Japanese Traditional Culture Study Abroad Course in Japan

I've always wanted to travel and discover the Japanese culture, and Meiji was a perfect choice! We had some cool activities and classes like calligraphy, tea ceremony, etc... Kanjis are so beautiful and interesting, I love learning about the history behind them and all their deep meanings.
When I arrived, everyone already knew each other but they welcomed me right away, all the students were so lovely! Meiji organized some activities for us and we had a fantastic time together.
Regarding the sharehouse, I was really curious about it before arriving so here is my feedback: there were 4 people with me, and everyone was doing cleaning regularly. The place was quite spacious and contained everything I needed like a microwave, a washing machine, etc... Basically everything was okay and if we had something to ask about, the guy in charge was living with us and was really nice!

I thought I would only be studying Japanese, but I learned so much more during this month at Meiji. I highly recommend this traditional culture package! Meiji organized so many cool events, as the tea ceremony, where we could wear kimonos! The ikebana lesson was also a very good memory. I had stereotypes of flowers being for girls before haha, but I admit that I had a very good time making my own piece of art! It was relaxing and the result was beautiful.
The teachers at Meiji are sugoii lol, I was surprised that one of them could even speak French! Meiji staff is nice too, and everyone was part of an open-minded community. No judgment on everyone's Japanese level, or nationality or anything else, and very interesting talks about different subjects. It was funny because the conversations switched between Japanese, English, sometimes some few words in French or even German... loved it!

Johan Huizinga once wrote: „If we are to preserve culture we must continue to create it.“ I am majoring in Heritage Studies because I love the old and ancient. I strongly believe that in order to understand people, we need to understand their culture, and thus, their traditions. I had been studying Japanese on and off for 3 years before I came to Meiji Academy. When I saw that they offered a traditional class add-on to their standard Japanese classes I was hooked and knew it was the school I wanted to go with. It was a good choice. My Japanese classes helped me to become more confident in speaking, whereas my traditional culture classes helped me grasp the world behind the language. I also added some Kanji classes because I realised the immense meaning behind them. Believe it or not, there is a huge difference between studying Kanji in your local library or having a Japanese person explain them and their story to you. I can say that I have benefitted greatly from studying at Meiji Academy and can recommend it to others who wish to get a deeper insight into the Japanese culture.

I have studied East Asian Studies at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and took Japanese classes at uni and also practised with a tandem partner. But I had never been to Japan! I read about all the traditions, studied the language and often ate sushi, but never knew what all these things are like in reality. It was a dream of mine for the longest time and this year, it finally came true when I started studying at Meiji Academy. I was here for 2 months and took a few weeks of traditional class as well. My highlight was the traditional matcha tea ceremony I attended. I had written papers about Japan’s tea before, so seeing it all in real life was an extraordinary experience for a history buff like me.
Thank you Meiji team for this great time. I can recommend studying with them!

This year, I spent 5 weeks at Meiji Academy. I am a bloody beginner, so obviously I was not fluent after my classes ended. Still, I learned a lot. The teachers are very helpful and want you to succeed. I would highly recommend this school if you are looking to learn Japanese in Fukuoka. Fukuoka is a bit of a rare choice, but I encourage you to go for a smaller city than Tokyo or Kyoto because it is a lot easier to get in touch with locals here.
My host family was the best! They are exceptionally nice people and if you need something they will help you! The food they prepared was fantastic as well. Yum!
Moreover, I had the chance to participate in different cultural events organized by the school on a regular basis. I always had a lot to look forward to: my traditional culture activities, Meiji Academy events and various trips suggested by external providers where I could meet many new people.
I am now confident in doing some social interaction in Japanese. I still can’t talk much, but at least I can understand some stuff people are saying and writing! That’s a big first step and I am eager to take all the others!

I took the Intensive course with Meiji Academy.
The school building was very easy to find, thanks to the maps and directions the very organized staff members sent to me. The classes themselves were well structured and left plenty of freedom for interaction and personal preferences.
On my first day, I was given my class schedule, the names of my teachers and was brought to a local shrine on a very nice little tour. I had two different teachers, which is a great thing because they could focus on different aspects of my Japanese. I was especially fond of my private classes because they allowed me to identify my weak points.
The team is very flexible and motivated.
Overall, I had a very productive, very enjoyable stay at Meiji Academy. Warmest recommendations!

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!