Hello everyone,
I'm fairly new here, so I hope I'm doing this right, but I could really use some help!
My partner (software dev/engineer) and I (English teacher) are moving to Japan at the end of March and plan to stay for at least two years. We’ll be leaving behind a home and stable jobs, so it’s a big and exciting step. Most things are slowly falling into place, but we’re struggling to make a final decision on a language school- and we’re running out of time.
We’re planning to live in the Kokubunji area and do a 2-year language course. We currently have two applications in progress with different schools. Both seem to have accepted us and are finalizing our paperwork for submission to the Immigration Bureau.
School one: Tokyo HOPE Japanese Language International School, in Kodaira. A friend of ours briefly studied there and, despite some minor attendance issues, recommended it and said the tutors were professional and attentive. We did have some doubts because the school was uncommunicative when we first reached out in July about the September applications, and they didn’t respond to us at all until a mutual connection contacted them directly. A clear pro is that they’re close by and our friend had a decently positive experience, but the lack of communication worries us. For example, we never got an answer to questions in our initial emails, and despite confirming that we're a couple multiple times, they were confounded when we both joined for a Zoom meet. They also seem to focus mostly on Asian or business-related students, and while I’m diligent, I’m just below N5 level and trying to be realistic about what to expect. It’s also been a bit difficult to find reviews of this school.
School two: Shibuya Gaigo Gakuin, (confusingly) in Shinjuku. It’s a longer commute from Kokubunji, but they’ve been very communicative, and we’ve read many positive reviews. Their student population seems more varied, and their expectations for beginners feel more realistic. The downsides are that they’re likely more expensive (although we still haven’t received a final quote from school one) and that commuting may mean dealing with rush hour on the Chuo line, which I've understood should be pretty bad, especially during summer.
There’s more to both, of course, but I don’t want to tl;dr you.
If anyone has experience with Hope (school one), we’d really appreciate your insight. And if you have any other information that might help us decide, we’d be very grateful. Thanks!
(PS: Incidentally, if anyone has info on how to arrange diabetes-related matters in Japan, I'd be very grateful. I've read some info, but any additional info is welcome.)
by cosycupoftea