If you decided to go to a Japanese language school in Japan, you might notice that you need to pass fulfill a 150-hour study requirement of an official Japanese language course. Presumably, this means the school already expects you to have basic Japanese language skills, and this might be one of the documents you need to submit for your student visa.
Does this mean that you can’t study Japanese in Japan as a complete beginner? The answer to this is that it depends. That’s because many factors can affect how easy or difficult it would be to apply for a Japanese language school, including your nationality and the school itself.
How do you provide a certificate explaining you’ve done 150 hours of Japanese lessons? Should you prepare it either way? Don’t let this study requirement scare you from applying for a language school in Japan. We’ll explain this unique requirement in full detail.
Jump to:
- What’s The 150-hour Study Requirement for Japanese Language School?
- How Do I Get My 150 Hours of Japanese Study Requirement?
- Are There Alternatives to the 150-hour Study Requirement?
- So Can I Still Apply for a Japanese Language School Even Though I’m a Beginner?
- Conclusion
- FAQ
What’s THE 150-hour Study Requirement for Japanese language schools?
Basically, the 150-hour Japanese study condition is imposed by Japanese immigration. They require you to submit official documents (such as a certificate of course completion) proving that you’ve studied Japanese for at least 150 hours in an official Japanese language program in the past.
This prerequisite helps crack down on fraudulent visa applications and acts as a filter for some people who will have now more burden of proof to show they want to learn the language, and not just come to Japan to work. However, many countries are exempt from this.
The next question is: If some countries are exempt from this requirement, why do some schools apply the 150-hour requirement for all of their students? This is because the government can still ask anyone for proof of Japanese study, especially if they closely scrutinize your application and want to determine your reason for studying and your ability to fund yourself.
This is why some schools do it anyway. So while it is frustrating, it’s usually in your best interest to comply with the school of your choice. Sometimes, the school will ask for this certificate for all individuals who apply to study Japanese in Japan. Sometimes, it depends on your home country. And sometimes, the school will not ask this at all.
So why 150 hours in particular?
If you research how many study hours it takes to take the JLPT, it takes 350 hours to pass the JLPT N5, the lowest level. The 150 hours of Japanese study is an indicator to measure your willingness and ability to study in Japan. In other words, it shows that you are truly serious and prepared to join a Japanese language school.
This prerequisite helps crack down on fraudulent visa applications and acts as a filter for some people who will have now more burden of proof to show they want to learn the language
Generally, this requirement is implemented on some groups of people, including those from certain nationalities, those who haven’t finished high school, older individuals, or someone with a big gap year in their personal history.
This Japanese study requirement is on a case-by-case basis. We will help you sort this out and clarify whether or not you are required to present a 150-hour study certificate to the school you are applying for.
How Do I Get My 150 HOURS of Japanese Study Requirement?
If you’ve studied Japanese for 3 hours a week, this will be 50 weeks of Japanese lessons. If you do an intensive course for 3 hours a day for 4 – 5 days a week, you will get to this in three months.
Depending on the course options — whether it’s intensive or part-time — finishing 150 hours of Japanese language studies will take 3 to 12 months.
Sometimes, the school can accept self-study as long as you specify your study materials (like using apps or self-study online courses like this), but most of the time, you will have to give an official certificate.
One option is to take part-time online group courses at Coto Academy for a few months.
Our courses are perfect for beginners that are new to the Japanese language.At the end of your course, you can request a certificate of course completion to verify the hours of Japanese studies. You can contact our coordinator, who will discuss the best options of action for you.
Are There Alternatives to the 150-hour Study Requirement?
Yes. In most cases, you can provide a certificate of JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) of N5 to N4. You can even present any certificates that Japanese immigration treats as equivalent to JLPT N5 or higher. This includes when you have:
- Acquired 300 points or more in the BJT (Business Japanese Test)
- Obtained 315 points or more in the JPT
- Certified as level 5 or above in the Japanese NAT-TEST
- Acquired 350 points or more in the STBJ (Standard Business Japanese Test)
There are more tests that are approved by immigration. You can check the full list on their official website here. You can also check out alternatives to JLPT test.
So Can I Still Apply for a Japanese Language School Even Though I’m a Beginner?
So do you need to actually study 150 hours before you can apply to a Japanese language school? What happens when you decide to move to Japan a month before the application closes? Will this set you back?
Most of our partner schools have a beginner course and are experienced with teaching foreigners who have never studied Japanese before.
However, as general advice, it is good to start taking Japanese classes in your home country as soon as you’ve decided to study in Japan in the future. We recommend you have basic hiragana and katakana knowledge, either through self-study, a private class or a group course. Knowing the basic Japanese writing system will help make your transition to moving and studying in Japan more smooth. Besides that, you won’t have to waste time learning the very basics of Japanese at the start of the semester.
Read our article to get learn more about applying for a student visa in Japan.
Conclusion
Some schools will impose the 150-hour study requirement before individuals can get their student visas, but it’s not the case for all schools. This might only apply to specific groups of people from certain countries and ages or those with specific personal histories (no high school diploma or big gap years of unemployment after graduation).
However, it is still important to start studying Japanese as soon as possible — ideally, 6 to 12 months before the school term starts. We also recommend you plan accordingly when applying for a Japanese language school in Japan.
If the school requires you to fulfill 150 hours of Japanese study requirement, Coto School Finder will help you find the best solution, such as suggesting the right courses. Keep in mind that this might still set you back another term.
If you want free support in finding a school and applying for a student visa, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
FAQ About The Japanese Study Requirement
150-hour Japanese study condition is imposed by Japanese immigration that requires you to submit documents (such as a certificate of course completion) proving that you’ve studied Japanese for at least 150 hours in an official Japanese language program in the past.
No. Most of the time, this is only required for some groups of people, like individuals over 30 years old, those who didn’t complete their high school education, and those who have been out of school for 5 years.
Most schools are experienced in teaching Japanese to complete beginners, but it is better to have some basic Japanese writing and vocabulary knowledge.
Taking a Japanese course 6-12 months before the start of your school term is an ideal timeline. The sooner you start, the better.
