Here’s what you need:

• A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (for university-sponsored programs).
• At least a year’s worth of college-level Japanese (highly recommended), and/or mastery of the hiragana and katakana character sets.
• 500-word essay on why you want to attend the program.
• You must be at least 18, and this is college-level (not high-school level).

Once you are accepted and in Japan, you take a placement test to further gauge your command of Japanese. This plus all the info on you we’ve gathered helps us put you into the right level. For more information, see Eligibility and Apply Now. If you look at the application, you’ll see what we’re looking for. Good luck, and if you have more questions, please ask us!

Yes; everyone needs a passport to study overseas. But if you are staying for just one term, you may not need a visa. Many countries, including the U.S., have special visa treaties with Japan allowing their citizens to stay in Japan for 90 days without formally applying for a visa.

If you stay for two or more terms, you will likely need a visa. For more information, see Eligibility.

You will succeed much better in this rigorous program (even at the lower levels) if you have one year of university Japanese under your belt. If you have had no Japanese, or if it is unavailable where you live, you can pick up a good book on Japanese and at least memorize the hiragana and katakana (practice sheets available at kcpstudentlife.com).

For those who already have a good command of Japanese, you will be likely be placed in a higher level where you can polish your language proficiency.

No. Students come from a variety of backgrounds, majors, colleges or life experiences. Majors have included liberal studies, humanities, and business, among many others. The majority of students who attend our program are not Japanese majors.

You can certainly apply. If you do not need academic credit, you can apply direct by downloading an application (Apply Now). If you think you may need the credit later (perhaps for graduate school or career purposes) and may need to show your participation on a U.S. college transcript, then you can apply through one of our sponsor schools. It doesn’t cost very much more.