Language schools all teach Japanese; what differs is everything around the teaching — visa-renewal track records, progression to universities and jobs, class nationality mix, and whether the location lets you fund yourself with part-time work. Choose on outcomes and paperwork quality, not brochures.
Key facts
- Tuition (typical)
- ¥600–900k/year
- Main intakes
- April & October
- Max stay as language student
- 2 years
- Proof of funds (typical)
- ~¥2 million shown
- Key metric
- Graduation outcomes, not ads
Judge the paperwork, not the pamphlet
A language school is also your visa sponsor: it files your Certificate of Eligibility, reports your attendance to immigration, and its institutional record follows every application you make. Attendance below roughly 80–90% endangers renewal, and a school known for lax management makes even innocent students’ renewals harder. The single best filter is outcome data — progression, conversions, JLPT pass rates — and the willingness to show it.
The economics decide your second year
Tuition clusters at ¥600,000–900,000 a year everywhere, but the city around the school sets the rest of the budget. A Tokyo student pays roughly ¥40,000–60,000 more a month in living costs than one in Fukuoka or Kyoto — over two years that difference approaches a full year’s tuition. Factor the part-time market too: tourist cities hire multilingual students hardest.
Red flags with names
Schools that recruit through agencies promising guaranteed jobs; schools whose classes are 95% one nationality (conversation practice dies); schools that can’t explain their curriculum beyond “JLPT preparation”; and any pitch built on working more than the legal cap. The agency guide covers the recruiting side of the same problem — read both before signing anything.
Common mistakes & warnings
- Immigration tracks each school's visa-violation rate — schools with bad records get their students' applications screened harder. Ask directly what percentage of last year's students renewed without problems.
- A school that promises "you can earn your tuition working part-time" is describing a visa violation. The 28-hour cap makes covering full tuition plus living costs by baito alone unrealistic in most cities.
- Tuition refund terms differ wildly for visa refusals versus withdrawal — read the refund clause before paying anything beyond the application fee.
Frequently asked questions
What outcome data should I ask for?
Three numbers — what share of graduates progressed to universities or senmon gakkou, what share converted to work visas, and the JLPT pass rates by level. Schools that publish these are usually the ones worth joining.
Does the city matter as much as the school?
Often more. The same tuition buys radically different living costs and part-time markets — compare the school city's budget pages before deciding; a cheaper city can effectively fund your second year.
How do intakes and the 2-year clock work?
Most students enter in April or October and can stay a maximum of 2 years on a language-school student visa. Plan the exit — university, senmon gakkou, or work visa — from month one, not month eighteen.
Official sources
- Immigration Services Agency — student visa (2026-07-17)
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change; always confirm details with the official sources listed above before making decisions.