Contents: APJLE, NAFSA

NAFSA - Assoc. of International Educators

The NAFSA website is at www.nafsa.org

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(4) Our Mission

These 3 words are at the heart of the Yamasa Institute, Japan's leading teaching center for Japanese language education.

The mission of the Yamasa Institute is....

The Yamasa Institute encourages and supports the exchange of students and scholars to and from Japan. We place special emphasis on supporting Japanese language teaching faculties offshore.

We set and uphold the highest benchmarks in Japan for standards of good practice, strive to provide one-to-one service, professional education and training and opportunities for lifelong learning.

As a private, non-profit organization within the Hattori Foundation, we aim to contribute to the further development of Okazaki as a city of culture and through higher education help develop mutual respect between our local and global community for the dignity of all peoples.

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(5) Summary of Key Advantages of studying at Yamasa

QUESTION: Why has Yamasa become one of Japan's leading and fastest growing schools???

Most students realize that the opportunity to study full-time in Japan may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Please think carefully about the following. It is a major investment of time and resources. In the future you will have other commitments - and so it is important to be sure that you choose the right school, achieve fluency, and then be able to set about getting the maximum possible return on your investment.

ANSWER: Because there is no substitute for high quality.

The keys to your success are found at Yamasa. We are a non-profit, non-government organization with one focus only - listening to you. We are more intensive - offering more classes per week and more classes per year than any other school. We pay more for a good quality teaching faculty - essential for your success. We are virtually the only JSL school that has invested in state of the art facilities - our laboratories and facilities are better than most Japanese universities.

The advantages of studying at Yamasa.

(1) SMALLER CLASS SIZES:
The accreditation body (APJLE) requires a maximum class size of 20 students. However at Yamasa we believe that 20 is too many for quality language study. At Yamasa the maximum class size is 15 students, and the average is just 12.4. In our seminar format classes, the maximum class size is just 6. This ensures that there is not only better student/teacher interaction, but that the difference in language proficiency between students in each class is significantly less than in other schools.

(2) INTENSIVE:
We offer higher levels of intensity. Yamasa offers more classes per week and more classes per year (900-1050 depending on the program instead of the usual 800-820) than any other school. We offer more classes and more intensity because our students know that the opportunity to study in Japan may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and they want to be sure they will achieve fluency.

(3) LARGE CLASSROOMS:
All of our classrooms are modern with excellent light, air-conditioning and by Japanese standards very large amounts of space. All students have wide desks and the desks are arranged in a U shape configuration so as to maximize student/faculty interaction.

(4) PROFESSIONAL FACULTY:
A highly professional and well-paid faculty with years of experience in teaching JSL. A key distinction between Yamasa and other schools is that we pay more for a good quality teaching faculty - essential for our students' success. Only the best teachers and instructors join our faculty. All of our academic staff are highly experienced and fully qualified teachers of Japanese as a second language. Many of our staff have also taught Japanese abroad, either on Yamasa academic exchanges around the world or prior to their joining Yamasa. Supporting the students and academic staff is a multi-lingual and highly experienced administration able to make your life easier from enrolment to graduation.

(5) TEACHING TEAMS:
Yamasa uses an unusual format known as team teaching - with teams of 3-5 faculty members per class. It ensures that you receive a variety of teaching styles.

(6) ACADEMIC ADVISORS:
Every single student at Yamasa receives individual attention from a designated academic advisor. This means that as you progress through your studies you always have one faculty member advising you who has a very detailed knowledge of your needs and aspirations.

(7) ULTRA MODERN FACILITIES:
Library, Language lab/computing labs with easy access to in-house printing and copying facilities. Our campus is located in a residential area just 6 minutes walk from Okazaki Station on the main JR Tokaido (Tokyo-Osaka) line. Completely renovated with full air-conditioning, western style amenities and easy access to staff. We are virtually the only school that has invested in state of the art facilities - our laboratories and facilities are better than most Japanese universities.

(8) INTERNET ENVIRONMENT:
Free unlimited email and Internet access including on weekends. The fiber optic LAN links the computer labs with the classrooms and also extends to the Student Village for 24 hours access. All students can receive their own free "name"@yamasa.org email addresses.

(9) HOMESTAY PROGRAM:
Guaranteed homestays and home visit opportunities to increase your conversational fluency and cultural understanding. The lower price of land in Okazaki results in larger houses than in Tokyo or Osaka. Not only are higher quality homestays easier to obtain but also Yamasa invests a lot of energy into the Homestay program. The homestays give you not only the opportunity to practice your language skills and intimately experience the culture, it also provides a priceless chance to communicate across cultures and make long lasting friendships.

(10) MODERN ACCOMMODATION:
Guaranteed, at low cost, and within walking distance of the campus. A low cost/low stress lifestyle unequalled by any other school. Students (especially with families) who come to Japan generally find obtaining good convenient housing a real headache. Most students cannot afford high rents and end up living in substandard housing and have long train or subway commutes. Many institutions rely heavily on private vendors for accomodation. By comparison Yamasa has its own (not leased) student housing within easy walking distance of the campus. Every student who enrolls in Yamasa is guaranteed appropriate, safe, affordable student housing.

(11) GENUINELY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT BODY:
Many Japanese educational institutions aim to be, many claim to be, however very few are. Yamasa is one of the few schools with an admissions policy that emphasizes the importance of a diverse student intake - and perhaps the only one that consistently maintains it. Diversity is essential for successful language training. At the moment Yamasa is the ONLY school in Japan:

A) With no majority language. AND
B) Where neither Chinese nor Korean speakers form a majority of students AND
C) With large numbers of European and North American students AND
D) That deliberately establishes language diversity in each and every classroom.

Yamasa students come from all over the world. Japanese is usually the only medium they can communicate to each other in. It is more than just the language of instruction it rapidly becomes the language of communication. The result is a dynamic group of people from many different cultural backgrounds, with very different experiences and outlooks. But all seeking to discover both Japan and themselves in an unusually stimulating academic environment.

(12) 100% UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT RATE:
All of our courses are academically oriented. The Yamasa programs stress all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Rapid progress in the language encourages students to make the most of their developing fluency. You will soon find yourself rigorously preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Every year, all of our students seeking University or College positions are successful. All of them. Many universities accept Yamasa graduates on our recommendation.

(13) JOB PLACEMENT SERVICE:
Yamasa is located in the heart of the Mikawa region - the home of Toyota and many of the biggest names in Japanese industry. The region is prosperous and through our links to various Japanese companies, internship program and job placement service, we can offer more career opportunities for our students than other institutions.

(14) SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID:
Yamasa has a comprehensive scholarship and financial aid support system including agreements with universities around the world. Yamasa is able to extend opportunities to students usually ignored by other Japanese institutions. We take our aim more seriously. The sponsorship provided by the Hattori Foundation (est.1919) means that we are virtually the only school able to offer a wide range of assistance.

(15) ACCREDITED:
The Japanese Government has assessed and authorized Yamasa to be the only Institute in the Mikawa region with the appropriate programs, systems, curriculum and facilities required for quality Japanese language education. Yamasa has the highest level of accreditation currently available and so can offer faster visa processing and a longer period of stay (1 year renewable) than many other institutions. Yamasa was a founding member of the regulating body: The Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education.

(16) LOWER EXPENSES:
The Institute is non-profit and its high quality courses are delivered at cost. The fact is that there is no need whatsoever to pay Tokyo rents or Osaka prices in order to study in Japan. Located conveniently in the historic central part of Japan, Yamasa and Okazaki offer not only quality but also affordability.

(17) FREE PICKUP SERVICES:
We provide a free pickup service at Nagoya airport and Okazaki station and provide free transport to your accommodation.

For quality - no other school matches Yamasa.

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(6) Hattori Foundation (established 1919)

The Hattori Foundation received the Authorization of the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs on February 6th, 1919. Established by Tarokichi Hattori, it has been active in educational philanthropy in a wide range of fields ever since. The fundamental purpose of the Foundation is to make the best possible contribution to improving the welfare of local society.

The Foundation actively supports educational activities at all levels from early childhood through to tertiary level. It aims to contribute to the further development of Okazaki as a city of culture and education and help revive the distinctive features of the Mikawa region.

Aims: In regards to international education, the Hattori Foundation has set itself several key objectives. Each of these objectives has lead directly to cooperation with other education providers in Japan and around the world.

In particular, the Foundation set about to concentrate resources into improving the quality of Japanese language education for international students both inside Japan and in their own countries. Hattori Foundation scholarships, research and assistance to academics in this field are key parts of this effort. However the absence of a genuinely high quality institution specializing only in the teaching of Japanese language programs, and open to applications from all nationalities regardless of institutional links, led to the direct establishment of the Yamasa Institute by the Foundation itself. From its initial establishment, Yamasa has constantly been setting ever increasing standards in this field.

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