IES Abroad Mandatory Orientation Upon arrival in Japan you will participate in the mandatory IES Abroad Tokyo Center orientation designed to support your adjustment in Japan. Your classes will not begin until orientation has concluded. During the orientation, you will take a Japanese language test that will determine your final placement into the language course that most closely corresponds to your language abilities. You will also receive more in-depth information about Japanese customs, the transportation systems in Tokyo, official course registration, health care, and safety. Take a look...

The Course Preregistration Form must be filled out in order for IES Abroad to start preparing for your course schedule. As class sizes are limited for most IES Abroad courses, Course Preregistration Forms will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please obtain course approval from your current college or university for all courses you intend to take before your departure, especially if you intend to fulfill specific degree requirements with those courses. Please note: The Course Preregistration Form can only be completed once. All subsequent changes will take place upon your...

The IES Abroad Tokyo Centers offers a unique opportunity for students to do a Field Placement at Japanese organizations throughout the semester as part of the SO/AN 391 Social Organization of Japan with Field Placement course. This is NOT an internship. You will be observing a Japanese organization for 8-10 hours every Wednesday in addition to attending the 3-hour SO/AN 391 seminar course that meets every other Thursday. Students with more advanced Japanese-language level may also be able to participate in certain office tasks. This Field Placement requires a serious commitment from all...

IES Abroad Area Studies Courses IES Abroad academic courses are designed to enhance your engagement in the intellectual, political, cultural, and social institutions of Japan. IES Abroad courses are taught by experts in the field, and course-related trips are integrated with in-class course work. The IES Abroad Tokyo Center offers several 3-credit, Japan-focused area studies courses each semester. Each of the area studies courses are taught in English and meet once a week for three hours. This format is more seminar-style than lecture, and you will need to make sure you adjust to this format...

In addition to IES Abroad courses, you may consider enrolling in 1.5-credit courses taught in English at KUIS, if your schedule permits. Some of the disciplines offered at KUIS are provided as a part of the KUIS BEKKA (special curriculum) program, which is their Japanese Language and Culture program. These courses provide you a great opportunity to study additional Japan-related area studies courses on campus. Enrollment in these courses is on a space-available basis.

Integration into Japanese campus life is crucial if you would like to study Japanese culture and language. Some students studying abroad may end up socializing mainly with each other because they don’t take full advantage of opportunities to interact with local students. To promote meaningful interaction between IES Abroad and Japanese university students, the Center has developed an E-pal Program, which matches IES Abroad students with Japanese university students who volunteer to be E-pals. You are strongly encouraged to sign up for an E-pal. Introductions are made via email at least one...

If you absolutely must arrive early, you MUST indicate this on your Travel Itinerary Form and notify your IES Abroad Advisor. You will need to tell your IES Advisor where you plan to stay before the official arrival date and whether you will meet IES Abroad staff and other students at the airport or the orientation facility training center hotel on the official arrival date. Once in Japan, you should contact the IES Abroad Tokyo Center staff to tell them you have arrived. Contact information for the IES Abroad Tokyo Center will be included on your Print Me document.

If you arrive in Japan after the official arrival date, you should follow the instructions once you arrive in the Print Me document to travel to the orientation hotel and call the emergency number to report on your arrival to the IES Abroad Tokyo Center.