Japan and KCJS: They are what you make of them! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I would give the Japanese language classes five stars without a doubt. I learned a TON. That being said I have never had so much language homework in my LIFE. Up to 4 hours per night and 20 new kanji plus their compounds amounting to about 45 vocab words a day. That being said, (depending on the course you took) the afternoon classes could be quite a breeze. The courses I took (Medieval Kyoto, Medieval Japan; Politics and Political Economy of Japan) had a fair amount of reading but it was all pretty much *optional*. One class had 3 4-page papers which were basically reading reviews, the other required every student to lead one class discussion, one field trip (awesome field trips btw), and write a final 8-10 page paper. Easy peasy. All the teachers were helpful and more importantly, WANTED to help you. I think the Japanese professors in particular were stellar (if strict).

On-site administration of your program

Very efficient and helpful. Always eager to answer your questions or work towards a solution together.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I LOVED my homestay family. I had friend who chose to stay in an apartment and though they enjoyed to freedom to come and go as the pleased, all expressed a bit of regret that they hadn't lived with a family. It was the best way to learn and practice Japanese as well as experience hands-on Japanese culture and society. I even learned Japanese recipes! I'm returning to Japan for an internship this summer and I plan to stay with them for a few days. In short, as tempting as an apartment may sound, it means you have to pay for and cook all of your meals (host families were given a monthly stipend for our breakfast and dinner) and can't immerse as fully in Japanese society. I wholeheartedly urge anyone to live with a family.

I loved the food my host family served (which was actually largely Japanese takes on Western food, interspersed with straight-up Japanese food), but after a while I seriously craved variety and some spice. Japanese food is pretty mild (and I don't just mean in terms of heat, but their use of flavorful spices) and can get...well, a little dull. There's only so much ramen I can eat. Still, I was never hungry and my family delighted in giving me new and sometimes crazy things to try. Have fun with it! You can always get pizza when you get home. (Tip: Avoid Japanese pizza at all costs: it is a crime against humanity)

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Aside from the fact that I did get a few stares (especially from drunken salary-men on the late-night trains) and the odd bit of blatant discrimination, my family and Japanese friends made me feel right at home. Japanese society is not an easy one to merge into, due to their feeling of being one homogeneous group (not actually the case); this was compounded by being a blonde woman from America. Still, everyone was for the most part nice. The old ladies LOVED it when all the gaijin dressed in kimono and walked around the city; we got some great compliments!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never got sick and from the experience a friend had, that was a great thing. She was sick with flu-like symptoms for a day and the Japanese staff and her family FLIPPED out. She was quarantined in her room for a week even though she got better the next day and the doctor said it only might be the flu. Worst part: KCJS has a ridiculous sick-leave policy wherein even if you miss class for an illness and have a doctor's note, you get a zero for every day missed. Not just an excused absence, a ZERO. Which is completely illogical seeing as the staff was urging (and in her case, forcing) us to stay home at the first sign of an illness. Completely unfair. However, the director who began last year plans to get rid of this policy.

Japan is pretty safe. Not as safe as they claim, but I never felt in danger. I didn't particularly like walking home from the train station by myself late at night after I missed to last bus, but I was never in any danger.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It may be just me, or maybe its the crazy prices in Japan (6 USD for a tall at Starbucks...), but I was constantly broke. But, this was due in large part to me enjoying my time in Japan fully. Nights out are not cheap, but when you look back on your time abroad, they are totally worth it.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

They had us sign a contract saying we would use only Japanese both inside and outside of the classroom (except for during afternoon classes that were taught in English). The outside of the classroom bit was definitely a little optimistic. Most of us just reverted to English when with one another (didn't dare do it in front of the Japanese teachers though). Some students did follow the rue and benefited from it, so maybe I should have made a bit more of an effort...

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans

• Rigorous language program
• Kyoto is the perfect city to study abroad in: lots of culture, good transportation, not too big, BEAUTIFUL!
• Field trips: spent a night at a famous Zen temple, meditating and freezing my butt off as we watched the sun rise over the gardens and mountains

• Workload needs to allow for more interaction with the locals and the families
• Structure of afternoon classes
• Bring in more Japanese students!