Kansai Gaidai: An Excellent Option for Students Interested in Experienceing the "Real" Japan Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The focus in this course really lies in the Japanese Language coursework. I found that the required workload for the "elective" academic courses was fairly light. The courses were structured in a very "American" or "Western" style, with a syllabus, traditional schedule, and interactive environment for the most part. Japanese language courses were fairly small and very interactive, requiring homework/study most nights and with frequent quizzes/exams. I learned a great deal from my courses, but would really have appreciated more of a "challenge" from the elective academic courses. (On the flip side, you do benefit from having less work to do in class, since this does give you an opportunity to visit nearby sites more easily.)

On-site administration of your program

I had no issues at all with the program, its administration, or getting to/from Japan. Some students did have difficulties communicating between Kansai Gaidai and their home programs. This seems to vary between schools, but I encourage you to have accurate and complete contact information for your home school's Administration and Study Abroad personnel before leaving the country, so that if you need to take care of things while abroad, you make this easier on yourself. The program is outstanding and allows you to interact and make friends from all around the world as well as with many of the Japanese students. Kansai Gaidai is a school for Japanese students seeking to learn English and other languages, so foreigners have no difficulty making friends with incoming Freshmen, especially. Second- and third-year students are also very easy to make friends with, especially as their mastery of English improves. Fourth-year students are typically rare sights, as their final year consists of mostly job-hunting. I enjoyed the overall size of the program. I made plenty of friends with whom I still keep in touch.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I thoroughly enjoyed living in Seminar House 4. (One of the four dorms.) The building was quite new, had great facilities and required only purchasing a few personal items to make it "home." There are large common areas to study, eat, and converse. The other dorms are older and don't have quite as large of a common area, but they all are located quite close to the school and in a nice, quiet residential area.

For Americans, you may miss some of the common spices/ingredients you have at home. I'm Hispanic and found many of my common ingredients were very hard to come by. Overall, however, there are a wide variety of eating options for students. The only difficulties I really noticed were for Kosher/Halal eaters, as meats that meet these requirements are hard to find. You can eat for as little as $4-6 per meal if you look around, as well as shop at the grocery stores nearby if you choose. The cafeteria on campus is pretty good and inexpensive. There is a McDonald's and a Seattle's Best Coffee on campus, which cost about $1-2 more than it does in America.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had plenty of opportunities to visit Kyoto, about 30 minutes away, which has countless historical and cultural sites of interest. I also had a field trip to Hiroshima which was outstanding. Spring students get a few days off for "Golden Week" as well as a Spring Break, two nice opportunities to travel. Additionally, I encourage students to stay after the semester ends if possible to travel. You are allowed to stay in the country for up to 30 days after the end of studies. Japan has many cultural festivals and events -- many of which vary from city to city. I encourage you to do some research and visit them if you can!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues, but I do encourage you to consider enrolling in the Japanese health insurance program -- it makes paying for hospital visits and emergencies much easier. (Any health issues that can't be handled at the campus clinic are dealt with at the local hospital. This is a Japanese cultural note, as citizens don't visit various doctors' offices, they go to the hospital for even minor health concerns.) As for safety, Japan is a very safe country, as you will learn.

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

Kansai Gaidai encourages students to have "Speaking Partners." This is an excellent program and students often are offered to have two or more partners. I encourage future students to consider this program. Additionally, you can choose to do "Home Stay" (living with a Japanese family for the semester) or "Home Visit" (visiting with a Japanese family on some weekends) to experience the Japanese family lifestyle. If you don't elect to do Home Stay and choose to live in the dorms, I encourage you to consider Home Visit. I enjoyed visiting my Japanese family. Additionally, if you live in the dorm, it is up to you to get out and immerse yourself in the language. This isn't difficult, as there are many Japanese businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. nearby. Most people speak English on and around Campus as well as in the dorms, but if you break out of these environments, you can really learn a lot.

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