Nara International Japanese School（奈良国際日本語学校）

About the school

2-37 Hongocho, Yamatotakada, Nara (2 minutes' walk from JR Takada Station, 8 minutes' walk from Kintetsu Yamatotakada Station). Established by the Machizukuri International Exchange Center public interest incorporated association; notified by the Ministry of Justice in August 2020 and opened in October the same year. 91 students (April 2026). First graduates were 56 in March 2024 and 70 in March 2026. A Japanese-language school for further study (vocational school, university, graduate school).

Fees

Annual tuition

¥660,000

Fee basis

First-year tuition (including tax) for the further-study 2-year course and 1-year 6-month course. Student admission guide (Japanese version, August 2026 edition). Other first-year costs: admission fee ¥110,000 + materials and extracurricular activity fees ¥38,000 + facility maintenance fee ¥44,500 + health management fee ¥22,000. The total is ¥1,639,000 for the 2-year course and ¥1,256,750 for the 1-year 6-month course.

Admission fee

¥110,000Tax included. Paid after the COE is issued. The ¥22,000 screening fee (tax included) is separate (borne by the agent).

Application / screening fee

¥22,000

Dormitory

To be confirmed

Dormitory & housing

Rental housing affiliated with the school (15 rooms, single to 6-person rooms). In principle residents live there for the first year after enrolment. ¥26,000 per person per month.

Admission requirements

Intake months

• April24 months(2 yrs)
• October18 months(1 yr 6 mo)

Course lengths

Short courses: 1–3 months

Study period

Further-study 2-year course (April entry, capacity 120, elementary to upper-intermediate) / further-study 1-year 6-month course (October entry, capacity 60, pre-intermediate to upper-intermediate). Two sessions: 9:00-12:10 / 12:50-16:00. Short-term (1-3 months) and plans for residents in Japan are available.

Admission requirements

High-school graduation or equivalent qualification, completion or current enrollment in 12 or more years of school education, 150 or more hours of Japanese study, ability to pay costs, sound in mind and body and law-abiding. Submit documents (application form, graduation certificate/transcript, proof of Japanese ability, copy of passport); online interview after document screening. For the COE application: financial sponsorship statement, bank balance certificate, bank balance history (1 year), income certificate, etc. A copy of a certificate showing no active tuberculosis is required for Nepal, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Japanese level requirement

2-year course: JLPT N5 level; 1-year 6-month course: N4 level (150 or more hours of Japanese study are also required). An online interview with an oral test, kanji and a written test.

Graduation & further-study support

Destinations decided through individual career consultation with teachers. Cultural exchange such as calligraphy, kimono dressing, tea ceremony and homestay. No scholarship is stated on the official page (not examined).

Accreditation

August 2020 Ministry of Justice notified school. Officially announced selection as an "appropriate school (Class 1)" in 2026. Certified Japanese Language Institution (certified by the Minister of Education) could not be confirmed.

Nepal applicants

The admission guidelines state "copy of the tuberculosis-free certificate (only for people from Nepal, Vietnam and the Philippines)". Guidance for admission in Nepali and Bengali is published on the official website. No country-based restrictions on acceptance are stated.

Language support

Classes are taught in Japanese. The admission guide is available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Nepali and Bengali. Registered Japanese-language teachers are on staff. Individual staff support languages could not be confirmed.