1 week – 3 months
Short-term program
Study Japanese in Japan for 1 week to 3 months without a student visa — a good way to try school and life in Japan before a long course.
Is it for you?
Who short courses are for
Visa and entry
No student visa needed
Short courses are taken on a temporary visitor stay (短期滞在), which allows attending short courses for up to 90 days.
Citizens of 74 countries and regions can enter Japan without a visa — for most of them for 90 days (15 days for Indonesia and Thailand, 30 days for Brunei and Qatar). Everyone else applies for a short-term visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate; your school can send the documents you need.
More in our visa guide: Temporary Visitor and visa-free entry · how to get an entry visa · Student visa for a long-term course.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency · Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Checked September 2026.
Partner schools
20 schools with short courses
Course lengths and prices from each school’s page. Prices are for the course itself; housing is extra.
| School | City | Course | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akamonkai Japanese Language School | Tokyo | 3 months, can be extended | ¥220,000 (3 months) |
| ARC Academy | Tokyo | 3-month intensive | ¥214,000 |
| Communica Institute | Kobe | 1–3 months | ¥88,000 – ¥200,000 |
| Ichikawa Japanese Language Institute | Chiba | 4, 8 or 12 weeks, start any time | ¥65,000 – ¥140,000 |
| Tokyo Ikuei Japanese School | Tokyo | 4 weeks, beginner level | ¥90,000 |
| ISI Ikebukuro | Tokyo | 2–10 weeks | ¥99,150 – ¥248,750 |
| ISI Shinjuku | Tokyo | 2–8 weeks | ¥102,250 – ¥232,750 |
| ISI Shinjuku Prime | Tokyo | 2–20 weeks | ¥104,750 – ¥517,500 |
| ISI Osaka | Osaka | 2–20 weeks | ¥99,150 – ¥467,500 |
| ISI Kyoto | Kyoto | 2–20 weeks | ¥99,150 – ¥467,500 |
| ISI Nagano | Nagano (Ueda) | 2–10 weeks | ¥92,050 – ¥221,250 |
| ISI Shibuya-Harajuku | Tokyo | 2–10 weeks, business Japanese | ¥101,950 – ¥258,750 |
| ISI Takadanobaba (Academic) | Tokyo | From 2 weeks | from ¥99,150 |
| ISI Takadanobaba (Career) | Tokyo | From 2 weeks, career Japanese | from ¥101,950 |
| Japanese Tokyo International School | Tokyo | From 1 week, start any time | — |
| Kanrin Japanese Language School | Yokohama | 1–3 months | — |
| Kudan Institute of Japanese Language | Tokyo | From 2 weeks, starts every Monday | — |
| Matsudo International School | Chiba | Introductory and seasonal courses | — |
| SAMU Japanese Language School | Tokyo | From 1 month | — |
| Tokyo Johoku Japanese Language School | Tokyo | 3 months | ¥230,000 |
“—” = ask us for the current price. Scroll sideways on small screens.
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