Japanese Language Education Program

The Japanese language courses of the Center for Japanese Language Education are open to the following:

• International students who are already enrolled at the University of Tokyo, such as regular students, research students, and exchange students.
• Foreign researchers who are already working at the University of Tokyo.
• Their spouses.

Students and others who are not currently affiliated with the University of Tokyo are not eligible to take the courses.

If your ID card has not been issued yet, please submit an official document stamped by the dean or head of your school, institute, or hospital showing that you have been officially accepted by the University of Tokyo. If you do not have such a document, please prepare a certificate of acceptance and have it stamped by the dean or head of your school, institute, or hospital.

A sample form can be downloaded here. (PDF: 96KB)

Please submit an ID document within three months after issuance. If the document you have is older than that, please obtain a new certificate of acceptance stamped by the dean or head of your school, institute, or hospital.

Basically, applicants are not required to take any qualification test. Instead, depending on the courses, applicants may be interviewed to confirm their level and intention to take the course.

Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and may close early if we reach capacity.

You cannot apply late. Please apply during the registration period.

There is no class specifically aimed at the JLPT.

Please take the level check. Please refer to the list of all courses and levels (PDF: 107KB) at the Center for Japanese Language Education.

Please take the level check. We recommend that you take a class one level below the class you were judged in there.

Please take the level check. Please refer to the list of all courses and levels (PDF: 107KB) at the Center for Japanese Language Education.

If the level check says that you should attend the same level class as last semester, it is very likely that you need to take that class again before you can comfortably continue to the next level. Even if the level is the same as the previous semester, the materials used may differ depending on the class. Additionally, with different instructors and classmates, new learning opportunities may arise. First, try registering for the level that suits you best.

You are recommended to attend all two lessons. If you miss even one lesson a week you may not be able to keep up with the class. Teachers cannot help you with classes you have missed. Please bear this in mind when applying to the course.

Please attend classes from the beginning of the course. Attendance is required throughout the semester.

For the General Course, you may apply if you can attend within the first five classes of the course. If this is not possible, please apply next semester. However, if your level and aims are appropriate, you may be able to take a Short-term Japanese Course or a Special Themed Seminar.
You cannot apply for an Intensive Japanese Course if you cannot attend the first several weeks, as applicants will undergo an interview on the first day of class to confirm their level and intention to take the course. It is important to attend every class punctually and participate in each class actively.

No credits from UTokyo are granted in the courses offered by the Center for Japanese Language Education.

• For the General Course, a certificate of completion will be issued to students who have an attendance rate of over 60%.
• For Intensive Japanese Courses, a certificate of completion will be issued to students who have an attendance rate of over 60%.
• For Short-term Courses and Special Themed Seminars, a certificate of completion will not be issued.
• No other documents, such as transcripts or attendance certificates, will be issued.

It is required that foreign researchers submit a letter of request from their supervisor with their application. If your supervisor will not be available during the registration period, please try to obtain this letter in advance. If this is not possible, with your supervisor’s permission, you may submit a letter from a substitute professor; this person must be a member of the teaching staff, not a secretary or member of the office staff.

You can download a sample letter here. (PDF: 159KB)

The “Comprehensive Japanese” Level 1 to 4 (2 lessons per week) serve as the base for each level. Please choose and enroll in one level. If there are available levels, you can also combine them with other optional classes.

You can. You can also take more than one level at a time in Specific Japanese.

Possible cases (examples):

• Comprehensive Level 1am + Specific Kanji 1
• Comprehensive Level 3 + Specific Kanji 2 + Specific Conversation 1
• Specific Conversation２+ Specific Business Japanese

Am and pm classes have the same content. Please choose one and apply for it.

No. The am and pm classes have the same content, but the class pace, activities, and dynamics differ depending on the students, so you are not allowed to mix your attendance in both am and pm classes. Please choose only one.

In the Intensive Japanese Course, homework will be assigned every day. It is important to make time to do the assigned homework, preparation, and review every day.

Textbooks can be purchased at the co-op bookstore (Second Refectory, 1F). You should also be able to find them in most major bookshops.

If the class you have applied for is unsuited to your level, please speak to the teacher by the designated date (we will inform students of the date during class). With the teacher’s agreement, you may move to a more suitable class; however, it may not be possible if the class you wish to move to is already full. Please do not move classes without consulting your teacher.

No. The purposes of the Intensive Japanese and General courses are different. Choose one course or the other, as the course content is designed for each.

Yes. The Intensive Japanese Course is designed to facilitate consistent and effective daily learning for achieving a certain level of proficiency in a short period. Given that irregular attendance can potentially impact not only you but also your classmates' learning progress and outcomes, attendance for all classes is generally expected. If absences are planned before the enrollment stage, please consider taking another term.

You can take two or more classes from the above Courses and Seminars. Please take the level check and apply to the class one level below the one suited to your level.