Study in Japan at a University or Private School?
Posted on 29. Oct, 2009 @ 4:32 pm by harvey in Language, Travel
Someone recently contacted me asking for my opinion on study abroad in Japan. This person is current in University and has the opportunity to study at IUC Japan, Nanzan University (or any other large Japanese school with an exchange program), or the Kyoto Consortium.
I have studied at both Nanzan (in 2001) and IUC (in 2007-8) so I can speak to those. I have never studied at the Kyoto program, but I still have something to say about it – so read on!
There are two major differences between IUC and a program like Nanzan that must not be ignored.
IUC has an extremely intensive language program where your classmates will be other English speaking foreigners – mostly graduate students or professional adults.
Nanzan has an average difficulty language program where your classmates will be students from all over the world, (in my day we had folks from the UK, Tibet, Indonesia, Korea, the USA, and more!) and you will also have access to a campus full of Japanese students your age.
These are important differences.
To get right to the point… unless you have already lived in Japan and the whole “exchange student” experience is irrelevant to you, I strongly recommend a program like Nanzan over IUC.
As an exchange student at Nanzan University (and other universities as well) you will learn first hand about Japanese culture from Japanese people your age, make friends, and experience a Japanese university environment. Nanzan University even has a school dorm where foreigners and Japanese can live together. Alternatively, you can arrange a home stay (like I did) and live with a Japanese family. IUC does not provide housing, so you’ll be living somewhere in the city and may or may not have neighbors who want to talk to you.
The ability to interact with Japanese students is a huge plus. At a place like Nanzan you’ll learn Japanese slang, you’ll notice differences between Nagoya dialect and standard Japanese, and you’ll have a chance to live in a Japanese city that’s not Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, or Osaka. You’ll get to eat in the school cafeteria with Japanese students! I cannot stress that enough. Being a student in a Japanese university as a foreigner is nothing but fun.
Now, if your only goal is to become extremely accurate and proficient in advanced Japanese then you can do no better than IUC. The teachers are top notch, the curriculum is insanely rigorous, and the texts are great. Nanzan has a solid program for sure, but it’s a Japanese university. Japanese universities, frankly, are not up to the academic standards of U.S. universities. (Not sure about other parts of the world, I went to U.S. university so I’ll speak to what I know.)
IUC is located in Minatomirai in Yokohama, a very business and consumer oriented location where Japanese students do not hang out. You’re not going to randomly make Japanese friends easily while studying at IUC. In fact, you likely won’t have the time to make any friends at IUC if you plan to keep up with your work! The curriculum is extremely busy. I’ll say it again. Busy. Frankly, the entire environment is very sterile and you would have to go out of your way to find the “real” Japan and get down with the locals.
One last note on the Nanzan versus IUC debate. If you’re going to be studying Japanese for the long haul, note that most students at IUC are people who have already lived in Japan for quite some time. Many of them are in the middle of phd programs, and many (like me) have already done exchange programs in Japanese universities prior. The point is, if you’re a university student now you can study abroad during your university career, and then go to IUC later in life. This is completely normal, and probably the better way to do it. Unless maybe you’re in a mad hurry to develop excellent Japanese skills… then maybe IUC is warranted.
I do not know much about the Kyoto program, but I can say that Kyoto is an absolutely beautiful place. Passing up the opportunity to live and study in Kyoto will be something that you’ll kick yourself for one day, I can guarantee. Not that the education will be any better, but Kyoto is just a marvelous place and few people ever get the chance to live there.
The opportunity to live in Kyoto does not present itself very often. Most foreigners end up in Tokyo, Osaka, or Kobe. That’s just where the opportunities happen to be. As a linguist studying in Kyoto would be interesting because you could learn the unique Kyoto version of Kansai dialect. I love Kansai-ben, so maybe I’m biased. Even if you’re not a linguist it’s hard to beat Kyoto as a place to really absorb the mix of modernity and history that is Japanese culture.
Man, all this talk is making me nostalgic!
Does anyone else have any opinions on this topic? Where would you study if you had the opportunity?
Harvey
Related Entries:
Nanzan School Festival
IUC in Yokohama as an Advanced Student
Japanese School Recommendations
A picture from Nanzan University Gakusai (School Festival) in 2004
19 Responses to “Study in Japan at a University or Private School?”
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Bobby
Oct 29th, 2009
at 21:12
I think that’s mostly fair, but there are some opportunities at IUC to meet people. Over the fall break, they arranged an optional trip to Yokohama City University during their culture festival, and arranged a student there to show us around. I made friends through that and went to the drama club there periodically throughout the rest of the year.
A few of us also volunteered to teach English at a hostel in Kotobuki-chou, and met both adults and college students through that as well.
It’s not the same being at a Japanese university, but there are chances to meet people.
Adam
Oct 30th, 2009
at 17:13
I studied at Oita University on Kyushu for a year, and my life became that school. Here in the States I go to school, talk to people at school, and then go home. I do social things with school friends sometimes but it’s not the focus of my life. At Oita, it was the absolute center. Sure, I hung out with other foreign students a lot but usually there were Japanese students there too. And don’t discount the other foreigners. Often they don’t speak English so you have to speak Japanese to them too.
In short, I would highly recommend studying at a Japanese college. Best year of my life, hands down.
Joe
Nov 1st, 2009
at 06:53
So to break it down into a single sentence, IUC is the place to go to learn about Japanese, while Nanzan is the place to learn about Japan?
Philip Seyfi
Nov 5th, 2009
at 15:53
What do you think about Waseda SILS (School of International Liberal Studies)? I’m probably going to apply there next year (for a 4-year program, not a 1-year exchange).
Harvey
Nov 5th, 2009
at 16:21
Hey Philip, I don’t know anything about that program. Maybe another reader will be able to help you out!
Kiana
Nov 8th, 2009
at 20:52
Hey, Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I’m going to look up Nanzan now. I was wondering if you can point me to anyone with information about Sophia University. I am trying to go there through CIEE and it’s been difficult to find past participants.
Thank you!
Joshua Zimmerman
Nov 9th, 2009
at 03:51
Go to a University. You’ll get more out of it socially and culturally. Meet more people.
Try looking at Kansai Gaidai in Hirakata, Osaka.
Joe
Nov 9th, 2009
at 23:17
I agree, the experience that you will have as an exchange student at a Japanese university is something that will stay with you forever. The year I spent at Hirosaki University was undoubtedly the best year of my life. Classes and study were a low priority. Living the Japanese student life, making friends and having an absolute blast every day were much more important. Enjoy being a student, get a decent handle on Japanese life and culture and then go the IUC. I don’t see any reason to rush.
Hirobot
Nov 16th, 2009
at 04:52
Very informative essay. Thanks!
Alex
Nov 19th, 2009
at 21:53
Thank you for sharing your views about this with us! Would you also happen to know anything about studying abroad at Sophia University (Jochi U.) through the CIEE program?
Harvey
Nov 19th, 2009
at 22:14
Hey sorry Alex I don’t have any first hand information with that program, but I -do- know that Sophia is a great place! Nanzan and Sophia have a rivalry so I went to a few Sophia-Nanzan basketball games.
Yuna
Nov 19th, 2009
at 22:21
Hello! I studied for 7 months at Sophia University two years ago. It was an amazing experience and the University has a great english language program. I took japanese class 5 days a week and had three other courses related to my major that I had three times a week. The faculty is very knowledgeable and the students there are fun. I joined about three different clubs and had a great time. Sophia also has a prime location right across the street from Yotsuya station in the heart of Tokyo. Only 4 min train ride to Shinjuku station. I recommend that everyone go to Sophia University, I wish I could go back but I graduated from my home university already >_< I did not go through CIEE but I made friends with the people in the CIEE programs and they had nothing but great things to say.
Harvey
Nov 19th, 2009
at 22:44
Alex, this person also was at Sophia so check it out.
http://www.twitter.com/Stacie2287
mo
Nov 26th, 2009
at 02:40
Thanks for the article–this is good info! I will probably contact you at some time in the future about IUC (since I’m planning on going there at some point). I did one year of study abroad in Kobe between high school and college, but will hopefully do one more semester or year there before I’m done with college. Your points about the benefits of being able to meet people / make friends in a normal japanese college environment are right on, although in my case I might not be looking for a really introductory “this is Japan, welcome to Japanese culture” type of study abroad experience since I’ve already lived there.
Amarbayasgalan
Dec 13th, 2009
at 00:57
hi all I’m from mongolia and i want to go to japan university help me people my id amraa_524@yahoo.com please
Roger
Dec 18th, 2009
at 13:38
Hi Harvey,
Weren’t you at Nanzan from fall of 99 to spring of 00, not 2001?
Anyway I recommend a Japanese university for the same reasons. I did Nanzan in 2000 and then a cheap non-profit language school, Yamasa in Okazaki in 2002. As a Yamasa student I had limited interactions with Japanese society and the curricula was very test-focused (JLPT) which I had no interest in. It can be really hard to meet people if you’re just plopped down in the middle of Japan, even if your Japanese is decent and you have some contacts, as I did.
Jason
Jan 2nd, 2010
at 01:32
With the exception of IUC, these programs seem to be geared to undergrads. Do you have any suggestions for those of us who have been working for a bit, know some Japanese and are now looking to study full time again?
harvey
Jan 2nd, 2010
at 02:14
@Jason Middlebury is in the U.S., but intense and high quality education, and also accepts graduate students, and working adults too I believe.
http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ls/japanese/
Jason
Jan 3rd, 2010
at 08:26
Thanks for the tip. I’m set on studying in Japan, however, so I will probably give one of the private schools there a try.