12 Economics Programs for High School Students in Japan
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 15
- 9 min read
If you’re interested in economics, participating in a structured program can help you explore how markets, governments, businesses, and individuals make decisions. These opportunities introduce you to topics such as international trade, public policy, finance, entrepreneurship, and economic research while helping you develop analytical, quantitative, and critical thinking skills. They also provide a deeper understanding of how economic concepts shape societies and influence global events.
In Japan, economics programs are offered through universities, leadership organizations, cultural exchange initiatives, academic competitions, and international education providers. These opportunities range from research programs and university summer schools to leadership camps, entrepreneurship courses, and policy-focused experiences that allow students to engage with economic issues from both Japanese and global perspectives.
Why should I do an economics program in high school?
Economics programs allow you to examine how economic ideas are applied to real challenges affecting businesses, communities, and governments. Depending on the program, you will analyze policy issues, study trade relationships, conduct research, participate in simulations, explore entrepreneurship, or examine financial and social systems through discussions and projects. These experiences can help you strengthen analytical skills, deepen your understanding of economic decision-making, and explore whether economics is a field you would like to pursue in college and beyond.
With that, here are 12 economics programs for high school students in Japan!
If you’re looking for summer programs in Japan, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
Programs range from fully funded experiences (High School Diplomats) to free online courses (Yale/Coursera, Economics Koshien) to tuition-based residential programs (NUCB, HLAB, TUJ), giving students at different budget levels viable options.
Several programs are accessible remotely from Japan, including Lumiere, HARP, Wharton Global Youth, Yale/Coursera, and USC Pre-College, making international participation straightforward.
Programs cover a wide range of economics sub-fields, including international trade and diplomacy (HSD), entrepreneurship (USC, Yale), financial literacy (Economics Koshien), business strategy (NUCB, Wharton), and regional development (HLAB, AIU Global Leadership Camp).
Students interested specifically in Japan's economy can explore programs such as Greenheart Travel, HLAB, and the AIU Global Leadership Camp, which examine Japanese economic systems, rural revitalization, and cross-cultural business fluency from the inside.
Deadlines for competitive programs fall as early as January, so students should begin researching and preparing applications during the fall semester of the preceding year.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Selective
Location: Various sites in Japan (Tokyo/Kyoto)
Cost: Fully Funded; covers international travel, room, and board
Dates: July 18 - August 3
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who have completed the HSD U.S. program
High School Diplomats places you in a setting where you study economic ties between the U.S. and Japan while living with an international cohort. You spend time looking at trade relationships, policy decisions, and how both economies depend on each other. Site visits to government offices and companies show how these ideas play out in real institutions. You also take part in discussions where economic and political decisions are debated. A part of the program involves structured negotiation exercises in which you work through real-world scenarios.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions.
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program provides school students with an opportunity to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. You will work with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. You will attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with your tutor. The program includes practical experiences such as dissections in medicine, building robotic arms in engineering, and moot courts in law. You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the end of the program, they complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very Selective; Max 25 students
Location: Nagoya University of Commerce & Business, Nisshin-shi, Japan
Cost: 140,000 JPY (Approx. $900)
Dates: July – August
Application Deadline: Rolling (Priority suggested by March/April)
Eligibility: Students aged 13–15
Hosted at a premier global business university, this program uses the Harvard-style Case Method to teach leadership and economic decision-making. You will learn to troubleshoot complex business scenarios through team problem-solving tasks and intensive workshops. The small cohort ensures that you gain personalized attention from university faculty and meaningful connections with a diverse international peer group. You will gain a preview of the professional business world by staying in boarding-style accommodations and visiting corporate sites.
Location: Yokohama, Kobe, Kyoto, and other Japanese cities
Cost: Starting at 1,680,000 JPY ($10,860) for a trimester
Dates: Trimester: March – June; Semester: March – August; Academic Year: March – January
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students aged 15.5–17.5 with a 3.0 GPA and 1 year of Japanese study
This program offers total immersion into the Japanese educational system. You will learn to study subjects like History and Economics alongside local students, entirely in Japanese. You will gain a profound understanding of the Japanese work ethic and economic mindset by living with a host family. If you are 16 or 17, you can specialize in the humanities track, allowing a deeper focus on the social sciences. You will learn the cross-cultural fluency required to navigate the world’s third-largest economy from the inside out.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohorts
Location: Temple University, Japan Campus, Tokyo, Japan
Cost: 360,000 JPY (Approx. $2,320) total, including registration
Dates: July 29 – August 6
Application Deadline: Reviews start in December; Payment by May 1
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12
This program blends academic electives with cultural excursions in the world’s most populous metropolitan area. You will learn to navigate university-level coursework in subjects like International Business and Japanese Culture. You will gain a collegiate experience by living in Tokyo and collaborating with Japanese high schoolers on group projects. The curriculum provides industry exposure through visits to landmarks like Nikko and specialized corporate centers. You will learn to balance classroom rigor with hands-on cultural awareness, developing the "soft skills" essential for global economic leadership.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small house cohorts across multiple sites
Location: Tokyo, Shinshu (Nagano), and Onagawa (Miyagi), Japan
Cost: Approx. 80,000 – 120,000 JPY ($520 – $780); Limited need-based scholarships available
Dates: One week (Late July – August)
Application Deadline: Early Action: March 11; Regular: April 11
Eligibility: High school students (ages 15–18) residing in Japan or abroad
HLAB is a premier residential liberal arts program that utilizes a peer-mentorship model to explore the socio-economic frameworks of modern Japan. You may analyze regional economic disparities through a comparative lens: Tokyo offers a deep dive into urban innovation and infrastructure economics, while sites like Shinshu and Onagawa focus on rural revitalization and sustainable development. Working in small "houses" with mentors from elite global universities (such as Harvard and MIT), you will gain experience in high-level seminar discussions and collaborative workshops. You will learn to apply economic logic to real-world community challenges, conducting site visits to local industries and meeting with professionals from various sectors.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; Max 42 students
Location: Akita International University, Akita, Japan
Cost: 132,000 JPY (includes room and meals)
Dates: Typically in March
Application Deadline: Typically in January
Eligibility: Students aged 15–18
In this leadership intensive, you will learn to tackle the economics of regional revitalization through the motto "think globally, act locally." You will explore how shrinking populations affect local economies by conducting fieldwork in rural villages and by interacting with entrepreneurs who are solving these issues in real time. You will gain experience in project-based thinking and collaborate with a multicultural cohort of peers and AIU faculty. The program culminates in an English-language presentation where you propose sustainable solutions for community development.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 400 students reach the national finals
Location: Tokyo, Japan (Grand Finals)
Cost: Free; participation and travel costs for finalists are covered
Dates: National Finals are held in February
Application Deadline: Varies by regional preliminary rounds
Eligibility: High school students residing in Japan
This highly competitive tournament focuses on financial literacy and economic reasoning through a unique, game-like format. You will learn to manage resources and make rational exchanges by participating in a large-scale card game centered on economic distribution. A highlight of the finals is the Business Simulation Game, where you must trade raw materials, technology, and finished goods with other teams to maximize your portfolio's value. You will gain direct exposure to the corporate world through networking events with representatives from 47 local banks and major financial sponsors.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort size: Easily available
Location: Online
Cost: Free to enroll, but certificate courses are chargeable
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Dates: Self-paced, will take 16 hours to complete, at 3 weeks, at 5 hours a week
Eligibility: All applicants are welcome to apply
This course walks you through how economic principles apply to building ventures that address social problems. You begin by identifying an issue and then studying how to design a model that is both sustainable and scalable. The process includes understanding costs, revenue, and value creation. You also learn how to measure impact and evaluate whether a model works in practice. Case studies show how similar ideas have been developed and expanded. The course follows a structured path from idea to implementation.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Virtual (Accessible from Japan)
Cost: Approx. 635,000 JPY ($4,099) + application fee
Dates: Jun 15 - Jun 26, and Jul 6 - Jul 17
Application Deadline: Summer Priority - Jan 28; Final - Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
This Wharton program focuses on how economic systems evolve and how markets respond to change. You study topics like sustainability, regulation, and global trade through structured sessions. A key part of the program involves building models that predict how markets might shift. You work through case material that requires careful analysis of trends and outcomes. Writing assignments focus on explaining your reasoning clearly. The program stays centered on how economic thinking is applied to future scenarios.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open Enrollment (Self-paced)
Location: Online
Cost: 310,000 JPY ($1,990) + application fee
Dates: Self-paced (20–25 hours of content)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students 14 years or older
USC’s course focuses on how economic principles shape small businesses and startups. You study how markets are evaluated, including demand, competition, and pricing. The program walks you through building a model where you define value and costs. You also look at how businesses position themselves within a market. The work culminates in a structured pitch in which you explain your decisions. The course keeps the focus on practical microeconomic thinking.
Frequently asked questions
What types of economics programs are available for high school students in Japan?
Options include independent research programs (Lumiere), university summer schools (NUCB, TUJ, MMSS-style intensives), residential liberal arts camps (HLAB, AIU Global Leadership Camp), online courses (Yale/Coursera, USC, Wharton), cultural immersion programs (Greenheart Travel), and national academic competitions (Economics Koshien).
Are there free economics programs for high school students in Japan?
Yes, several programs are free or fully funded. Economics Koshien covers participation and travel costs for finalists, High School Diplomats is fully funded, including international travel, and the Yale/Coursera entrepreneurship course is free to audit. Programs like Lumiere and Immerse Education charge tuition but offer financial aid.
Which programs are best for students interested in entrepreneurship and business?
USC Pre-College, the Yale/Coursera course, NUCB Summer School, and the Wharton Global Youth Program all focus on business modeling, market analysis, and entrepreneurial thinking. HLAB and the AIU Global Leadership Camp also incorporate entrepreneurship through a lens of community economic development.
Can students outside Japan participate in any of these programs?
Several programs are fully online and open to students worldwide, including Lumiere, HARP, Wharton Global Youth, Yale/Coursera, and USC Pre-College. HLAB and Immerse Education also accept international applicants, with Immerse offering a Tokyo location alongside other global sites.
What is the most selective economics program for high school students in Japan?
High School Diplomats is among the most selective, requiring prior completion of the HSD U.S. program and accepting a small cohort for a fully funded Japan exchange. NUCB Summer School caps enrollment at 25 students, and HLAB uses a competitive admissions process across its residential sites.
When should I apply to economics programs in Japan?
Several programs have deadlines as early as January, including High School Diplomats (January 19) and Wharton Global Youth (priority deadline January 28). HLAB's early action deadline is March 11. Students should identify programs of interest in the fall and prepare applications well before the winter deadlines.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.