Yamasa
From HyogoAJET
Yamasa is a private, not-for-profit Japanese language institute located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture (close to Nagoya). They offer a wide range of Japanese language classes with very flexible schedules. Most of their courses are highly oriented towards aural communication. Many JETs have found this school very useful. This page is a reference for those interested in attending Yamasa as well as those who are/will.
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Study Leave & Applying to Yamasa
The summer vacation period in late July and August is a great time to take 2 or 4 weeks to study Japanese at Yamasa. If your school/employer will allow it, take study leave so you do not need to take personal leave. Please note that currently (June 2008) the Hyogo BOE does not grant study leave so if they are your employer (i.e., you are a high school JET) you will most likely have to take personal leave to attend Yamasa.
You can apply to Yamasa on their web site. Examine their very extensive site before you decide which course to apply for, but the vast majority of JETs are looking to improve their spoken Japanese so in those cases you should apply for SILAC or Acceleration: Format 2 (SILAC with some extra classes).
The summer courses at Yamasa are very popular and fill up very quickly, so it is advisable to apply early (January of the year you want to attend is a good time). You can reserve a spot with a refundable deposit, so if you are not able to obtain study leave and decide not attend then you can get your money back. Yamasa also offers tuition discounts for JETs.
The application process itself is very straight forward:
- Select the course of study you want to take and the dates you want to attend.
- Select which housing you would prefer to have (Yamasa has dorms and apartments)
- Complete and submit the application on their web site.
- Send your tuition deposit (a nominal amount that can be paid online, by credit card and is refundable).
- Receive confirmation from Yamasa (new students also have to send a photo)
- Pay your tuition in full by about 1 month before you will begin studying (furikomi is the best way to pay)
- You will not know your housing until you arrive and you will pay for housing upon arrival.
Obon Holiday
If you are thinking of studying for just two weeks you will want to check the school's holiday schedule because Yamasa typically has a 3 day holiday for obon during August. To get the most out of your two weeks you will probably not want to attend during that week.
Studying
Since you are paying good money (and in some cases also taking study leave) you really should focus on your Japanese studies while you are at Yamasa. The weekends are a good time for playing in Nagoya or traveling to other places nearby (Shizuoka, Tokyo) but during the week you will need to commit most of your time to study.
Classes run until 2:30, except Fridays when they finish at 12. You will have homework to complete every day and you will be expected to thoroughly prepare for the next day's lesson beforehand. The pace at Yamasa is very fast. They tend to cover about one lesson/chapter in a textbook per day, and it is expected that each student has already read and practiced the material before class. There are also regular tests of units of work that includes written and oral parts. If you do not pass the test you cannot move on to the next level/module.
The curriculum is fast paced and strict, but if you are serious about increasing your Japanese skills and put in the effort, you will find that Yamasa is one of the most effective ways to rapidly and dramatically improve your Japanese abilities.
Driving To Okazaki (岡崎)
If you have a car, driving to Okazaki can be a relatively cheap and flexible way to get there and back to Hyogo. Driving also allows you to bring more stuff from home to make your stay in Okazaki more comfortable and affordable (futon, etc.). There are numerous ways to drive from Hyogo to Okazaki, but the most straightforward is to use expressways. Expect tolls to be somewhere in the range of 5000 yen.
From Himeji/Kobe Area
- Get on the Chugoku (中国) expressway heading towards Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto
- At the Suita (吹田) junction get on the Meishin (名神) Expressway heading towards Kyoto.
- From there you will basically just follow the signs all the way to Nagoya and then to Okazaki.
- The junctions (again, just follow signs for Nagoya and then Okazaki) you will pass through on your way to Okazaki are:
- 草津ＪＣＴ (Shin Meishin 新名神 Expressway )
- 亀山ＪＣＴ (Higashi Meihan 東名阪 Expressway )
- 四日市ＪＣＴ(Isewangan 伊勢湾岸 Expressway )
- Note: at this junction you should take the ramp that goes to Toyota (豊田) and not stay on the road heading towards Nagoya.
- 豊田ＪＣＴ (Tomei 東名 Expressway)
- Driving under normal traffic conditions and stopping to rest, it should take you about 4 hours to reach Okazaki.
From Toyooka / Tajima Area
- Drive to Fukuchiyama
- From Fukuchiyama, drive to Kyoto (Highway 9)
- Halfway to Fukuchiyama you will have the option of taking a new expressway the rest of the way to Kyoto. You can either take the expressway and get there a little faster or stay on Highway 9. They all end up at the same spot, in Kyoto.
- When you arrive in Kyoto, stay on Highway 9 and drive through the city (the 9 changes into the 1 as you drive through the city).
- Just follow the signs to the Meishin Expressway (Kyoto Higashi). This means basically just driving straight.
- There is one tricky part where Highway 1 Y's off in two directions and the one towards the Meishin is not clearly marked. You want to be in the right hand fork. If you take the left one it takes you to Kyomizu Dera. See the Y on Google Maps.
- Get on the Meishin (名神) Expressway at the Kyoto Higashi (京都東) Interchange.
- From here you will basically just follow the signs all the way to Nagoya and then to Okazaki.
- The junctions (again, just follow signs for Nagoya and then Okazaki) you will pass through on your way to Okazaki are:
- 草津ＪＣＴ (Shin Meishin 新名神 Expressway)
- 亀山ＪＣＴ (Higashi Meihan 東名阪 Expressway)
- 四日市ＪＣＴ(Isewangan 伊勢湾岸 Expressway)
- Note: at this junction you should take the ramp that goes to Toyota (豊田) and not stay on the road heading towards Nagoya.
- 豊田ＪＣＴ (Tomei 東名 Expressway)
- Driving under normal traffic conditions and stopping to rest / eat lunch, it should take about 6 or 7 hours to reach Okazaki.
Arriving In Okazaki
When you arrive in Okazaki you will need to then drive to Yamasa to check in. Fortunately, the campus is not too far from the Okazaki Interchange. Yamasa has excellent directions from the Okazaki IC on their site.
Maps
Yahoo Maps Japan is a useful site because it neatly labels all the interchange, junction, and expressway names (in kanji). The following are some pre-zoomed links that will let you see key spots on the driving route. You can print out copies to take along with you.
Using the Trains
When you are in Okazaki, utilizing the trains is one of the most convenient ways of getting around.
Tokaido Line (東海)
The Tokaido line is probably the JR line that you will use most frequently. It runs between Nagoya and Okazaki. Nagoya station is big but relatively easy to navigate. The trains to Okazaki run from platforms 1 and 2.
Time schedules can be found here:
Nagoya Subway
When you are in Nagoya City, traveling by subway is very convenient. Here is some information about the subway to help you find your way around.
Life in Okazaki
Okazaki is a suburb city of Nagoya. Okazaki itself is fairly ordinary and not as busy as Nagoya (which is good because you are there to study and not be distracted!). Here are some information resources to help with your stay in Okazaki:
- Okazaki City Guide: very complete and handy guide to find things to do, places to eat, and how to get around in Okazaki itself.
- Yamasa Area Map: a very comprehensive map of the area surrounding Yamasa. Useful for finding restaurants, shops, etc.
- Okazaki Cineplex: schedule for the movie theater very close to the campus.
