa-japan_a354)


Dates & Prices 2020

Dates 2020

Possible stays from 2 to 24 weeks, i.e. 2 x 12 weeks. For stays of 6 months or one year, see the school in Fukuoka.

Course starting dates (stays of 1 to 12 weeks), except for beginners: every Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday)

Course start dates for beginners: the 1st Monday of each month all year round and during the summer, the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.

Young learners 16-19 years old : June, July and August

Bank holidays and holidays (no classes are given on these dates, an activity is organised instead): 01/01, 13/01, 10/02, 24/02, 20/03, 01/05, 04/05, 05/05, 06/05, 23/07, 24/07, 10/08, 21/09, 22/09, 02/11, 23/11, 31/12

Prices 2020

All taxes and enrolment fees included

WPCS 42.0.3
Lessons and accommodation
Duration20 lessons per week (family, single room, half board)20 lessons per week (residence, shared room, no meals provided)
2 weeks 1.750 1.430
3 weeks 2.335 1.855
4 weeks 2.930 2.295
6 weeks 4.125 3.165
8 weeks 5.370 4.095
12 weeks 7.810 5.895
16 weeks 10.280 7.730
18 weeks 11.405 8.535
24 weeks 12.850 9.020
Supplement / week
Intensive course (+ 5 hours of conversation / week) 100
Combined course (+ 5h of a module of your choice *) 100
Special summer course (+ 6h of activities per week) 100
High season course (July and August) 30
* traditional culture or pop culture
Transfer (per trip)
Kansai or Itami airport 210
Kyoto train station 95

Prices include :

  • The chosen course program
  • Housing as shown
  • The teaching material
  • Orientation on the 1st day of class
  • Internet access
  • Registration fees

Prices don’t include :

  • The trip to Kyoto
  • Transfers and local transport
  • Possible visa fees
  • The deposit to be paid for the accommodation in residence