Program Reviews

I was a part of the last session in the program during the summer. It was an incredible experience, especially meeting new people a part of the program and connecting with my wonderful host families, all of whom I still message. The program was well-paced with each day filled with activities or trips to historical sites along with bonding activities for the group. I learned so much during the trip and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to have traveled through an informative and fun program. I highly recommend this program to those interested in living abroad in Japan.

I participated in all 3 sessions, and it has been an amazing 9 weeks, 9 cities and 9 host families. We went all over japan, from Isa, south in Kyushu and all the way to Tokyo and Mito in the east. Im a bit introverted, but all the families welcomed me and let me live as a new familymember. I got to try a lot of new foods and I learned many japanese traditions and customs and also some japanese. Some of the families were extra eager and even brought me to theme parks like DisneyLand, DisneySea and Universal studios theme park. And my first family brought me to a place where we could try on Samurai gear and pose with katanas. I loved it.

The main thing that made my three week stay so incredible was the people I encountered. From the other participants, with whom I shared so many moments, to the organizers and locals who were all so excited to show off their hometowns and favourite activities. The thought of meeting so many new people seemed daunting at first, but pushing through my nervousness rewarded me with so many fond memories!

The activities planned for us varied greatly from day to day and helped me learn much about Japan and myself. Of course, not everything fit my interests, and trying so many new things could be a little scary. However, fumbling through tasks together with everyone made everything fun! Personally, I enjoyed activities like watching professionals demonstrate sword techniques, rice planting, visiting shrines, and trying activities with locals the most. Working towards the Arigato event and presenting it for the host families and getting to visit schools and universities were also very cool.

My host families were ultimately the highlight of the trip. In the beginning, I stressed a lot over whether I would fit in, if miscommunications would occur, or if I would seem impolite in general. But the families I stayed with were all so incredibly kind, and sharing daily life with them made me feel at home. Miscommunication did still occur, but everything always turned out fine and even gave us some laughs. Their excitement and generosity allowed me to participate in many thrilling activities and still feel at ease. And most of all I appreciate my new wonderful host siblings! I hope to be able to visit them all again in the future.
Spending so much time doing activities and being with the families leaves little free time, so if you are excited for more touristy sightseeing, I would recommend setting aside some weeks for yourself either before or after the program. The programs also vary in how hectic it is, so some days left me quite tired while others were more peaceful.
Still, I cannot recommend going enough! Especially if you are interested in Japan as a country, cultural exchange in general, want the opportunity to try less common experiences or just want to meet new people. Deciding to apply might have been one of the best decisions I have made!

Attending the World Campus International program was one of the best decisions I’ve made- my only complaint was that I didn’t stay longer! I attended the third session of the program and enjoyed all three cities I got to experience in Japan. Staying with a host family is truly and experience like no other and learned more than I ever would if I just came to Japan as a tourist. You not only leave the program with lasting bonds with your host families, but also all program participants. Every day was unique and you have the opportunity to share your own unique culture and backgrounds. This is a trip I will never forget and will continue to recommend to students of all ages.

I was lucky enough to get the experience to join world campus the summer of 2017, and I had one of the best summers of my life. Getting to experience Japan together with amazing fellow participants, leaders and host-families was truly an unforgettable experience.

I joined the program with very limited japanese skills, and this proved to be a non-issue, as even the host families that spoke limited english proved extremely friendly and helpfull, and we found that communication still worked.

As of writing this review, my stay with world campus helped change the trajectory of my studies into Japanese and Japan studies, and because of the unique window you get into japanese culture and living, joining a program like this is truly special, and something I can recommend wholeheartedly to everyone with an interest in going abroad to Japan.

The World Campus Japan program offers a unique experience and is naturally more academically challenging than booking your own trip to Japan! Being out of my comfort zone and connecting with citizens in a way I would never have been able to do as a regular tourist are the things I reflect most positively about. During the day it would always be in English and therefore not as interesting to me, but at the end of the day we'd all come home to very friendly hostfamilies, all excited to hear about our days and ready start sharing delicious meals. The staff was always prepared to help and answer questions, both before and during the program.

I went on the third and last session to Abiko, Mito and Tama, all right outside of Tokyo, and I had a great experience. First of all, the host families were so open, and loving and made me feel like a part of their family, despite my poor Japanese language skills. The program was packed with cultural activities such as karate with Japan's female national champion, traditional dances and calligraphy. Being a part of a group with many different nationalities, I also learned a lot from the other participants. The program was well-planned and organised, and everything felt very authentic, which was important for me. I am sure that I will go back to visit my host families again when I have the opportunity to do so.

All things considered, I really recommend this program. For me, one session was enough as the program is quite packed, but I do wish I could experience the other sessions too looking at the activities and locations!

My experience from my trip to Japan 2023 was beyond unique:) I highly believe and think that living and sharing a living space with locals in the different cities played a huge part for me personally. Even if there were a language barrier, which often is the biggest issue for most people I feel like, my host families were still very intrested and put the effort into actually try and keep the conversations going with me, and really trying to get to know me whilst also teaching me about their culture.

This year, I had the opportunity to rejoin the WCI program for the second time. Previously, I joined back in 2018 fresh out of high school and went on my own. Despite the setbacks of COVID for many, this program gave me such great experiences just like before! I went in this session only knowing a basic conversational level of Japanese. While we had a mix of members who knew little to no Japanese and some who could almost speak it fluently, we all had a great time. It may seem intimidating to live with a host family if you don't speak Japanese well, but in my case, it made the experience all that much more enjoyable! I was able to stay with the same host family I previously had in 2018 and got to see them after five years. For the other two cities, I had made new lifelong connections to them and hope to visit them again sometime.

If you've ever wanted to go to Japan but are unsure about this program, I cannot recommend it enough! The staff are very kind and supportive, the families are just as nervous as you may be, but everyone has one idea in common: To get to know each other and share our culture. Sure, you can definitely go on your own as a tourist. Thing is, all you will ever visit and find are things designed for tourists to visit and find. If you want to see the real culture of Japan where you get to truly experience everyday life and the hidden gems only the locals know about, then this is without a doubt the best program to join.

Now as a university student, while this trip isn't related to my field, I've gained so many valuable skills and experiences from this trip that any employer would love to have. Before this trip, I couldn't have ever seen myself not only navigating a country with a language I don't speak. Reflecting now, I've been able to create lifelong friend and family connections across language barriers on top of significantly raising my own self confidence and leadership skills.

It's been my life-long dream to go to Japan and get to experience its culture along with meeting the people, and so when I finally got an opportunity to actually visit Japan, I was strongly debating between going on going on a solo trip as a tourist, and joining the 2023 WCI Program. But eventually I decided on participating in the program, as you could've guessed by reading this review, and I couldn't have been happier with my decision.

Instead of only going around and seeing the touristy stuff in Tokyo, this program allowed me to full on experience all the wonders of everyday life in Japan and make life-long friends.
Going in to this, I have already reached a certain level of Japanese, where I was somewhat able to communicate and have a basic conversation, since I had already been learning Japanese for 3 years at the time, and yet it was shocking to realize by just how much more comfortable I've gotten with Japanese over the 3 weeks in Japan! On an unexpected note, my speaking in English has also gotten considerably better (I'm not a native English speaker), as I got to use English every day as well. It is also worth noting, that a lot of the Japanese participants and volunteers are there with the intent to also practice their English skills.
All the Japanese people, as well as fellow WCI participants that I've met were incredibly kind and genuine people, and I was able to make very good friends with them. There is simply something special about an atmosphere filled with kindness, all the while you get to see your friends every day, and possibly even make new friends every day.

Speaking of the people, the memories you make with the three different host families you get to stay with during a session are also unforgettable. It truly felt like I was a part of the family with each of the host families in the cities of Abiko (Chiba), Mito (Ibaraki) and Tama (Tokyo). They were very welcoming, accomodating, curious to learn about my culture and also really fun. And so next to all the cultural experiences organized by the WCI, I also got to spend time with my host family every day, really letting me see what the actual everyday looks like in Japan. Whether my host sister was unbeatable at Taiko no Tatsujin (A drumming game at the game centers in Japan. Definitely give this one a try), or my host mother made the best rice I have ever eaten in my life, or my host father introduced me to the godsend of a snack called karee pan (curry bread), it is all an unforgettable experience. One of my host families even made giant letters that they hung up on the wall, welcoming me, by which I was touched. And yes, I do still keep contact with all of them.

All in all, I strongly recommend this program, regardless whether you speak Japanese at all or not, as I can guarantee you, that you will have the time of your life.