Program Reviews

Meiji Academy’s pop culture course is perfect for anyone who really wants to learn Japanese while experiencing the most fun, interesting and sometimes weirdest aspects of modern Japan.

It was my first time coming to Japan, so I opted for a course that allowed me to learn Japanese and have experiences outside of the classroom at the same time. I did not know that Meiji would also arrange activities for students if they had not booked a specific course. First I was confused, but I soon came to understand that the activities are quite different. The “normal“ activities encompass things like language exchanges, tours to local shrines, weekend trips to the islands, takoyaki party or tea ceremony. Meanwhile, the pop culture class activities are proper classes that allow you to gain a deep understanding for Japanese culture. Plus, you will have a teacher. Mine was very knowledgable about Japan and could link the modern activities to history, which I found very interesting. Together we went to a Maid Cafe, Anime exhibition and had a manga drawing lesson. The last one was my favourite !

I am sure I will return to Japan once I finish my first few semesters at uni. Next time I hope to either do a semester at university in Japan or do an Art internship. Can’t wait !!!!

Before coming to Fukuoka, I had studied Japanese for a year at a language school in Germany. It does not compare! I had some one-on-one classes and 3 different teachers throughout my stay at the Academy. When you have small classes and can get one-on-one attention, you can have it exactly as you want it! Concentrate on whatever aspect of Japanese (grammar, conversation, Kanji) you need to be focusing on!
I liked having 3 different teachers because they focused on different aspects and gave me different input/feedback.
I also stayed in a homestay with a lovely family with two small kids. Highly recommendable experience, especially to practise Japanese!

The staff and support are phenomenal as well! On your first day, there is an orientation with everything you need to know to get around in Fukuoka. And during my stay, they arranged many fun activities where I could make friends with internationals as well as Japanese. Although it might seem like a small city to you (by Japanese standards), it never gets boring in Fukuoka! Language Exchanges, International BBQs, Parties, out-of-town roadtrips… there is always something fun to do! Just ask around and talk to people and the Meiji staff! That way you will have the best experience!

For those of you approaching Japanese for the first time (but also for those who wish to improve their skills), it’s very important to find the right school. Meiji Academy is the place to be!
The teachers are well-prepared and patient and the staff is always down to help you out. Usually, classes consist of 1-4 people, which gives everyone the chance to be heard. I took 3 weeks of Business Japanese before doing an internship in Oita. Knowing the basics of Japanese and the culture etiquette has helped me a lot in day to day interactions. I feel like I could build better connections with customers whenever I started off in Japanese. Even a tiny bit like Konnichiwa, introducing yourself
or knowing how to handle business cards leave a lasting impression. I don’t think my time in Japan would have been as smooth without my language classes. Kudos to Meiji and all the lovely people there!

I found Meiji Academy through Google and after reading up on their services decided to apply for Japanese classes. Now I can say that it was a very good choice! I took the Standard course 20 (per lessons per week) and for me, it was a very good plan as I also had some free time for exploring Fukuoka and time to study on my own. The groups of students were very small; different ages and different nationalities. The teachers are very interested in the progress of everyone at the class and explain everything in great detail. Different methods are used, both interactive and textbook-focused. I should say that we were moving pretty fast, a little too fast for my taste. I told my teacher and the next day, he slowed down the class pace for me. The school is centrally located, in the heart of Tenjin. They also organise activities after class, for example, going for karaoke, language exchanges, or cultural activities. So we also had the chance to meet local uni students and students from other language schools. My stay at Meiji Academy has left me buzzing; excited to continue studying Japanese!

My experience at Meiji Academy surpassed my expectations. Not only was the team at the school able to masterfully place each student in a class based on an accurate skill level assessment, but the classes were small and felt personal. All led by instructors who genuinely care about your skill development. I cannot quite recall my teacher’s name, but his lessons and attention to detail have truly helped me become a more proficient Japanese speaker.

I found that my classmates as well as all others in the school were highly motivated- not just regarding the classes, but also to explore the area and learn about the culture. We often went on trips around Fukuoka and explored most of Kyushu together. It was a great time and I will cherish the memories forever!

I did 6 weeks of Japanese Business at the Academy and I truly recommend this place to anyone who wants to improve or learn Japanese and eventually work in Japan. After few weeks, I could already see great improvement in my speaking skills and steadily became more confident in everyday usage. The classes are quite small and the teachers are very patient and kind-hearted. They care about each and every student.

During my study, I stayed with a host family and enjoyed my time there. Although the house wasn’t really close to the school, I still liked everything. I had a lot of privacy and my host was fantastic. I was cool to try home-cooked Japanese food. I also met many interesting people at school that made the whole experience even better.

As mentioned before, this is not just a great place to learn Japanese. This school also allows you to learn more about Japan and its culture. The location of the school is great as well, it is easy to get there using public transport.
I stayed for 4 weeks. The atmosphere is very nice and the staff is always friendly and happy to help with all sorts of questions. Being a student at this school, you will feel at home in no time! I had an amazing time here!

The school offers a variety of cultural and social activities. From what I have seen, the same event or trip is rarely held twice in a row and something special is on every week. The activities I joined were fun and taught me a great deal about Fukuoka.

The combination of getting to know the culture and learning Japanese makes this school great. You should check it out!

Hi, I am Hannah and I spent 3 weeks studying at Meiji Academy. During that time, I studied a lot of Japanese and took part in several traditional activities: Tea Ceremony, Ikebana Ceremony, Wore a kimono to a local festival, learnt about calligraphy… Everything was carefully planned out and the staff was super nice and caring. I would spend the weekends with my host family or hang out with classmates. Throughout my stay, I did not only learn about Japanese culture, but everyone else’s culture as well, even got a new outlook on my own!

My favourite memory was getting out of class, grabbing some food and heading to the beach with my Japanese + international friends for the rest of the day. There are no words to describe my experience, only a piece of advice: Just go already!

Studying in a small class gave me the opportunity to connect with my classmates and teachers on a new level. We did not only practice in class, but also went out for lunch and continued talking over some good food. It is very cool to be able to use your newly acquired language skills in a real-life set-up!

The study experience was clear and well structured from beginning to end. I had 20 classes of Japanese and 6 classes of Business Japanese per week. Both were very interesting and helped me a lot to understand the Japanese way of doing business and what to look out for.

Meiji Academy is a good school to study Japanese in a laid-back, close-knit environment.
The Japanese culture is very fascinating and has a lot of hidden rules. Now that I know them, I definitely feel like I have an advantage doing business here as a foreigner. Correspondingly, I can recommend the course to all who wish to know more about Business in Japan.

In a world that is becoming increasingly globalised, it would be a crime to pass up an opportunity to go abroad. At the international office in my university, I learnt that I could spend a semester in Japan and gain credits over there. But I would need Japanese N5 for that. Therefore, I decided to attend a language school to learn Japanese in the most efficient way possible + on site! I got to Meiji Academy knowing hiragana and katakana and left with Japanese N5 level, ready to take on the JLPT. I was able to reach all the goals I had set before coming to Japan and what more could I ask for? I learnt as much Japanese as I needed to learn and visited all the places I had on my bucket list. Cause Fukuoka has many cool places such as Itoshima, Nanzoin, Dazaifu, and all of Kyushu is worth a visit (especially Miyazaki and Beppu!). You will have plenty of time to explore Japan during your study abroad with Meiji Academy. But remember to go back to your books every other day and don’t get too distracted. After all you came to Japan to study Japanese, so work for it. It will be totally worth it!