Institution In a span of only a little over 50 years, Kansai Gaidai University has made over 300 international partnerships. The Asian Studies Program, the program through which international students can study at KG, has an annual enrollment of about 700 students and is fully accredited by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Kansai Gaidai is a private institution, and there are two main campuses, Nakamiya and Hotani. Main features include: • Speaking Partner Program to improve language skills • Experience Japan Program offers day trips, sports activities, calligraphy lessons, cooking, Japanese traditional dance and clothing, and more • Clubs and circles for sports, Japanese culture, and more City of Hirakata Hirakata-shi a city in northeast Osaka Prefecture, is renowned for its famous chrysanthemum doll exhibition and amusement park featuring five roller coasters. Hirakata is halfway between Osaka, Japan’s second largest metropolis, and Kyoto and Nara, both ancient capitals of Japan. “Located in the cultural heart of Japan, [KG’s] campus provides an excellent starting point from which to begin exploring of a land that, by anyone’s standards, is truly fascinating. Many of the cities in the Kansai region are extensively utilized in the Asian Studies Program through field trips, independent research, and/or case studies.” Program in Brief Once international students finish making all their payments, they can begin registering for classes. International students must be registered for four classes (including Spoken Japanese) to be considered full-time but cannot take more than five. No prior study of Japanese is required. Academic Program and Areas of Study Since international students come to KG through the Asian Studies Program, most English courses at KG are based on Asian Studies. See how topics such as Economics, Business, Marketing, History, Political Science, Anthropology, Communication, Film, Religion, Psychology, and Art relate to Japanese and other Asian cultures. Orientation There is a mandatory set of pre-departure orientations at PC for all students planning to participate in the program. In addition, the Asian Studies Program also hosts an orientation at Kansai Gaidai University. This orientation will include information that is designed to help reduce culture shock. Housing and Meals Students may choose to live either on campus or with a homestay family, though KG will work with international students to find off-campus housing if desired. Staying with a homestay family will provide students with more opportunities to experience Japanese culture and language. There are also four dormitories, or Seminar Houses, which are primarily for international students. All dorms are within a 20-minute walk from the main campus and the nearest train station and within a 10-minute walk from the nearest supermarket. Three of the dormitories are tatami-mat style with rooms shared by two students. The fourth is apartment-style with a shared kitchen among six to eight students. All dormitories have shared shower rooms, kitchens, coin-operated laundry machines, TV lounges, and internet access. There is no meal plan at KG; students are expected to cook for themselves. However, there are several university cafeterias, and supermarkets and convenience stores are numerous throughout the area.
Quick Facts
Population: 127368088 Capital: Tokyo Per-capita GDP: $ 35200 Size: 377915 km2 Time Zone: (GMT + 09:00 hours) Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo
US State Department
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