Japanese Language Schools in Japan: Choosing a School, Costs and the Student Visa

A Japanese language school (nihongo gakko) is the most direct way to study Japanese in Japan long-term: once you are accepted, the school applies for your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) at the Immigration Services Agency (ISA), and the Japanese embassy issues a student visa on that basis. At established schools in Tokyo, Kyoto and Fukuoka, the first year for 2026–2027 costs $5,338–7,061 (¥843,000–1,115,000) in tuition and school fees, before housing. You can study Japanese on a student visa for up to two years, with main intakes in April and October and, at many schools, January and July.

The school's legal status matters more than anything else. Only students of schools on the ISA's notified list, or of institutions accredited by the Ministry of Education (MEXT) under a 2024 law, can obtain Student status. Schools on the old ISA list must be accredited by 31 March 2029 to keep accepting international students with Student status — worth checking if your course runs beyond that date.

Costs, length and intakes: the essentials

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rates of 23 and 29 September 2026 ($1 ≈ ¥157.9 and ¥157.1), rounded.

Notified vs accredited schools

Until 2024, one list decided everything: schools "notified" (kokuji) by the Minister of Justice could sponsor Student status. In April 2024 a new law created accredited Japanese language institutions (nintei), approved by MEXT after reviewing curriculum, teachers, assessment, attendance management and public disclosure.

Accreditation is slow and selective. In the round announced on 30 April 2026, 32 of 100 applicants were accredited, 2 were refused, 13 remained under review and 53 withdrew. A withdrawal does not prove a school is weak. But across all four rounds only 41 schools from the old ISA list have been accredited, about 5% of the 822 institutions that must convert by March 2029. If your course extends past that date, ask the school directly whether it has applied and what happens to students if it is not accredited.

School class and your paperwork

ISA also rates schools as "appropriately managed" Class I, Class II, or neither. The rating affects what ISA asks of you:

• Class I school: application form, document checklist with the confirmation sheet (see below), passport copy, the test certificate if the school assessed you by test, and an explanation if you were ever refused a CoE or visa. Financial documents are not on this list, though the school may ask for them and ISA can request more.
• Class II school: the same, but financial documents depend on nationality. ISA keeps a list of countries whose nationals are processed in the standard way; Russia and Kazakhstan are on it, Uzbekistan is not. Uzbek applicants therefore add the sponsor's statement, proof of relationship, a bank balance certificate and evidence of how the funds were built up over the past year; Russian and Kazakh applicants do not need these for ISA.
• School without the rating: your graduation certificate, proof of Japanese ability, the sponsor's statement of support, proof of relationship, an original bank balance certificate, evidence of how the funds were built up over the past year, and the sponsor's employment and one-year income, whatever your nationality.

Ask the school which class it holds and compare the list with the checklists on ISA's Student status page. Schools may ask for more than ISA: Yoshida, for example, accepts email-only applications from OECD citizens and asks others for sponsor documents.

What it costs: 2026–2027 examples

Prices from the schools' sites: Yoshida, ISI, GenkiJACS. ISI notes that later-year tuition may rise. First-year totals include one-off fees, so the second year is cheaper. Add housing — JASSO's 2023 survey puts average rent for international students at $260 (¥41,000) a month nationally and $361 (¥57,000) in Tokyo, with about 70% renting privately and paying deposits and fees up front (see student housing in Japan) — plus National Health Insurance, living costs (JASSO's average is $665 (¥105,000) a month including rent), flights and document costs; our cost of studying in Japan guide builds a full budget.

Timing: work back from your start date

Schools file CoE applications with ISA in batches. Yoshida Institute's schedule, for example:

Apply in late summer or autumn for April, and in spring for October. At Yoshida, almost four months pass between the application deadline and ISA's decision. Once approved, you pay the school's invoice, receive the CoE and apply for the visa. A CoE is valid for three months, so you must enter Japan within that window — see our student visa guide. Popular schools close early: Yoshida stopped taking new enquiries for October 2026 once classes filled and is not accepting new applications for January 2027.

Entry requirements

• Education. Usually 12 years of schooling. Eleven-year graduates (common in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) can typically join a language school but will need a MEXT-designated preparatory course before entering a Japanese university or vocational college; many language schools run one.
• Japanese. With the CoE application the school files a confirmation sheet (2026 version) describing how it checked your Japanese. For Japanese language schools, the test or interview section is now mandatory; a record of study hours can only supplement it. Interviews may be online, and ISA's sample uses A1 as the benchmark. The old form is accepted only for students starting by September 2026. A JLPT N5 or JFT-Basic certificate covers the test section. The sheet is not needed if you are a national of a country on ISA's list (Russia, Kazakhstan) and submit a foreign university degree. See our JLPT guide.
• Funds. You, your parents or another relative can sponsor you. What ISA requires depends on the school's class and your nationality (see above), but many schools ask all non-OECD applicants for the sponsor's employment and income certificates and bank statements.
• Age. There is no formal limit, but schools assess whether study makes sense in your history; long gaps or a change of career need a clear explanation.

Course types

Who a language school suits — and who should take another route

A language school makes sense if you are aiming for a Japanese-taught degree, a senmon gakko or work in Japan and can give the language 18–24 months. For an English-taught degree you can apply directly from home. If you only want to try living in Japan, a short-term course is cheaper and simpler. If the first year (from $5,338 (¥843,000) in tuition plus about $665 (¥105,000) a month to live) stretches your budget, study at home to N4–N3 first to shorten your time in Japan.

Checklist for choosing a school

1. On the ISA list or MEXT-accredited; if your course runs beyond March 2029, the status of its accreditation application.
2. Its class (I, II or none) and what that means for your documents.
3. Refund rules if the CoE or visa is refused, or if you leave early.
4. Where graduates go and how many pass N2 and N1.
5. Class sizes, number of levels, EJU preparation.
6. Housing options, price and commute.
7. City: Tokyo offers more choice at higher cost; regional cities are cheaper with more Japanese around you.
8. Attendance: schools report students whose monthly attendance falls below 50% to ISA, and colleges check it — Japan Electronics College, for example, admits language-school students only with 80%+ attendance.
9. Graduate outcomes: ISA-listed schools must report and publish each year how many graduates entered higher education, changed status or proved A2 or higher, and file an improvement plan if the share is under 70%. If you cannot find the figures, ask.

Working while you study

With ISA permission (available at major airports on first entry), you can work up to 28 hours a week and up to 8 hours a day during long school holidays. JASSO's 2023 survey found about 65% of self-funded students work, earning about $513 (¥81,000) a month on average — not enough to pay tuition. JASSO explicitly calls claims of $1,270–1,910 (¥200,000–300,000) monthly earnings false. See working while studying in Japan.

After language school

Study in Japan estimates 600–900+ hours to reach N2–N1. From there: a bachelor's degree via the EJU, a senmon gakko with N2, a master's, or work. You keep Student status; before starting at a university or college you usually extend your period of stay at the local ISA office with the new school's documents, without leaving Japan.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a school by advertising rather than legal status.
• Applying two or three months before the start date.
• Showing funds that appeared a week before the bank certificate; ISA looks at the past year.
• Planning to pay tuition from part-time work.
• Expecting to go from zero to a top Japanese-taught university in one year; 18–24 months is more realistic.

What StudyU does

Only the initial consultation is free. School shortlisting, status checks, CoE and visa documents and planning the next step to university or college are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Admission is decided by the school, the CoE by ISA and the visa by the embassy; StudyU does not influence these decisions or promise outcomes. See also Study in Japan.

FAQ

Sources

• ISA: notified Japanese language institutions as of 7 August 2026
• ISA: reporting rules and the 31 March 2029 accreditation deadline
• ISA: Student status, CoE documents by school class
• MEXT: accreditation results and the accreditation law
• Study in Japan (JASSO): Japanese language institutes, academic fees, part-time work, accommodation, cost of living
• ISA: CoE validity of three months
• School sites: Yoshida Institute, application deadlines and visa documents, ISI, GenkiJACS, Japan Electronics College
• ECB reference rates, 23 September 2026: €1 = $1.1411 = ¥180.20; 29 September 2026: €1 = $1.1355 = ¥178.41

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.