Best Japanese Language Schools for intensive course?

Hi all

I recently moved here with my wife. I'm bilingual in Japanese and English but she only speaks English.

I want to put her through a short intensive course (weekdays, morning/afternoon/all day, c. 3 months or more) to get her Japanese to a good level.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where she can do this? It would need to be in Tokyo as I'm living in Meguro.

Oh and one other thing - she's British and currently on a tourist visa, which means she should be OK to attend a course of up to around three months. Most schools I've checked with seem to allow for this, and the fact that she's waiting for her certificate of eligibility for spouse visa (I'm a Child of Japanese National and recently got a job here) should help.

Thanks!
Phil

I have no clue, but I don't want you to get the impression everybody ignored your post.

If you could send her out of Tokyo, the Yamasa Institute is highly regarded.

Mike Cash said:

I have no clue, but I don't want you to get the impression everybody ignored your post.

If you could send her out of Tokyo, the Yamasa Institute is highly regarded.

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Heh, I've come to expect being ignored on BBS forums... For most people, interactions have moved to the centralised social networks by now...

Thanks for the tip! However, as we live in Tokyo and it'll be cheaper not to pay for her accommodation, it'll have to be somewhere in Tokyo...

The Naganuma School

Very intensive, not exactly inexpensive, but recommended by many. Located in Shibuya.

How about IUC? Possibility to get a scholarship as well, though maybe more geared toward the academic's route.

IUC

philgp said:

Hi all

I recently moved here with my wife. I'm bilingual in Japanese and English but she only speaks English.

I want to put her through a short intensive course (weekdays, morning/afternoon/all day, c. 3 months or more) to get her Japanese to a good level.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where she can do this? It would need to be in Tokyo as I'm living in Meguro.

Oh and one other thing - she's British and currently on a tourist visa, which means she should be OK to attend a course of up to around three months. Most schools I've checked with seem to allow for this, and the fact that she's waiting for her certificate of eligibility for spouse visa (I'm a Child of Japanese National and recently got a job here) should help.

Thanks!
Phil

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I think that the JLPT course material would be a good start. Nihongonomori.com is a good online course to get started until she finds a school. Both of you could learn and go through the course work together. There are intermediate and advanced levels there also so you too could take advantage. I suggest this course of study because it is both online and totally free. If she is unable to work until she gets her spousal visa and thus cannot work in Japan as a tourist, this website is a real gem. I also recommend the Nihong Kentei and the Kanji Kentei books. There is a lot of Japanese vocabulary and grammatical structures that will complete your language training even if you do end up going to a live Japanese language school. So how is Japan for you being half in our gaijin world as a nikkeijin and being a part of the Japanese world?

日本語の森. Phillip and others who want free Japanese classes online, I posted it here. Good luck to all.