Experience first-hand Japanese culture while living with a Japanese host family or in a school dorm, and attending a local high school.
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Program Details

Ayusa Study Abroad students who choose to study in Japan have the option to stay with carefully selected host families or in school dormitories. Placement areas in the past were Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Tochigi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyushu, and Okinawa. The family and dormitory life are both integral to Japanese society, each embodying strong values of reputation, obligation, and responsibility. Whether staying with a host family or in a school dorm, students will experience these core aspects of Japanese culture, with support from a local representative to assist in adjusting to life in Japan.
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Fall Semester and Spring Semester students arrive in Japan for an orientation which includes an overnight stay in Tokyo. Each year Japanese schools hold an optional event such as a school festival, athletic event, or school trip for seniors. Additional costs may apply if you choose to participate.
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Learn
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‍Fall Semester students attend school September through January while Spring Semester students attend school April through June. There is a designated teacher in charge of all exchange students at each school. He or she places each student in a homeroom class and decides which subjects each student will take. In general, Japanese high schools do not offer many electives; students generally choose only between fine art, music, or calligraphy. Students stay in the same classroom all day and the teachers move from room to room. This allows exchange students to integrate quickly into the class community. The average class consists of about 40 students. Japanese high schools have three grade levels and placement is determined based on academic performance and Japanese language skills.
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The Japanese school system is more rigorous than its U.S. or Canadian counterparts. Students may also find that school policies are stricter. Students are required to wear a uniform and there are rules that dictate what is acceptable in terms of appearance regarding: hairstyle, shoes, socks, length of skirt, and use of make-up or accessories.
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To ensure that students have the language skills necessary to successfully integrate into their host community, students interested in participating in the Fall, Spring, or Academic Year programs in Japan must have formally studied Japanese for at least 2 years and be able to pass our language exam. The more Japanese a student knows, the faster they will be able to adjust to life at school and within the community, whether staying with a host family or in a dormitory. To ease their adjustment, it is important for students to try speaking Japanese as much as possible with their host family, dormitory mates, friends, and teachers.

Experience
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The community is the foundation of Japanese society, with a strong sense of reputation, obligation, and responsibility. Whether staying with a host family or in a dormitory, students will experience a new daily routine, from the way they greet others to adjusting to different bathing customs and learning to live with their host family or in close quarters with fellow students. Living in Japan offers personal enrichment, as students immerse themselves in a culture where politeness, respect for community, and harmony are highly valued. Integration into either a host family or dormitory environment provides a unique opportunity to understand and embrace these cultural values firsthand.
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School plays a major role in the social life for many students in Japan. One reason is that school is the main meeting point for Japanese teenagers and their friends. Parties or visits at the home are rare because living space is too small to accommodate social activities. In addition, Japanese students are very active in sports, music and other school-related clubs. These activities usually take place for one to two hours after school and on Saturday afternoons. Japanese students are very committed and disciplined in their chosen extracurricular activity and tend to belong to only one club at a time. Sports and cultural activities offered vary from school to school. Baseball, the most popular sport, tends to be highly competitive at all levels. Many people throughout Japan follow the annual high school baseball championships. Other common sports include soccer, volleyball, tennis and kendo, a martial art. Popular cultural activities include flower arranging and calligraphy.
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In Japan, a mix of Western and Japanese influences can be found in both spectator sports and the arts. While baseball is practically a national pastime, many people also enjoy watching sumo wrestling, judo, kendo, and karate. Western performance arts such as symphonies and ballets are common, but many Japanese are also interested in traditional arts such as bunraku (puppet theater) and the highly stylized dramas of noh and kabuki. Karaoke and going to the movies are also very popular activities.