MMoving to Japan

Any experience with these Tokyo language schools? Or other school suggestions

  • August 21, 2024

So I plan to go to Japan next year for a year on a working holiday visa. Will be quitting my job after 4 years (software engineer) with the goal of moving to Japan permanently (and probably staying in the tech industry)

I’ve narrowed my language school search down to

  • JCLI

  • Toyo Language School

  • ARC Academy

  • Meko

  • TCJ

These are all in Tokyo but I’m open to Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa too. Somewhere well connected because I plan to go to concerts a lot and socialize with locals. The more inland the better, since the recent “big one” talk has me slightly paranoid about tsunamis…

Anyway, I’m currently between N3 and N2, trying to pass N2. So the main goal of the class for me would be passing N2 but staying longer and studying to pass N1 and/or learning business Japanese would also be helpful. To save money and give myself time to figure my life out, I currently plan to attend the language school short-term for 6 months (either as two 3m terms or one 6m if the school allows it) and then take the JLPT (I plan to start July 2025 but possibly October in which case plans would be slightly different). Not sure exactly what to do the latter 6 months, that depends on if I pass, but maybe I would try living in the countryside (maybe Aomori) just to see what it’s like. Possibly also study there or try a totally different job. But more realistically, applying for full-time jobs and building my portfolio after not working for a while.

So, has anyone been to these schools and could you give any feedback about the classes, dorms, etc.? Some important factors for me:

  • Where students are from (I don’t want to be somewhere where the official language outside of class is Chinese, as it would make it hard to make friends, especially at my age (27) and the teachers would gloss over Kanji. But I also don’t want somewhere like Genki JACs with a huge amount of westerners). Also student ages, e.g. were there only college kids?

  • The housing/student dorms (I want to have a single with a private toilet but still have the dorm life there so I can socialize outside of class).

  • The support for part-time job hunting, resume-building, flat-hunting, etc. If it’s in English even better

  • The class intensity (I want enough free time to go to concerts on the weekend, hang out with locals, etc.)

Or if you went to a different school you think I’d like, please suggest it.

Thank you!

by scarletbloom

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