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Is this program for you?
Apply for this program if you are ready to accept and adapt to the culturally different lifestyle of your host family, community and school. You must maintain acceptable academic standards at school and participate actively in school and family life. In addition you should:
- be between 15 and 17 years of age (students can not have graduated from high school)
- have a minimum 3.0 GPA
- be a non-smoker
- be in good physical and mental health
- have studied Japanese for the equivalent of two years in a high school class.
What is the Japanese high school system like?
Most high schools in Japan are public and co-educational, though there are also a number of private schools. The schools are generally more formal than the average American school. A school uniform is required for most schools.
The Japanese academic year begins at the beginning of April and for most schools is divided into 3 terms: Term I, April to July; Term II, September to December; Term III, January to March. Each term is approximately twelve to fifteen weeks long, and there are summer/winter/spring vacations between terms. Schools usually begin at 8:30 am and finish at 3:30 pm with an hour break for lunch. Each class period is about 50-65 minutes long. Most high school students in Japan belong to a club after school; there are many sports clubs and cultural clubs such as tea ceremony club, Japanese flower arrangement club and calligraphy club.
Most high school students in Japan study Japanese, English as a foreign language, history/geography, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. Additional subjects may include music/art, home economics, P.E., social science. At the second year of high school, most students will choose either English/art course or math/science course.
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