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INTRODUCTION

If you are looking for a different experience of Japan, you may wish to consider an internship combining 6 weeks of intensive classes in Yamasa's SILAC program with a 4 week unpaid placement in a Japanese language speaking workplace.

There are four key reasons to do your internship with Yamasa.

1. High Quality Teaching Component: Most internships do not offer intensive classes with professional faculty. Some internship programs offer part-time classes, or classes prior to departure, but most interns report that only a full-time intensive program prepares them for the placement stage thoroughly. Our Internship provides intensive language learning with professional faculty and a minimum of 7 proficiency levels.
2. Flexibility: Most internships are only available during the summer. Our internship program is offered all year round with 19 start dates a year including 5 in Spring and 5 in Autumn - the two best times to visit Japan.
3. Single placement: Unlike many programs, no more than 1 intern is placed into any one workplace. Usually you will also be the only foreigner in that particular workplace.
4. Accommodation: You will not need to re-locate after your study component. All work placement companies are located either in Okazaki or are accessible via either the JR Tokaido Line or Aichi Kanjo Line.

PROGRAM OUTLINE

The Internship programs consist of 2 stages - intensive language acquisition and work placement.

a) Intensive Language Acquisition: Participants will study Japanese for 6 weeks in Yamasa's SILAC program. (Either 15 or 23 classes per week)
b) Work Placement: Each work placement is for 4 weeks. Only one intern is placed into each workplace. Each workplace is within the Okazaki city limits or accessible by public transport from Okazaki. All work placements are for unpaid positions. Interns are only placed into companies or organizations that have been thoroughly checked by officials from the Hattori Foundation.

Internship program participants receive a small discount on their accommodation and their public transport fares are subsidized by Yamasa if the return fare per day exceeds 1000 yen. (ie Yamasa will reimburse interns for any expenditure on fares exceeding this amount). It is not possible to do the work placement only or combine the work placement component with a different program.

PROGRAM DATES

PROGRAM COSTS

Program fees if paid in advance:

**The fees include the textbooks. Does not include accommodation etc.

LEVELS AVAILABLE

All students entering the Internship programs do their study component in Yamasa's SILAC program. The placement test consists of 3 stages, a written test, a listening comprehension test and a one-on-one interview. This ensures that faculty can place you in a class with students who have attained a similar score in the placement test and are of similar ability. It is usually possible to change classes after consultation and re-assessment with your academic advisor.

Although SILAC classes are usually offered from Foundation (absolute beginner) through to Intermediate, level you will need to have completed level 3 or higher of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. You are most likely to be in a class using the seminar format. Please make sure you read the Minimum Entry Requirements and Curriculum sections thoroughly.

It is considered extremely important by Yamasa that we be able to help students determine whether the programs are suitable for them or not BEFORE they enroll, so that you have plenty of time to consider other program offerings at Yamasa, a different time schedule or another program provider. For this reason and because the most difficult problem facing faculty members is to work out the level of proficiency of each student as early as possible (so as to increase planning time), Yamasa's multimedia studio has developed a series of online placement tests. These tests are not the actual placement tests but act as an indicative survey. They are designed to help you by allowing you to know where you would be in Yamasa's curriculum. You will be requested to complete an online test after you have submitted your application form. However if you are worried about your level and would like to do an online test prior to submitting the application form, please contact the Director of the International Office, Mr Declan Murphy at Admissions

Yamasa's Admissions office will then be in a better position to advise you and assist with program selection.

MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The Internship programs are extension courses (continuing education programs) and as such are not formally academic programs. However students need to have a high level of motivation to learn Japanese. Key factors affecting your application will be your Japanese language proficiency level and skills. Skills most in demand include multimedia, mechanical engineering and hotel management.

As an absolute minimum:

1) Applicants must have an undergraduate degree or have completed a minimum of 2 years or more of university/college studies.

2) The minimum age at the time of program commencement is 20 years.

3) All applicants need to have passed level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or have an equivalent level of proficiency.

4) To assist with the work placement search, all applicants need to submit a full resume (in Japanese or English) and complete program payment at least 35 days prior to the scheduled commencement date.

Citizens of certain countries will need to find guarantors. Please check the Visa Requirements section in the center homepage to see if this applies to you.

PROGRAM LOCATION

All classes are conducted at Yamasa's Okazaki campus. You will enjoy living in the historic castle town of Okazaki, located in Aichi Prefecture in Central Japan. The castle was the birthplace and initial stronghold of the greatest 'shogun' Tokugawa Ieyasu (born 1542), the founder of modern Japan. With a population of 330,000, it is a prosperous town with modern hi-tech industries that has also maintained its traditions and festivals and has many heritage sites, old temples and shrines including Hozoji - now more than 1200 years old. More information about Okazaki is available from the Location file in the center homepage. In short though, it is safer, cheaper and quieter than crowded cities like Tokyo or Osaka, and more suited for study and a taste of the traditional Japan.

For students, Okazaki has the advantage of being halfway between Tokyo and Osaka and convenient to both. It is also not too far from Kyoto and Nara to the west, Mt Fuji and Shizuoka to the east. It is easy to travel to each of these locations from here. Prices here are much less than Tokyo, Osaka or that of tourist traps like Kyoto, (rent for example is actually less than half that of Tokyo), so the cost of living is lower. Public transport is good, bicycles are probably the best and easiest mode of transportation.

FACILITIES

As noted in the Location section, the classes will be usually be conducted in Aoi Hall. This recently renovated facilty is fully air-conditioned and is a smoke-free zone. For more details please see the Campus Guide.

All students have free internet access and can send and receive personal electronic mail. Students bringing laptops should be able to connect directly to the LAN through jacks provided specifically for student use. Each of the classrooms in Aoi Hall have a jack for LAN access. Students without laptops will be able to access the internet using the PCs supplied by Yamasa. For more details regarding internet connectivity please read through the connectivity file in the center homepage.

All classrooms and amenities are large and western style. Yamasa allocates more space per student than nearly any accredited institution in the country. The extra space means that instead of sitting in chairs with writing flaps attached to the arm of the chair, students have wide desks for spreading dictionaries and study aids in front of them for easy reference. This extra space is further increased by our policy of limiting the maximum class size to 15, which is 5 students less than the standard required by the regulating body for Japanese language education in Japan - the APJLE.

The offices of your academic advisors are also located in the same building so that you can easily consult faculty outside class hours.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

Students enrolling in the Internship programs can stay in any of the housing options, with the exception that you will not be able to homestay during the work placement section of the program. If you wish to homestay you will therefore need to aim for a homestay place during the first 6 weeks of your stay. Please apply as early as possible.

For details please visit the Student Accommodation section in the center homepage.

VISA INFORMATION

Students enrolling in an Internship program will not require anything more than a tourist visa. The visa requirements section in the center homepage has further detail and appropriate links to the relevant Ministry of Foreign Affairs sites. Please note that that your work placement is an unpaid position. Paid employment is NOT available in Japan for visitors on short-stay visas.

Citizens of certain countries will need to find guarantors. Please see the Visa requirements section for details.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Once you have read EVERYTHING on this page, especially the sections below, have checked your status re guarantors, schedule and so on, you will need to apply as follows.

In the Online Catalog you will find an icon called Program Applications. Please click on that icon and follow the directions given.

DEADLINES FOR APPLICATION

After you complete the Online Application, you will need to submit 4 passport photographs by mail or 1 by email. We request that you complete the application at least 3 months prior to commencement.

Once your application and photos have been received and confirmed, Yamasa will require you to confirm your place either by making a deposit of 22000 yen or by transferring the program fee. If you confirm the place via a deposit, please remit the balance of the tuition at least 35 days (5 weeks) prior to commencement. Only after the tuition (not a deposit) has been paid are we able to issue a LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE - this is the letter that you show Immigration as you enter the country, or if you need to apply for a tourist visa, then it's the letter you show to the embassy or consular officials.

PAYMENT METHOD

Payment of Program Fees OR Deposits (22000 yen for a deposit) is usually done by Bank Transfer. If the bank fees for a transfer are excessive, another option is to post or courier an International Money Order or Bank Check. More information and Yamasa's bank account details can be accessed from the "How to pay fees" icon in the Online Program Catalog.

Yamasa will confirm all remittances.

If you have any inquiries please contact "Internship Admissions" at Admissions

Please send any postal mail to:

The Yamasa Institute
1-2-1 Hanehigashi-machi, Okazaki-shi,
Aichi-ken Japan 444-0832

ARRIVAL INFORMATION

All students are required to arrive in Okazaki at least 1 day prior to commencement. The suggested arrival date for each program is printed in the Dates and Prices section. If you are travelling across 6 time zones or more (ie there is a time difference of 6 hours or more between your location and Japan) then we advise you to arrive 2 days early. Students arriving at Nagoya International Airport can arrange to be met by our free pickup service. Yamasa plans to offer 3 airport pickup services per day on the 2 days before each commencement date. Students arriving by train can be met at JR Okazaki Station. For more information please read the Airport Pickup Information in the center homepage.

Please also note that if you arrive 2 days before commencement or earlier, then due to the scheduling requirements of the Housing office, you may be required to move rooms after 1 or 2 days before entering you main accommodation. If accommodation is available then it may be possible to arrive 3 days earlier or more, although in this case the airport pickup may not be available. Due to the difficulty of scheduling accommodation, we ask that students who need to arrive earlier than 3 days prior to the program commencement inform the Admissions Office well in advance.

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