Program Overview

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Introduction to the Japanese Language and Culture Studies Program (JLCSP)

The Japanese Language and Culture Studies Program (JLCSP) is a "junior year abroad" type program for undergraduate students majoring in Japanese language and culture. Each year, international students from partner universities and government-sponsored students come to Japan to take this enriching program. The JLCSP is renowned nationwide and provides classes of varying levels of difficulty (intermediate to advanced) to students of the Japanese language.

Program Overview

The program consists of two types of courses: courses in Japanese language and courses in Japanese linguistics, culture, and society. The objectives of the program are to cultivate Japanese language proficiency that will be useful for research and studies related to the Japanese language and culture, and to promote a deeper understanding of Japan and its culture, particularly in the fields of Japanese linguistics and Japanese language education.

Objectives of the Program

• This course is designed to cultivate Japanese language proficiency that will be useful for research and studies related to the Japanese language and culture.
• It also aims to promote a deeper understanding of Japan and its culture, particularly in the fields of Japanese linguistics and Japanese language education.
• Through the program, students improve their Japanese language skills by taking specialized courses in Japanese language and culture, multicultural studies courses with Japanese students, and Arts and Science Courses in English.

Program Length

• One year: October 2026 – Mid-August 2027
• Half year (2026 Fall semester): October 2026 – Mid-February 2027
• Half year (2027 Spring semester): April 2027 – Mid-August 2027

Number of Students Accepted

• One year: 40
• Half year: 20 (for each Fall and Spring semester courses)
• In principle, only one student is supposed to be accepted from each university; however, in case the number of applicants is lower than the numbers shown above, 2 or more students could be accepted from the same university.

Conditions for Completion

• A certificate of completion will be given to students who satisfactorily earn 20 credits (10 credits for the half-year program) or more throughout the period of the program.

Eligibility

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must be a Japanese language and/or culture major enrolled in an undergraduate degree course at a university-wide agreement partners of Hokkaido University. First-year students are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants should have N3 (or higher) on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or equivalent or higher proficiency in Japanese at the time of application.
• Applicants must possess a good academic record at university level.

Applying

Application Deadline

• JLCSP (Fall) Course: February 6, 2026 (JST)
• Please note that late applications will not be accepted, and our online application deadline cannot be extended.
• To complete applications, all the application steps need to be completed by the deadline above.

Application Guidelines

• Read the guidelines carefully before applying.
• Japanese Language and Culture Studies Program Application Guidelines

Application Steps

1. Applicants who have obtained approval to apply for JLCSP from their home university will submit the required documents listed below via TAO.

• Application form for Japanese Language and Culture Studies Program students
• Consent to Transfer and Process Personal Data (template in Japanese/English)
• Certificate of passing at least N3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test
• Digital photo data
• Study Plan in Hokkaido University (template for One Year Course / Half Year Course)

2. The home university's exchange coordinator must submit the documents listed below via TAO.

• Certificate of enrollment (template)
• Recommendation Letter to the President of Hokkaido University
• Official transcript of academic record

3. The applicant completes the application process by pressing the "Complete my application" button on TAO.

Scholarship

For Half-Year Course Students: JASSO Scholarship

• The JASSO scholarship is available only for the Half-Year course applicants who meet the JASSO requirements.
• If you wish to apply for this scholarship, please apply through TAO during the application period.
• Term of scholarship: October 2026 – February 2027, April 2027 – August 2027
• Monthly stipend: ¥80,000 (expected amount)

For One-Year Course Students: Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship

• The MEXT scholarship is available only for the One-Year course applicants who will be 18 years old to 29 years old on April 1, 2026, and have a Certificate of passing N2 or above of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and equivalent.
• If you wish to apply for this scholarship, please apply through TAO.
• Term of scholarship: from October 2026 to August 2027
• Monthly stipend: ¥117,000 (expected amount)