Studying abroad is such a unique experience, and I feel like I was able to get the most out of my time by studying through IES. The program staff in Japan were fantastic, and they held regular events to help us explore the local area and culture. These included trips to nearby cultural or historical landmarks, such as the big Buddha statue in Kamakura or the shrines in Asakusa, as well as kabuki theater and a glass-blowing shop where we made our own Japanese-style wind chimes. I definitely recommend participating in as many of these and similar events as you can.
The school I attended, Kanda University of International studies (KUIS) or 神田外語大学, was also special and helped my time in Japan be as amazing as it was. As a foreign language school, everyone at KUIS is required to study English. While the majority of students are of course not yet fluent, this meant that they were overall more comfortable in speaking English and, more importantly, more eager to interact with overseas students and make international friends. I came in with several years of Japanese study already under my belt, and improving my language skills was probably the biggest reason I decided to study in Japan. I was very glad to attend a school where everyone was excited to talk to me and would be more than happy to help me with my Japanese when requested. I was easily able to make many close friends who I still keep in touch with.
In terms of housing options, we could either do homestay or live in a dorm or an apartment. Students were on average probably 45-60 minutes away from the school via train and walking or biking; this commute was a little tiring every day, but that's not too bad for Japan, and you get used to it. I personally lived in the apartments, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me more freedom than the dorms or homestay (I didn't have a curfew, for instance), and it gave me the chance to cook more and explore the local cuisine rather than being on a meal plan in a dorm. I had a single, with two other people (local Japanese people) living in the same apartment, but they mostly kept to themselves so it honestly felt like I was living alone sometimes. This was nice at times, but I had also hoped to be able to talk with them more and become friends. From talking to my other friends living in the apartments, this seemed to be a somewhat common experience.
My main complaint about the program would be the classes; in particular, the three-hour lecture-based classes were often tedious, and I felt like most of the classes didn't cover their topics as deeply as I would have liked. The required Japanese language course was an exception - I improved my language skills a lot, and the teacher was extremely helpful. I wish we had learned a bit more kanji, but the class focused on mostly grammar, vocab, and speaking, which, in my opinion, are probably the most important aspects of learning Japanese. Other classes could be boring at times, but the workload was very manageable and left plenty of time to enjoy the local culture.
Overall, my study abroad experience in Japan was definitely the best time I have ever had in my life, and I would recommend it to anyone.

A big goal in life of mine was to visit Japan and I'm so proud I can say I accomplished that by the age 20. I've been interested in Japanese culture since I was five years old. One day in the summer of 2017 I was watching random videos on Youtube and I found IES Abroad Tokyo's youtube channel and that one video made me immediatly apply to the program. I did more research online and each time this program sounded more amazing after each article.

The flight to Japan was nerve-racking and I was honestly scared, but as soon as we landed at the airport and met the IES staff, other students, and E-Pals (our online Japanese student pen pal) I immediately felt at home. Everyone was so welcoming and easy to talk too. We studied at Kanda University of International Studies which its students primarily focus on different languages, but English is a requirement to enter. So it was extremely easy to make new friends and be an active member on campus by joining clubs. The Japanese course that was mandatory for us to take actually helped so much I was able to utilize the language in less than two weeks of starting classes. IES Abroad took us on various cultural excursions we flew to the island Okinawa for 4 days and got to participate in activities that a normal tourist would not be able to do. We even met up with students at Meio University for a couple of hours and we all bonded and added each other on social media. We visited Kamakura which is known for it's temples and shrines, and we got to go to various locations in Tokyo! I'll forever be thankful for this program, because I know If I didn't participate in this program I would've not been able to do any of this.

From March to July of 2018, I had the opportunity to live abroad in Tokyo, Japan. I studied Anthropology and Sociology through IES Abroad's Tokyo Language and Culture program. IES Abroad's program was not only academically stimulating, culturally relevant and engaging. From the beginning of the application process, to my last day in Japan, the IES staff were extremely helpful in providing information and resources to prepare for an amazing semester. The Tokyo study abroad center itself felt almost like a second home. All of the staff were extremely kind, welcoming and even went out of their way to help me explore my interests in Japan. For example, I knew I wanted to explore popular culture, particularly fashion. With the help of the staff I was able to gain some information about different neighborhoods in Tokyo that were popular shopping districts . The staff also organized a number of opportunities to travel which were both interesting and financially feasible. I had the opportunity to travel to Okinawa and Kamakura, two places I wouldn't have considered visiting on my own. In regards to academics, the class offerings were diverse and interesting, and I had equal opportunity to enroll in classes through the local university as well. Kanda University, the partner institution was not only aesthetically beautiful, but there were also a number of resources (like free printing) that helped my succeed academically. The Japanese course I took through Kanda was challenging but I can very much say that my Japanese skills improved immensely over the course of 3 months. Overall, if you're looking for a supportive, engaging, and challenging experience I definitely recommend IES Abroad. There was a clear balance of academic rigor but also extracurricular fun and engagement.

When I travelled abroad with IES abroad, I was surprised by all the support I received once I got there. The heads of my program were so kind and helpful in every aspect, from helping me figure out my phone situation and just in general making sure we were all doing well as we travelled abroad. The events and trips that they planned were top notch. Some folks argued that it was too overplanned for their liking, but they managed to squeeze so much fun into the few days we had in Okinawa or the time we had in Asakusa that it was worth it! And even then, there was still plenty of time available for personal travel. The classes weren't too intense--the ones taught by IES were deliberately made intensive to meet the standards of a typical US classroom, whereas the classes taught at Kanda were pretty lenient. I enjoyed most of my professors all the same, short of the one who was teaching Japanese Architecture as if she were teaching it to architecture majors who had already spent years studying it and didn't necessarily grade fairly from student to student. Manga and Animation was my favorite course, simply because it actually did what many of my major courses lacked--taught some of the basics and histories, then let you utilize those aspects to analyze manga and anime of your own choosing! It was definitely a class where you got out of it what you put in, so I ended up really learning a lot in the end. The professor is also very passionate about it :)

Overall, I absolutely loved my time there, and I can't wait to stop by and say hello next time I make it back to Japan!

Looking back on my fall semester abroad (Fall 2017), I feel so grateful to have studied abroad through IES Tokyo specifically. The staff did an excellent job building community among our cohort, and I am leaving with life-long friendships because of it. Moreover, the trips throughout Japan--beyond the general Tokyo area--were so much fun.

In addition, I was able to gain real-world experience and improve my resume through the Field Placement program. My placement at the Self-Access Learning Center gave me a window into the workspace of an international Japanese institution--unlike a traditional Japanese workspace, everyone here spoke English which provided for a unique and eye-opening placement.

Japan was everything I could want and more. There never was a dull moment in the four months while I was there and the staff, without a doubt, was one of the many reasons why I loved my experience abroad. It was first time ever leaving the country and despite that, I was never afraid! The staff became like a home away from home and all the friends I made helped to make me feel welcomed and never lonely. I would go again in a heartbeat if I could. I wake up every day and I miss being in Japan. I miss traveling by the trains, ordering udon and takoyaki, I miss coming back to my homestay and speaking Japanese to my homestay parents. Leaving with "Ittekimasu!" coming home and saying "tadaima" and hearing "okaerinasai". It's the small moments that stick with the most like that.

I spent a semester studying abroad in Japan and I had a wonderful time. Although advertised as being in Tokyo, the university and housing were actually located at least an hour outside of the city. This was the one thing about the program that I found disappointing. I was still able to go into the city every weekend and many weekdays, but it made it more difficult. However, I know some people enjoyed being a little outside of the city.
The highlights of the experience were the IES staff and the university. The staff went out of their way to help every student have a great experience in Japan, from helping with ordering concert tickets to recommending food tours. They also set up the E-Pal program with KUIS, the partner university. This matched each IES student with a KUIS student before the program started and was a great way to make friends. Many of the students at KUIS study English and are interested in foreign cultures, so there was a really nice exchange. The emphasis on friendships with the Japanese students was a highlight of the program and certainly helped my language skills improve. There was also a student government made up of IES students and E-Pals. They organized events. I thought this was a good idea, however the students who ran it while I was there didn't put in very much effort, and it seemed that all the students missed out on some opportunities as a result.
The academics on the program were not challenging and sometimes not particularly engaging. The language classes were well taught and interesting, but some of the other teachers for the IES courses didn't seem particularly qualified to be teaching their subject. This was a little frustrating, but in the end I was glad to have the extra time to explore in Tokyo.
Overall, I really loved my experience in Japan. The commute into the city and the academics were disappointments, but in the end the friendships I made with students at KUIS made up for the location, and the time I spent exploring in Japan made up for the academics.

Going into my undergraduate career, I knew I wanted to study abroad. My original intention was to go somewhere in Europe, since at the time I was quite the Anglophile. But I ultimately decided to study in Japan to learn more about my cultural heritage. Having grown up in a white household and in a predominantly white suburb, I didn’t know much about Japanese culture at all. IES Abroad Tokyo certainly changed that!

There’s no good way to explain how studying abroad in Tokyo changed me. I am a pre-med student, and my academic life at my home institution is very rigorous and extremely challenging. In truth, I was pretty unhappy during my first three years in college, mostly due to how cutthroat life is on my campus. Being removed from that scene really changed my outlook on life, and helped me to become a happier and mentally healthier person. A lot of this has to do with the way the program is set up socially. There is a deep sense of community in IES Tokyo. The staff is so helpful and they make the IES Center feel like your “home away from home.” They can give advice on almost every aspect of life and really get to know each of the students personally. The staff does a wonderful job of pairing each student with a Japanese e-pal, a friend who you will get to know and will spend time with you throughout your stay (not just during the first couple of weeks). They also do a great job of choosing host families, if you apply for one. I did find that the academics are not as challenging as I thought they would be. While I did learn a decent amount of Japanese, I found that I was not very well prepared for taking Japanese at my home institution. With that being said, I did learn a lot about Japanese culture. The field placement program is also hit-or-miss. I was pretty satisfied with my placement (they do their best to match your interests with the job site); however, I wish I could have done more to help my placement, and I almost felt like a burden to work flow when I was there.

Seeing lots of Japan was no issue at all. I travelled into the center Tokyo at least 5 days a week. (I actually lived in Tokyo, unlike most of my peers who lived in Chiba, where Kanda University is located). I was constantly exploring and enjoying the food scene. There was never a shortage of things to do and see (there are many events going on in the city all the time, and the IES Center staff can really help you out finding what to do!). We were also able to travel around Japan, since the program includes a couple of trips to other Japanese cities. The staff is also really helpful in planning independent trips.

Overall this was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t ask for anything better!