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Looking to change your life? First change your head; study abroad in Japan. Fire up the dusty synapses. Get a fresh look at the world from a new direction. Gain an island mentality. Get "overseas" into your brain. Japan has all the things you want in a destination abroad: distinctive traditions, a rich historical legacy, fascinating landscapes, and present challenges (that don't involve bloodshed). Your school probably has brochures on Study Abroad Japan programs. That's a start. Now look at a detailed map of Japan. See how it almost touches Russia in the north, runs along the Koreas, and ends up pointing to China in the south. Talk about your geopolitical hotspots! Also note on the map that there are dozens of large Japanese cities, each with its colleges, academies, schools, and study abroad centers. There are hundreds of opportunities to study in Japan. Most offer an introductory course in Japanese. Take a clue: Japanese is a hard language to learn. Studying a few weeks may make you able to survive in Japan, but it won't enable you to study anything serious in Japanese. You'll need to look at programs that offer courses in English or study Japanese before you go. That said, there are programs that contemplate this and have the courses to help you prepare. There'll be no problem finding English-speaking help in Japan. The Japanese study English in grade school and love to have someone to chat with. I suggest "chatting" online with Japanese students in the cities you're considering, to ask them what they think of the place. As for personal security, Japan is remarkably safe. The food is great. Sanitation and public services are first rate. True, it's among the most expensive locations for study abroad. Weigh that against the benefits and you'll find a way to get there.
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Study Abroad in Japan
