Japanese Lessons in Japan (Short-term, 1-24 weeks)
1 - 24 weeks
None
More than 16 start dates per year for beginners; with appropriate prior knowledge, course entry is possible every Monday.
16+
160 EUR
Language Lessons
World Unite! Beginner Conversation Course in Tokyo
This is a particularly affordable course aimed at people who want to quickly learn basic Japanese for speaking and understanding, such as working holidayers, interns, tourists, and travelers. There are monthly start dates for beginners, and participation is possible for as little as one week! The lessons take place in the lounge on the ground floor of our Shiohama Sharehouse in Koto-Ku, Tokyo. If you book sharehouse accommodation with us, you will live in the same building where the language lessons are conducted.
You can book any duration from 1 to 8 weeks. Group lessons take place Monday to Friday for 4 x 45 minutes each (a total of 20 lessons per week).
The start dates are:
August 3, 2026
September 7, 2026
October 5, 2026
November 2, 2026
November 30, 2026
January 11, 2027
February 8, 2027
March 8, 2027
April 5, 2027
May 3, 2027
June 7, 2027
July 5, 2027
August 2, 2027
September 6, 2027
October 4, 2027
November 1, 2027
November 29, 2027
If you already have some Japanese language skills, you can also join an ongoing course. Our teacher will test your current level in a short online conversation beforehand.
Partner Language School in Tokyo (Kudanshita) - Beginner to Higher Advanced
Our partner language school in Tokyo (Kudanshita) is only 30 minutes away from our Shiohama Sharehouse. It offers group Japanese lessons of any duration starting from 2 weeks without the need for a visa (Temporary Visitor Status), those with a self-arranged tourist visa, or with a Working Holiday Visa.
Four levels, from Beginner to Higher Advanced (JLPT N1), are taught simultaneously. Courses with various focuses have an average of 12-20 students at each course and level.
There are always 20 lessons per week from Monday to Friday, with each lesson lasting 50 minutes.
Beginners can start on major intake days:
August 31, 2026 (Practical Course for Beginners)
October 5, 2026 (Japanese Conversation Course and Intensive Course)
November 30, 2026 (Practical Course for Beginners)
January 12, 2027 (Japanese Conversation Course and Intensive Course)
April 5, 2027 (Japanese Conversation Course and Intensive Course)
October 12, 2027 (Japanese Conversation Course and Intercultural Learning Course)
*The availability of any language courses must be checked by us.
If you already have some knowledge of Japanese, you can join a course every Monday. To assess your language skills, we can email you a proficiency test before your booking. On the first day of your language lessons, there will be an additional test assessing your listening comprehension and speaking skills.
The courses offered are:
Practical Course for Beginners
This course can be booked for 2-4 weeks, or you can continue afterward with the Conversation course or Intensive course. The focus is on conversation in everyday situations in Japan, including reading (not writing) Hiragana and Katakana. The schedule is Monday-Friday 9:10-12:40 (4 sessions x 50 minutes with a 10-minute break). If you progress to the Conversation or Intensive course and learn to write hiragana and katakana, you can advance to Beginner 1 level. If you haven't mastered hiragana and katakana yet, you can continue with the Conversation or Intensive Course at Beginner 0 level.
Conversation Course
To start at this school, you need to have at least A1/N5 level of Japanese. Courses are available up to Higher Advanced (C2/N1) level. Reading and writing Hiragana/Katakana are taught to a lesser extent (1 lesson per day). At higher levels, Kanji is also part of the course. The schedule is Monday-Friday 9:10-12:40 (4 sessions x 50 minutes with a 10-minute break). Beginners can start at level "Beginner 0" (if you cannot yet read and write Hiragana&Katakana) and "Beginner 1" (if you are already comfortable with Hiragana&Katakana).
Until the end of September 2027, each Conversation Course term will run for 12 weeks. From the October 2027 intake onward, each term will be 11 weeks long.
Intensive Course / Intercultural Learning Course
To start at this school, you need to have at least A1/N5 level of Japanese. Courses are available up to Higher Advanced (C2/N1) level. The course includes speaking, understanding, grammar, and Kanji twice a week for 1.5 hours each. The highest level of the course, reached after 2 years, prepares students for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU). Classes are held Monday to Friday from 13:30 to 17:00 (4 lessons of 50 minutes with a 10-minute break).
Partner Language Schools in Tokyo (Shinjuku or Ikebukuro), Kyoto und Osaka
This provider is the largest chain of language schools in Japan, offering the course "General Japanese." Classes are held Monday to Friday, with 2 lessons of 90 minutes each, either in the morning (8:50-12:00) or in the afternoon (13:00-16:10). Participants are assigned to a morning or afternoon session and cannot choose. The group size is 20 students.
You can choose from the following locations:
Tokyo: Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Takadanobaba
Kyoto
Osaka
Beginners can start on the following dates:
October 5, 2026
January 12, 2027
April 5, 2027
July 5, 2027
October 4, 2027
*The availability of any language courses must be checked by us.
If you already have Japanese language skills, you can take a placement test and join an ongoing course every Monday upon confirmation from the language school.
You can choose the location, with slight price differences between the locations. If you participate in Tokyo, you can book our shared housing in Tokyo. If you participate in Kyoto, you can book accommodation in our shared house in Kyoto. At all locations, we can arrange home family accommodation.
Booking Process
Regarding the World Unite! Conversation Course: If you are a beginner and want to start on one of the listed start dates, you can book directly online on this page, and you do not need to check availability beforehand. A deposit of 100 EUR/USD secures your participation. You would pay the remaining amount only one month prior to the course start.
For our partner language schools, we must always check availability first. Please send us an inquiry and let us know when you want to start, how long you want to participate, and whether you are a beginner or already have some knowledge of Japanese.
If you are not a beginner, in the case of all language courses, we will send you a placement test that you fill. Based on the results, we can then confirm your course and your start date. We can then manually enroll you in the course.
You can also book accommodation later manually with us.
Program details
FAQs
Program Rates & Total Cost Overview
Who can join
Program Start Dates
Getting there
Visa
Accommodation Options
Extras
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What is included?
- Language lessons as booked
- Language school enrollment fees and educational materials
- Access to our mobile-friendly Knowledge Base incl. videos and texts about your life in Japan
- Bilingual Contact person on site (English and Japanese) for any assistance
- Support at our office or remotely (line, whatsapp, phone, email) during your time in Japan
- Discounts for bookings with other sharehouse chains in Japan
- Participation in World Unite! Language Exchange Events, Cultural Events, and Social Meetup Events in Tokyo at no extra cost!
- CO2 compensation of your long-haul flights: Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
Not included?
- Accommodation (can be booked as an extra)
- Travel to/from Japan (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
- Airport transfer (pickup can be booked as an extra)
- Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
- Personal Expenses
- Vaccinations
- Local Transport
INSIGHT
this program
Very frequent start of beginner courses
Extremely affordable prices for group courses
Every level from beginner to upper intermediate possible
Various locations available
Affordable shared housing and homestay accommodation can be booked

Questions?
your consultant for this program is
Zoe Steinmeyer
(she/her)
- PHONE numBerView our international phone numbers
- Email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Whatsapp+81-90-4702-1361
- INQUIRYSend an inquiry
- Video callBook a video call

