Program Reviews

Hello,

My name is Bror and I was a participant in world campus the summer of 2018, I participated in session 2 and 3 which was in Osaka, Nara, Isehara, Mito, Abiko and Tama. In this program we had 1 week per area and 1 host family per area. I decided to go for 2 sessions instead of doing one.

I cannot overstate how great my experience with world campus was, it was truly one of the best things in my life.

Needless to say, this has been one of the best experiences of my life, not only have I gotten many contacts in terms of host families but I have also got multiple Japanese friends in Japan, furthermore I have some amazing people which was participating in the program with me.

If you’re looking for a great experience in Japan, this is it

This was an amazing experience! I had so much fun, and I learned so much along the way.
All of the organized day time activities were well planned, and gave us a unique opportunity to challenge ourselves and learn about Japanese culture. My favorite activity day was the time we a "culture fare" at the local community center. Japanese traditional dancing, instruments, art and games, all gathered at one place. Experiencing Japan in a nut shell this way was very interesting, and i enjoyed it!
My favorite activity was during one of the last days in session 1. We went to a katana sword smith, and got to learn about the process when making a katana. After learning about the history of the sword, and watching him demonstrate parts of the process, we also got to try holding and using the sword. Holding a 40 000 dollar weapon made me quite nervous. But when i finally got to show the tatami-mat who's boss, I was overwhelmed with joy.
This program is filled with diversity. Last year i traveled with people from over 10 different countries. So in addition to learning about Japan and Japanese culture, I also got to experience many other cultures as well. The participants were fun and friendly people, and i became really close with many of them. The good atmosphere among the travelers also played a part in making it such a great experience.
I cant wait to go again!

This was an amazing experience! I had so much fun, and I learned so much along the way.
All of the organized day time activities were well planned, and gave us a unique opportunity to challenge ourselves and learn about Japanese culture. My favorite activity day was the time we a "culture fare" at the local community center. Japanese traditional dancing, instruments, art and games, all gathered at one place. Experiencing Japan in a nut shell this way was very interesting, and i enjoyed it!
My favorite activity was during one of the last days in session 1. We went to a katana sword smith, and got to learn about the process when making a katana. After learning about the history of the sword, and watching him demonstrate parts of the process, we also got to try holding and using the sword. Holding a 40 000 dollar weapon made me quite nervous. But when i finally got to show the tatami-mat who's boss, I was overwhelmed with joy.
This program is filled with diversity. Last year i traveled with people from over 10 different countries. So in addition to learning about Japan and Japanese culture, I also got to experience many other cultures as well. The participants were fun and friendly people, and i became really close with many of them. The good atmosphere among the travelers also played a part in making it such a great experience.
I cant wait to go again!

I have always wanted to travel to Japan and experience the culture and beauty of the country. When I heard about this program I was instantly intrigued because I realized going with WCI program was the ultimate way of experiencing Japan. If I ever were to travel to japan i would probably just see Tokyo and other typical tourist things. But with WCI I got to meet Japanese people and experience their culture.

Going to Japan with WCI was one of the best things I have ever done. I have never done this kind of culture trip before and it felt good to travel with my friend Sofia(we study the same program at our university). But I believe that you don't have to be afraid to travel alone because everyone are super friendly, caring and super nice. My three host families were so amazing and generous. They became my family during the time I was in the three different cities. Even though I didn't know any Japanese the communication worked perfectly and we had so much fun. The most imporatant thing is that you are nice to your host families and talk with them and you will have an amazing time.

I was with session 1 and we were a small group but such an amazing and fun group with wonderful people. What I loved most was the fact that everyone in the group wanted to be there and experience Japan together. Everyone had something that they loved about Japan or wanted to experience which made the group just amazing to hang around with. I made so many new friends and we did fun things together and talked about our lives. It was just a perfect and incredible journey we did together.

The activities we did together was fun and interesting. We went to schools and interacted with children. We experience japanese culture when we tried on Shorinji kempo, Kyudo and other amazing things. This is was i loved most about the program, all of these things we did was thanks to WCI and I would have never been able to do these things on my own. Therefore, if you want to experience the most of Japan, then I promise you that the WCI program is the best for that. Also, at the end of every stay with the host families we have the Arigatou Event. It is the most fun and awesome night where we thank our host families and dance, show our culture, sing, party, have fun etc. Don't be afraid to have super fun and go all in. :D

In conclusion, I had the most wonderful and amzing adventure of my life in Japan, thanks to WCI. I met new people from all corners of the world and we experienced Japan together. If you wanna have a time of your life, then join WCI program. Also, it does not hurt if you love Japanese food(which I do). You will be in food heaven.

This program is such a great way to experience Japan for anyone, especially those going for the first time. You'll meet some amazing Japanese host families, make friends from all over the world, and get to try some cool and really interesting activities that let you get hands-on with Japanese culture.

The program is very well organized, and while not cheap, I would say the price is very reasonable for what you're getting: 3 weeks of fully paid food/drink and accommodation, with all transport in Japan and all activities paid as well.

The commitment of the staff, local communities, and all of their partners is really quite impressive, and you can tell that they're deeply passionate about what they do.

In short, I cannot recommend this wonderful experience enough!

Simon Presley, Denmark

I've participated in World Campus 3 times now, in 2014, 2016, and 2018. I really can't overstate how meaningful of an experience my time with World Campus has been.

When I first signed up for World Campus, I was only 18, and I had never even been on a plane by myself before, let alone left the country solo. I was excited, but I was also incredibly nervous. Would I make friends? Would I be safe? Would I get along with my host families? As soon as I arrived at the airport in Japan, I knew I would have nothing to worry about. Hiro greeted me warmly after walking me through every step of the traveling process, and as soon as I met my host family they treated me like I was one of their own children. All of the other participants were immediately warm and welcoming to me, and I realized that I had no reason to feel shy. I, an American, immediately made lifelong friends from places like Norway, Poland, Denmark, Canada, China, Sweden, and the UK.

The close bonds I made that first year have lasted and remained just as strong as they were when we met. I am so close to the host families that I stayed with during World Campus that when I returned to Japan for a year long study abroad in college, I spent the New Year's holidays at their home, welcomed in as part of their family. The kindness and bond I felt from my host families is like nothing I have ever felt before; it truly feels like family to me. Even with my imperfect Japanese, we stay in communication even now.

The cultural experiences World Campus hosted allowed me to make friends with Japanese people my age, as well as become close to members of the local community. I got to try things like traditional taiko drums, naginata, making sushi, and going to fireworks festivals. These are things I could never have tried at home, or even going to Japan as a tourist. That's the best part of World Campus to me; you're not just a tourist seeing Tokyo, you're experiencing Japanese culture and daily life the way the Japanese do, as well as being part of a family.

No matter if you can speak Japanese or not, and even if you've never been abroad before, I would recommend World Campus to everybody. It's a truly incredible program that has changed my life and the lives of other young participants, and I wouldn't trade my memories of it for the world.

I went with World Campus Japan twice, once as a participant and once as a councelor. This really is a program unlike I had ever seen before. You will experience things that are really exclusive. Some examples are talking with a politician, visiting the deity building, having fun while informally debating with local Japanese and hanging out with university students!

Besides this exclusiveness I've also been able to experience the most true-to-reality daily life and culture of the Japanese citizens. Thanks to the full-homestay program I had a great time and even now I'm still in contact with some of my hostfamilies. This home-stay aspect may sound scary. Living in someone else's house with complete different cultures and sometimes even some sort of language barrier? But don't let this hold you back. As I've noticed, I was welcomed with open armes, and the Japanese families I stayed with were very welcoming and easy going. Be nice to them, and they will be nice to you. Even with differences in food, temperature and way of sleeping, I can assure you, you will feel at home very quickly. Oh, and futons really aren't that bad!

Another great thing about this program is that it hosts people from all over the world, so besides Japanese culture, you will come in contact with many more! I'm proud to say that now I have friends from all over the world :).

World Campus Japan is an amazing program! I have never thought to experience Japan in such a unique way. All my expectations were topped, day by day.

I got so close with my host families and felt so at home, although I stayed only one week with each. They are really kind and interested in you and your culture and it is great to show them your country and the way you live. Moreover, you experience the japanese lifestyle in the best way. I felt like being part of them, as I saw everything in a non-touristic way.
You have the possibility to discover every domain of Japan, like their delicious food, pop culture, nature. I got the chance to go to Akihabara in Tokyo, to see shinto shrines and to talk to the Governor of Ibaraki! And japanese food is the best food I‘ ve ever eaten (I swear!) I missed it so much back home.
And you meet so many great and interesting people. I made good friends and it makes me happy that they‘re from all over the world! We got all very close and I felt like being part of one big family.
The progam helped me to get more openminded and I developed a lot, especially in interaction with other people and in overcoming the fear of talking in front of a lot of people. You really expand your comfort zone.

I can only recommend it as you gain so much from this amazing program. I will definitely do it again and I‘m looking forward to discovering Japan one more time!

I have been to nine different countries on various occasions, and among all of them, nothing even comes close to my experiences in Japan with World Campus. There is a good reason I have joined that program three times already.

Through traveling with World Campus I have stayed with 16 host families, all of whom welcome me back whenever I go to Japan. I have made friends with people from all over the world, including China, Sweden, The Netherlands, USA, Qatar and others. And perhaps most importantly, World Campus has allowed me to develop as a human being. All of this, despite not knowing a single word of Japanese before joining. One the other hand, the program has taught me how to communicate without a common language, and also taught me some Japanese.

Overall, what World Campus does right is their hands-on approach - learning by doing. Wouldn't it be cool to see a real samurai demonstrate how to use a katana? You know what would be even cooler? To then have the samurai hand you their sword and teach you how to use it. World Campus has offered me plenty such experiences. I didn't just get to watch an elementary school teacher teach their class, I got to join them teaching. I have practiced zen meditation with a real buddhist monk, and joined a traditional tea cermony organized by a true master. And I have experienced things I never had imagined even existed, such as how to do furoshiki - an old way of wrapping your belongings in practical and decorative Japanese cloth.

The core experience however, the one that really makes you feel that you get to see Japan from the inside, is being able to live with host families during your entire stay. By living with other families, I was able to observe and take part in daily routines, eat authentic homemade food that can't be found anywhere else, and truly feel like I was a part of the family. Through sharing culture from my own country, I also learned a lot about myself.

I heartly recommend this program to anyone looking for a unique, life changing and unforgettable experience!

WCI has been the best experience in my life and it totally got me as a sorprise.

I am a colombian student and I wanted to travel to Japan with my friend Natalia. It was an impulse, I just started to google summer camps and classes of japannese. I didn't know how, but I had to go to Japan. In one page I found WCI and it was PERFECT: the dates, the activities, all in english... It was even more than I was looking for.

We were able to travel to so different places in the countryside of Japan, and see cities and people. We were like rock stars jajaja. The japanese people is not used to see foreign people in places different than Tokyo. We appeared in television and in news papers. Everyday I had a TOTALLY NEW ESPERIENCE that reminded me as when I was little and they got to explain how the world works... something like that.

I went knowing NOTHING about japanese. I started to read my travel book in the plain just to learn two word hahaha and it was awesome how much I started to get. Maybe not to translate, but the last weeks I was getting the idea of what they were talking in japanese!

About the group of people in WCI, they were amazing! I am not that good at making friends, so I was relief I had Natalia (my colombian friend). After the first city, I was realizing I not just had the oppportunity to talk to all af the group, but that I was getting closer to them.

Well, for conclusion, if you like japan, or you are just curious of their culture, or if you just like to travel, and want a full inmerse experience with wonderful people, here is the place.

I feel there's so much more to say. If you have any questions, here is my mail if you would like to talk: nickyroserohotmail.com.

Nicole Rosero Samudio.