This is the Japanese language department of the Kyoto International YMCA school in the center of Kyoto city. The YMCA is an international organization with connections to over 125 countries and regions around the world and is recognized as a public service entity that provides social contribution through activities such as youth education, volunteering, etc. The Kyoto YMCA Japanese Language School is a professional school of the YMCA Group with a number of faculties in addition to the Japanese language department including a Japanese welfare department, local children’s English class, swimming classes, and more, and therefore have native Japanese students attending this school. As such, there are many opportunities to connect and speak with Japanese people and familiarize yourself with the life of the people of Kyoto. Scholarships are also available offering discounts to students on their monthly transportation fares, helping to reduce the cost of studying abroad. The school also has a dormitory for students with in-house dormitory managers who are able to provide immediate help as needed. YMCA staff can also pick you up at the airport and can drop you off directly at your dormitory on the first day you arrive in Japan.

Main Features

• High success rate
  • All students who undergo studines in this program improve their Japanese language abilities dramatically and predictably, based on the time spent at the school. Moreover, students also gain valuable professional & academic knowledge that prepares them for further studies at university or future employment. To ensure all students are on the same page and feel supported, the school has created a tutoring program that students can attend if they wish to seek further support on difficult areas and to practise and hone their abilities. Students are able to graduate with a certificate with the 1 and a half year course, or a bachelor’s degree in Professional Education Culture with a 2-year course. Students are guided by their respective homeroom teachers, who guide each student individually according to their communicated goals and based on their beliefs of the best way for them. In March 2014, graduates achieved the following positive results: 26% went to college, 29% went to university, and 26% continued into professional study programs.
• Fully-equipped facilities and diverse school festivals
  • Besides the YMCA research center located off campus, the school houses many on campus facilities for students use. One of these includes the sports facilities, such as a swimming pool and a gym, which is accessible to students in the evening after the local children’s swimming class finish. In addition there is a library and study rooms which are available until late, so that after class ends at 2 pm students are still able to make use of them.
    The school also holds regular cultural exchanges with Japanese students so that everyone can discuss & learn about each other’s culture. For international students to understand Japanese culture, customs and family life, the school also organizes visits to families who are members of the YMCA organization. Lastly, students are able to experience traditional Japanese culture through organized activities such as: Marathons, Christmas parties, school-run festivals, Yukata wearing experiences, cooking Japanese cuisine, and music experiences. For those for whom English is not their first language, students at the intermediate level or higher are able to freely join English classes offered by the school, which improves students’ English skills by practicing speeches, as well as writing and listening comprehension exercises.
• Convenient location with concentrated local transportation and university campuses
  • Kyoto is located in the center of Japan, about 2 to 3 hours from Tokyo or Fukuoka, and about 1 to 2 hours to other Kansai areas such as Osaka, Hyogo, and Nara. Also, within about a 5-minute walk from the school is the busiest streets in Kyoto, namely Kawara, as well as Karasuma Oike Station, and the Nishiki Market. By bus, students can visit the famous Kinkakuji Temple, the Kyomizu Temple, Nijo Castle, and Kyoto National Park, and by train, students are able to reach all areas of Kansai. In this way, the school is located in a convenient, central location among famous tourist attractions that if one wished to, he or she could reach by bicycle. Just north of the school, there are the famous & popular universities of Ritsumeikan University, Doshisha University, and Kyoto University.