Location
  • Japan
    • Tokyo
    • Osaka
    • Fukuoka
    • Nagasaki
Term
Summer
Subject Areas
Asian Studies Communications Cultural Studies East Asian Studies Education Global Studies Hospitality Humanities International Relations Peace Studies Religious Studies Service Learning Tourism +3

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Housing
Host Family
Language
English

Pricing

Starting Price
2600
Price Details
Program Fee Includes:
* Housing
* Meals
* Transportation during the Tour
* Program Staffing
* Regional Learning related expenses such as entrance fees or for guides
* Access to all Planned Community Partner Resources such as Facilities, Speakers, Special Guests, as well as activities with Businesses, Politicians and Organizations
* All Program Content
* All Operational Expenses

What the Program Fee doesn't Include:
* Transportation from your home to the designated meeting place in Japan and then from a designated place at the end of the tour in Japan back to your home.
* International health insurance for the tour time.
* Extra spending money for souvenirs, socializing, shopping, replenishing toiletries, etc.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare
Apr 02, 2022
Aug 14, 2022
45 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

World Campus International, Inc. offers you an opportunity to take part in short-term, non-traditional study abroad programs in Japan. You can choose to sign up for 3 weeks, 6 weeks or 9 weeks programs. Participants will have the unique chance to gain international experience as well as increase their personal and professional networks, all while enjoying the backdrop of Japanese culture, daily life and business through various activities.

What does having this kind of "unique access to Japan" mean?
1) A great chance to see Japanese cultural sites, eat delicious food and learn about Japanese traditions.
2) An opportunity to experience an authentic Japanese lifestyle by staying with host families.
3) A way to learn about modern Japan through interacting with local politicians, business people and teachers.
4) An opportunity to share your culture and volunteer your talents in activities with ordinary Japanese citizens, school children, disabled people and the elderly.

Video and Photos

Program Dates

Application Deadline
Program Dates
-

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 46 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.65
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Housing 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 46 reviews
Default avatar
Kai
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I'm Definitely Coming Back

I first applied to this program on a whim. The website was relatively lackluster, but the pictures, dates, homestay locations, and reviews were completely different. I don't know what kind of expectations I had before coming to Japan, but as I left for Asia for my summer vacation, nothing could quite prepare me for what was to come. I ended up getting COVID and joining the program late, but the program coordinators were overly understanding and accomodating despite the headaches that caused. Despite my late arrival, I was placed with an amazing and kind host family. Of course, I had four equally amazing host families throughout the program, and I experienced different aspects of the culture with each of them. Even more than the culture I experienced during the three-and-a-half week program, I value the connections and family-like friends I've made with other participants, the staff, and the host families that I hope will never fade for many years and decades to come.

Pros
  • The people - host families, participants, staff, locals
  • The schedule - the program coordinators and local support community have everything planned perfectly for you. There's so much to see and feel!
Cons
  • Be ready to be tired
  • If you're not open-minded and easily adaptable, this isn't for you
71 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Fuka
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a lifetime

I am so happy I participated in WCI and got to come back to Japan after 18 years of being away. I was born in Japan but moved to the United States at the age of 4 and have not since returned until now. I forgot a lot of my Japanese when I moved to the US. Staying with host families in different cities really motivated me to relearn Japanese and surprisingly I picked it up again within the month I was in Japan. All of my host families were kind and made sure I was comfortable at all times. I felt as though they really made an effort to accommodate me and the connections I made with my host brothers and sisters are irreplaceable. I enjoyed doing various cultural activities with the other participants and getting to go places I would not have gone to on my own. I recommend this program to anyone who is interested in learning about Japanese traditions, culture, history, and of course the best part of it all... the food! I'm also grateful for the friendships I've made with people from other countries and I will treasure these relationships. If you are considering joining, I would say be open-minded, vulnerable, and willing to step outside of your comfort zone!! It's worth it!

Pros
  • Learned Japanese
  • Tried new foods
  • Made a lot of new friends
Cons
  • Jetlag and Fatigue
75 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Martin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The most defining experience of my life

I believe World Campus Japan is the most profound and comprehensive exchange program to experience and learn about Japanese culture. Since I wanted to experience Japan and its culture, I joined WCJ in 2019 where I participated in the first session of its Japan summer program which took place in Kyushu. At WCJ I was part of a group of diverse young people frow all over the world with whom I shared enthusiasm for Japanese culture. With these amazing young people, I made one of the strongest and closest friendships in my life, and we stay in contact and meet up even now, 2 and half years later.

The number of cultural activities and events in WCJ is enormous. I got to experience Japanese martial arts like kyudo, kendo, karate or shorinji kenpo. I was amazed to witness the environment and flow of Japanese education through several interactive visits of elementary schools, high school and even a university. I could also feel Japanese spirituality through various shrine and temple visits and many other activities like learning about Japanese traditional theatre. The activities of WCJ are incredible not only for its content but more importantly for the wonderful warm interactions with local communities which was unapparelled.

The activity program was simply amazing, however the thing that had the largest impact on my life was the time spent with Japanese host families. The wonderful families I stayed with embraced me as if I was their own child and treated me with such kindness I didn’t know existed. Even though I did not know Japanese language, I created the strongest and deepest relationships in my entire life, particularly with one of the families. These interactions changed my life in unimaginable ways and showed me what life is truly about, those beautiful human interactions. WCJ completely changed my view on life and world and defined me as a human being. The values I have now were born from that unforgettable life-changing experience. Thanks to WCJ I understood who I am and what things are important for me in life. In other words, I found myself through that experience.

WCJ is the most amazing program in terms of feeling and getting to know Japan and Japanese culture. It is also best in nurturing beautiful and lasting relationships and connections all over the world. I can honestly say that WCJ was the most meaningful and best thing that happened in my life. The things that are my greatest happiness now were all born from that very experience.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The special visit of Nagasaki atomic bomb museum opened my eyes to the importance of world peace.
97 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Paul George
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best Experience of My Life

I first heard about World Campus through a friend of mine who worked as staff member back in the early 2010’s. I had made a comment how I’ve always wanted to visit Japan, and the way he described World Campus it sounded like the perfect way to do so. After looking into the program, I decided I wanted to get the full bang for my buck and was determined to take all three sessions. After graduating high school, I worked for a few years, applied and dropped out due to lack of funds, and worked until 2019 when I finally had enough to go. I spent almost every dollar I had to join World Campus, and I can safely say It was worth every dollar.

You experience not only the culture of Japan, but so many sights and sounds. I visited cultural sites, schools, cultural fairs, and almost everything in between. And everywhere I went, I felt welcomed by the incredible communities we worked with. And beyond the fact that you’re in the beautiful country of Japan and experiencing the culture first hand, you make connection with fantastic people who will be apart of your life for as long as you live. In the nine weeks I spent in world campus over the course of the three 2019 sessions, I made so many new friends who were either other students from around the world, or amazing community members whose greatest desire was to show us their amazing country and culture.

But more than all of that were the host families we stayed with.

I’ve never experienced such hospitality in my life. Every week, we move cities and stay with new host families who graciously take us in and treat us like one of their own. And frankly, by the end of the week, we were a part of their family. I think that’s the thing I loved most about World Campus. Yes, I got to experience a country I’ve been fascinated with my whole life. Yes, I got to make close friends with people from across the globe. Yes, I came home with enough stories to write a book or two. But more than that, I found a family I never knew I had. In fact, I found several families, all of whom mean more to me then any experience I had (not to say the experiences weren’t phenomenal).
In World Campus, you get far more than just a trip to Japan, you get the most in depth experience you can possibly get. I stayed for 3 sessions, which took me to 9 different cities in Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Osaka, Nara, Kanagawa, Ibaraki, Chiba, and Tokyo, and in every city we saw amazing sights and did amazing activities.

I’d recommend World Campus to anyone who wants to experience Japan in the best possible way. I will always remember my experiences in it, and I’d defiantly say that this program is worth every dollar.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
I first arrived in Nagasaki, I was so exhausted by my 30 hour+ trip that I slept like a rock after having met and eating dinner with my host family. The next day, however, during out first orientation, I came down with a sense of crippling anxiety. I wanted to catch the next flight home right there and then and I could feel tear welling up in my eyes. The feeling was lessened when we were rehearsing the Arigato Event (the event show we put on as a thank you to our host families and community for hosting us), but it came back full swing as we were waiting to be picked up.

I decided to ask some of the councilors what was going on and if they could give me advice on what to do. They explained to me that it was (most likely) culture shock, and that it's fairly common. They explained to me that given time, the feeling would fade as I built connections with my host families and the other participants. Their kind words helped me to feel much more comfortable about the whole situation, and needless to say, they were completely right. Within a few days, I was just as comfortable in Japan as I was back at home.
113 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Tereza
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best experience of my life

At first I was afraid and didn't know, what to expect. As a japanology student I knew a lot about Japan already, soI was starting the program with lower expactations. But I was wrong. It was the most amazing and exciting experience of my life! The people, the opportunities, the community... everything was absolutely amazing and it took my breath away! Living with host faamilies and sharing each others culture and opinions and different perspective is very exciting and it opens your mind. Also getting to know other participant's and their differences, I've learned so many thing about various countries which you would never learn at school. You get to do thing you would normally never have a chance to and you get to know Japan and other countries from it's core- Highly recommend!

118 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Oskari
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Worth more than being a tourist?

For a long time Japan has been on my mind. It is a country that has rich tradition, beautiful nature and interesting popular culture. These and a few other reasons led to me wanting to visit the said country.
And so I did. Last summer I finally managed to find time to accommodate a trip abroad and I have absolutely no regrets. I stayed in Japan for a total of 6 weeks out of which three were with World Campus Japan program and while the solo travel allowed me to see some places the program was not able to (like the top of Mt. Fuji), there's only so much you can experience by relying on your own decisions in a foreign country. This is where the program shines. I could just trust the staff and locals to have made their very best to provide me with experience like no other - one that truly let's me get a look at the Japanese society from the inside, whether it's in the form of living with them or visiting the governing facilities.
And this brings me to the one thing that I personally found the most important part of the whole program. Yes, you can visit many places and see many sights on your own - you might even be able to meet up with other tourists visiting from around the globe, but the one thing this program really provided me with was a family in Japan. With each city visited I got one more reason to re-visit this country as the host-families became so much more than just a place to sleep. Three cities visited, three families gained and soon, with Christmas almost knocking at our doors, it's time to prepare some cards and small presents for my new younger siblings on the island country just across one small Russia.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
While homemade takoyaki was quite an experience, as far as the unfamiliar things to eat go, it has to give the first place to natto-tuna-soba that I got for dinner in one of the host families.
117 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Johnny
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Truly Life Changing Experience

From July 24 to August 12, 2019 I participated in the World Campus Japan program. During my time I explored Mito, Abiko, and Tama with the program, but I also got to see Tokyo and Asakusa with my host families. Although my time in Japan was rather short, it was the best three weeks of my life and I think about it everyday.

When you participate in the World Campus Japan program you get to experience Japan in an entirely different way, almost as a local. You get to experience home stay, which is the most exciting part of the entire program. You get to experience home cooked Japanese meals, which are delicious. You also get the chance to see how your host family lives, what they do for fun, etc. Even though I only stayed with my host families for a week, I bonded with them all and I still talk to them to this day even though I've been home for two months now. I'm going back to Japan in a couple of months and I've already made plans to visit all of my host families again and I can't wait to see them.

My review of World Campus Japan wouldn't be complete without mentioning the participants, the counselors, and the program director. My group was rather small, I think there were around twelve of us. We were from all over the world and after spending three weeks doing almost everything together, you get incredibly close with each other. I still speak to some of the participants to this day and I hope that someday we see each other again.

The counselors in the program were amazing. The other participants and I noticed how hard that they worked for us and we all greatly appreciate it. The counselors have a tough job of running the town/cities that you visit and organizing it all. They also have the job of translating the language so people who can't speak Japanese know what's going on. The counselors are also there for you if you need to talk to them about anything. They are incredible.

The entire program wouldn't be possible without Hiro, the program director. You have your interview with him before you get accepted into the program and you will be communicating through him all the way until you arrive to Japan. When I participated in the program, it was my first time traveling abroad. Hiro makes everything as simple and smooth as possible. If you have any questions or issues, you can go straight to Hiro and he'll help you. Just like the counselors, he is incredible.

World Campus Japan is an amazing program that everyone should participate in. You get to make connections in Japan that can last a life time as well as making friends with the other participants. If I could do it all over again, I would.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travelers participating in this program would be to try everything that you possibly can. You don't know when you're going to be returning to Japan, if at all. So try to immerse yourself into the culture and try everything that comes your way.
117 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Heidi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Way to Spend a Summer

This past summer, I spent about 6 weeks with World Campus, traveling from Omura all the way to Mito. It’s been over a month since I left Japan, but I still think about it almost every day. I was skeptical at first mainly because of the language barrier but also because of the people I would meet. But as soon as I got there, I was welcomed with open arms and smiles.
Throughout the program, I met not only Japanese people but people from all across Europe and Asia as well as fellow Americans, some of which I still talk to today. The people in each session felt like a family only a few days after meeting. The staff was wonderful and although some were about 10 years older than me, they were so easy to talk to. They were always there to listen and help. I remember not having anything to do in our free day in Tokyo so I went with Nena, one of the staff members, to Koreatown and then we walked to Shibuya and Harajuku, finding cute restaurants and coffee shops along the way. The host families were absolutely wonderful, making me feel right at home. I still keep in contact with some of my host families, like the one from Mito for example. We send each other photos and updates about what we are doing in our everyday lives and whenever I get a text from them, I huge smile comes on my face.
The activities that the staff had planned for us were unforgettable. From climbing over 800 stairs to visit a temple to training like ninjas for a day and participating in school classes, each experience was one like no other. At times, the school visits were overwhelming. I remember the first large school visit I went to. Barely speaking Japanese, I was swarmed by first graders asking if I’d play a game with them outside. Having already promised the 5th graders the same thing, but not knowing what they were saying, especially when 10 voices were talking at the same time, I said yes. We got to the field and both groups went up to me. I didn’t know what to say (literally), so I just joined whatever game of tag the other WC members were playing. But looking back at it now, it was a lot of fun and definitely worth it.
Lastly, there’s the arigato event: a night of dancing and thanking host families and LOC. I never realized how much I liked dancing. Well, I like dancing but I didn’t think I’d like dancing in public. And I don’t want to brag, but I got pretty good at the dances after a while. Along with that, all of the Americans agreed to do the Chicken Dance and we even got the families to join in. I even stepped out of my comfort zone and performed a solo in the Paprika song. I could go on and on, but my review is already really long. Basically, join the program! You will not regret it!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I were to do this program again, I would definitely work on my Japanese. I came there knowing very basic phrases, which made it hard to communicate, especially with certain host families. At times, there would be long silences because we would want to say things, but simply could not put it into words (both English and Japanese). But even if you don't know Japanese, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker. I still had lots of fun and wouldn't regret any minute of it. And, I came back with more Japanese skill, so you definitely will learn as well.
107 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

The answer is no BUT before you actually participate you think it is not possible to go along with or to engage in a conversation with a person/ family which speaks Japanese only. Actually, at WCI you are trained how to fit into all environments whether you know how to speak their language or not.