Här finns några vanliga frågor som vi fått till Yamasa samlade.
Om du inte hittar svaret på dina funderingar här så är du
självklart välkommen att kontakta oss och det enklaste är via e-post
på admissions@yamasa.gol.com.
Vi gör vårt bästa att besvara alla frågor så fort som
möjligt, vänligen skriv på Engelska när du ställer din
fråga.
Om du inte bläddrat igenom vår hemsida ännu var vänlig och gör
det innan du skickar din fråga.
Förhoppningsvis hittar du svaret på din fundering någonstans på
vår hemsida och om du inte gör det så kommer svaret snart att finnas
där tack vare dig.
Q: I have heard that accomodation is hard to find in Japan and that
foreigners need a Japanese citizen to be a guarantor. Is this true? Also
I've heard that key money is usually 3-6 months rent in advance and isn't
usually refunded. I don't have that sort of money. One school in Kanazawa
said that if I couldn't find a guarantor I could live in a hotel for the 6
months. I don't want to live in a hotel. Where would I live if I came to
study at Yamasa? What help would I receive from the school?
Niklaus Ritter
St Gallus
Switzerland
A: Yes it is difficult - especially for people without contacts. A Japanese guarantor is usually required. Generally speaking students who come to Japan find obtaining good housing a nightmare. Most students cannot afford high rents and end up living in substandard accomodation a long distance train and subway commute from their school. It detracts from their ability to learn and can make the early period of their stay in Japan stressful. For this reason Yamasa has built its own student housing facilities within walking distance of the Institute. Every student applying for a Yamasa program receives an accomodation guarantee. There is a good range of housing options to choose from. Where key money is required, it is only slightly more than one months rent - and we refund the balance of it after cleaning and repairs (if any are required) to the rooms. (We charge no key money at all for short course students) Yamasa is also able to act as a guarantor to students who prefer private accomodation further away from the school. Also we are able to find housing and act as a guarantor for students with families. Plus one of the key features of Yamasa is that we are able to offer superb homestays.
Q: I would really love to study in Japan. But the tuition fees are just
too expensive. Is there any financial aid or scholarship system in place
that could help me?
Cui Rong
Shenyang
China
A: Yes there is. As well as the scholarships or financial aid that Yamasa may be able to help you obtain from organizations in your own country, there are fellowships, scholarships and financial aid programs available exclusively for Yamasa students provided by the Hattori Foundation (est.1919). Most of the students receiving financial assistance are students from universities and colleges with whom the Institute has a mutual arrangement. For details please visit the Scholarships and Financial Aid section of the main homepage.
Q: I want to study at a Japanese university after completing a Japanese
course. What sort of assistance would I receive if I went to Yamasa? How
realistic is it that I could enter a Japanese university after one year's
study?
Bronwen Straker
Brisbane
Australia
A: For university preparation, our Academic Intensive Japanese Program (AIJP) is the most appropriate course for students aiming to attend Japanese universities or graduate schools. For the past 4 years all of our students aiming for university places have been successful. Yamasa has developed an excellent reputation to the point where many of the universities in our region accept our graduates on our recommendation. You will achieve fluency quickly, especially if you take a homestay. You will have a team of teachers providing instruction and assistance, but also one faculty member who will be your academic advisor, providing tutorial assistance as well as helping you select and apply for university, and prepare for exams and interviews.
Q: I can cover the tuition costs and have enough to live on for a few months
but I will need to work in order to cover my living expenses while I'm in
Japan. But is it true that students aren't allowed to work legally?
Lee Jung Mok
Seoul
Korea
A: No it is not true, though certain conditions apply. In order to work you must have a student visa and must first obtain permission from the Ministry of Justice who will issue you a work permit. Yamasa can provide you with the necessary forms and help you with the application. Many of our students have either paid their way through the course or found employment to supplement their living expenses. There is a considerable amount of part-time work available in the city of Okazaki for students.
Q: When I get to Japan I want to learn as much as I can as fast as possible.
Not just the language but the culture and everything. Can I get a homestay?
A friend of mine said that her homestay was great, but that it's difficult
to find a good homestay in Japan.
Pan Chi Ming
Kaohsiung
Taiwan
A: It is difficult to get a homestay in Tokyo or Osaka. But as land is cheaper here and homes are larger, it is much easier for us to find good quality homestays for our students. We believe the option of homestays are important if you are to obtain fluency and truly understand the local culture. Yamasa invests a considerable amount of time and resources into the homestay program. In fact if you complete your program application 2 months or more prior to arrival we can even guarantee a homestay. We would be one of a very few schools that do so. To apply for a homestay you need to fill out a personal information sheet (accessed from our online catalog) and send it and two snapshot photos (not passport) to us in addition to your program application and tuition fees.
Q: I want to see as much of Japan as possible while I study. I'm only going
to be there for 3 months. What could I see if I stayed in Okazaki? How far
is it from Nara etc?
Trevor Gee
Calgary
Canada
A: Well there are the things you will see in Okazaki and the things you can
see nearby. Yamasa is located in the historic castle town of Okazaki,
located in eastern Aichi Prefecture in central Japan. Our location brings
enormous advantages to our students and us. The town is prosperous with high
tech industries, yet it has retained its festivals and traditional crafts.
Cities such as Tokyo and Osaka were almost entirely destroyed during WWII,
but here our students can visit dozens of temples and shrines dating back
hundreds of years, participate in the festivals and explore the castle and
town by bicycle or on foot.
Popular attractions are Okazaki Castle (the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu -
the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate and his first stronghold), and Daijuji
Temple (ancestral temple of the Matsudaira clan - who later became the
Tokugawa's) with its art treasures. The banks of the Oto and Iga Rivers are
one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in the region, with
thousands of visitors flocking to the parks around the castle. If you like
fireworks, this is the place. The shogun restricted manufacture of gunpowder
to a few manufacturers in his home province; even today 80% of Japan's
fireworks are made here. The annual fireworks attract huge crowds in the
summer festival, and are a showcase for new fireworks designs. All that in a
city that is safer, cheaper and quieter than crowded cities like Tokyo or
Osaka, and more suited for study and a taste of the traditional Japan.
Outside Okazaki our location is also a great help. Only 28 minutes from
Nagoya. Exactly halfway between Tokyo and Osaka. Roughly halfway between
Kyoto and Mt. Fuji. It's convenient to Nara, Toba, Takayama and Shizuoka.
The location makes it easy to spend a lot of time in Japan's ancient centers
just on weekend trips. We are also close to the sea and the expanse of
Mikawa Bay. Likewise if you are a skier you can join the Okazaki Ski Club
and head for the slopes.
Q: I want to stay in Japan a few years after I finish a Japanese course. Is
it possible to obtain full-time work after a course? If so what type of
work? Do I have to leave Japan and then come back with a new visa?
Nguyen Anh Phong
Dalat
Vietnam
A: Yes it is possible. In fact many of the students who do not choose to go on to university instead choose a job placement. Yamasa looks after the placements personally on a case by case basis. There are many different fields of work available. Some of them have recently included Computer Software, Marketing, Automotive Industries, Tourism and Hospitality, Education, Pharmaceuticals and Trading. If you are one of Yamasa's AIJP students on a student visa, then you will not need to leave Japan. Yamasa and your new employer will help guide you through the visa process and provide you with all of the required documentation.
Q: I want to study in Japan for about 3-4 months or so prior to the Japanese
Language Proficiency test. What visa do I need? How do I find out?
Todd Schoonover
Chicago
USA
A: The Proficiency Test is held in early December each year and our courses are designed to assist students through. The length of a tourist visa will vary from country to country. Some are for 6 months, others for 3 months or in the case of United States citizens - 90 days. This information is continously changing, so to find the period of stay or whether you need to apply, please check our "Visa Requirements and Exemptions" section in the main homepage. In short: To study for 3 months or 90 days or less, a tourist visa is usually sufficient, however if you want to study for longer than the period of the tourist visa available to citizens of your country then you will need a student visa. Details of the requirements for that visa are also available in this homepage.
Q: Is it possible to change from a tourist visa to a student visa? I'd
really like to study long term, but I'm not sure if I want to commit to a
long course from the beginning. I've never been to Japan before. Can I start
on a tourist visa doing a short course and then, if I like Japan and the
school, change to the other visa?
Alex Pearl
Jerusalem
Israel
A: Yes it is possible except that you will need to leave Japan at the expiration of your tourist visa. All arrivals on tourist visas are required to do so before changing to another visa or re-entering. If you bring the completed AIJP application kit and all of the documentation required for your student visa with you when you come to Yamasa on a tourist visa, then we can also help you prepare your student visa application. However to receive your visa stamp, you will need to take the "Certificate of Eligibility" (which Yamasa will issue to you) to a Japanese embassy or consulate outside Japan.