College in Japan?

Hi,

I'm an African-American 2nd year high school student in New York, and for a few years now I've been planning on going to College in Japan. I take Japanese in school, and my fluency in the language is improving daily. By now, I should be able to take the level 4 JLPT and pass with no problem, I think.

This year I started researching Japanese colleges and I'm starting to wonder if it's really a good idea or not. Besides the fact that I would need a scholarship, I've heard that it isn't very useful to have gone to a college in Japan if I plan on coming back to work in America, and I do plan on coming back. Also, with my limited knowledge of Kanji, its difficult for me to read Japanese college sites to get the information I need on foreign student programs at this point.

The colleges I'm really interested in are Takarazuka Zokei Geijutsu Daigaku and Tokyo University. I'm not sure about their foreign student programs or anything.

If this really is a bad idea, then are there any alternatives that might allow me to go to school in Japan at some point? I'd really like to go for a cultural experience, since I've been interested in Japan and its modern culture for many years now.

Thanks for the help.

Takarazuka is only for Japanese girls I think.

And Tokyo univ is pretty hard to get in.
Good luck!

Hello, I am a senior in high school in Arkansas and lived in Tokyo this past summer to work. I just wanted to encourage you to continue in your plans for college in Tokyo! I absolutely loved every minute of Tokyo. Actually, it was quite a culture shock at the very first, because I spok VERY, very little Japanese...if I can overcome the language barrier and enjoy myself immensly, then surely you would enjoy yourself that much more with the knowledge you have! I know several people that attended Tokyo University and loved it (one person was Japanese, but the other was foriegn, Indian, I beleive). They have excellent academics...not to mention a beautiful campus! I wish I could give you more info. on TU, but if you do have any questions about Tokyo itself, let me know! I'd be glad to answer what I can! :)

My university (York U in Toronto, Canada) offers exchange programs to Japan for third year students studying Japanese. I'm sure any college you might go to in America would have similar deals. So if you're planning on going to college, why not start in the States and then go as an exchange student for credit? That way you get the best of both worlds.

Like you said, I think spending your entire college career in Japan and graduating from a university there, with the intent to come back to America to work, may not be the best idea. I think your best bet is to do a study abroad in Japan for year as a second or third year in college.

That's what I'll be doing next year. Depending on your major, the type of study abroad you want to do may vary. For me, as a computer science engineer, my study abroad program at Tohoku University (in Sendai) is an engineering program where I'll do research all year with a professor. I think I'm in the minority though. Most people who spend the year abroad in Japan do so as general students who take classes in more cultural type material. My roommate is a good example. He's traveling to Kyoto to do a general study abroad program.

I will say this though. Even with lots of planning and looking at lots of programs, neither my roommate nor I are getting a LOT done for our major, so the experience of going to Japan and living there for a year is a large part of why we're going. Even going on an engineering program, I won't be getting nearly as much accomplished next year as I would had I stayed at UCLA for the year. I 'm going as a fourth year next year, and I will return to UCLA for a 5th and 6th year in order to graduate with a CS major and Japanese major/minor (haven't decided yet). So keep that in mind when you begin looking into programs. Can you afford the year "off" if it doesn't allow you to get a lot done? Talk to counselors your first year to see what classes you maybe shouldn't take yet so that you can take them abroad for credit. That way, you don't miss the opportunity to get valuable work done abroad.

Last but not least, be prepared to possibly look in other places besides your college in America for study abroad opportunities if you're dead set on a certain school. Certain colleges in America only have relationships with certain colleges in Japan. You won't have an infinite selection of Japanese schools to choose from at your college in America. I got lucky, because Tohoku University is a very prestigious, national university like Tokyo University. They also happened to be one of only TWO possible engineering-abroad progams I had to even choose from in Japan. I hope that Tokyo University is an option for you in the future. :)

I am also planning on studying in japan. I am going to finish my B.A. in international relations. I am an 18 year old African American girl wo graduate with a G.E.D. and i am about to finish my first year of community college in 2 weeks! (yay for me!)
I was accepted to two universities in japan. The first was international christian university. they offer a really good program for international students to improve their japanese before attending regular classes. The other university i was accepted to was Temple University Japan.(you know temple university in PA? they have a japan campus) Since it is an american university the language of instruction is english an you can study japanese on the side.
Many people were also telling me not to do it b/c they dint think it was a good idea. however i look at it as a great opprotunity. Thousands of students in the US do a semester abroad. It is pretty muh a beaten path so what is to seperate you from other students who do the same? however it is very rare to find an american student who got their degree abroad. it is also very impressive because it is not an easy thing to do! you are the seperated from the masses when it come to applying for jobs etc. back in america.
I say if it is you ream to go and study in japan you should go for it. people can give all the advice they want but at the end of the day the decision is yours alone.
I stopped listening to other people's negitive opinions (half of those negitive people are totally jealous anyway) and i did my own research into how i could make my dream become reality.If this is what you want in your heart then go for it! it could be your destiny. As henry David Thoreau said "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams"

Hey Kara! You have no idea how excited your post made me haha! I'm a 17yr old junior in a Florida high school, and I want to go into International Communications, journalism especially, and I want to go to college in Japan. The two colleges I were looking into were ICU and Temple. I'm primarily interested in ICU though, that is my ultimate 'dream college'. (Harvard, Princeton... pfft!)

My good friend tells me I should apply but everyone else says it's a crazy outlandish idea ''It's JAPAN! Are you serious?!?'' But after reading what you said, it doesn't seem so ridiculous. I'm a black girl too so that added to it haha!

I was thinking about going to college or community college first and then transfering, because people have really put me off just going there fresh from high school. Could you tell me a little bit about that, you know, going to college in the US first and whatnot? Or perhaps anything you know about applying to ICU? Thanks, and good luck with your college career!

If your intent is to work in the US, better off getting your Bachelors in a US university, and do graduate school in Japan.

Heyla!

I'm very happy to hear that my post made you excited! My friends definately think I've flipped with the "going to Japan" thing..haha..Some people just dont know what its like to have a dream like that..So I'm just doing what my mother tells me : "Follow your heart, follow your dreams."

About going to japan fresh out of high school, my advice is if you have decent grades from high school and you think you're fully prepared for the change then, by all means, go for it!

In my case, my high school grades sucked so i left highschool in tenth grade (i had just turned 18) got my G.E.D. went to community college to get really good grades so that i would have a chance of getting in to a good school.(I have a 3.4 GPA now! yay for me!) I also took the time to start my college education while gathering the money to go and study in japan.

I dont regret that I went to community college before applying to college in japan because, personally, it gave me time to adjust to the college course load and gave me time to " find myself".

And about applying to ICU, one thing that i found out was that you have to take 3 SAT II's that fall into 3 different catagories. I dont have the list with me now but when I find it I'll tell you more about it.Hmmm there are a lot of other things i could say about ICU. If you have any specfic questions then you can e-mail me at Paradoxdoche@aol.com.

Anyway, ont let people talk you out of or make you scared of reaching for your dreams. Just think about it and trust yourself.Everything will happen for you if you "Follow your heart and follow your dreams!"

Peace&Love,

Kara

Thank you Kara for being so positive about being able to study in Japan. I really want to go there and study but I don't even have my GED yet. I'm going to start studying for it. Anyways, everything else I've seen on the net made it seem so hopeless. Like it's just a dream and it will always stay that way. But you give me hope. You did it and now I know I can do it too! However, I'm wanting to go to a college in Japan and live there thereafter. Do you know how I'd be able to do that? I also don't know how I'm going to be able to scrape up enough money to go to college there.
Thanks again! You're such an inspiration!

Here is the infomation that I've found out in my time about studying at a Japanese college or university.

I believe you need to be at level 2 or 3 of the proficancy test to enter a university. You'll need to be able to read and write kanji, katakana and hiragana as a Japanese person does or to a simular extent.

It's expensive. On a student visa you can only work 4 hours per day as long as it does not interfear with your studies. If your thinking of going to Tokyo the rents are high in most areas.

Places outside of Tokyo can vary rents are between 40,000 and 80,000 yen from what I've read up however you might be able to find student acommodation cheaper.

It is possible to do! I'm not doubting it at all! I wish you luck but I thought I'd shed some light on the money aspect of things. I also wanted to go to university in Japan but right now I think it might be quite litrally 'just a dream' for me. I hope it can become a reality for you.
Good Luck.

Moonfire, perhaps you should rethink going to a Japanese college that has no English-taught courses. Yes, you're quite optimistic about your language skills now, but I've minored in Japanese, hang around Japanese people, and I'm exposed to Japanese spoken by natives DAILY;

I would CHOKE in a completely Japanese college.

Besides that, I THINK (I'm not sure, but I think) you need to pass the level 1 on the Japanese proficiency test. If you really want to go, you can check out schools that have programs that will teach you Japanese through the college you want to attend SPECIFICALLY to get you ready for the test, then admit you to the college. I know there are programs at Kinki University and Osaka International that purpose.

But, good luck with your ventures.

I forgot to put this on my other message.

You should consider the fact that the quality of education you will get in Japan will not be as good as in America. (Oh, everyone, SHUSH. You know it's true -- Japan's 12 and below education is far better than America's, yet we beat them in college.)

Also, another alternative you can check out if you really want to study the language is language schools. They're cheaper than Japanese college and more focused on learning the language.

I think it is dangerous to make such broad statements.

Rather than on the country, I think the quality of education depends on the specific school.

There is a huge array of schools in both countries with respect to quality.

Depending on the subject studied, you will find that the top universities in both countries are usually competing at the same level.

Whether a Harvard degree will be more useful than a Tokyo University degree depends on what and where you will be working in the future.

Dangerous is also a pretty heavy word.

And it is not so much a broad statement as it is a generalization. Of course, there are always, always, always exceptions to the rule when it comes to generalizations. I can make a generalization that all Japanese people love rice. Some of them may not. But, of course, now we're skimming an ENTIRELY different issue, which I won't even get into. (People tend to use the "R-word," point fingers, and then the ugly faces come out.)

Different schools specialize in different subjects, so a degree in Psychology from Columbia might not be as useful as a degree from Western Michigan University, because Columbia doesn't specialize in Psychology like Western does, etc.
I am in no way saying that Japanese schools are useless and crappy and the people of Japan aren't as educated. No way would I say that. But, it is widely known (at least by sociologists and the like) that Japanese universities are not as hard on students about studying and homework in college as American Universities. AGAIN, this is a generalization. People get what they want out of an education; if people want to party and graduate with a C average, then, Japanese or not, that's what they can do. It's just EASIER to do that in Japan since there isn't as much of an emphasis on studying in Japanese colleges.

Now, when it comes to professionals (doctors, Psychologists, lawyers, etc.), Japan is COMPLETELY up to par with them. As long as the material is learned, Japanese people and American people are equal.

Ok, ok, ok...here's the short and sweet version:

Americans: Study the most in college and not so much in high school

Japanese: Study the most in high school and not so much in college [unless Graduate degrees are involved]

Of course, once more, THESE ARE GENERALIZATIONS. And they come from personally knowing Japanese college students and having classes concerning Japanese society.

...Oh, and being a Senior in an American college, as well.

Hi, i too am an african american senior in highschool (17) trying to study abroad in Japan.. i have been studying japanese for a little more than 2 years independently... its good to see other african americans interested in the same thing. i want to go to Tokyo U, Nagoya, or tohoku U for a eningineering degree...


as for tell my friends of this... nope they will think i'm crazy. plus everytime i tell my teachers that i want to go abroad the always say its a good idea to go through a college first( those semister terms thing)

and as for scholarships... i have found quite a few.. one ( the monbusho scholarship) fully supports international students. plus monthly stipends of 1250 dollars for 4 to 5 years.
but one of there quailification is that i may have to wait til april 2007 to go abroad

Hi, its my 3rd semester in university and i am thinking of going to japan for my masters in international development / relations . i dont know any japanese but i would really love to experience living in japan .
do you know any good schools for my major? and is it possible for me to actually learn to speak japaneses in order to conitnue my studies there?

It is a good idea to study in Japan, but I don't recommend going to Japan right after high school. Why? Undergraduate courses at Japanese universities are very hard to enter and all classes are given in Japanese. It is necessary to be able to read kanji. Furthermore, most Japanese students just relax from entrance examination hell while at university. When Japanese graduates enter a company, they get intensively trained to work there. In many cases the work has nothing to do with the course of study. Therefore, college in Japan doesn't necessarily prepare for job.

I recommend getting bachelor's degree in the US and master's degree in Japan. At a Japanese university the master's course consists of research and some course work. Before international students enter master's course they enter their prospective university as research students. During this time, they study Japanese, prepare for entrance examination and get used to life in Japan. The time as research student lasts half a year or a whole year. The master's course lasts two years.

If you want to study in Japan you must find a university that accepts you, you must gather a lot of documents to apply and then you need to find a scholarship. Japan is an expensive country, no matter how you look at it. When you are admitted and you get your scholarship (this is combined if you apply for monbusho scholarship), you apply for a student visa at the Japanese embassy. Once you have your admittance and your visa, you must find a place to live in Japan (in most cases the university will search one for you). Then you will relocate.

About Tokyo University and the university in Takarazuka:

Tokyo University is a national one so the tuition fees are low, there are a lot of international students, but the campus is ugly, the entrance exam is difficult and the costs of living in Tokyo are sky high.

The university in Takarazuka seems to be a private one so entrance exam is comparatively easy, the campus is beautiful, but the tuition fees are high. Takarazuka is near to Kyoto so you can take a day trip there. Moreover, the costs of living won't be as high as in Tokyo.

If you decide for doing undergraduate study in US, you should consider doing a research project at a lab that cooperates with a lab either at Tokyo University or at the university in Takarazuka. This will make it easy to find a Japanese institute that will accept you.

The International Christian University in Tokyo has one of the best programs for non-Japanese. The educational system is Japanese but the program is international.