American Association of Teachers of Japanese

Study Abroad in Japan: Frequently Asked Questions

Below is an index of questions covered on this page. Click on a specific question to read about it, or scroll down to read the entire document.

Why study in Japan?

How can I pay for it?

Do I have to know Japanese?

Will I get credit at my school for the courses I take in Japan?

What are Japanese universities really like?

I've read about accidents and violence involving exchange students in other countries recently. Do I have to worry about safety in Japan?

Why study in Japan?

If you're reading this page because you already want to go to Japan, you more than likely already have answered this question. But if you're still thinking about it, let us give you some answers that other people have come up with.

For many students who study overseas for a year or a semester, the experience is one of the highlights of their college years. They learn a lot about the language and culture of the country they go to, of course; but more than that, they learn a lot about themselves and about their own culture by looking at it from the outside. They make new friends--some of them lifelong--and they learn new "street smarts" and social skills. Often the skills they learn and develop during their time overseas become major assets on the job market.

For students of Japanese language, and of the literature, history, society, economy and business, or arts and culture of Japan, a period of study abroad can pay tremendous dividends. It goes almost without saying that language skills can be improved immeasurably by a stay of almost any length in a place where the language you are learning is being spoken all around you. In Japan, you are challenged every day to perform practical tasks using the language, in addition to being challenged in the classroom and, often, in home and neighborhood situations.

It's safe to say that a study-abroad experience will broaden your horizons and give you a whole new perspective on yourself and your surroundings--as well, of course, as giving your language skills a tremendous boost. To hear what some other students who've had the "Japan experience" have to say about it, look at the Meet an Exchange Student section elsewhere on this page.

(top of page)

How can I pay for it?

Yes, Japan is expensive. But the cost of study abroad need not be prohibitive. And there are sources of financial aid for overseas study.

The first place to check is your campus international programs or study-abroad office. If you go to Japan through your school's exchange program, your tuition at the overseas college or university you attend will usually be the same as your tuition at home. If you receive financial aid, it should apply to your study abroad.

Many universities also have special scholarships for study abroad, using funds contributed by foundations, companies, or alumni groups. Talk to your Japanese teacher or to the department of Japanese or Asian studies on your campus; they will have information about these and other scholarships.

The Japanese university where you plan to study may be able to apply on your behalf for scholarships given in Japan by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and administered by the Association for International Education, Japan (AIEJ). Check with the school you will be attending; or look at the AIEJ's Web site for more information on these scholarships.

ATJ is administering a new program of scholarships for study in Japan, the Bridging Scholarships. Please see the Bridging Scholarships page elsewhere on this site for information and application forms.

In addition to financial aid from your own college or university, there are several sources of scholarships and grants for study abroad.

The US government funds several scholarships for undergraduate study abroad. The Benjamin Gilman Scholarships are for students who receive Pell Grants for students with limited financial resources; more information is at www.iie.org/Gilman . The NSEP Boren Scholarships focus on students studying the languages and areas considered critical to US national security. Recipients of Boren Scholarships are required to work, after graduation, for the government or in an educational institution for a period the same length of time their study abroad was funded. For further information, visit www.borenawards.org.

The Rotary Foundation's Educational Programs division sponsors more than 1,200 American students for study abroad each year through its Ambassadorial Scholarships program. Application, which must be through a local Rotary club, is open to any student who has completed two years of undergraduate study or the equivalent. More information is available at the Foundation's Web site, or contact the Foundation at1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201. The Foundation's e-mail address is .

The University of Minnesota International Study and Travel Center's Online Study Abroad Directory includes a list of scholarships for study in Japan, from a number of public and private sources. Another Web site with ideas is studyabroad.com.

The Itoh Scholarship Foundation provides financial assistance for the study of the Japanese language and culture at universities in Japan by non-native speakers. The fund, established in 1994 by the founder of the Ito-Yokado chain of supermarkets, accepts applications from overseas students who have selected an institution in Japan at which to study. Information is available at the Foundation's Web site; application forms can also be obtained by writing to Itoh Scholarship Foundation, 3F, J.C. Building, 3-6-22 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105.

The Reitaku Foundation of America will offer two full-year undergraduate scholarships to American students to study at Reitaku University in Tokyo . The scholarships will cover round-trip economy airfare, tuition and housing at Reitaku University, and a monthly stipend for meals. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, be full-time regular students at an American university, and have studied Japanese for four semesters prior to their arrival in Japan. For application forms and more information on Reitaku University, contact the RFA Scholarship Committee, Reitaku Foundation of America, 5335 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20015; tel (202)537-7423; fax (202) 537-7455; e-mail .

Some enterprising students have partially financed study abroad by approaching local business groups, clubs, religious and campus organizations for support. In return, they may send regular reports from abroad or present talks or other programs after they return. It's important to remember that study abroad is an investment in your future--one in which others might be willing to participate.

For additional information and sources of scholarships, please see the Financial Aid for Study in Japan page on this Web site.

(top of page)

Do I have to know Japanese?

There's no doubt that some knowledge of the language helps. The majority of study-abroad programs require a minimal knowledge of Japanese; some require two or three years of previous study. There are programs, however, for students with no prior study of the language. If you're a beginner, start your investigation, elsewhere on this page, with summer programs and with the programs run by organizations like Eurocentres, Council, or the Institute for Asian Studies.

(top of page)

Will I get credit at my school for the courses I take in Japan?

One of the advantages of studying in Japan on an official exchange program sponsored by your own college or university is that credit is arranged in advance: you earn credits just as though you were at home. Branching out into other programs, or enrolling directly in a program at a Japanese institution, makes the question of credit more complicated. The host university may grant credit, but it won't help you unless your home institution will accept it.

It's important to check with both the school you plan to attend and your own university as you begin planning for study abroad, to see whether they will accept credit granted by the overseas institution--either directly from the foreign school or from another US university working with that foreign school. If your school will accept transfer credits from another US institution, you may decide to enroll in a study-abroad program sponsored by a US university that is approved by your own school. In that situation, you will pay tuition to the "third-party" university because they will be issuing a transcript that will then be honored for credit at your home institution.

If you enroll directly in a university program in Japan, like that at International Christian University or Japanese national or private universities, you may receive only certificates attesting to the work you have done. Your department of Japanese or Asian studies will most likely be willing to convert these to credit; but it is important to talk to them in advance. If direct credit transfer cannot be arranged, you may be able to negotiate credit based on performance on language placement tests, or for independent study.

To avoid misunderstandings, it's a good idea to obtain written guidelines from your school about expectations for credit. Likewise, talk to administrators at your host school about their expectations, and be sure they know well in advance about any documents you will need to take with you when your course of study is completed.

ATJ and other organizations involved with study abroad in Japan are working to develop curriculum guidelines that will make it easier in the future for universities on both sides of the Pacific to communicate in the same terms about courses and credits. We are also hoping to develop a service that helps US institutions decipher and interpret Japanese course information so that credits can more easily be transferred. Watch this space for news.

(top of page)

What are Japanese universities really like?

Universities in Japan are often more integrated into the community in which they are located than their US counterparts. Often they don't have spacious campuses, and most students live off-campus and commute from other parts of the town or city. Student solidarity often revolves around special-interest clubs or study groups.

The international office at the school you attend will have one or two staff members who can help you find your way around and give you advice and help; but it is well to remember that Japanese universities seldom have the infrastructure of advisors and counselors that American students take for granted. If you attend one of the schools that attracts a large number of foreign students, you will have a ready-made community; at other schools, you may have to develop your own network of fellow students, friends, and campus resources for support.

At most universities in Japan, you'll be able to participate in the life of the city or town you live in as well as that of the university. In a large city, that can be as cosmopolitan as life in any large North American city, but you will still get a sense of traditional neighborhood life centering around your local train or subway station. Living in Japan will be at least half the fun of your study-abroad experience!

For more on what university life is really like, take a look at our Meet an Exchange Student feature elsewhere on this page.

(top of page)

I've read about accidents and violence involving exchange students in other countries recently. Do I have to worry about safety in Japan?

Japan has a reputation as a very safe place, where anyone can walk city streets at any hour of the night, and belongings are never stolen. There's a lot of truth in that: crime rates are low, people don't have guns, and most of the people you meet are courteous and welcoming.

But it's not the whole story either. As is true anywhere, you need to be aware of where you are, who you're with, and what some of the unspoken rules of conduct are.

Japan is a less safe place for women and people of color than it is for white males: women in particular are subjected to forms of harassment--like being groped on trains--that often go unreported in the media.

Gay and lesbian students face their own cross-cultural challenges in a new country. As a 1997 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education pointed out, many study-abroad advisors have been making efforts to offer special information and help to gay students going abroad. NAFSA:Association of International Educators has a LesBiGay special interest group, whose Web site lists resources, interviews gay students and advisors, and discusses the issues and problems faced by both gay American students overseas and gay students from abroad who are studying in the US. Japan has a long tradition of tolerance for "alternative life styles," and safety is not normally an issue for lesbian and gay students. Gays in Japan are more likely to be in the closet than their Western counterparts, however, and you might want to have your antennae up until you get used to the atmosphere on Japanese campuses.

In the wake of several recent overseas accidents and terrorist incidents in which US exchange students either were involved or narrowly missed, universities, students, and parents are thinking more about safety abroad. One set of guidelines has been drafted by NAFSA; it is available under Safety Abroad.

(top of page)