A Once in a Lifetime Experience Backed by Caring Staff July 17, 2026

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

A lot of emphasis was placed on furthering Japanese skills, and there were many resources given to the students. The elective classes did not have very much work outside of class so that students could focus on advancing their Japanese. There was quite a lot of homework but not so much that there wasn't time to explore the city and country on one's own time.

On-site administration of your program

The staff always listened to complaints that students had, and did the best they could to accommodate them. They were very easy to reach when students had concerns as well.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The program coordinator is extremely caring and listens to any concerns students have about housing, and addresses them accordingly. I had a great host family and felt that it was a crucial way for me to integrate with Japanese culture, but I would've liked to have had some contact with them before I got to Japan so I could prepare myself accordingly.

I am a rather picky eater and also vegetarian, but my host family was very accommodating to my needs. For lunch at school, we were given a monthly allowance which we could choose to use at the cafeteria or elsewhere, so if there were options at the cafeteria that I didn't like, then I was able to get something at a convenience store or I could even go out with friends in between classes.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

While they gave opportunities like language partners with local students from the university, you really had to force yourself to interact with the locals because it was very easy to just keep speaking English in your classes or during lunch with your American friends. However, the Community Involvement Project was a great way to get to interact with people who weren't students, teachers, or your host family, and depending on the activity you chose, you could really get a look into how Japanese culture differs from American culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Kyoto is an extremely safe city. I didn't have to worry about my belongings being stolen, nor did I witness any violence or anything of the sort. The program gave us some safety training and resources in case of incidents (they specifically warned us to watch out for sexual violence) but luckily I never needed any of it.

Kyoto is a fantastic city to study abroad in, and my program provided ample resources to explore the city and also focused on students' development of the Japanese language.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The program gave us a monthly allowance to cover transportation and lunch every month, and they gave us more than enough if we got bus/subway passes and ate at the cafeteria for lunch. The city itself is cheaper compared to the US, including food, transportation, activity fees, and goods. However, they did not give money for dinner or breakfast, which was supposed to be taken care of in the housing fee and prepared by host families/dorm kitchens, but I heard students in the apartments were on their own for dinner which seemed a bit unfair and they never explained why.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were not allowed to speak English during Japanese class, and the professors strongly encouraged us to speak it amongst each other when class was not in session.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans

• The location
• The supporting staff
• The focus on Japanese language

• Contact with homestay before arrival
• Clearer grading standards

The Academic or Linguist