Japan: Nagasaki - Japanese Language, Society, Culture Studies

Name: Japan: Nagasaki - Japanese Language, Society, Culture Studies
Brand: USAC
SKU: 212225
Rating: 9 (2 reviews)

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Location

Japan
- Nagasaki

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Spring

Subject Areas

Arts Business Film History Linguistics Literature

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Associates Bachelors

Housing

Dormitory Host Family

Language

English

Last Updated: Apr 06, 2020

Last Reviewed: Nov 14, 2019

About Program

The Nagasaki program focuses on Japanese society and culture. In 2014, Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies (NUFS) was ranked as one of the top four study abroad programs in Japan and the only one specializing in foreign language study. What you learn will extend beyond the classroom: native-speaking conversation partners facilitate your language learning and new friendships, and field trips in and around Nagasaki will help you gain a broader perspective on Japanese life and history.

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Video and Photos

Study abroad in Nagasaki, Japan, with USAC.

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Program Highlights

Choose from seven levels of Japanese language and a range of society and culture courses taught in English, or take your language studies to the next level with optional courses in Kanji, grammar, pronunciation, and more!
Enjoy Nagasaki's small campus environment and welcoming community of Japanese and international students eager to explore language and culture.
Practice your language and make friends with a Japanese conversation partner, who will help you adjust to your new home and introduce you to Japanese culture.
Immerse yourself in the local culture by living in homestays with Japanese families.

Scholarships

USAC Scholarships and Financial Aid

USAC awards over $2 million in scholarships and discounts each year to assist students with their study abroad expenses.

Value

$500 - $1,000

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Program Reviews

9 Rating

based on 2 reviews

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Academics 7
Support 10
Fun 8.5
Housing 10
Safety 10

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The time I had in Japan was like no other. I had never been to another country before, so it was doubly exciting and anxiety-inducing to get on that plane which would whisk me away for the next 5 months. While in Japan, I was able to take language classes and interact with Japanese people like I never would have been able to in the States. Furthermore, I was able to take classes about the culture, and even practice a few forms of traditional martial arts as well as traditional arts. I even joined the tea ceremony club and performed at the local history and culture museum with other club members! I was able to see many different famous Japanese locations, make lifelong friends, and just overall have the time of my life in my study abroad trip. And honestly, I'm dying to go back.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

For me, the most nerve-wracking part of my trip was just getting on the plane to Japan by myself. I had never flown by myself before this trip, so just making that initial leap of faith was, I think, the most trying part of the whole adventure.

The image is a horizontal picture of three girls from the chest up, looking at the camera. One makes a peace sign and smiles, another grimaces at the camera, and the last smiles at the camera as well. Behind them is a landscape with lush greenery, behind that the ocean, and a cloudy sky above them.

The image is a vertical picture of a girl holding a large bowl for the camera to see, which is empty. She smirks at the camera, implying she has finished the contents of the bowl.

The image is a vertical picture of a girl standing on a bridge, making a peace sign with her hand. Behind her past the bridge is a tall row of trees, and peeking out from behind the trees is the top of Osaka castle.

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I would highly recommend this program for those who want something off the beaten path. Nagasaki is full of history, as the first port where foreigners first entered and where confined to helped to shape what it is today. There are so many historical sites around the area such as Dejima, the Dutch Island, Glover Garden; a colonial village where some foreigners lived, Chinatown, and much more. Because of the foreign influence, it also has some delicious food that is famous to the area!!

My favorite part was that since you rarely see any tourists besides your fellow students, you get more interaction with locals. Many locals were interested in talking to me when I was walking around or at the bus stop to ask what I was doing there since they don't see too many tourists there, and that was one of my favorite parts. Not as many people spoke English as you would see in bigger cities in Japan, but people were still friendly and you could communicate in broken English and Japanese.

The bus system around town does not have any English translations on the buses or schedules so you have to try to read the kanji or ask the bus driver where it goes, but I feel it is more authentic that way! During orientation they will tell you what kanji to look for if you want to go to certain places.

I felt the academics weren't challenging enough and really easy. I do come from a more rigorous school and major so I felt that way, but I know some students felt that some of the classes had a lot of work and were challenging so it depends on what you are used to at your home university.

I did a homestay which I HIGHLY recommend. I got to eat some of the best meals of my life that my host mom prepared and got to help with some of it. These were also meals you can't find at any restaurant. I also got to go on trips around Kyushu with my host family and got to do things most students weren't able to since we went to places that a lot of them didn't know about or that were hard to get to with public transportation. All of my fondest memories were with my host family.

Nagasaki is very beautiful but it is harder to travel to neighboring areas due to all the mountains and the public transportation system is not as developed as it is in other areas of Japan, so if you are looking for a location as a travel base I would recommend the other locations that are offered, but if you are looking for something authentic where you can immerse in the culture I would definitely recommend this program!

Peace Park, outlook, nagasaki, atomic bomb museum

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

At my University, UNLV, our study abroad programs are all more or less through USAC. I knew I wanted to go to Japan, a place with a culture that had captivated me from a young age. USAC offered Hiroshima, Nagasaki, or Nishinomiya programs, and after inspecting each of the cities, I felt Nagasaki was the best choice. A city, not too rural, but not too big either. A city with a rich history, and a University rich with lots of extracurricular opportunities.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

USAC helped me grasp what steps I needed to take. I would have likely been a mess if I didn't have a checklist in front of me, and who knows how long or how accurate it would've been if I tried to put together my own checklist. I feel almost like the assistance I got before arriving in Japan was all kind of at a distance, as most resources were online.

Up until I landed at the airport in Fukuoka, a city near Nagasaki, I had done most things myself. But when I arrived, I was picked up by those who work at NUFS' International Office, and they were really the best people you could imagine. They helped get to Nagasaki, they helped us get settled in the dorm, helped us get bus cards for traveling the city, they were really just our heroes.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One thing I wish I knew before going to NUFS was that it is a Christian university. Knowing the history of Nagasaki, that it was the only port of entry to Japan from foreign countries while Japan was in its isolationist era, this is not shocking. I still would have gone to NUFS with this knowledge, since it doesn't impact you in day to day life at all, but it was kind of shocking to discover once I was there.

Also, bring fewer clothes than you think you need. You will buy clothes (great thrift stores in Nagasaki by the way) and bringing too much is just gonna make your luggage heavier.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average week as a foreign student at NUFS entails going to class, making friends, going on a self determined field trip, hanging out with friends, being embarrassed by your Japanese language skills, going to class, being confused at the grocery store, buying lunch from Family Mart, doing some homework, making more friends, going to club, and just generally having a great time.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I think my greatest fear before going abroad was that I wouldn't make any friends and I would just be lonely the whole time.

This did not happen, not even a little. Just landing in the airport and being picked up by the International Office workers along with some other students, it was pretty evident that it wouldn't be hard to make friends. And I can't say that I expect to stay in contact with all 60 or so American students in the program with me, I have certainly made some friends that will last a lifetime.

Anything you should do to prepare before doing this program?

I only took one semester of Japanese before going abroad, and I got by just fine so don't be concerned about that. However, I think I would have gotten more out of the program if I was at least intermediate before going to NUFS.

I think if my language was a little better I would have been able to better connect with my Japanese-only speaking professors, as well as more Japanese students. I would have been more comfortable taking more Japanese language classes while at NUFS if I already had a bit more of a foundation before I went. This is not to say my time was bad in any way due to my language level, or that you should be super-advanced before going abroad, but I think it could have been more enriching if I had already gotten my basics down.

Any final shoutouts?

Shout out to my Tea Ceremony professor, Takahashi-Sensei!! She is the nicest and funniest lady I've ever met, like, I wish she was my grandma. She was always the most encouraging person, and she even told me to visit a museum in Tokyo that I never would've known of otherwise. If you do this program, you better take the Traditional Japanese Arts class just to meet her! Or join the tea ceremony club!

One other shout out to the International Office staff for always being there to support us, give us extracurricular opportunities, explain stuff to us when we can't figure it out, and just really be the best!

About USAC

USAC is a non-profit consortium of U.S. universities that collaborates to offer affordable, academic and authentic study abroad programs. There are abundant opportunities to immerse in the culture, history, and academics of other countries providing an unforgettable experience. Each program is designed to help you grow into an engaged citizen of...