The usual definition in Japanese language education of an intensive program is 15-20 hours of classes per week, and approximately 800 classes per year. At Yamasa we provide 3 different intensity levels, because we recognise that different students have different needs. Yamasa's on-campus programs are also substantially more intensive than those provided elsewhere in Japan.

There are two reasons for this. One is because the vast majority of our students have consistently indicated through surveys, suggestions and course feedback that they wish to learn as much as possible during their stay in Japan. The second reason is that unlike students in Tokyo, Osaka or elsewhere, almost all Yamasa students live within walking distance of the campus - they do not have long commutes, feel stress from crowded trains or expensive fares, and so are able to allocate more of their time each week to Japanese studies.