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Long Term General Japanese Course (6 months/1 year)

ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro
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Course description

The Long Term General Japanese Course is for all level of students who wish to study and live in Japan for a long. It is absolutely no problem even if you have no idea what to do in the future. ISI Language School has about 25-35 classes from beginner to advance, so you will find the most suitable class for you.

The course can be booked for 6 calendar months (2 terms of 10 weeks of classes each) or for 1 year (4 terms of 10 weeks of classes each). In each term there are weeks where the school is closed for vacation.

The experienced teachers devise the better method day by day, using books, original study materials and shadowing support, so that students can relax and practice for many situations. You have a lot of chances to speak up in the elementary classes.

Once you reach the intermediate level, you can take 16 hours general lessons and 4 hours elective lessons. The elective lessons can be chosen from conversation, JLPT preparatory, EJU preparatory, or post graduate exam preparatory.

Beginner to Intermediate students are generally placed in the afternoon class, and Upper intermediate to Advanced students are generally in the morning class. The class will be decided as a result of the placement test on your first day.

Minimum enrollment is 20 weeks (6 months including holidays), and available to extend the course on site, up to 2 years

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
20-80 weeks
Start dates
03 Apr 2025, 03 Jul 2025, 06 Oct 2025 and 07 Jan 2026
Classes per week
10 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 90 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
13 Jan 2025, 11 Feb 2025, 24 Feb 2025, 20 Mar 2025, 24 Mar 2025 - 02 Apr 2025, 28 Apr 2025 - 06 May 2025, 23 Jun 2025 - 02 Jul 2025, 21 Jul 2025, 11 Aug 2025 - 15 Aug 2025, 15 Sep 2025, 22 Sep 2025 - 05 Oct 2025, 13 Oct 2025, 03 Nov 2025, 24 Nov 2025, 22 Dec 2025 - 06 Jan 2026, 12 Jan 2026, 11 Feb 2026, 23 Feb 2026, 20 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2026

ISI Tokyo - Ikebukuro does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class times

You can choose from the following class times:

Lesson
09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Afternoon session
01:00 PM - 04:10 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Tokyo.

Class size

Average 15 students
Maximum 20 students

Student age

Age range 18 - 54 years old
Average 20 years old

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school

School description

ISI Tokyo is located in Ikebukuro, one of the busiest areas of Tokyo. If you would like to experience the exciting life of one of the largest metropolises in the world, this will be the place for you.
Our campus divides the same building with a local vocational school (Tokyo Business and Language College). This will give students several opportunities to practice their newly acquired language skills with native Japanese speakers.

At the end of our General Japanese Language Course, ISI Tokyo Ikebukuro offers a wide range of elective classes for students at the upper levels. Students will be able to take conversation, job search, prep classes, college admissions, and extensive academic and career support from our permanent staff and an extremely qualified staff.

Year opened
2002
Number of classrooms
10

Accreditations

Facilities

  • Library
  • Social Activities
  • Cultural Trips
  • Elevators
  • Wheelchair access
  • Eating Area
  • Free Internet
  • Wireless Internet
  • Computers
  • After-Class Seminars
  • Studying Area

Teacher qualifications

Native Japanese speakers
All
Teachers with Japanese teaching certification
All
Teachers with college degrees
All

Nationality and age mix

The nationality and age mix at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 20. In the summer, the average age is 20.

ISI Tokyo - Ikebukuro teaches students from all over the world, including:

South Korea
20%
China
18%
Taiwan
11%
Vietnam
10%
France
3%
Italy
3%
Nepal
3%
Russia
3%
USA
3%
Australia
2%
Germany
2%
New Zealand
2%
Philippines
2%
Singapore
2%
Spain
2%
Sweden
2%
Thailand
2%
Other
10%

School holidays

ISI Tokyo - Ikebukuro does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Open dates
Year round
School holidays
13 Jan 2025, 11 Feb 2025, 24 Feb 2025, 20 Mar 2025, 24 Mar 2025 - 02 Apr 2025, 28 Apr 2025 - 06 May 2025, 23 Jun 2025 - 02 Jul 2025, 21 Jul 2025, 11 Aug 2025 - 15 Aug 2025, 15 Sep 2025, 22 Sep 2025 - 05 Oct 2025, 13 Oct 2025, 03 Nov 2025, 24 Nov 2025, 22 Dec 2025 - 06 Jan 2026, 12 Jan 2026, 11 Feb 2026, 23 Feb 2026, 20 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2026

School location

At only 5 minutes walking from Ikebukuro station, ISI Language College is located in one of the biggest commercial districts of Tokyo. Not only will the students be able to enjoy a magnificent shopping scene but also a number of well known restaurants and cafes. While Ikebukuro is packed with so many fun places, the school itself features some of the best facilities inside Japan. Ample and modern classrooms are housing students from all over the globe, making the school a great environment to study the Japanese language.

Take a video tour

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photos

Photos

  • Building of ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 1/27
  • Entrance to ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 2/27
  • Reception of ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 3/27
  • Teachers and Staff at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 4/27
  • Cafe 5/27
  • Common room at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 6/27
  • Corridor inside ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 7/27
  • Activities offered at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 8/27
  • Activities offered at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 9/27
  • Classes at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 10/27
  • Homestay housing offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 11/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 12/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 13/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 14/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 15/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 16/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 17/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 18/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 19/27
  • Student residence offered by ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 20/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 21/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 22/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 23/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 24/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 25/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 26/27
  • ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro 27/27
reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 5 reviews
5 stars
3
4 stars
1
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location

"A great experience"

Astrid Letient, student from Afghanistan

I enjoyed my experience in every part, it was amazing.
My class was really nice, the average age was around mine so I met nice people that I would love to meet again
We were also not to much pupils so it was easy for everyone to participate
The teachers were really qualified and patient (special mention to Satou Sensei)
The facilities were well, clean and the material fonctional
The different activities were really interesting and fun, I had the best time here

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
11 weeks
Date of study
5 Apr 2023 - 23 Jun 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"After 3 months at learning from the Minna No Nihongo vol.1, my skills In Japanese definitely improved way faster than if I did it by myself."

Aurore Franche, student from France

After 3 months at learning from the Minna No Nihongo vol.1, my skills In Japanese definitely improved way faster than if I did it by myself.

I’m really happy to have spend those 3 months with ISI. The teachers are really good and the organization of the school too.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
11 weeks
Date of study
5 Apr 2023 - 23 Jun 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"One of the best experiences in my life."

Mateusz , student from Poland

ISI Language College in Tokyo Ikebukuro helped me a lot with improving my Japanese. Highly recommend to everyone :)

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
5 weeks
Date of study
3 Oct 2022 - 11 Nov 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Not the greatest"

Carli Asztalos, student from USA

I was not aware that the semester had already started when I arrived. I had studied Japanese before and reviewed my material before attending the school. I think I would have gotten more out of the class if I had the books and material that I would be studying before I got to Japan. I would have been able to review what u needed to know and learn anything that I hadn’t been taught yet. Before I arrived I had trouble getting information and wasn’t really sure until 2 weeks before I went if I had a spot in the class. However this could have been to the change in government during that time in japan. I also wasn’t aware that the teacher wasn’t fluent in English. His English was better than my Japanese but I wasn’t expecting to have trouble explaining what I didn’t understand.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
27 May 2019 - 7 Jun 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Excellent"

Houda Mnif, student from Japan

Hi everyone, I have been in ISI for one month (intensive short course). The location is very convenient as Ikebukuro station, one of the biggest station in Tokyo,is just few minute walk.
Teachers were great, they changed everyday so we could have different learning experiences. We had tests (3-4) every week) which encouraged us to study more seriously and evaluate our understanding.
I had to stop as I had to restart working, but definitely will be back to ISI as soon as I can.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
20 Aug 2018 - 14 Sep 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
Hirokazu, Chief Education Planner at ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro responded to this review.
27 September 2018

Dear Houda-san,

Thank you very much for your positive comments on our Ikebukuro Campus. We are very happy to know that you enjoyed our language lessons. It was our pleaseure to have you on campus even though it was short period. We would love to see you again at ISI !!

housing

Housing

ISI Tokyo - Ikebukuro offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

S$ 369
weekly
Age range: 14 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, free internet, air conditioning, and heating
Distance to school: 15 - 60 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
S$ 369
The price includes gas, water and electricity, beddings rent, and 2 meals per day.
We will arrange the suitable host family, based on the client requests, preferences, and health condition.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 12 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students need to ask the host family for the extension at latest 1 month before the check-out date. There is a possiblity that you cannot extend the stay in the same family.
student-residence

Student House - 2 Person Room - No Meals

S$ 202
weekly
Housing type: Student residence (off-campus)
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, computers, free internet, tV room, air conditioning, heating, and bedding
Distance to school: 20 - 60 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
S$ 202
The price includes internet connection and beddings, gas, water and electricity fees.

Location:
Toda International House (40 minutes by Train)
Shakujii-Koen International House (30 minutes by Train)

You will be placed in one of those. Please contact if you have request.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 11 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students will be asked by the accommodation staff if they would like to extend their stay one month after they check in.

Student House - Single Room - No Meals

S$ 261
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Student residence (off-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, computers, free internet, tV room, air conditioning, heating, and bedding
Distance to school: 20 - 60 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
S$ 261
The price includes internet connection and beddings, gas, water and electricity fees.

Location:
Toda International House (40 minutes by Train)
Shakujii-Koen International House (30 minutes by Train)

You will be placed in one of those. Please contact if you have request.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 11 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students will be asked by the accommodation staff if they would like to extend their stay one month after they check in.

Guest House - 2 Person Room - No Meals

S$ 202
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Student residence (off-campus)
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, free internet, tV room, air conditioning, heating, and other
Distance to school: 40 - 50 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Restriction: 2 students must book together
S$ 202
This accommodation is ideal for the students who wish to make Japanese friends, practice Japanese conversation a lot.

Half of the residents is Japanese, and you meet many new people in the living room everyday, have a lot of parties at the weekend.

The location is either Warabi, Matsudo, or Nishi-Kawaguchi. You will be placed in one of those. Please contact if you have request. All of them are 40-50 minutes from school by train and walk.

Shared kitchen and bathroom. Air conditioner, fridge, tv, hangers, internet LAN cable is available in the room.

The gas, water, electricity bill is included in the fee. 30,000 yen deposit will be returned when you check out without leaving damages.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 12 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students will be asked by the accommodation staff if they would like to extend their stay one month after they check in.

Guest House - Single Room - No Meals

S$ 261
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Student residence (off-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, free internet, tV room, air conditioning, heating, and other
Distance to school: 40 - 50 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
S$ 261
This accommodation is ideal for the students who wish to make Japanese friends, practice Japanese conversation a lot.

Half of the residents is Japanese, and you meet many new people in the living room everyday, have a lot of parties at the weekend.

The location is either Warabi, Matsudo, or Nishi-Kawaguchi. You will be placed in one of those. Please contact if you have request. All of them are 40-50 minutes from school by train and walk.

Shared kitchen and bathroom. Air conditioner, fridge, tv, hangers, internet LAN cable is available in the room.

The gas, water, electricity bill is included in the fee.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 11 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students will be asked by the accommodation staff if they would like to extend their stay one month after they check in.
apartment

Weekly Apartment - 2 Person Room - No Meals

S$ 272
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Tokyo
Housing type: Private apartment
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, free internet, air conditioning, heating, and bedding
Distance to school: 10 - 40 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Restriction: 2 students must book together
S$ 272
This accommodation is ideal for the students who wish to have a private space.
Private kitchen and bathroom, air conditioner, fridge, tv, hangers, internet LAN cable is available in the room.

Location:
Takadanobaba (10 minutes by walk from the school) minimum booking: 4 weeks
Higashi-Jujo (25 minutes by walk from the school) minimum booking: 2 weeks

The gas, water, electricity bill is included in the fee.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 11 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students need to ask the receptionist in the residence for the extension at latest 1 month before the check-out date. There is a possiblity that you cannot extend the stay in the same room.

Weekly Apartment - Single Room - No Meals

S$ 411
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Tokyo
Housing type: Private apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, telephone, computers, free internet, air conditioning, and heating
Distance to school: 10 - 40 minutes by train or subway
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
S$ 411
This accommodation is ideal for the students who wish to have a private space.
Private kitchen and bathroom, air conditioner, fridge, tv, hangers, internet LAN cable is available in the room.

Location:
Takadanobaba (10 minutes by walk from the school) minimum booking: 4 weeks
Higashi-Jujo (25 minutes by walk from the school) minimum booking: 2 weeks

The gas, water, electricity bill is included in the fee.

This accommodation can be booked for a maximum duration of 12 weeks. Students will be able to extend their accommodation on site after their arrival in Japan. Students need to ask the receptionist in the residence for the extension at latest 1 month before the check-out date. There is a possiblity that you cannot extend the stay in the same room.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Tokyo based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from ISI Language College - Tokyo Ikebukuro staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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