Yokohama Design College (YDC)

Yokohama

About

Yokohama Design College (YDC) teaches Japanese in a campus environment shared with students of design, fashion, manga and illustration. The two courses below are the Japanese-language department’s preparatory and short-term options. They are not the separate vocational qualifications, admission conditions or fees of other departments.

Learning, Art and Career Support

Japanese study balances reading, writing, listening and speaking. The preparatory course offers JLPT/EJU support and art-related options, including drawing and portfolio guidance. The school describes eligible optional classes as free; confirm availability and course eligibility rather than assuming every activity is included.
Manga seminars, open classes, cultural activities and interaction with Japanese students complement study. Specific activities and schedules vary. Design, art, manga and fashion learning at YDC does not mean automatic admission to its vocational courses.
Career guidance includes applications, resumes, interviews, company information and internship support, with eligibility depending on the programme. Part-time work and residence-status advice must follow the student’s actual permission and conditions; neither work nor a visa is guaranteed.
Student accommodation is available subject to vacancies. Current Web and guide room descriptions differ; confirm the actual building, private/shared facilities, fees, utilities and contract terms in writing. Housing costs are separate from the course figures below. Confirm English or Chinese support availability.

Application Requirements and Source Differences

Complete 12 years of standard schooling abroad by entry, or a course giving eligibility for higher education in the home country. The linked Japanese guide marked for April 2027 specifies about JLPT N5 for April and N4 for October; confirm placement and required proof.
Selection involves document review and an interview; the Web page also mentions a test. Confirm the actual selection method, required Japanese translations and domestic/overseas route. Do not send personal application documents through this information page.
Application dates differ: the Japanese guide gives July 1-October 30 for April entry and January 1-May 20 for October. The English guide gives August 1-November 30 and February 1-June 30; the Web page has another schedule and older example years. Use these only as references and obtain the school’s current deadline and capacity confirmation.

Payment and Refunds

The JPY 25,000 screening fee is paid with the application and is non-refundable; it is already included in the whole-course totals. The guide says school payments follow COE issue; its installment appendix lists a first-semester payment of JPY 510,000 including screening/entrance fees, followed by JPY 385,000, with later installments depending on duration. Do not add the screening fee twice or treat the first payment as the whole-course cost. Follow the actual invoice.

Refund treatment depends on COE, visa outcome, travel and whether classes have started, and differs by fee category. The guide refers to separate school refund rules and a materials/activity refund schedule. Obtain those written rules before payment; do not assume all fees are refundable or invent a refund amount.

Yokohama Design College (YDC) Available Courses

College Preparatory Course

Build Japanese-language skills for higher education and future career plans. April offers one or two years; October offers one year or one and a half years. The one-year option remains a confirmed course, including October entry. Admission and residence permission are not guaranteed.

Intake and Duration

April	1 or 2 years
October	1 or 1.5 years

Monday-Friday, four 45-minute classes per day: morning 09:00-12:30 or afternoon 13:10-16:40. The school assigns sessions according to class level and availability.

Learning and Optional Classes

Core study covers practical Japanese, literacy and communication, with kanji support for students from non-kanji backgrounds.
EJU/JLPT preparation includes mathematics, physics and social studies in the guide; the current course Web page also lists other science subjects. Art is a separate preparation option, not an EJU test subject. Do not assume EJU classes are taught in English.
Art preparation can include drawing, composition, portfolios, essays/interviews and research-plan guidance. Manga seminars remain part of the school’s published options; specific materials such as COPIC and current class schedules should be confirmed.

Published Whole-Course School Fees (JPY)

1 year	895,000
1.5 years	1,259,000
2 years	1,623,000

These totals include screening 25,000 and entrance 100,000 once, plus tuition, facilities, miscellaneous education/health charges, textbooks/materials, off-campus learning, alumni membership and accident insurance. Tuition alone is 650,000 / 975,000 / 1,300,000 respectively. See the guide for each duration’s breakdown; living expenses and housing are separate. No additional screening charge is added to the table total.

Short Term Course

Short-term Japanese is mainly for residents with appropriate status other than student status. The guide also describes applicants able to obtain suitable permission; people applying from overseas must consult YDC first. Do not assume tourist entry or an exemption is available to every nationality.

Intake and Duration

The current Japanese guide says, in principle, three months or longer, with April/October entry and possible mid-term placement according to learning history. The same guide still lists one- and two-month prices. Those shorter options are retained below as published references, with actual acceptance and level matching to be confirmed before booking.

Monday-Friday, four 45-minute classes per day: morning 09:00-12:30 or afternoon 13:10-16:40. The school assigns sessions according to class level and availability.

Published Whole-Course School Fees (JPY)

1 month: reference	66,000
2 months: reference	117,000
3 months	168,000

The listed totals combine enrollment JPY 15,000 with tuition of 51,000 per month (20 weekdays); textbooks are separate. The short-course Web page lists insurance JPY 0. Confirm how enrollment charges apply to your domestic/overseas application and any extra costs rather than assuming a local fee waiver.

Flexible and Individual Learning

The current Web page describes an individual timetable from JPY 800 per class, in person or online by arrangement, plus private and semi-private study. For the earlier two- or three-day attendance options, confirm the current timetable, price and whether this per-class model applies; attendance days are not guaranteed.

Published private lessons: JPY 70,000 for ten 60-minute lessons; semi-private (two people): JPY 60,000 for ten 60-minute lessons. Enrollment JPY 15,000 is listed separately; confirm whether the semi-private figure is per person and the applicable conditions. A one-time trial is advertised free subject to arrangement. These are not the standard monthly group-course prices.

School Location

1-33-6 Chuo, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0051, Japan. Approximate walks: Tobe Station 1 minute, Hiranumabashi 5 minutes and Takashimacho 7 minutes. Check the official route before visiting.

Checked October 15, 2026. Course names are guidance translations. The directly linked Japanese guide includes April 2027 course information; confirm current recruitment, final costs and the correct written terms with YDC.

Document

Because our counselling is free,
the tuition fees listed here will be the same as the schools original tuition fees