KCP Intensive Japanese Language and Culture Program in Tokyo, Japan

Name: KCP Intensive Japanese Language and Culture Program in Tokyo, Japan
Brand: KCP International
SKU: 66463
Rating: 4.87 (30 reviews)

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4.87 Rating

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Location

Japan
- Tokyo

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Short Term, Spring, Summer, Winter

Subject Areas

Asian American Studies Cultural Studies Language Studies

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

High School Diploma Bachelors

Housing

Dormitory Host Family

Language

Japanese

Last Updated: Dec 18, 2024

Last Reviewed: May 02, 2025

Wish List

87 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Head over to Tokyo to study Japanese! The KCP International Japanese Language School is multicultural and offers an Intensive Japanese Language course and a Japanese Culture and Society course. Between classes, students can take part in cultural immersion activities. These may include a tea ceremony, learning to play traditional instruments, cooking Japanese food, and more. Connect with students, explore Tokyo, and practice your Japanese today!

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Video and Photos

KCP students by the Kaminarimon, Asakusa.

KCP students attend the tea ceremony session.

KCP students show off their calligraphy skills.

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KCP students by the Ghibli Museum Robot Soldier

KCP students pose by the gassho-zukuri style houses in Gifu

KCP students make curry during Cooking Session

KCP students visit the bamboo forest at Kamakura

Program Highlights

KCP is in Shinjuku but it’s off to the side in a quiet neighborhood. So you get both the extreme excitement of Tokyo’s busiest spot and a serene corner near several parks, all in your daily commute.
KCP is a Japanese school, run and staffed by Japanese—so it’s steeped in the Japanese way of life. What better way to immerse yourself?
The Culture and Society course, combined with the dorm or homestay context and with the extracurricular clubs, all make for a varied blend of experiences.
Teachers and staff at KCP are exceptionally dedicated and highly skilled at teaching you Japanese.
Class is intense. In 11 weeks, you can earn more Japanese credit than you would earn in an entire year at your home school.

Program Reviews

4.87 Rating

based on 30 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Study

5 rating 86.67%
4 rating 13.33%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.95
Support 4.9
Fun 4.8
Housing 4.7
Safety 5

Good for Students, Building your resume

Showing 25 - 30 of 30 reviews

I went through 3 levels, with 10 different teachers, and I never had a teacher I didn't like! Every single person who works at KCP is willing to take time out of their day to help you. I had friends who struggled with conversation skills and our teacher would stay after class just to practice with them for 15mins a day or so. When I had a cold I was afraid to go to the doctor's by myself, so someone from KCP escorted me. I lived in a dorm, and my dorm manager was super nice! She always threw small parties at the dorm and invited me. I've studied abroad twice before, and KCP is the best experience I've had.

What would you improve about this program?

When I got to Level 3, we started doing reading practices. We'd read a short story, and then answers questions based on it. Most of these stories were nonfiction and some of them were historical/scientific. They used a ton of vocabulary that seemed like it was a bit above my level. I wish they'd chosen easier readings.

When I was trying to decide which study abroad program to enter, I had a hard trying to decide where to go. I knew I wanted to go somewhere in Tokyo but I had no idea how to go about it. The American support staff were incredibly helpful in answering my questions and solidifying my choice with KCP. When I came to Japan, the Japanese staff was very welcoming and kind and made en effort to make me feel comfortable and welcomed.

I chose to do the Short Summer Program, which consists of two weeks of intensive study and field trips. Afterward you are mixed into regular term classes with international students. The program is very intense and you will definitely learn a lot from it. You need to be on your game all the time and keep up with your studies or it will definitely be difficult to pass classes. But, your teachers are also super willing to help and work with you as well.

There are two pieces of advice I would like to give for students who are coming to KCP:

First, expect to spend a lot of time studying. You get what you put into it, and so if you really want the best learning environment you should take advantage of all the programs and support KCP offers.

Second, you'll be giving a lot more time to schooling than you'd expect. Which means staying after class, making up exams, talking with teachers, etc. So keep in mind you might have to stay a little longer than you'd think.

Over all, I had an excellent time and I loved the people I met through the program. I highly recommend it!

What would you improve about this program?

Warn students about how much extra time they might be giving to the program (aside from allotted class time). There are times when I had plans but had to put them off because I needed to do other things for class.

- Staff extremely helpful:
reading/understanding maps, etc
struggling with classes
etc.

- Really helps improve mastery of Japanese
Japanese immersion

- Safe area
Also very popular area.

What would you improve about this program?

Provide even more events that allow us to socialize with Japanese students.

Incredible program at a super reasonable price. I can't imagine any other study abroad would be better.

Great Teaching - I am generally very critical of most foreign language education (and I have experienced many approaches) but I was very impressed by all of my teachers and the teaching methodology. They were very effective and still managed to have class be a lot of fun.

Intensive, Not Oppressive - I was worried about the workload going in, but it turned out to not be too bad at all for me. I personally did homework as soon as I got home each day, which took a couple hours. I then had several free hours every evening and totally free weekends (apart from when I had my US culture courses on some weekends). I did quite well in the class and I didn't really have to study much, though, so I probably spent a little less time on schoolwork than most.

Housing - I cannot speak to the housing provided by KCP because I arranged my own housing with a family I knew. I had sub-mediocre Japanese and lived with a host family who mostly didn't speak English, which was very difficult at times but overall very fun and much more rewarding than the dorms would have been.

Criticism - The only disappointing thing I found with KCP was the lack of language exchanges with Japanese students trying to learn English/Chinese/Korean/etc. In Autumn 2014, KCP only set up one such exchange and I couldn't go because they only allowed a limited number of students to attend. It's hard to meet locals on your own.

What would you improve about this program?

Set up more language exchanges with Japanese students. My study abroad program in Spain did this and it was hugely beneficial to learning the language, provided real immersion in the culture, and was a lot of fun. Great for both foreign and local students, seemingly little effort required by KCP.

The program is extremely well put together and allows for a member to get as much as they want out of the program.The staff is extremely responsive to requests for help and information, but do not expect to merely show up for class and learn the language. The staff has no problem letting you fail if you do not ask for it (You are the one paying...). I don't mean that as a drawback, simply that if you are going to pay the cost, I recommend deciding before you go what your priorities are going to be.

The teachers, course-work, and lectures are excellent. Class composition-wise, Americans are in the minority and the majority of the students are Chinese and Koreans that are attempting to get into Japanese Universities.

To be honest, the reason I choose KCP is due to the the all-inclusive American Program package. There are cheaper routes to go, but if you want a hassle-free experience then you cannot go wrong with this program.

If you have the time, definitely recommend you do six-months. One semester is just to short to get into a full-rhythm.

What would you improve about this program?

More challenging homework. This is obviously coming from an American education experience, but the level of difficulty for homework completed versus the tests was a fairly large gap.

I really enjoyed my experience. The weather was great and I liked staying in Ikebukuro. I was able to go out and find places that I enjoyed eating at. Although the room itself was very small , it was fine for me. The benefits were being very close to the train station and being right in the heart of everything.
I enjoyed all the teachers and the support staff. I came in with 4 High School years of Japanese and managed very well. I enjoyed meeting many different people from different countries. , I was also able to use my Mandarin with new friends that I met. I would really like to go back again. This experience made me more confident to get on a plane and travel 15 hours from home. My world is now much bigger , and I have become a more well rounded person. Thanks KCP for a great experience .

What would you improve about this program?

Hello, Overall my experience was great I really enjoyed it. The only thing I may have done different was , keeping my level 3 instead of going to 2 . I tested into 3 but a few days into the course they suggested that 2 may be a better fit. I personally feel at this point because I am so quick to pick up on languages I should of stayed with 3 instead.

Besides having a few communication issues that were not exactly explained to me , I feel that I really enjoyed my total experience. I did feel it was a little bit hard for me to blend in and make friends, My goal was to become friends with people that lived in Japan but that was a little hard to do. The only way that I could really communicate was going into music stores and talking to the sales people. I did have 4 previous years of HS Japanese, but no University . But I felt I was ahead of most of the students that had University Japanese.

I am fortunate enough to know Mandarin so communicating with people from China was not an issue and I did make friends that way. I did at many times feel lonely. I guess it is all a part of the experience. I never at any time felt like I was unsafe. I felt very comfortable using transportation and making my way around to different areas. I am not one who drinks so many would go to bars and that was not something I was interested in. I do wish that they would of had some type of Gym or work out area for the KCP students. I did manage to find a local park that I could exercise in and I managed also in my dorm room which I stayed in Ikebukuro. I would recommend the KCP experience. I really wish I would of stayed longer then one semester. I felt all the teachers were very supportive and very nice.

Questions & Answers

Do they accept students with a high school diploma equivalent?

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Do you have any accommodations for students?

Hey David! KCP can get you connected to a dormitory or homestay to live while you study. Additionally, the staff is awesome about helping students with both school and life navigating living in Tokyo.

By Keira Griffith on September 1, 2020

Are the classes fully in Japanese or in English? Is it a program for kids who don't know an inch of Japanese?

All class instruction is in Japanese, but supplementary instruction may take place partly in English if needed.

By Go Overseas on March 21, 2018

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Do I need prior college experience to qualify?

Based on the eligibility page of their website, the only requirements are that you have to be at least 18 years old, you must be prepared to spend 3-6 hours to study outside of each class, and you must have completed high school.

By Carly Freeman on July 25, 2016

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose KCP because it gave me ease regarding tuition cost and inclusion, as well as provided a very immersive system to enhance Japanese language proficiency. Also, being around the hub of Shinjuku, KCP is in a great area and there's always something to do. KCP is also a very renowned school so even entering in level 1, you advance further than you would in your average Japanese class in America.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My university assisted me with the everything but my airfare. Tuition cost total, room and board, meal plans and commute was all provided for me. And KCP provided support at all times. Myself, I had to organize the documents and airfare in order to complete the student application process. Regarding the Embassy, my school also helped and set up for me the necessary information so that I was listed as a student overseas in their registry.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

If you choose KCP, go with a serious mindset on learning Japanese but also take time to explore and LIVE in Japan. Also, don't be afraid to meet new people at restaurants, izakaya's, clubs, etc. In Japan, coming from America, everything is extremely inexpensive except for clothes. So enjoy as much of the food and convenience stores as you can because there's always something new you missed the last time.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average week consisted of leaving my apartment/dorm at about 11am to catch the first train from Kasai to Otemachi. From there, I'd switch to my second and final train to Shinjuku, and study/talk with friends in the lunchroom until 1pm, when class started.

Because I was entering as level two, our classes consisted of conversation, grammar, Kanji and an essay portion in every class. In one week, you had three different teachers who had specific focuses. For example: Mon - Teacher A (grammar), Tue - Teacher B (conversation), Wed - Teacher C (essay and Kanji), Thurs - Teacher B, Fri - Teacher C.

Class then ended at 4:45pm. By then it got pretty dark outside so you could either head home to complete homework or go out to eat/hang out with friends before it became too late.

On the weekends, we would usually have a culture excursion, which included a morning lecture and an afternoon venture to a city within Tokyo as a group for full immersion.

The rest is what you make of it with new friends and experiences.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was if I would keep my shy personality and be unable to open up to people I didn't know. However, I have very good Japanese friends regardless, so with their help and with the activities completed in class to know my classmates more, I was able to open up and probably be the most verbal of my peers. Going out and enjoying Japan for what it was gave me confidence.

Is this what you really want?

Before you choose KCP or any school abroad, really think about where you want to go in the future by participating. You can think of it as an opportunity to just have fun or a stepping stone to more opportunities for your future. Not everyone gets to study abroad but those who do and dive into the new culture without fear will tell you it's an experience you choose for yourself. Is it for a future job? School credits? Personal interest? Language proficiency?

Whatever the answer, really think about it. And if you don't know at the moment then follow your gut, follow your dream or goal or interest. See what the world is for yourself, then make the decision that will change your life forever.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Tomohisa Tanaka

Program

KCP Intensive Japanese Language and Culture Program in Tokyo, Japan

Job Title

On-site Program Director

Mr. Tanaka first encountered a foreign country, its people, and its culture during a three-year stay in the US as a child. In the process of learning English for survival, he became fond of American–English movies and humor. He started working for KCP as a student coordinator in 2001 and has worked for the program and its students since then. As a personal interest, he has trained in martial arts through the lens of katana.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Tomohisa: For us it’s the dedication of faculty and staff. Given the mission of Japanese immersion, they run with it: they really go out of their way to support the goals of people who study at KCP.

Faculty respect students’ diversity while at the same time teaching them the Japanese language, culture, and ways of thinking.

KCP is a place where people from a number of different countries gather together and study. By studying with colleagues from different parts of the world, students get naturally motivated to understand not only about Japan but also about other countries and cultures.

Motivation is a tricky thing: you can’t teach it. But you can provide a setting where it arises on its own. KCP, with its exceptionally dedicated mentors, mandate for all-Japanese-all-the-time, and multi-cultural setting, has found a winning formula for accelerated Japanese learning.

What was your favorite traveling experience?

Tomohisa: A trip in Thailand was very challenging and fun. Since for much of the trip neither English nor Japanese were useful, I was able to channel the experience of my students. Finding my own ways was quite an adventure.

Walking through traditional downtowns for hours visiting temples and feeling the breath of the country was very stunning and absorbing. In the Thai language I knew only “Hello” and “Thank you.” It’s amazing how well those two words helped me communicate with people in town. I thank the patient, accepting people of Thailand! I also had the great joy of encountering some graduate students and people whom I know in the country. Unexpected reunions bring a sense of magic to a journey.

Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of the KCP International team.

Tomohisa: Study at KCP is exceedingly intensive, which makes this place the best place to learn for those who are serious in studying Japanese. One day in the main office building I witnessed students from quite a few different countries all naturally using Japanese as common language in the school in their daily life—to each other and to KCP faculty and staff.

This has been repeated many times, but on this particular day, I first felt the supreme satisfaction of having helped these students make a sustained, deep cognitive effort to extend their language abilities well beyond what they thought was possible. It was powerful and remains so, every day!

It is also my profound pleasure to hear from students who completed their study at KCP that their study abroad experience was very memorable and productive even though they faced ups and downs in their study abroad life in Japan. I am glad to have taken part in such an important time in their lives.

What does the future hold for KCP International - any exciting new programs to share?

Tomohisa: KCP has just built a fabulous new main building on its campus. Of course it adds more space, which means more opportunities for new programs and expansion. Some of our new ventures include a program in teaching English as a second language, bringing more Japanese classes on campus, and faculty led programming. And the new building includes both a tea-ceremony room and a lovely rooftop garden, for a quiet retreat.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Tomohisa: I think the absolute most important factor in succeeding at what we do is our faculty and staff. They are by far our most important resource. The support staff is incredibly responsive to the needs of students—whether they are trying to attend an unusual event and need help, are sick and need medical care, or have some housing issues.

The teaching faculty receives the absolute highest marks from students for dedication, kindness, teaching ability, and focus on each student’s individual challenges. These are the components that KCP alumni mention the most frequently when describing the benefits of the program: that the faculty and staff really make it possible for students to achieve astounding Japanese language proficiency

Location

Location:

Tokyo

Currency:

Japanese Yen

Weather:

Jan-Mar

57 F / 34 F

Apr-Jun

79 F / 48 F

Jul-Sep

88 F / 68 F

Oct-Dec

72 F / 39 F

Airports:

Narita International Airport

( NRT )

Haneda Airport

( HND )

Tokyo being one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world has created a metropolis focused on furthering technology. Even with the dense population, there are still many areas where you can see Japan's history and culture coming through.

About KCP International

KCP International Japanese Language School provides students with a unique opportunity to learn Japanese through immersion. While most students are from other parts of Asia and instruction is in Japanese, English-speaking staff are available to provide language support and help. It is a highly challenging, immersion program all within the Tokyo's...

KCP Intensive Japanese Language and Culture Program in Tokyo, Japan

Program Details

About Program

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

Program Reviews

A Great Experience

First time abroad: a memorable experience

Great program no complaints

Fantastic

Different Perspective

KCP International Fall of 2014 experience

Questions & Answers

Do they accept students with a high school diploma equivalent?

Do you have any accommodations for students?

Are the classes fully in Japanese or in English? Is it a program for kids who don't know an inch of Japanese?

Do I need prior college experience to qualify?

Alumni Interviews

Sasha-Rae Moore

Why did you choose this program?

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Is this what you really want?

Staff Interviews

Tomohisa Tanaka

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

What was your favorite traveling experience?

Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of the KCP International team.

What does the future hold for KCP International - any exciting new programs to share?

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Location

About KCP International