IES Abroad Nagoya

I spent the last 7 months studying abroad in Nagoya, Japan at Nanzan University through IES Abroad.
IES:
I chose to study abroad with IES mostly because my siblings had used IES to study abroad while they were in college. I did not really know that many other options for studying abroad, but after researching a bit more and looking at other programs, I stuck with my previous decision. The application process itself was a bit stressful, but I attribute that to Nanzan's strict application, and the whole process of applying for a visa. (Hint: You are probably going to want to budget many occasions of overnight shipping pieces of your application.) Despite the stress before leaving the country, IES does a great job of handling everything for you afterwards! I appreciated not having to plan for travel and trips, but also not having to deal with the academic paperwork (especially when compared to students not in a program). The local IES director and staff were also pretty accessible, and always happy to help you if you had any questions or needed assistance! I recommend IES simply based on the fact that they are a big help in an otherwise highly stressful time. They really work towards simplifying and streamlining your study abroad experience as much as possible, so you can focus on having fun and/or studying. I also really appreciated the trips that IES planned for us. We were able to see some really great places and have really good experiences, while not having to worry about planning it! The quality of hotel and travel was always top notch as well.
Nanzan University's Center for Japanese Studies:
I recommend for anyone studying abroad not just to look at Study abroad programs like IES, but to look carefully at the university they are attached to, as if you were picking out your first university all over again. While I am pleased with the level of education and intensive study I received at Nanzan University (Center for Japanese Studies), there were a few things I would have liked to know beforehand. First of all, the Center for Japanese Studies runs an intensive Japanese study program and it is just that. If you are not prepared for a heavy workload and speaking only Japanese in the classroom, then I would look elsewhere. If you are interested in developing your Japanese level significantly, then I have two recommendations. 1) Look into Nanzan's teaching style and curriculum (including textbooks) and compare it to your own University or your own study experience. While I believe that my own University's curriculum is quite good, I ended up placing in a lower level than I had anticipated, mostly because there were gaps between what my University views as important and what Nanzan University views as important at a certain level. It really wasn't a big problem and I still learned quite a lot, but you should be aware of it, especially if your home University is picky about what level you place into. 2) Do not do the summer session. If you are trying to make a big difference in your Japanese ability then the Year or Semester option is probably best. The summer session is a great 6 weeks of intensive learning, but it can be a lot for only 6 weeks, and is very fast paced.
Housing:
I had a really wonderful 7 months living in Nagoya! I spent the first five months living with my host family. I chose a homestay rather than the dorms, because I had heard from previous students that due to the Japanese academic schedule, there would be a large period of time where Japanese students would not be on campus. It is already such a short semester, and so I decided that living with a host family would allow me to use my Japanese on a regular basis. I highly recommend it! (Disclaimer: Everyone's experience with host families are different, it simply depends on you and the host family.) I owe a large portion of my Japanese language speaking ability development to my host parents and their willingness to talk with and help me. I spent June and July living in Nanzan University's International student (female) dorm (disclaimer: the male international dorm is set up a bit differently). The rooms are nice and set up in a suite style with a kitchen and common area, shared shower and two bathrooms, everyone has their own bedroom. Usually you will have at least one Japanese roommate. The rooms also come pre-furnished, but you may or may not have to pay for your own internet (this has changed between the spring and summer semester and may undergo more changes).
Nagoya:
I am before choosing a study abroad program or University, choosing the right city in Japan was important to me. I did not want to go to either Tokyo or Kyoto for fear of being stuck with a "tourist" image, rather than the "resident" image that I wanted. In addition, (as I learned from traveling) it is easier to get a lot more Japanese speaking real world application if you are not in a city where everyone will try to use English with you. Nagoya is the perfect halfway point between big city and just outside of the tourist range. There are quite a few foreigners that attend some of the universities here or come to work, but definitely not to the degree of Tokyo or Kyoto. Nagoya is also very residential compared to Tokyo or Kyoto, so while there are bustling areas to have fun, it actually fits a slower pace that I was kind of happy with. Realizing IES had a program in Nagoya is what really drew me in, and I am very happy with the results!

I participated in the IES Nagoya program for the 2014-2015 academic year. The program itself was wonderful. I was directly enrolled into the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) program at Nanzan University. I met people from all over the world that shared a common interest in Japanese culture and language. I joined a dance circle and performed with other Japanese students at the Nanzan Festival. I was taught Japanese in Japanese and really got to see myself improve on a daily basis. The CJS staff were very helpful in aiding foreign students in anything academic and with housing concerns. During school hours, they were my go to for any problems and questions I had about anything. My professors were also really supportive and were always concerned about my well-being and how I was handling the workload. For academic support, I felt that I could rely on the CJS staff to help me when I needed it.

Instead of living in the Nanzan dorm, I chose to live with a host family. I lived in a small apartment outside of Nagoya with a host mom, dad and 2 year old sister. Living with a host family was one of the best decisions I made when I decided to study abroad with IES. Through my host family, I was able to gain a third support system. My host family helped me with learning Japanese, took care of me when I was sick, took me to places within and around Nagoya and made me the most delicious meals. Without my host family, I feel as if my first few months in Japan would have been more stressful than fun in regards to adjustment. I also had to commute 40 minutes to get to school every day, and although that may seem like a chore, the commute helped me gain confidence and comfort in using navigating around Nagoya.

Since Nagoya is situated right in the middle of Japan, it was the ideal place for traveling to other places to experience different aspects of Japanese culture. IES planned monthly trips, concerts and other culture related activities for me to participate in for cultural immersion and adjustment. The IES Nagoya staff did an amazing job at planning the trips/events. I got to learn about different topics and go to places that I probably would not have been able to go to by myself. I felt the IES Nagoya staff became more than just staff; they became friends. They really took care of me while I was in Nagoya and did everything that they could to have us enjoy living and studying in Japan. My host mom would always look at my travel itineraries and say that I was lucky to be a part of IES and other CJS students would be envious of everything IES provided for its students (commuting subsidies, lunches at delicious local restaurants, exclusive experiences such as meeting geisha and maiko in Kyoto). I am definitely grateful to IES for helping to make my study abroad experience so memorable.

I would suggest this program for anyone who has already taken Japanese classes and wants to go to Japan in order to improve their Japanese. Nagoya is the third largest city in Japan, but less international than Tokyo, and so there are fewer people who will try to speak English to you. The Japanese classes at Nanzan are also manageable, but intensive, and there’s a decent amount of homework. You’re more or less forced to use Japanese and to improve in Japanese. If you don’t speak a lot of Japanese and want to go to Japan because you like anime… this program probably isn’t for you.

Other than Japanese, I took Japanese Society, Traditional Japanese Literature, and Woodblock Printing. Japanese Society and Woodblock Printing were both fantastic (although not as intense as the Japanese classes). Both were done in a style that let you personalize your learning experience and read/make what you wanted to. Traditional Japanese Literature was pretty disappointing – the professor rambled a lot, and we didn’t get to discuss literature very much. I heard other students complaining that non-Japanese classes at Nanzan can be very hit or miss.

I stayed with a host family, which ended up being a pretty negative experience. The members of my host family fought constantly, and they didn’t seem to want to spend a lot of time with me. In retrospect, I really wish that I'd chosen to live in the dorm. Luckily, when I decided I couldn't take living with my host family any longer, I was able to move to the dorm.

I loved the friends I made in at Nanzan, and I got a lot of chances to explore Japan with them. We were able to explore Nagoya and the surrounding areas a lot during the weekend. A fun thing that we did often was to go to izakayas - informal bars where you can also eat lots of yummy Japanese pub food.

On top of traveling with friends, the IES field trips were really fun (and a part of the reason I chose this program). You get the opportunity to stay in traditional Japanese inns and eat traditional meals. It's really expensive, and an experience that I definitely wouldn't have had if I didn't study abroad with IES. That was probably my favorite thing about the IES programming.

Nagoya is a city that offers amazing shopping, restaurants, and a modern Japanese experience. The highlights of my experiences were the people, program, and area. The IES staff on-site were warm and available people who eased the transition into Japan. While we engaged with the campus staff as well, the IES and Nanzan work well with each other to streamline both programs. The additional field trips coordinated by IES provided many spaces to form close bonds with the other students in IES. Most of my closest friends were part of IES with me and it was a fantastic time. The language classes at Nanzan were challenging and the focus of the curriculum. The elective courses left something to be desired, but as a study abroad course, it was not worse than expected. Overall was very pleased with the program and the area of my experience. Nagoya is a beautiful area that allows for immersion into the typical life of the Japanese.

I had two programs to choose from for my study abroad semester in Japan: IES Tokyo or IES Nagoya. My Japanese teacher suggested the Nagoya program for a few reasons. First, since with the Nagoya program you are a student of Nanzan University, a Japanese university, you get more immersion and although you are still taking classes with foreigners, you can join university clubs and socialize with Japanese students. Secondly, Nagoya is less tourisity than Tokyo, which means not everyone speaks English and you are forced to use Japanese in your daily life. Thirdly, Nagoya is a major train / bullet train stop, and is situated between Kyoto and Tokyo. I prefer the old capital Kyoto to Tokyo, and so the location is perfect for me as I can visit Kyoto as often as I want, whereas it might take 4 times as long to get to Kyoto from Tokyo.

For my semester in Nanzan University I took Japanese (obviously), Japanese translation, Japanese Society, Tea Ceremony, and Woodblock Printing. All of the classes were extremely interesting, and the workload did not at all hinder my plans to travel every weekend. Japanese translation was fun because we got to work with a variety of materials such as short stories, manga, and song lyrics, while getting extra practice on what we learned in the other Japanese classes. For some classes, such as Tea Ceremony and Woodblock Printing, the teachers could not speak English very well, but they spoke Japanese very clearly and used simple words so that we could understand them. The teachers got us involved in seasonal Japanese events as they happen - we got to do flower arrangement in the Tea Ceremony class on Girls' Day, for example, and got to do a tea ceremony outside during cherry blossom season.

Our accommodation arrangements were made through Nanzan University. I am a vegetarian, and since there are not a lot of vegetarians in Japan I did not expect to get a host family which was my first option. However, Nanzan was able to match me with a host family! The host mother was very attentive to my needs, and asked me upon our first meeting what I could and could not eat in detail. She would always check with me when she was unsure of something, too. During a trip with my host mother to Shirakawa-go, we stayed at a traditional, family-run Japanese inn that my host mother stayed at way back when she was in high school! She taught me about the inn, and pointed me to good spots to visit or to get food that I otherwise would not have known about had I travelled alone. It was a great experience being on a host program, since you get to experience daily life as part of a Japanese family: you don't just read about what the Japanese have for breakfast, or what they do during certain festivals, and so on - living with a host family, these daily activities become a part of who you are.

I was able to explore Nagoya as well as travel outside of it every weekend. Transportation in Japan is very very expensive, but there are things you can do to minimize the costs, such as taking normal trains or buses instead of more the more costly Shinkansen (bullet train). Being on an IES Abroad program as well as a Nanzan University program, you get the best of both worlds: you get to go on on excursions organized by both programs. With IES we have been to Hiroshima, Nara, and Nagahama, and with Nanzan we have been to places inside Nagoya such as Nagoya Castle, or the Toyota Manufacturing Plant. On the IES program trips we were able to stay at traditional Japanese inns and have traditional Japanese set meals (kaiseki) - they are very costly and if I had travelled alone I probably would not be able to experience these things.

One thing that might count as a negative for Spring-semester students: in Japan, the new semester does not start until April, so you will not get to meet the local students for the first 4 months that you are here. However, there are still Japanese students in the dorms, or if you have a host family, you can talk with them! April is when all of the club activities start, too, and you can join them if you want to befriend Japanese students. I was in the Shorinji Kempo club, and even though my Japanese was not fluent the members there were extremely nice.

I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is interested in studying abroad in Japan! While you do not need to be fluent in Japanese to be in this program, you will definitely get a lot more out of the experience if you have taken a couple years or more of Japanese before starting this program. Since many people in Nagoya do not speak very much English, you will definitely be practicing your conversational Japanese often. This can be challenging at times, but your Japanese will definitely improve! At Nanzan University, you will be required to take Japanese classes, and you can also choose from a number of elective classes. I definitely recommend trying at least one of the art classes if you can. If you ever need help with anything, the CJS and IES staff members are very friendly and always willing to help! The subway system is pretty good in Nagoya, so it is very easy and safe to get around the city to visit various sites and attractions. You can also visit other nearby cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. In addition to traveling on your own, IES also offers awesome weekend field trips which are already included in the program fee! On these trips, you will get to eat a lot of great food, stay in nice Japanese inns, and do a lot of exciting activities that you probably wouldn't have the opportunity to do on your own. The field trips were definitely one of the best parts of the experience! Both the CJS and IES also offer a number of day trips to activities such as taiko/ musical/ kabuki performances and sites such as the Nagoya Castle or Shizuoka. You will definitely have a great time on this program!

The City: Nagoya is not a tourist stop for people visiting Japan, it is one of the industrial centers and therefore there are a lot more opportunities to speak/practice Japanese Language. However, the city does contain numerous art/design, history, and science museums, parks,botanical gardens, an aquarium, zoo, in addition a variety of restaurants, shopping districts, clubs, and bars. Major sites include Atsuta Shrine and Osu Kannon Temple, the Nagoya TV Tower and Sky Hall.
The School: Nanzan University is in the hills right outside the city near Yagoto. The international students building is brand new, and the staff is friendly and helpful (they will all know your name by the beginning of the semester.) Classes focus on the arts and social sciences, with the most emphasis on Japanese language classes for three hours every morning. Homestays are chosen through specific information
The Program: The IES program offers countless benefits including guided all-inclusive travel to countless places outside of Nagoya like Nara, Takayama, Kanayama etc. in addition to concerts, musicals, and other events in the city.