The Doshisha University Center for Japanese Language and Culture originally opened in April 1999 and its purpose is to help

• International students wishing to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program at Doshisha University,
• International students wishing to enroll at other universities and graduate schools in Japan, and
• Exchange students from universities all over the world which have exchange agreements with Doshisha University,

to gain an understanding of Japanese culture and to acquire Japanese language skills. While the Center for Japanese Language and Culture was restructured in April 2007, it is characterized by offering courses to suit each student’s needs as it always has been in the past.

The period of the program is one year. The Center has adopted the semester system; therefore, students can start the program from either the Spring Semester (April – September) or the Fall Semester (September – March).

Studying at your own level
Learning about Japanese culture and society

Every semester, the Center offers the Japanese Language Courses divided into eight different levels, in order to suit each individual student’s Japanese ability. This enables the students to improve their Japanese in a most efficient way appropriate to the level of their own skills.

These courses are offered in the morning, Monday through Friday. In the afternoon, the Center also offers various lecture courses on Japanese culture and society, conducted mainly in Japanese and English, in addition to Japanese and English Language Seminars.

Experiencing Japanese culture in the heart of Kyoto

The Center for Japanese Language and Culture is located on the Imadegawa Campus right to the north of the Kyoto Imperial Palace in the heart of Kyoto. Through classes and extracurricular activities, the Center offers various opportunities to learn about Japanese traditional culture, by making good use of our location in Kyoto, ancient capital with a history and tradition of 1,200 years. The classes and extracurricular activities include:

• Calligraphy
• Flower arrangement
• Tea ceremony
• Kimono dressing
• Traditional handicraft tours
• Ink brush painting
• Japanese harp “koto”
• Japanese cooking
• Traditional events and festivals, etc.

Newly established system of “admission by recommendation” to Doshisha University

From 2005, the students at the Center for Japanese Language and Culture are eligible to apply for “admission by recommendation” to the following faculties of Doshisha University:

• Faculty of Letters
• Faculty of Social Studies
• Faculty of Economics
• Faculty of Commerce
• Faculty of Policy Studies
• Faculty of Engineering

It is a major step forward for the future that has paved the way for international students to be admitted to Doshisha University through a channel other than the general entrance examination.

In 2008, the students are also be eligible to apply for the Graduate School of American Studies, as well as the Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Health and Sports Science. of which both due to open in 2008 and applying for approval.