Here is my dilemma. Yamasa comes highly recommended and has a great reputation, not to mention a ton of info online. NILS on the other hand has scarce information about itself on the web, hardly any reviews can be found- aside from the vblogger Ciaela.

Yamasa has the bonus of travel around Japan, but it is expensive to do so and I wonder realistically how often I will be able to travel outside of Okazaki or Nagoya. I'm afraid of it becoming too dull over time(1 - 1.5 years). Yamasa is also more expensive but known to have quality instruction.

NILS on the other hand is a short distance away from Fukuoka, which is a wonderful city from what I hear and it is cheap to get there by train. Plenty to do in Fukuoka and the school is in Ogori which is a commuter town and relatively ruralish from what I gather (more so than Okazaki). While it is very expensive to leave Kyushu, it is cheap to travel within. Also the school is cheaper.

Also I spoke to one (only 1) person who attended and it seems jobs are easy to pick up in the area and they make enough to be able to travel outside Kyushu on occasion but certainly not often. I'm not certain how easy part-time jobs are to come by in Okazaki.


I want to be able to interact with locals of my own age and maintain a social life because I believe it greatly increases what you can learn (more so than a book). However, I'm worried Okazaki won't provide this and over time due to budget constrains will become unbearably boring, whereas at NILS there is plenty of things to do a short/cheap train ride away.

Then again, Yamasa is known for quality instruction and has a great reputation. NILS is well regarded from what I've found but thats not much. An unknown if you will.

Sorry it's long. What do you think? I've been racking my brain to make a decision. Thank you!

I spent 3 months at Yamasa. The staff is top-notch there, and you will be kept *very* busy during the week. (Especially if you do an extra program like JBPP.)

Nagoya is a 700 yen train ride away (one way). There's also a group that takes hiking trips all over the prefecture (and outside it) on a regular basis for reasonably cheap. (~3000 yen.) Everyone piles in a van, so it's cheaper than taking a train. (And there are some places in Japan you just can't get to by train.)

The great thing about Aichi prefecture is that's it's in the middle of Honshu. Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe are all pretty close by Shinkansen (1-2 hrs), as is Tokyo. (Under 2 hrs., tops.) Hiroshima and Sendai are do-able, but it takes a little longer to get there. Nagano will take 3 hours or so, but the Shinano Wide View is a nice scenic ride through the Japan Alps. (I went to a lot of these places in 2007.)

One downside of Fukuoka is that travel is going to take more time, unless you want to stick to Kyushu. Nothing wrong with that. But if you want to see some of Honshu, coming from Kyushu will add travel time and train fare, unless you fly.

You can travel as much as your wallet allows. Hyperdia.com will give you an idea of what that means. Tourists have it easier because of the JR pass. You can't get one with a student visa, IIRC.

Realistically, though, the classes will keep you pretty darn busy.

Okazaki itself isn't the prettiest town in Japan, but it has some pretty parts to it, if you know where to look. Also, it's easy to get around by bicycle. (Get a mamachari ASAP.)

The one thing I really liked about Yamasa was that the school makes an effort to get a really diverse international group of students. Some of the people in my classes were from Switzerland, Taiwan, China, Korea, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Germany, Greece, etc. I also met people from other countries as well.

One thing: if you can't do futons, let the Yamasa people know ASAP. They can work something out.

I have a bunch of photos on my flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richfowler

There are some photosets from Yamasa, Okazaki, Nagoya... heck, all over Japan. I won't guarantee the quality, but they may be useful as references.

I'm still going through a bunch of photos from 2011, so I'm adding stuff as fast as I can.

I'm sorry for necroing the thread, but I thought it was better than starting a new one.

I'm planning to study at Yamasa this summer, in what should be their most intensive program: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/english/progr...ation.html

I could stay there for 8-10 weeks (not sure which of the two). I really don't care about sightseeing during that period (I've been in Japan twice, I'll probably just stay a week in the country after the end of the course to visit some places and some friends). I want to work hard and give a huge boost to my language skills.

Any of you has been at Yamasa and could share his/her experience?
How was your accomodation? As any of you been guest of a local family ("homestay")?
Is it the right place to go? Should I check other schools?

Curriculum: That program uses MNN I, II and III and can be completed in about 4 months, depending on how quickly your group works through the intermediate book. The books are included with the tuition so don't bother buying/bringing them (you'll receive only the books you need for your period of study). If you do have them already, you may be able to get some money back.

You'll start with MNN I and somewhere around your 5th-6th week, you'll begin book II. You will not finish the second book if you leave after 8-10 weeks (that would require about 12 weeks). Also, if you are starting from zero, LEARN KANA NOW! Otherwise, you'll be expected to memorize all of them between your first and second class!

As for electives, I'd recommend reading (go to the lab as often as possible with the goal of completing ALL levels), pronunciation and conversation practice.

Homestay: YES, sign up and hope that you get matched. I feel that I learned as much from my family as I did in class. It's worth the extra expense.

Nagoya: Take the JR train from Okazaki station (about 10 minute walk from the school) to Meieki or to Kanayama. Both stations have plenty of places to explore and both give you access to Osu-Kannon (youth fashion boutiques, various electronics shops, *takoyaki and pizza*) and Sakae (lots of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, bookstores and upscale shops) via the subway.

Recreation: Try hiking with CHIC one weekend. They usually meet around 7am by the Nanachan sculpture at Meieki and head out by train or car to a nice mountain or prairie for a few hours of hiking, lunch, a couple more hours of hiking, and invariably end up at a local onsen for a nice soak.

Here's a good source for local events:
http://www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/nagoya-calendar
And, check out the rest of the site for more great info.

This should help you navigate the subway system:
http://www.kotsu.city.nagoya.jp/english/...h_sub.html
There's a pdf at the bottom that contains an excellent map.

Here's the Japanese equivalent of yelp:
http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/