JAPAN

Study in Tokyo or Fukuoka

Our Branches
There are two branches of the GJ school, in Tokyo and Fukuoka. Our Fukuoka branch opened in 2004, while our Tokyo branch opened in June 2013. The branches are very similar, and offer most of the same services, but there are some important differences.

Tokyo
Located in city of 13 million people

Fukuoka 

Located in city of 1.5 million people

- Students must be 18 or older Students must be 14 or older
- 9 classrooms 13 classrooms
- Short-term courses only Short-term and long-term courses
- Student Applications
 

Requirements of Students:
Japanese ability: Almost all levels of learners are accepted, from complete beginner to high intermediate. However, students must memorize the hiragana alphabet before they start study with us. This usually only takes a couple of days. This is the equivalent of being able to recognize the English alphabet. The Japanese alphabet is entirely phonetic, so recognizing the alphabet means you can easily read written text. Students are not required to be able to write the letters, only read them, and no knowledge of any actual vocabulary is required. We can provide study materials for hiragana prior to student's arrival.
 

Complete beginners can only start on the first Monday of each month, and the third Mondays in June, July and August. Minimum age of student accepted without parents/guardians (homestay or dorm stay only):

Fukuoka school: 14; 

Tokyo school: 18
Minimum stay: 2 weeks.
Maximum stay: Unlimited, but depends on student's visa status.
Required visas:
 

For stays of up to 6 months: no visa required for most Western countries. More information on visa waivers and eligible countries is available in English on the Japanese
government's website here: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html When a tourist visa is required, we can provide a letter of invitation for the student.
For stays longer than 6 months: special visa is required. Two options are available:
1) Working holiday visa: For students 18-30 from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Taiwan and Hong Kong, we recommend applying for a Working Holiday visa. This visa allows stays of up to one year,and students can work freely while in Japan. The application is very easy. More information is here: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html
2) Student visa: We do not provide student visas directly, but work with a partner school in Fukuoka to offer long-term study (more than a year). Student visas must be applied for at least 5 months in advance, and are only available for study starting on set dates each year. The application is also a little complex. We help with the process.
 

Required application information:
Student applications must contain the following information, at a minimum:
Demographics: name, gender, birthdate, nationality
Classes: start date, number of weeks, course of study, approximate Japanese ability
Arrival info: date and time of arrival and departure, airline, name of departure airport (this information can be sent later, if necessary)
Accommodation: preferred type, dietary requirements, smoking habits, medical information
We have prepared an anonymous website where students can send additional information to us directly, without them knowing the name of the school. Please inform students who book about this website, and ask them to fill out the forms:https://www.japaneseplacementtest.com
  

School Facilities
Fukuoka School: 13 classrooms, maximum 120 students
Tokyo School: 9 classrooms, maximum 90 students
Classrooms are equipped with DVD players, TVs, stereos, whiteboards, and are fully airconditioned.Average classroom size: about 4m x 3.5m Internet access: Multiple computers with Internet, Japanese study software and office applications are provided exclusively for student use, and free wireless Internet is available for students with their own laptops. There is an Internet café 100 meters from both schools, open 24 hours. Phone: There are no payphones in school, and students cannot use the school telephone for personal calls. Students must rent a cellphone, or use payphones outside the school.
 

Other facilities:
Large student lounge area, with TV, movie projector, videogames, manga/anime library, free coffee and tea, etc.Free DVD/CD rentals, textbook library available.
Disabled student access:
 

Fukuoka School: No wheelchair access. The school is on the second floor, and only reachable by stairs.
 

Tokyo School: Wheelchair access is possible by elevator. The school is barrier free. In general, Japan is quite difficult to get around by wheelchair.
 

Classes
Maximum 7 students per class.  Average number of students per class: Low season: 4. High season (July/August): 6 All students are placed in a class at the appropriate ability level, regardless of whether other students are there or not. So, if a student is the only person at his/her Japanese ability level, we provide private classes for that student. In this case, the total number of class hours will be reduced.Teachers speak English as well as Japanese. We use this to simplify study, by explaining
in English where absolutely necessary, or relating Japanese grammar to English grammar. This is especially useful at the lower ability levels. Classes focus on practical communication skills first and foremost. Speaking and listening are given highest priority.Class Levels For short-term classes, there are 12 basic class levels. Students are placed in the appropriate class based on an online placement test taken before they arrive, and a level check test and interview on the first day of school. The levels are as follows, although some of these levels have multiple classes:
 

Complete beginner
Have never studied Japanese before or can only use very simple Japanese phrases. Note: We accept applications from complete beginners, but students must memorize the hiragana alphabet before they start study with us. This usually only takes a couple of days. These students can only start on the first Monday of each month.
 

Beginner 1
Can hold very simple conversations, and read Japanese Hiragana and/or Katakana.
 

Beginner 2
Can hold simple conversations, and can read texts written using Hiragana, Katakana, and simple Kanji. Equivalent to having finished Minna no Nihongo book 1 or Genki Japanese book 1, or having passed level 4 of the Japanese Proficiency Test. Students at this level and above can take the Japanese Plus Pop Culture course.
 

Pre-Intermediate
Have some confidence in everyday conversations, and can read quite a few Kanji. Equivalent to having finished Minna no Nihongo book 2 or Genki Japanese book 2, or
having passed level 3 of the Japanese Proficiency Test
 

Intermediate
Understand the basics of grammar, can hold most everyday conversations (including telephone skills), and can read texts written using the most common Kanji..
 

Upper intermediate
Understand high-level grammar and kanji, can participate in a range of daily conversations,and can read common Japanese texts fairly well. Equivalent to having passed level 2 of the Japanese Proficiency Test. All short-term classes are "rolling start" classes - new students are added to ongoing classes, and move between classes as required. Courses We offer multiple study courses. Only one course can be taken each week, but studentscan take multiple courses over several weeks. For example, a student studying for 4 weeks could take two weeks of Japanese Plus Conversation, and two weeks of Japanese Plus Pop Culture. Almost all courses are available at all ability levels (except for Japanese Plus Conversation).Course setup: All courses have the same core 4 hours of classes per weekday, in two 2-hour blocks (two hours of Japanese grammar, and two hours of "application" 4-skills class). All Plus courses then have one or two hours of the specific course study (for example, pop culture or
traditional culture).
Typical schedule:
9:30am - 11:30am: 4-skills class
12:30pm - 2:30pm: grammar class
2:30pm~: Specific subject classes
Courses available:
1. Standard Japanese
For people who need to be able to communicate in Japanese, this course offers a heavy emphasis on real-life skills.Learning Japanese just by reading textbooks and listening to tapes doesn't make you a Japanese language speaker. Students will learn common sentence patterns and vocabulary with the teacher, then use them in practical situations both inside and outside of the classroom. This course offers a full range of activities that students will find both  useful and exciting.
Maximum length: no limit Schedule: 10 hours grammar class + 10 hours 4-skills class per week
2. Japanese Plus Conversation
This course builds on the Standard Japanese course by adding an extra 5 hours per week of classes focusing just on conversational topics such as dialects, slang, and modern Japanese. Maximum length: no limit Schedule: 10 hours grammar class + 10 hours 4-skills class + 5 hours conversation class per week Students must have studied at least 100 hours of Japanese (to the end of chapter 5 of the
Genki textbook, or equivalent) to take this course.
3. Japanese Plus Traditional Culture
This course offers students the opportunity to learn about traditional culture while learning the language, and the chance to participate in it with practical activities.
Students will study topics such as ceramics, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and flower arrangement at school, and then join lessons with a specialist teacher, as well as learning
about Japanese customs, history, and art. We guarantee that you will have a great experience! Maximum length: 5 weeks. If students want to stay longer, they can combine this course with other courses. Schedule: 10 hours grammar class + 10 hours 4-skills class + 6 hours cultural class per week
4. Japanese Plus Pop Culture
This course teaches all the latest trends in Japanese pop culture, letting students experience the most fun activities Japan has to offer, from cosplaying as your favorite
anime character to drawing your very own manga. Three exciting activities per week keep you busy outside school. Maximum length: 5 weeks. If students want to stay longer, they can combine this course with other courses. Schedule: 10 hours grammar class + 10 hours 4-skills class + 6 hours pop culture class per week
5. Japanese Plus Activities (Fukuoka only)
This course is for people who want to do more than just study Japanese. Originally restricted to only high-school-age students, this fun course offers four hours of
Japanese classes per day, followed by a special activity, outside of school. Students may go sightseeing, try on a kimono and experience tea ceremony, visit a manga school, practice martial arts, and more. This course combines the best parts of the Traditional Culture and Pop Culture courses. Maximum length: 5 weeks. Only available from June to August. If students want to staylonger, they can combine this course with other courses. Schedule: 10 hours grammar class + 10 hours 4-skills class + 6 hours activity class per week
6. Long-Term Course
For students who want to study for a year or longer, we offer a course in combination with a partner school in Fukuoka. Students study at GenkiJACS first on a tourist visa, then at our partner school on a student visa, which allow students to stay up to a year, and work up to 28 hours per week while studying. Applications for a student visa must be received 5 months or more in advance. More details of this course are available here: info@ontimeta.com