ICC Language Schools | We provide in over 50 languages in Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Machida , Hachioji and Yokohama.

Students have to have a minimum age of 6 to enroll at ICC. For minors we require the signature of the person responsible for the education of the student on the enrollment form.

Currently, ICC has 6 schools, 5 located in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Machida and Hachioji) and 1 in Yokohama. However, we do also offer lessons at your office or home.

All of our schools are conveniently located near public transportation, just a few minutes away on foot from major train stations. See maps of our school locations.

Yes, we can dispatch qualified native instructors to conduct lessons at your home or on your organization’s premises.

In addition to private individuals, such as businessmen, office employees, students, housewives, children, and others, ICC has an outstanding track record of providing excellent foreign language programs and services to major Japanese and foreign corporations, governmental institutions and other organizations. Our impressive clients list includes the Japanese Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Ministry Of Defense, the Japanese Police Department, the Pentagon, the U.S. Forces in Japan, the U.S. Embassy, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sony, Panasonic, Shiseido, Shell, Siemens and Chanel, to name just a few.

You can apply by phone, by mail or come directly to one of our schools.

You can sign-up for our courses anytime.

A trial lesson can be held anytime, but needs to be arranged in advance. You can call one of our school offices or fill out the online application form and mail it to us. Please note that trial lessons for the major languages in Japan (Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Korean) are a charge of ￥2,160 for one 30-minute. However, there is a charge of ￥5,400 for one 50-minute for all other languages.The charge will be deducted from the school fees upon enrollment. For details, please check with our school office.

In the trial lesson or on the first day of the course you will take a simple proficiency test to determine your level of the target language.

ICC has a wide range of courses in more than 50 languages and dialects, from complete beginner courses to advanced courses for accomplished linguists, designed to suit any organization’s or individual’s specific needs. Please see le course list below:

General Language Courses
Survival Travel Language Courses
Business Language Courses
Overseas Relocation Language Courses
Language Courses for Executives
Language Courses for Diplomats
Language Courses for Military Linguists
Language Courses for Police Linguists
Language Courses for Children
Language Courses for Returnees
Test Preparation Language Courses
Language Courses for Specific Purposes
Intensive Language Courses

The following are ICC’s types of lessons:

One-to-one Lessons
Our One-to-one Lessons system, designed around each student’s level, schedule and needs, guarantees that the students make the maximum progress in the time they have.
Semi-Private Lessons　（Small classes of two to five students）
Semi-Private Lessons are available for corporate clients and for students who wish to study with family members, work colleagues or friends. The course curriculum will be adapted to the students’ exact level and specific needs.

Group Lessons (Classes of more than five students)
As for Semi-Private Lessons, Group Lessons are available for corporate clients and for students who wish to study with family members, work colleagues or friends. The course curriculum will be adapted to the students’ exact level and specific needs.

On-site Lessons
Upon request, ICC can dispatch excellent native instructors to the students’ home or office so they do not have to stress about traveling to our schools. Our language programs are tailor-made and adjustable.

Yes, we welcome students of all nationalities. The lessons are generally conducted in the target language, but depending on the student’s native language, English or Japanese are sometimes used to explain certain grammar points for students with a low level of proficiency.

The lessons at ICC are always lively and fun. They focus on developing your ability to communicate in the target language with confidence. Our professional and friendly instructors will help you improve and expand all your language skills, and achieve your language objectives in the time that you have. Classroom activities are designed to keep you interested and motivated, and may include role-plays, discussions, dialogue practice, and other enjoyable and interactive exercises. You will have ample opportunity to practice all aspects of the target language in the classroom.

Generally, ICC classes are one-to-one, but we do have semi-private and group lessons for students who wish to study with family members, friends or colleagues, or for corporate clients. The size of a group will be determined with the client, but in order to ensure maximum learning progress, we suggest that the number of students does not exceed 5, as the instructors can address the individual needs of each student in this size of class more effectively.

Yes, if you give the school office notice by phone, fax or e-mail, by 5pm of the previous day (In case the previous day is a Sunday or a holiday, by 5pm of the day before the Sunday or the holiday), your class(es) can be rescheduled. If you belong to a group, you need to discuss the desired changes with the other classmates and the instructor(s). To make sure that there are classrooms and instructors available, and in order to avoid any misunderstanding, all changes need to be coordinated with and approved by the school office.

Yes, it is possible to extend your course anytime. However, to ensure availability of classrooms and instructors, we recommend booking the desired number of units prior to the start of the course. In addition to that, the fees per unit are cheaper if you purchase a higher number of units. As soon as you have made a decision to extend your course, please contact our school office.

Yes, all ICC schools have computers with free internet access at your disposal.

That will depend on a number of factors, including the relative difficulty of the language you wish to learn, whether you’ve studied it, or a similar one before, your level of motivation in learning, and the amount of time you are willing to spend practicing it. Based on our experience, we believe that approximately 150 hours of class instruction, combined with some homework and extracurricular efforts, will enable you to raise your target language proficiency by one level.

Depending on the subject, you can talk directly to your instructor, or talk to our school office staff. We would like to help you achieve your language objectives and be satisfied, so please do not hesitate to ask us any questions you might have or make any suggestions at any time

Generally, your instructors will give you about one hour homework per day. However, in order to retain and expand the acquired language skills, we recommend that you invest as much time as possible in self study.
See our useful tips on how to improve your language skills faster

If you have just completed your first lesson and are feeling a little overwhelmed, then don’t worry. Little by little, you will get used to your classes. As full immersion is widely recognized as the most effective way to learn a language, courses at ICC are taught mainly in the target language. Some students might find this a little daunting at first, especially if they have previously been used to bi-lingual instruction. However, if you really are struggling to keep up or are finding that the course content is too easy for you, please discuss the matter with your instructors directly or talk to our school office staff about it.

Our open enrollment system allows you to start a course anytime. As most of our classes are one-to-one classes, we do not have one set starting date or time. Therefore, classes may be held anytime, from 7 am to 11 pm, 7 days a week, all year round.

Yes, we offer intensive half-day (3 to 4 lessons per day) or full-day (6 to 8 lessons per day) courses, from one to seven days a week, all year round, with a curriculum adapted to your exact proficiency level and focusing on your specific needs.
See Intensive Courses

It depends on your proficiency level at the start your course, how proficient you are at languages in general, how much you participate in the class, how much time you invest in your homework and self study, how difficult the target language is, and on other factors.

Yes, we will prepare you for the desired exam and will ensure that you receive higher scores by providing you with specialized instructors, the most updated teaching materials, and audio and computer tests that will help you achieve your test goals.

Our open enrollment system allows you to start anytime. Since most of our classes are one-to-one classes, we do not have one set starting date or time. Classes may be held anytime, from 7 am to 11 pm, 7 days a week, all year round.

We offer intensive private or semi-private, half-day (3 to 4 lessons per day) or full-day (6 to 8 lessons per day) courses, from once to seven days a week, all year round, with a curriculum focusing on your needs and goals. Please contact our school office for further details.

It depends on the level you are in when you start your course, how proficient you are at languages in general, how much you participate in the class, how much time you invest in doing your homework, how difficult the target language is, and on other factors.

ICC ensures that you will receive higher scores in the desired examination by providing you with specialized instructors, the most updated teaching materials, and also audio and computer tests that will help you achieve your test goals.

How long will it take me to become fluent? This is one of the questions most language learners ask themselves when first starting out on a course of study.

That will depend on a number of factors, including the relative difficulty of the language you wish to learn, whether you’ve studied the language, or similar languages before, your level of motivation, and the amount of time you are willing to spend on practicing it before and after classes.

Our instructors are well experienced professionals, enthusiastic, outgoing, friendly, and flexible. They try to listen to each student's needs and tailor each lesson to those needs. We select our instructors based on several criteria, including teaching ability, professionalism, and their ability to inject their own personality and creativity into their lessons. They are trained to keep instructor talk time low, but are also encouraged to challenge and motivate the students to use what they have learned both in class and in their daily lives.

Almost all of our instructors are professional native speakers. However, upon request, non-native instructors can be provided.

ICC instructors must have a Bachelor's degree or higher, and at least 3 years experience in teaching the target language as a second language.

Generally, you will have the same instructor(s) who will guide you through your course, but of course, if you choose to, you can change instructors anytime during the course.

As full immersion is the most effective way to learn a language, courses at ICC are taught mainly in the target language. However, when absolutely necessary, most of our instructors can explain vocabulary and concepts in Japanese or in English.

Yes, you can. All our instructors are multilingual, and have a lot of experience teaching students at all proficiency levels, so we are convinced that you will enjoy your lessons, and progress smoothly with a native instructor, even if you are a complete beginner.

Our lessons will generally follow an integrated skills approach. Classes will focus on functional and notional areas, and then work on the language skills required to achieve competence in those areas. These will consist of a mix of structural, lexical and cultural items, including work on question forms, politeness phrases, appropriate intonation, and phrases to attract attention. The instructors will always follow an active learning approach, engaging their students in the target language.

Before the start of your classes, the textbooks and other teaching materials will be discussed with you and selected to suit your exact proficiency level and specific needs.

Yes, you may choose your own textbooks. However, please let your instructor(s) discuss options with you in order to best address your exact proficiency level and needs.

It depends on the target language, the number of students in your class, and the number of units you purchase. For tuition fee details, please see our school tariff or contact our school office.
See School Tariff

Yes, if you give the school office notice by phone, fax or e-mail, by 5pm of the previous day (In case the previous day is a Sunday or a holiday, by 5pm of the day before the Sunday or the holiday), your class(es) can be canceled and made up on another day.

Generally, long term absence from classes can be approved up to three times a year, for up to a total of three months, but the school office needs to be informed in advance. The lessons that could not be taken during this period, can be rescheduled. However, these lessons need to be taken within the contract period.

Yes, you can change or cancel your contract with ICC anytime, before or after the course has started. Our refund policy is based on the policy stipulated by Japanese law. For details, please see our Refund Policy or contact our school office.
See Refund Policy

We generally require payment in advance for first-time students and clients. Payment needs to be made in full, but if the school fees exceed \100,000, payment can be made in up to 3 installments, and needs to be completed within three months. For clients who have established contracts with ICC, depending on the content of the contract, small amount and short term courses can be billed upon course completion, and long-term courses may be billed weekly or monthly. Our invoice terms are net 30, unless stated otherwise in the contract. Payment can be made by cash or bank transfer. Please note that payment needs to be confirmed at least by the day before the starting day of the course. If that day is a Sunday or a holiday, payment needs to be confirmed the day before that.

Our refund policy is based on the policy stipulated by Japanese law. For details, see our Refund Policy or contact our school office. Please note that only tuition fees are refundable. All other fees, such as the enrollment fee are nonrefundable.

Our refund policy is based on the refund policy stipulated by Japanese law. For details, please contact our school office. Please note that we refund part of the tuition fees only. All other fees, such as the enrollment fee and other fees are nonrefundable.

Yes, a final test will be given by the end of each course, and upon a successful completion, a certificate confirming the course you have completed and the level you have achieved will be awarded.

Because we do not offer full-time Japanese language courses, we cannot arrange students visas. But, many It depends on some factors, such as the length of the course you wish to apply for, and your nationality. Many countries have a visa waiver agreement with Japan, allowing you to learn Japanese in Japan for a limited period of time (Usually, 3 or 6 months) without any visa at all. A list of these countries is available on the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. You can also study with us for up to three months (In some cases, up to six months) on a standard tourist visa. It is possible to renew tourist visas, either from within Japan, or by visiting a neighboring country such as Korea or China. In these cases, no student visa is required, even for full-time study.

If you can't find the answers to some of your questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. We will be very happy to help you. Just call us and speak to an ICC adviser or email us at info@icc-net.jp, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Translation involves the transferal of the meaning of a written document into another language via writing. A translator is able to make use of reference materials, such as dictionaries and glossaries, during the translation process. For example, a user manual may be translated from Japanese or English into a variety of foreign languages.

Interpretation is the facilitation of verbal communication between individuals who do not speak the same language. The immediate nature of interpretation prohibits the use of reference materials. For example, in a trial involving an English-speaking defendant in Japan, any statements by the Japanese judge or attorneys will be communicated in English to the defendant, and any statements made by the defendant in English will be repeated in Japanese for the court.

Transcription involves transferring recorded language into a written transcript. Using a recording of an English-language interview as an example, while listening to the recording, a transcriber produces a written transcript of the interview in English. A translator then translates the English transcript into Japanese.

We have been providing language services in more than 50 languages and dialects. Please see our language listing for more details. If you don’t see the desired language(s) on the list, please let us know. We are convinced that we can locate qualified linguists through our networks.

First, obtain a price estimate by e-mailing, faxing, or mailing us a copy of the document to be translated. If the document is large, please send us between five to ten representative pages. After you approve the estimate, send us the complete document and any previous translations or background materials you may have that will be helpful to our linguists. We’ll get started promptly and, if necessary, will contact you occasionally with a status report or questions. When the translation and quality review process are complete, we’ll send the translation to you via your preferred method and will call or e-mail you to confirm your receipt and satisfaction.

The turnaround time for translations depends on several factors, but we believe that we are among the fastest in the industry. Your estimate will include our lowest price for the services and turnaround time you require. The number of words that can be translated, edited, proofread, and formatted varies depending on the language, subject matter, and other requirements. The best quality and terminology consistency is achieved using one translator and one editor; however, we understand that deadlines may require alternative solutions.

For documents and other materials that do not require a highly polished text, please contact us as soon as possible.

We generally send a computer file via e-mail, but if necessary, we can also send files in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF formats. In the case of large documents, we can also provide translations on CD-Rs.

Unfortunately we are not able to provide certified translations. Therefore, we cannot undertake translation of documents requiring certifications, such as: Family registers, resident's cards, or documents relating to legal complaints or petitions.

Please contact us by e-mail or telephone. You will be asked to send us the text. After receiving it, we will deliver an estimate promptly.

A computer file is the best format. If you are sending a hard copy, please post it if possible, because faxes are sometimes difficult to read.

Estimates are calculated based on the number of words or characters in the translated text. For translation from Japanese into another language, 23 lines are counted as one page (A4 size page), and the number of pages is multiplied by the unit price per page. For translation from English or another language into Japanese, 400 characters are counted as one page. The number of pages is multiplied by the unit price per page. For more details, please see our Translation and Interpretation Tariff.

After your requirements have been evaluated, we may determine that two interpreters are necessary in order to provide the appropriate level of quality. Interpretation is mentally and physically challenging, requiring immediate, accurate conversion of spoken words into another language without the help of reference materials. To achieve accuracy, intense concentration is absolutely necessary. Because this activity is so demanding, simultaneous interpreters take turns, generally in 20-minute increments.

Interpretation services are generally charged on a half-day or full-day basis. A half-day consists of up to 4 hours, while anything over 4 hours is charged at the full-day (8 hours) rate. Please note that due to the demanding nature of interpretation, interpreters require regular periods of rest, as well as meal breaks,. We also bill travel time and other necessary expenses.

Our cancellation policy varies depending on the type and length of the assignment and is always written in our estimate letter.

That depends on the type of assignment. For one-on-one meetings, no special equipment is required. If you have only one participant at a seminar who does not speak English or Japanese, we may recommend whisper interpretation, which also does not require specialized equipment. However, for events involving more than two or three foreign participants, we may recommend the use of a portable microphone so that all of the participants are able to hear the interpreter. For seminars with a number of non-English or non-Japanese speaking participants, you will need a microphone for the speakers and the interpreters. An international conference has the most specialized equipment requirements, such as soundproof booths for the interpreters, headsets with channels so that the participants can listen to the language of their choice, microphones, etc.

Despite the fact that interpreters are language professionals, they do not have the level of field-specific knowledge that speakers and participants in each conference have. Moreover, compared to interpreting in an unknown situation without any information, a much higher level of performance can be achieved when information on the topic and flow of discussion has been provided in advance.

For small projects and first-time clients, we generally require payment in advance. Depending on the complexity and nature of the project, a down payment might be required. For clients who have established contracts with us, we will bill small projects upon completion. Long-term projects may be billed weekly or monthly. Our invoice terms are net 30, unless stated otherwise in the contract.

If you can't find the answers to some of your questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. We will be very happy to help you. Just call us and speak to an ICC adviser or email us at info@icc-net.jp, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Our study abroad advisers are always at your disposal to give you information about the programs that are available, answer basic questions about studying abroad, and direct you to where you can learn more about related matters.

Have you considered studying abroad, but are not sure whether it's worth your time? If you ask anybody who has studied abroad, s/he will most certainly tell you that it is a life-changing experience and one of the most rewarding things s/he has ever done. There are countless reasons why everyone should study abroad.

Here are 10 excellent reasons why you should study abroad:
1. Study abroad is the optimal way to learn a language.
2. Study abroad provides the opportunity to travel.
3. Study abroad allows you get to know another culture first-hand.
4. Study abroad will help you develop skills and give you experiences a classroom
 　setting will never provide.
5. Study abroad gives you the opportunity to make friends around the world.
6. Study abroad helps you to learn about yourself.
7. Study abroad expands your worldview.
8. Study abroad gives you the opportunity to break out of your academic routine.
9. Study abroad enhances employment opportunities.
10. Study abroad can enhance the value of your degree.

Employers increasingly seek people who have international experience, and therefore a study abroad experience will enhance your employability. International knowledge, cross-cultural communication skills, flexibility, resilience, and the ability to adapt to new circumstances are skills enhanced through study abroad.

Generally, ICC Study abroad programs are available for anyone above the age of 16. For further details, please contact one of our study abroad advisers.

It all depends on your objective, your budget and the time you are willing to invest in studying abroad. Of course, the longer the course is, the more effective it will be. It is possible to plan a study abroad experience for short term study that lasts just a few weeks or a few months, or a full academic year.

That will depend on a number of factors, including the relative difficulty of the language you wish to learn, whether you’ve studied the language or a similar one before, your level of motivation in learning, and the amount of time you are willing to spend practicing between classes. Please call us, and one of our advisors will be happy to discuss your situation and make recommendations.

ICC offers study abroad programs in about 50 cities worldwide, in countries that are politically and economically stable and secure. With the help of a study abroad adviser and with some consideration of the kind of living situation you prefer, you should be able to find a program that meets your needs.

Detailed brochures are available free of charge. You may also contact one of our study abroad advisers if you have questions that can’t be answered in the brochure or if you want to know which kind of program best meets your needs and goals.

The possibilities for study abroad are abundant. Before researching programs you will want to have made some preliminary decisions as to the type of experience you want to have. Start by realistically assessing your academic, professional and personal objectives. Consider the following questions to help you think about the kind of study abroad experience that would be the right fit for you:
Location

• Where do you want to go?
• Why?
• Do you want to study in a less-developed or more-developed country?
• Do you want to be in a big city or a small town?
• What do you need to study to meet your personal, professional or academic objectives?

Academics

• What do you want to study to meet your academic objectives?
• Are there specific academic requirements that you need to fulfill during your study abroad?
• How will study abroad positively affect your academic program?

Structure

• To what extent do you wish to integrate yourself into the host culture?
• Do you prefer to participate in planned excursions included in the program or to arrange your own sightseeing and travel?

Living Arrangements

• Do you want to live in a university dormitory, in an apartment or in a hotel room?
• Do you prefer to live with a local host family?
• Do you wish to live alone or with other students?

Cost

• How much time can you afford to spend abroad in terms of economic resources?
• How much money can you spend on the study abroad experience? Consider not only tuition and fees, but also food, personal expenses, and international travel.
• If necessary, are you willing and able to take out loans or use personal funds in order to pay for your study abroad?

Duration

The options range from stays with local host families, to school dormitories, to apartments or hotel rooms, and are sometimes dependent on the city that you choose.

If you chose to live with a host family, ICC will match you with a carefully selected family, who will open their home and share their lives with you. There’s nothing like the experience of living as a member of a family and community in another country.

Both are possible. However, most students prefer to be hosted in small-to medium-sized towns. Families in big cities often live in small apartments, so they don’t have a lot of room. Also, outside the major cities you often get a better feel for what a country is really like.

Yes, you’ll fit in fine, and we’ll help you out, too. Before you travel, you’ll attend an orientation that will also help to prepare you for your study abroad experience. Remember that the people you meet abroad will be just as curious about you and your culture as you are about them and theirs, which will give you plenty of opportunities to talk, practice the language skills you have acquired and gather experience.

Many participants begin a program with little or no experience at all in the language of their host country but learn to communicate at a basic level very soon. There is no better way to learn a language than by speaking it! Do your best to communicate, even if you are using just basic words and phrases. You’ll get better each day and, depending on the length of your course and on your efforts, by the end of your term you’ll likely be fluent in the host country’s language.

A passport is an international form of identification showing a person’s nationality. It is required of all individuals traveling internationally. If you have not already applied for a passport, apply for it as soon as possible. It can take six to eight weeks to receive it and you will need it in order to obtain your student visa, if it should be necessary. Not having a passport can jeopardize your chances of going abroad since you can’t travel anywhere without one. If you already have one, make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after the end of your program. If not, start the renewal process as soon as possible.

A visa is a stamp or other notation generally placed in your passport that will allow you to enter and temporarily reside in your host country during your program. Depending on your nationality, the host country and on the length of your stay there, a visa might be required.

For small projects and first-time clients, we generally require payment in advance. Depending on the complexity and nature of the project, a down payment might be required. For clients who have established contracts with us, we will bill small projects upon completion. Long-term projects may be billed weekly or monthly. Our invoice terms are net 30, unless stated otherwise in the contract.

The answer to this question depends upon your nationality, your destination and the length of your stay there. For some countries, the process is straightforward and relatively quick, but for other countries, obtaining a visa can be time consuming. For this reason, please check with your travel agent or with the embassy or consulate of the host country to learn about visa requirements. You will need to begin preparations for obtaining your visa upon receipt of your country specific visa information. Please note that some visa applications require you to apply in-person at your host country’s embassy or regional consulate.
Also, if your program requires you to apply for a student visa, you may have to submit your passport to the consulate along with your visa application. For this reason, we suggest that you not plan any international trips in the months prior to your departure on one of our programs.

Visas are obtained through the consular offices of a country’s embassy. While most embassies are in Tokyo, there are a number of consulates located in some major cities in Japan. Please note that some visa applications require you to apply in-person at your host country’s regional consulate.

ICC will provide you with visa information to give you an idea of the process. However, our visa information tends to be very general, because it is not ICC who will issue your visa, it is the embassy or the consulate of the country where your program will take place. Therefore, it is critical that you obtain detailed information on the visa process for your program directly from a consular officer at the embassy or consulate of your host country. While ICC verifies visa requirements and fees before the start of our programs, we have found that these requirements can change suddenly without notice, and that requirements can sometimes vary from one consulate to another across Japan. ICC will provide you, when necessary, with visa support documentation. This documentation usually consists of an official letter from ICC stating that you have been accepted on our program, and documents containing your host family and school placement information from overseas. Sometimes these documents have to come from the appropriate ICC partner country, so we cannot always control when we will be able to send them to you.

Unfortunately, in very rare cases these scenarios do happen. Since consular officials are the persons who  issue visas, ICC has no control over these situations or the overall process itself. If you are denied a visa, ICC will do everything possible to offer you an alternative program in another country. Since you will not be able to travel before you have secured your visa, it is very important that you do purchase a refundable and changeable domestic ticket to your gateway departure city. Please note that not all programs require visas and that some visas are easier to obtain than others.

The amount of money needed depends on your habits as well as the exchange rate in your host country. Generally, spending money needed ranges from \30,000 to \50,000 per month. Depending on the arrangement, the costs for lodging and all or part of the meals, will usually be covered. However you should bring enough money to cover incidentals during travel and the first few weeks of your stay, in the event you are not able to go to a bank immediately upon arrival. You can exchange money to the new currency at a local bank upon arrival.

There are local offices and staff of our partner schools in the host countries to support you during your experience. Each student has an assigned local staff who is trained in providing support in English, Japanese or the local language.

All participants must be law abiding in their host country as well. There may be country-specific rules and regulations that apply and that you need to know and abide by. In a new environment, it’s important to be more aware than you might be at home. Remember that you are a student ambassador for your country, so it will be important to act correctly and respectfully toward others and to give extra attention to being culturally aware.

A health insurance is highly recommended. It ensures that, in an emergency, you can be treated as soon as possible, anywhere in the world. This medical coverage is a prerequisite for your participation and is not included in your program fees.

Most countries do not require special immunizations. We recommend immunizations based on the information provided by the Japanese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All participants should be immunized against the seven childhood diseases: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), and polio. We recommend that you check with a physician to determine which immunizations are appropriate based on your medical history.

It depends on several factors. Some students learn of their host families soon after they are accepted into the program; some right before departure. However, most students learn of their host families about 1-2 months prior to departure. Rest assured that we will get your host family contact information to you as soon as it is available. Note that if you have placement restrictions such as allergies to pets or to the environment, if you require access to religious services, or if you have any dietary restrictions, the placement process will likely take longer.

We suggest that you request a pick up arrangement upon registration. If you do, then, after you arrive in your host country, and after collecting your luggage and passing through customs, you will be met by the local staff who will escort you to your host family’s home, school dormitory or apartment. If you do not request a pick up arrangement before departure, you may have to travel by bus, train, or taxi on your own.

Things that represent your country and culture might be a suitable gift. Small gifts such as pins, pictures, mugs, t-shirts, or caps are also popular items. Be careful not to overindulge. A small token of appreciation for your host family should be enough. Expensive gifts may make the receiver uncomfortable and should be avoided.

Get as much information as possible about your host country, and learn more about the climate and on how people of your age dress. We suggest that you take things that you’re comfortable wearing. Avoid trendy outfits because they might not be in fashion in your host country and you may feel out of place. Also bring one or two nice outfits for special occasions.

We recommend that you pack a small carry-on bag with a change of clothes, a towel, and personal toiletries. In some cases access to your luggage is restricted during the arrival orientation and it’s important to have these items with you. For safety reasons, most airlines have introduced stiffer carry-on baggage rules, so keep your carry-on bags limited to a backpack or something similar in size. Once packed, weigh your luggage to make sure that it is less than 20 kg. Even though most international carriers permit you to take more than 20 kg of baggage, you may have to take a domestic flight within your host country. These flights often have more stringent rules regarding baggage. If you chose to bring additional or overweight bags, you may have to pay extra fees that may be charged by the airlines. Please remember that you will have to carry your own bags.

It depends on the course and on the location. For exact details, please see the study abroad brochure or contact our office.

ICC requests that a \100,000 deposit be submitted with your application. Your application will be sent to the host country only after your completed and signed application form and the \100,000 deposit have been received. ICC incurs expenses on your behalf and this deposit shows us that you are committed to participating. The remaining balance of your tuition must be received at least two months before the scheduled program start.

Early planning is the key to successful study abroad. Hundreds of study abroad opportunities exist; they differ in location, duration, curriculum, language, degree of cultural immersion, cost, and many other factors. In order to find the program that is the right fit for your personal, professional or academic objectives, you should begin planning your study abroad experience at least six months before you actually depart.

Once you have either decided on a program or made some preliminary decisions about the type of program you are interested in, please call us or send us an e-mail to info@icc-net.jp to schedule an appointment with one of our study abroad advisers.

The time it will take will depend on the length of your course, and on the documents you might need to submit, such as a health certificate. We recommend that you give yourself several weeks to complete the application procedure. Be sure to submit your completed and signed application form before the deadline.

If you can't find the answers to some of your questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. We will be very happy to help you. Just call us and speak to an ICC adviser or email us at info@icc-net.jp, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.