Study at a Japanese High School

Hi, im grade 8 right now and i would wan't to study in Japan for my entire highschool life (grade 10-12) I am very serious about this and I have full support from my parents so money isn't an issue



First things first there isnt any exchange programs here in the Philippines to Japan (unless if you know of one pls tell me)

But my grandparents live in Japan and are japanese citizens (not japanese by blood) and I could live with them

I've learned Japanese for about a year now of self-studying, and I have about 1½ more years to study (apparently you need 1 year of japanese tutorial to get a pre-collage student visa)

I would really like to be enrolled in a private or public school as to immerse myself entirely, and im prepared for it



So my question is how would the procedures be to enroll at the school? I've heard that my grandmother has to look around to find a school that would accept me (which would be hard as my japanese skills would not be the best) but is this true? Also do you have any recommendations for my case?

Highschool is my only chance to study in Japan, tnx

I am pretty sure you asked the same question a few weeks ago. It had responses. I suggest looking for your old question.

�ufind a school that would accept me (which would be hard as my japanese skills would not be the best) but is this true? �v

Yep. If you're talking about standard Japanese schools where the majority of the students are Japanese (i.e. not international schools with campuses in Japan that wealthy expat families send their kids to), then yeah, if your Japanese language skills aren't good, it's going to be hard to get accepted. If you were in elementary school, you might have an easier time, but you're talking about high school, so you're past the age where fundamental vocabulary is part of the actual lesson content.

If there was some compelling reason you had to live in Japan (like if your parents were moving there for work or you were a refuge or something) then schools might be more accommodating, as you'd be a resident for reasons outside your control but still need an education. But what you're talking about is a purely discretionary move on your part. You just want to study in Japan, and if your parents have enough money to send you overseas for all of high school, that suggests they also have the financial resources to secure an education for you in the Philippines. So schools in Japan aren't going to be keen about adjusting lesson plans to accommodate someone who isn't functional in the language and really doesn't need to be in Japan.

�uI've learned Japanese for about a year now of self-studying, and I have about 1½ more years to study�v

A year of self study and, at maximum, 18 months of professional instruction is an extremely tight time table to try to get up to high school-level proficiency in Japanese. Again, the linguistic hurdle you're going to need to clear is extremely high since you're not someone who has to study in Japan (and who schools would feel responsible to accommodate).

�u(apparently you need 1 year of japanese tutorial to get a pre-collage student visa)�v

One year of classroom instruction may be the minimum amount required for a pre-college student visa (I'm not sure), but you shouldn't take that to mean that as long as you've studied Japanese in a class for a year, you'll be guaranteed a student visa. Student visas, especially for minors, are generally tied to acceptance from a particular school/program. Unless you're applying to a school in Japan where instruction is in English, the bigger hurdle for you to clear is going to be demonstrating that you understand Japanese well enough to understand the lessons. That's generally not a level of language proficiency people can acquire in just one year.

�uI would really like to be enrolled in a private or public school as to immerse myself entirely, and im prepared for it�v

I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm piling on here, but while you might think you're psychologically prepared to immerse yourself by enrolling in a standard Japanese high school, linguistically you are not. Regardless of how much you want to study in Japan, Japanese high schools exist, first and foremost, to provide education for the local community. If one student voluntarily jumps into classes they're not linguistically able to keep up with, despite having the option to get an education in their home country where they do understand the language, that becomes a time drain on the amount of instruction that can be provided to other students. Again, this isn't a case where you have to study in Japan and people should be understanding of the difficulties of your situation. It's one where you're purposely trying to do something that will be incredibly challenging, and while that's admirably ambitious of you, if that ambition is going to be a hindrance to the local students who have to study in that school, you're not really completely "prepared for it."

�uHighschool is my only chance to study in Japan�v

I don't see what that would be the case, unless for some reason you won't be continuing your education after high school. Japan has far more opportunities for foreign students at the college level than the high school level, especially at the sub-fluent linguistic level. It doesn't sound like cost would be the limiting factor either. If your parents can afford, and are willing to, send you to high school in Japan for three years, surely studying abroad during college isn't out of the question.

https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+170218

For public schools, the answers to your questions are mostly written in the official website of the Board of Education of the area you're going to commute to. For private schools, check websites of the schools in that area, but the procedures are quite similar to public schools. There are also handy (Japanese) books on applying for schools. City Halls often provide free language assistance for residents.

If you can tell us the prefecture (ken) that you are going to commute from, perhaps someone could inform you more details.

I think Uco misunderstand the education and immigration systems. Japan may have obligation for foreigners who reside in Japan. but, not for foreigners who want to come.
even if your grandparents are residing in Japan, it does not give you a resident status. (you merely have a place where you can stay, WHEN you have a suitable visa (status).)
there is no answer in the websites of school boards, because that is for a resident.

High school is not part of compulsory education, so there is no obligation of any sort. Assuming OP finds a school willing to accept him/her, the school can sponsor a student visa.

simple, go to a private English high school in Japan.
Pay a lot and you can study in Japan.

Public Japanese or private Japanese high school will be impossible since all lesson is in Japanese, and if you are not a native speaker it is hard to catch up.

Thanks for all your answers, i really appreciate them

Ken,

The OP's question is "how would the procedures be to enroll at the school", and that's what I'm trying to answer.

The OP is in 8th grade now in the Philipines, and she says she might have to study for a year and a half before she comes to Japan. Even so, her age would still be appropriate for chuugakko in Japan.

Any resident who has graduated shogakko or its equivalent and has not graduated chuugakko or its equivalent has the right to enroll in public chuugakko of the district. For private schools and koukou, it depends, but it's not impossible. Regardless, the right to live in Japan and the right to obtain education in Japan are two different stories. You don't even have to be a resident at the point of applying to enroll.

But I'm not going to argue about this any further. Facts are all written in the websites of BOEs or private schools, and the OP can read for herself.

This "right to obtain education", if it exists at all, is purely theoretical in this case. What is OP going to do, come to Japan on a tourist visa, and demand to be enrolled in a middle school. Assuming the school can somehow be forced to accept, what when the period of stay expires? OP leaves or is deported; immigration is damn well not going to offer special treatment because OP has been attending school for a onth or so.

Right for education is if you are born in Japan.
My daughter is born in Japan but grown up in Europe and now we are living in Japan.
Than you have the right for education.

If you want to study in Japan you can apply for a language school.
Private schools are not possible, unless your family is living there and you have to have a reason to be in Japan. Private schools are expensive and selective sometimes.

Public high school you cannot enroll since you are not having the skills nor you are born in Japan.

I think OP needs to have a reality check and consider to finish school in your own country and enroll an exchange program or language school to study in Japan.

Yes, the right to live in Japan and the right to obtain education in Japan are different.
Unless OP has other eligibility to live in Japan, she has to be sponsored. Language schools do sponsor it. Some private school may do. But public schools? No. Inviting foreigners is not their job.

I think OP is just thinking " I have a grandmother in Japan. so I can go to public school in Japan, when I live with her."
but, it does not work so simple like that.
I think UCO still misunderstand the arguing point. chugakusei is not a point. OP can't have a suitable visa (status) to stay in Japan. OP can have only a temporary visa (status). it is not enough to get education in Japan.

an idea about language school may introduce some problem in OP's future, because 1+6+6 years education is compulsory in Philippine. language school are not compatible to high school.

OP can get "Student" status (yes, it is now possible for middle school and even for elementary school as well) if a school is willing to admit them and go through the sponsoring process. Uco seems to think that this supposed "right to an education" can be invoked to force a school to accept, and I'm really not buying it. If a school just refuses, the "right" would almost certainly need to be argued in court, and I can't see that ending well.