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Nanzan University is located in Nagoya City, the hub of education,Ìýculture, commerce and industry in central Japan. Nagoya’s airport, easily accessible by rapid train, offers flights to all major domesticÌýand many international destinations, particularly in Asia. Nagoya itself is aÌýmodern and affordable city, the capital of Aichi Prefecture. The NagoyaÌýregion often played an important role in Japan’s history, and manyÌýremarkable traditions and customs are still alive here today. It is steepedÌýin the legacy of the three great samurai who united Japan in the sixteenth
century: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, theÌýman who initiated the 250-year Tokugawa Period. At the same time,Ìýthere are many spots in Aichi where you can experience modernÌýJapanese culture, such as soaring roller-coaster rides at NagashimaÌýSpaland, the Cosplay Summit in summer, futuristic ToyotaÌýfactory tours, the dynamic Osu Kannon shopping zone, fantastic summer
firework displays, and lively local festivals with dancing and processions.

While studying at Nanzan University, you have the option of livingÌýwith a Japanese family. Living with your host family offers insightsÌýinto everyday life in Japan. By sharing breakfast and dinner withÌýyour host family, chatting in the evening after dinner and on theÌýweekends, you can experience Japanese life and cultureÌýfirst-hand. To help improve your Japanese language skills, you areÌýencouraged to use only Japanese with your host family, who are alsoÌýa resource to answer your questions about Japanese language,Ìýculture and society.ÌýIn order to provide a comfortable homestay environment forÌýstudents, Nanzan University outsources the recruitment, interviewing,Ìýtraining, and monitoring of host families to reputable partner institution.ÌýDuring your homestay, you will have your own bedroom and desk, andÌýyour host family will provide two meals a day.ÌýExperienced staff also carefully match you and your host family toÌýensure that you have a pleasant stay, and we offer you continuedÌýsupport throughout your homestay. For many students, staying withÌýa local Japanese family is one of the highlights of their study abroadÌýexperience at Nanzan University.

One of the pleasures of study abroad is meeting new people. Language class sizes are small andÌýthere are many group activities so you can easily meet otherÌýinternational students in your classes. If you are staying at theÌýdormitories, you can hang out with both local and internationalÌýstudents in the common rooms. On campus is the large MulticulturalÌýLounge, Stella. Stella is a magnet for both international and local studentsÌýwho would like to meet people and make friends. The studentÌýassistants working there organize many cultural and educationalÌýevents to bring students together. Another popular space is Japan Plaza, our language support center, a space where you can practice yourÌýJapanese as you get to know other students. Local students also join our regular fieldÌýtrips, travelling with you as your culture guides. You will have manyÌýchances to make new friends during your stay at Nanzan University

One of the most rewarding experiences about studyingÌýabroad is being able to explore the local culture. AsÌýNanzan University is located in scenic, historic centralÌýJapan, there many interesting places to visit on ourÌýregular field trips with local students or your ownÌýsojourns. You can get a glimpse of the area’s long andÌýcolorful history at the Tokugawa Museum with itsÌýbeautiful gardens or at the imposing Nagoya Castle, orÌýjoin the afternoon performance at Nagoya’s kabuki
theatre. Outside Nagoya, you could visit the country’sÌýmost sacred shrine at Ise or the historic post townsÌýTsumago and Magome, or explore the charming castleÌýin nearby Inuyama.ÌýCentral Japan’s annual rituals are celebrated at theÌýsummer obon dances and fall harvest festivals in theÌýarea’s mountain villages, and the festival of giant kitesÌýin Hamamatsu celebrates spring and fertility. You canÌýdelve into the country’s more recent past at the MeijiÌýMura Museum or the Toyota Kaikan Museum. TakeÌýevery opportunity to explore Japan!

The Japanese Language Courses represent the core of the IJP. These courses areÌýintensive and challenging, and your progress will be fast: each semester, you willÌýmove up one JLPT level. Small classes allow for personalized, detailed feedbackÌýfrom your instructors, and plenty of time is spent to cover each lesson.ÌýOn four mornings a week, you have two consecutive 100-minute JapaneseÌýlanguage classes. During class, you are expected to work hard; outside theÌýclassroom, you are required to prepare, review, and practice your Japanese. From theÌýfirst day of the course, you interact in Japanese with classmates and local students.ÌýFive levels of Intensive Japanese are offered in the Fall semester and six in theÌýSpring. Your level is determined by placement tests administered during orientationÌýin your first week. Placement tests have been carefully designed to ensure that theÌýclass level fits your Japanese proficiency.

Japanese seminars offer you the opportunity to focus your Japanese studies onÌýdeveloping particular skills and fields of expertise. In the project seminars, you canÌýinterview people in an historic market street or make a presentation in Japanese. OurÌýthree levels of translation not only prepare you to work as a translator but alsoÌýdeepen your understanding of Japanese. In the literatureÌý seminars, you read classicalÌýliterature and contemporary classics, and in our creative writing seminars, youÌýstretch your imagination. Our academic Japanese seminars extend your ability toÌýread and write academic texts; the practical Japanese seminars focus on particularÌýareas of language use such as tourism or teaching Japanese.ÌýSome examples of courses are as follows: Translation, Business, Classical Japanese Literature, and Science & Technology.

Open Courses are regular undergraduate courses that international students can takeÌýacross a range of disciplines. They are conducted in English or Japanese. OfferedÌýin both semesters, Open Courses change year by year. Recent courses coveredÌýtopics such as intercultural competence, media literacy, Japanese society and law, American history, and the sociology of Latin America.ÌýWorking with local students in regular undergraduate Japanese universityÌýclasses – chatting and sharing ideas in discussion groups, preparing and givingÌýresearch presentations together – is a natural way to understand JapaneseÌýuniversity life and make life-long friends.

In the Japan Studies Courses you can explore Japan’s fascinating history andÌýculture, and its contemporary society. These three-unit discussion and lectureÌýclasses are divided into six fields – business and economics, politics andÌýinternational relations, history and society, language and linguistics, literature, andÌýart and culture. From any of these fields, you can choose the courses that bestÌýmatch your personal interests and your academic major. All of these courses areÌýconducted in English, and you are expected to actively participate in classÌýdiscussions and debates in order to deepen your knowledge of historical andÌýcontemporary Japan and its place in the world.

Explore Japan’s rich culture in our popular Japanese Arts Courses. Pick up aÌýbrush and master writing kana and kanji in calligraphy classes, or delve into theÌýprinciples and practice of visual composition in the manga classes. The relaxingÌýtea ceremony classes will help you develop an appreciation of Japan’sÌýtraditional culture and spirit, and in ikebana classes you can discover theÌýprinciples of flower arrangement and the basics of handling flowers. To boostÌýyour energy, learn traditional odori dance steps, or practice karate techniques inÌýthe martial arts class.

Fall Semester:

Fall orientation and registration - Early September

Classes begin - Mid September

Final examinations - Mid December

Semester ends - Late December

Spring Semester:

Spring orientation and registration - Mid January

Classes begin - Mid January

University entrance exam recess - Mid February

Spring break - Late March

Final examinations - Mid May

Semester ends and closing ceremony - Mid May

±·°¿°Õ·¡:ÌýDo not apply on your own. Please contact Josh Fess in the Center for International Education before submitting your application materials.

Spring Semester 2026: Application opens in November 2025

Fall Semester 2026: Application opens in March 2026

A non-refundable application fee is applicable at time of submission. This fee is 10,000JPY (~$68) and can be paid online with a credit card. Exchange students will have the application fee waived.

Application Materials:

1. Official Transcript

2. Official Bank Statement (Upload the bank statement of those who will cover your expenses during staying in Japan. For example,Ìýif a parent or guardian covers your finances, please submit the statement of your parent's bank account.ÌýIf you plan to cover the amount with scholarships or loans, please submit the letter along with the bank statement.)

3. Copy of your Student ID Card

4. Student headshot

5. Copy of US Passport

6. Application Essay

7. Completed Japanese Study Information Form

8. Application for Certificate of Eligibility (CoE)

9. A letter of recommendation

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