Overseas Programmes
Overseas Study
Undergraduates majoring in Japanese Studies are encouraged to apply to various study programmes in Japan, including the NUS Student Exchange Programme and other prestigious programmes funded by the JCCI Foundation and the Monbukagakusho (MEXT). Department students have all demonstrated significant improvements in their Japanese competence after such long-term stays in Japan. First-hand experience in the country also provides students with more direct insight and authentic knowledge on Japan.
- Summer Programmes
- Winter Programmes
- Homestay Programmes
- Field Studies in Japan
- One-year Programmes
- Internship Programmes
For SEP matters, please visit our SEP page.
Summer Programmes
WASEDA SUMMER SESSION
The Waseda Summer Session is a six-week summer programme held at Waseda University, Tokyo. Course content includes Japanese culture, business, economy, politics, literature, and arts. The programme includes fieldtrips to Japan’s natural sites and significant cultural landmarks such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Edo Wonderland Nikko, allowing students to connect with Japan’s traditional philosophies and culture. Applications must be submitted online. For more details, please visit the GRO website.
Application period: February-March
Programme start: mid-June
Programme end: late July
INTENSIVE JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE STUDY PROGRAM (KWANSEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY)
The Intensive Japanese Language and Culture Study Program is a 3-week summer programme that Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU) offers to students from around the world. It provides students with a unique opportunity to improve their communication skills in Japanese language while increasing their understanding of Japanese culture through a variety of activities. Students will attend Japanese language classes with KGU students and participate in Japanese Culture Study classes, traditional arts and other cultural activities, including a fieldtrip to the historically rich city of Kyoto. Participants can choose from campus accommodation or homestays to experience different aspects of life in Japan.
Nomination deadline: early April
Application deadline: late August
Programme start: mid-July
Programme end: early August

*NOTE: This programme is also offered in Winter but overlaps with the NUS semester
TOHOKU UNIVERSITY JAPANESE PROGRAMME (TUJP SUMMER)
The Tohoku University Japanese Programme (Summer) is a 4-week summer programme designed to improve students' Japanese language proficiency and deepen their understanding of Japan. The programme consists of intensive Japanese lessons with many hands-on activities to practice Japanese. In addition, there are interactive lessons on traditional and modern Japanese culture and society, and collaborative learning activities with local Tohoku University students. For more details, please visit the GRO website.
Application period: March
Programme start: mid-June
Programme end: mid-July
KEIO SUMMER PROGRAM
The Keio Summer Program is a 2-month programme held by Keio University. Courses include topics such as Arts, Business & Economy, Language & Literature, Law, Religion & Thought, and Japanese Language. For more details, please visit the GRO website.
Applications period: early February
Programme start: late May
Programme end: late July
NANZAN ANIME STUDY TOUR
The Nanzan Anime Study Tour is a 3-week programme that allows students to enjoy the opportunity to explore Japanese culture and society through the lens of anime. The tour includes lectures about Japanese anime in English and field trips to visit anime-related places around central Japan to the equivalent of 30 contact hours. For more details, please visit the GRO website.
Application period: early February
Programme start: late June
Programme end: mid-July
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO GLOBAL UNIT COURSES (GUC)
The University of Tokyo's GUC provides a great opportunity for students around the world to experience studying at one of the world's foremost universities in East Asia. For more details, please visit the GRO website.
Application period: February-March
Application results: mid-April
Programme start: mid-June
Programme end: late July
KWANSEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY SUMMER SCHOOL
Please check back later for updates.
SEINAN SUMMER PROGRAMME
Please check back later for updates.
RIKUZENTAKATA PROJECT
Please check back later for updates.
Winter Programmes
SHORT-TERM JAPANESE PROGRAM WINTER COURSE (WASEDA UNIVERSITY)
The Short-term Japanese Program is 3-week programme run by the Center for Japanese Language Waseda University with the goal of cultivating students’ overall Japanese language ability.
Application deadline: early September
Application results: end September
Programme start: early December
Programme end: late December
TOHOKU UNIVERSITY JAPANESE PROGRAMME (TUJP WINTER 1)
The Tohoku University Japanese Programme (Winter 1) is a 2-week winter programme designed to improve students' Japanese language proficiency and deepen their understanding of Japan. The programme consists of intensive Japanese lessons with many hands-on activities to practice Japanese. In addition, there are interactive lessons on traditional and modern Japanese culture and society, and collaborative learning activities with local Tohoku University students. For more details, please visit the GRO website.
Application deadline: late September
Application results: early October
Programme start: early December
Programme end: mid-December
*NOTE: Winter 2 overlaps with the NUS semester
Homestay Programmes
Hiroshima Homestay Programme [DECEMBER]
Hiroshima Singapore Association (HSA) was established in 1995 to promote mutual understanding between Singapore and Hiroshima. The Department has been organising student exchange homestay programmes with HSA since 1998. Every year, students who participated in the programme have learnt about Japanese culture as well as Japanese businesses by attending flower arrangement and tea ceremony workshops, meeting with local university students, visiting companies and factories, and meeting with business people in Hiroshima. JS majors will be notified via email when applications open around September-October.

Field Study Programmes
JS3229 Field Studies in Japan
This is a 4-unit course conducted during the special term in May. A/P Chris McMorran has taught the course every year since 2011. It begins with a week of coursework at NUS. This includes readings on the year’s theme, critical tourism studies, and qualitative research methods; seminar-style discussion; and group and individual research projects. Then the course moves to Japan (typically Kyushu) for 10 days, where students practice field methods by studying a theme relevant to contemporary Japan. Past themes have included ecotourism, disaster, and heritage tourism. Students typically share their experiences in a public forum such as the Japan Creative Centre or the NUS Central Library. The theme is announced each December, with applications from interested students due in February, and selection made in March. For more information, please visit http://blog.nus.edu.sg/mcmorran/ or contact A/P McMorran at mcmorran@nus.edu.sg.
One-Year Programmes with Scholarship
Please note that participation in these programmes will require a Leave of Absence (LOA).
HSA & MIAL Scholarship
Mihara International Academy of Languages (MIAL) is a Japanese language institution located in Hiroshima Prefecture. The 1-year programme is designed to help students comprehensively acquire intermediate and advanced level Japanese language skills and to acquire the Japanese language proficiency necessary to enter Japanese universities and other institutions of higher education, as well as to find employment. The goal of this course is to pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 – N2.
JS majors are eligible to apply for the Hiroshima Singapore Association (HSA) & Mihara International Academy of Languages (MIAL) Scholarship. Details are shared at the annual JS SEP & Scholarship briefing.
Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship: Japanese Studies Students
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study for a period of one year at designated Japanese universities as Japanese Studies Students in order to deepen their understanding of the Japanese language, Japanese affairs and Japanese culture under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship: Japanese Studies Students programme. Students will be notified via email when the application window opens.
Internship Programmes
Please check back later for updates.
