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INTRODUCTION

Travelling to Japan for the first time? Try a study tour combining intensive classes in Yamasa's SILAC program and an adventure tour discovering what Japan is REALLY like. You can combine your studies of Japanese and the Japanese language with hiking or skiing in the Southern Alps, mountain biking through peaceful forests, Tokyo Disneyland, staying out all night enjoying the nightlife, visiting Kyoto, mix an appreciation for avant garde culture and peaceful buddhist temples (which are often side-by-side, after all this is Japan).

There are six key reasons to do your discovery tour with Yamasa.

1. High Quality Teaching Component: Most 'study tours' only offer elementary classes with casual teachers. Only Yamasa's Discovery program combines intensive language learning with a professional faculty and a minimum of 7 proficiency levels.
2. Flexibility: 13 start dates a year including 3 in Spring and 5 in Autumn - the two best times to visit Japan. A special extended program is available during July/August.
3. Small groups: The absolute maximum group size is 18, and it will usually be a lot less. This is the one program where you will NEVER find yourself following a guide with a little yellow flag or a large group of people whose names you can't remember.
4. Accommodation: Travel light - you will be able to leave heavy items back in your room in Okazaki. By avoiding expensive hotel stays and exhausting accommodation "hops" - you can enjoy your travels more and save a lot of money.
5. Real: As a quality education provider - our tours are different to most. With Yamasa you will be using your Japanese, meeting Japanese people, travelling and eating in the same places as ordinary Japanese people. If you want to see THE REAL Japan - it's time to join a Yamasa program.
6. Lower expenses: Our program fee includes tuition, textbooks, accommodation, futon rental, tours (including all entry fees and insurance). The airport transfer is free. For most of the programs the designated accommodation is the Yamasa Student Village which has single or shared accommodation available. In the case of "shared by 2" accommodation (twin room), the average nightly stay is less than half the cost of a youth hostel - but with Yamasa's modern facilities including 24 hours free internet access, cable TV etc.

Participants have the opportunity to experience Japan's traditional past as well as its modern hi-tech present. During your vacation you can experience a quick improvement in your Japanese proficiency. No previous study of Japanese is required for participation, and classes are provided up to intermediate levels.

PROGRAM OUTLINE

The Discovery programs consist of 2 stages - intensive language acquisition and travel.

a) Intensive Language Acquisition: Participants will study Japanese for 4 weeks in Yamasa's SILAC program (in the July-August 'Japan Discovery E' program the study component is extended to 6 weeks).
b) Travel component: The average tour is for approximately 10 days in relatively small groups (maximum size is 18).

Discovery program participants receive a discount on their accommodation and discounted access to the culture program. The program is one package (ie you pay for the tuition, accommodation and tour together). It is not possible to do the tour only or combine the tour component with a different program.

PROGRAM DATES

For the itinerary of each tour and information on the destinations, please click on the hyperlinks in the "Tour Start" column.

PROGRAM FEES

The Discovery Program price includes all tuition fees, the textbooks for the study program, the accommodation fee (including gas/water/power bills - no deposit) for the Yamasa Student Village and the cost of the tour (including all entry fees and insurance). It doesn't include food except where meals are stated as included in the tour itinerary.

All rooms in the student village have telephones, internet access (free), airconditioning/heating etc. The daily price for a single room is cheaper than most of Japanese youth hostels group room rates. For the shared by 2 option - it is about 55% cheaper than the average youth hostel rate. Students joining the extended length "Japan Discovery E" (JULY/06 - AUGUST/25) will probably be staying in the Rec World Hotel accommodation - in which case free transport will be provided between the hotel and Institute in accordance with Yamasa policy. Students do not need to budget for transport costs to and from the Institute. In summary, this is probably the most affordable 6 week study-tour on offer in Japan.

Why are there figures such as 313,070 and 382,016??? The reason why there is no rounding off of figures (up or down) is because of the commitment to provide the program 'at cost'. Extensive use of intranets and effective management keeps Yamasa's cost overhead and structure down, and this is passed on to students.

Currency Conversion

LEVELS AVAILABLE

All students entering the Japan Discovery 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.

Classes are usually offered from Foundation (absolute beginner) through Elementary, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate. An Upper Intermediate/pre-advanced curriculum is added during the summer. Students who are currently in Japan and/or believe that they are around intermediate level will need to confirm their level. The meaning of the word "intermediate" varies substantially. The definition of intermediate at Yamasa is usually a lot higher than at other institutes.

The first thing to do is to check through the curriculum. The main texts being used are the Minna no Nihongo series. The series is covered in 12 weeks.

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 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 Japan discovery programs are extension courses (continuing education programs) and as such are not formally academic programs. However students do need to have a high level of motivation to learn Japanese. Most students are graduates or have some university or college background, however this is not a minimum entry requirement.

As an absolute minimum:

1) Applicants must have a minimum of 11 years of full-time education in their native country or have a diploma equivalent to a Japanese senior high school diploma.

2) As a general rule students need to be 18 years and over. If you are not going to be 18 at the time of the program commencement please contact Mr Declan Murphy at Admissions

It is not a pre-requisite but it is helpful if you have some experience of studying Japanese or a foreign language before.

Citizens of certain countries will need to find guarantors. Please check the Visa Requirements section 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

The only accommodation usually available for students enrolling in the Study tours is the Yamasa Student Village. If Yamasa Student Village is fully occupied other accommodation will be arranged. The reason for this is simply that the nature of the study tours requires travel. Logistically, Yamasa is unable to provide multiple location transport and at the same time maintain low prices.

The only exception is Japan Discovery E (Summer July 05 to August 25). For this course the standard accommodation to be used is the Rec World Hotel Annexe. For details please visit the Student Accommodation section in the center homepage.

The Homestay program option is not available for Japan Discovery participants, but a home visit is included in the schedule.

The cost of accommodation is included in the Japan Discovery Program price.

VISA INFORMATION

Students enrolling in a Japan discovery program will not require anything more than a tourist visa. The visa requirements section has further details and appropriate links to the relevant Ministry of Foreign Affairs sites.

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

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 How to Apply. 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 42 days (6 weeks) prior to commencement. If as you read this you realize that the deadline has passed, please check the following course availability update box to see if the program is full.

If it indicates that your preferred program start is full but you still want to try for a place, please contact Mr. Declan Murphy at Admissions immediately to see if a vacancy remains or if cancellations will give you the opportunity to take up a place.

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.

We hope that you can join us and study Japanese while you see Japan. If you have any inquiries please contact "Discovery 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 location folder.

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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