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Japanese Language Education Program | For UTokyo Members

The Center for Japanese Language Education provides an opportunity to learn Japanese for international students and foreign researchers. There are a variety of courses offered.

Course Overview

The Japanese language courses are comprised of the General Course, Intensive Japanese Course, Short-term Japanese Course, and Special Themed Seminar.

Couse Outline
General Course This course meets in one to several sessions per week so as to accommodate international students’ busy schedules. The course includes general classes taught at different levels ranging from elementary to advanced and classes focused on specific skill areas, such as kanji and intermediate Japanese for communication.
Intensive Japanese Course Offering elementary to upper-intermediate classes, this course is designed for students who wish to learn the Japanese language intensively within a limited time frame. Compact learning of key content at each level will be emphasized.　
Short-term Japanese Course Offering elementary to upper-intermediate one-two week lessons, this course is aimed as students who are not able to attend classes regularly or who arrived in the middle of a semester.
Special Themed Seminar Each of these seminars covers a specific topic for a set number of days.

All courses are conducted with an emphasis on interaction between the teacher and students, rather than being lecture-based. Students also frequently engage in pair and group activities, so it is important to fully understand this aspect of the classes before registration. Additionally, since these courses involve such interactions, even if the Japanese language proficiency level specified in the requirements is met, we may advise changing classes or decline enrollment if the practical language skills (speaking and listening) are not at a suitable level for the learning activities.

Regardless of the relevance to the course content, if you have any questions or concerns about Japanese language learning or if you wish to practice your Japanese, please consider utilizing the Japanese Individual Tutorial Sessions, which are offered independently from these courses.

Individual Tutoring Sessions

Levels

Course Level Guide
Course Level Guide(PDF: 779KB)
Level Check before Enrolling

Registrations

Eligibility

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.
*Project Academic Specialists and Project Senior Specialists are not eligible to enroll as those are positions are categorized at the University of Tokyo as staff (not student or researcher).

Eligibility depends on the course.
Those in the category marked ○ are eligible to apply for the course.

  Student Researcher Spouse
General Course ○ ○ ○*
Intensive Japanese Course ○    
Short-term Japanese Course ○ ○  
Special Themed Seminar ○ ○  

*Foreign spouses of international students or foreign researchers at the University of Tokyo may also enroll in these classes, provided that there is availability in the class sizes.
General Course
Comprehensive Japanese: [Level 1], [Level 2], [Level pre3], [Level 3]
Specific Japanese: [Kanji I], [Kanji Ⅱ]

How to Apply

The application documents must be submitted through the online application system (STAR). Please prepare the necessary documents for your application and complete the system registration and application for Japanese courses.

STAR

Necessary Documents for Application

  1. Official student ID or staff ID card issued by UTokyo *
  2. ID photo (4cm×3cm)
  3. A statement testifying that the applicant is a spouse of a UTokyo student or researcher (required for spouses)【File 1】
  4. Letter of request from your supervising professor （required for foreign researchers who want to take General Course）【File 2】

*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 stamped by the dean or head of your school, institute, or hospital. （A sample form can be downloaded here.【File 3】）

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