15 Study Abroad Programs in Japan for High School Students

Engaging in unique academic experiences while in high school can be a great way to learn, grow, and discover new perspectives. Study abroad programs can help you do just that, giving you the chance to experience a new country and culture firsthand in educational setups quite different from those in your own country. These programs are also a great way to build confidence and interpersonal skills and boost your profile or college application essays, highlighting your curiosity and initiative to leave your comfort zone. 

Why attend a program in Japan?

Japan is among the popular study abroad destinations, given that it offers a unique blend of tradition and innovation. Study abroad programs in the country can offer you opportunities to explore the tech, research, and academic culture, and network with experts. You will also visit cultural landmarks in the country, network with a cohort of international peers, and deepen your global awareness. 

To help you with your search, here are 15 study abroad programs in Japan for high school students.

If you are looking for free study abroad programs, check out our blog here.

1. Immerse Education’s Career Insights Pathway

Location: Various sites, including London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo

Cost: Varies according to program; financial aid available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Two weeks during the summer

Application deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions

Eligibility: High school students, ages 15 – 18 

The Career Insights Program is an industry-focused experience for high school students in cities around the world. As a participant, you will engage in practical projects with major businesses across industries. The program will connect you with industry experts through workshops, site visits, and hands-on projects. You will also visit operational sites, including offices, factories, and headquarters. The program culminates in a final presentation to industry professionals. You will also get to explore career paths in subjects such as medicine, engineering, law, business, journalism, fashion, and more. Additionally, the program includes weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and sessions where you will receive personalized feedback. You can find more details about the application here!

2. AFS-USA’s Exchange Program

Location: School and host family accommodation assigned in small towns or rural areas within Japan

Cost: $16,705 (semester) | $18,065 (academic year); need-based scholarships are available.

Program dates: Semester-long or year-long programs available, running between March  and December

Application deadline: Varies by session

Eligibility: Students, ages 15 – 17, who have a minimum GPA of 3.0

AFS-USA is a non-profit institution that organizes exchange programs for high school students. Its exchange program to Japan allows you to get an immersive academic and cultural experience in the country while living with a host family and attending a local Japanese school. You will spend a semester or the whole academic year learning about the language and the culture, going on field trips to popular tourist sites, and engaging in high school clubs on calligraphy or kendo (a Japanese martial art). You will also find opportunities to explore Japanese pop culture and participate in customs like souji, which is a 30-minute cleaning session after school.

3. Youth for Understanding Intercultural Exchange Programs: Study Abroad in Japan

Location: Placements in small towns in Japan

Cost: $9,995 – $17,095, depending on the program length you choose

Program dates: Summer, semester, and year-long programs available throughout the year; dates vary

Application deadline: September 15 for winter and spring departures | February 15 for summer and fall departures

Eligibility: High school students; each track is open to students from a specific age bracket. For the semester and year-long programs, applicants must have completed a year of learning the Japanese language.

Youth for Understanding is a non-profit that has been offering intercultural exchange programs for over 70 years. Its study abroad program in Japan offers summer, semester, and year-long options to high schoolers. Through the program, you will be placed within a host family in a small town in Japan, rather than a big city. You will also attend school in the country, taking classes covering the Japanese language, Japanese classics, art, calligraphy, and more. If you are attending the summer program, you will also have the chance to attend tea ceremonies and summer festivals.

4. ASSE International Student Exchange Programs

Location: Tokyo and other sites in Japan

Cost: Application fee of $350 + program fee starting at $6,500; limited scholarships are available

Program dates: Summer, semester, and year-long programs available throughout the year; departures are scheduled in the summer for summer programs or in February/March or August/September for semester and year programs

Application deadline: April 1 (for fall departures and summer programs) | September 15 (for spring departures)

Eligibility: Students, ages 15 – 18  

ASSE offers year-long, semester, and summer study abroad programs in Japan, through which you will live with a host family, attend Japanese school, and receive language instruction. You can indicate your preference for a location in Japan that you particularly want to explore. The program also gives you the chance to be placed in Tokyo and explore the culture, academics, and daily life that the bustling city has to offer. Additionally, you will engage in local celebrations and can even join after-school clubs focused on archery, dance, or anime. 

5. Ayusa International’s Study Abroad Program

Location: Typically, Tokyo for summer programs; longer programs offer placements in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Kyushu, Saitama, and other regions in the country

Cost: $4,300 – $9,510, depending on the length of the program

Program dates: Varies by program; options are available from January to December.

Application deadline: Varies by program

Eligibility: Students, ages 15 – 18; longer programs require students to have a minimum 2.5 GPA and completion of six months of Japanese language study  

Ayusa International is a non-profit that organizes exchange programs for high school students interested in developing intercultural awareness and global knowledge. With Ayusa, you can explore Japan through a three-week summer program, semester program, or year-long engagement. During the program, you can either stay with a host family or in a school dormitory, where you will learn about Japanese customs and culture. You will attend school classes, festivals, and sports, and enroll in electives like calligraphy, flower arranging, or art. The program also includes field trips and volunteering sessions. 

6. Genki JACS Summer Courses 

Location: Genki JACS in Fukuoka and Kyoto, Japan

Cost: Not listed; you can contact the Genki JACS team for cost information. 

Program dates: Fukuoka: June 30 – July 25 | Kyoto: Two-, four-, six- or eight-week sessions between July 7 and August 29

Application deadline: Rolling

Eligibility: Students, ages 14 – 17 (Fukuoka) or ages 14 – 19 (Kyoto)

Genji Japanese Arts and Culture School offers summer courses to high schoolers, focusing on providing Japanese language instruction and cultural experiences. You can opt for the Fukuoka Summer Camp, which offers a simpler introduction to the Japanese language and opportunities to participate in activities such as visits to high schools across the country, festival outings, and trips to Universal Studios Japan, Hiroshima, and Osaka. Or, you can choose the Kyoto summer course to engage in an intensive language curriculum and participate in activities such as Kendo, Taiko drumming, manga drawing workshops, and cultural field trips. You will stay with Japanese host families or in dormitories in Fukuoka. You will also have the opportunity to try activities such as traditional Japanese cooking, Zazen meditation, and Japanese papermaking (Washi) during the program.

7. EF’s Study Abroad in Japan

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Cost: $16,990 – $27,395, depending on the program type

Program dates: Vary by program

Application deadline: Varies by program

Eligibility: Open to all, ages 13 – 25+ 

Education First offers several study abroad options in Japan, each one designed for a different age group. Those who are 13 – 16 years old can opt for the two- to four-week programs, while those who are 16 – 18 can opt for short as well as semester- or year-long programs. During your stay in Japan, you will live like a local, develop language and academic skills, and get cross-cultural experiences.  You will also explore the EF school campus in Japan and connect with peers from around the world.

8. The Experiment’s Study Abroad Program

Location: Tokyo and Osaka, Japan

Cost: $7,950 for the language and culture program | $8,413 for the anime and manga program (airfare excluded)

Program dates: July 12 – 31

Application deadline: Not specified  

Eligibility: High school students  

The Experiment offers high schoolers two study abroad tracks to explore Japan—one focused on language and culture, and the other that focuses on anime and manga. This is one of the few programs that can help you dive into a specific aspect of Japanese culture. In the first track, you will learn the Japanese language while also visiting historical sites and engaging in local cultural experiences. The second track allows you to learn about design and illustration, working with watercolor, impasto, anime, and tools like Photoshop and Clip Studio. This track also offers workshops on drawing and animation. Both programs include city exploration and a three-day homestay with a local family.

9. Greenheart Travel’s High School Program in Japan

Location: Small and medium-sized cities in Japan

Cost: $10,830 for trimester programs | $14,150 for semester programs | $16,330 for academic year programs

Program dates: Multiple trimester, semester, and academic year programs available with varying dates each year

Application deadline: Varies by session

Eligibility: Current high school students, between 15.5 years and 17.5 years, with a minimum 3.0 GPA; applicants must have completed at least a year of Japanese language study.

Greenheart Travel offers high school students trimester, semester, and year-long study abroad programs in Japan. As a participant, you will be placed with a host family in a small to medium-sized city like Yokohama, Kobe, Fushimi (Kyoto), Yamaguchi, or Fuji. You can also choose to stay in a dormitory in Kyoto. In school, you will dive into topics like Japanese, science, math, history, and economics. If you are 16 or 17, you can choose to specialize in either the sciences or the humanities while living in Japan.

10. New Perspectives Japan

Location: Tokyo and Kyoto

Cost: $4,675 for school group students, $5,495 for individual students; scholarships are available.

Program dates: Tour 1: June 11 – 25 | Tour 2: July 2 – 16

Application deadline: December 1  

Eligibility: U.S. middle and high school students who are at least 11 years of age; individual participants must be 15 or older.

New Perspectives Japan offers high school students the opportunity to participate in a two-week study abroad program in Japan. The program is split into three phases: the first involves selecting a study theme, the second is the two-week stay in Japan, and the third focuses on follow-up activities after you return. While in Japan, you can study themes like history, art, religion, architecture, culture, and more, on the basis of which you will receive a study guide. During your stay, you will spend the majority of your time on site visits, hands-on activities, and learning from your host family/community. During the follow-up period, you will reflect on your learning through a written review. 

11. LanguBridge Japan Summer Programs for High School Students

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Cost: $3,235 – $6,795, depending on duration and program type

Dates: July 4 – August 22 (three-, four-, and seven-week sessions available)

Application deadline: Multiple deadlines between April 1 and May 1

Eligibility: Students, ages 14 – 18 (for the Youth Immersion program) or students who are at least 16 years old (for the Culture Discovery program)

LanguBridge Japan Summer Programs offer students an introduction to the Japanese language and culture. You can choose the Youth Immersion Stream, which blends language learning with full homestay, or the Culture Discovery Stream, which combines classes, cultural trips, and independent exploration. Classes cater to students of all proficiency levels, offering access to instruction led by local teachers and excursions to sites around Tokyo. As a participant, you will experience daily life through homestays and explore Japanese culture through sessions on calligraphy, tea ceremonies, cooking lessons, and field trips.

12. Northwest Student Exchange

Location: Kyoto and Kagoshima, Japan

Cost: Not specified; you can contact NWSE for details regarding the program fee. Need- and merit-based scholarships are available.

Program dates: Semester and year-long programs are available

Application deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Current high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 who have a minimum 3.0 GPA and one year of learning the Japanese language

Northwest Student Exchange’s study abroad program in Japan places high school students from the U.S. in either Kyoto or Kagoshima for a semester or the whole academic year. As a participant, you will live with a local host family whose children attend NWSE’s partner high schools in the city. You will attend classes, activities, and extra-curricular clubs while also taking some time to explore the city and learn about Japan’s culture and heritage. Since you will also be working on school assignments in Japanese, you can boost your language proficiency during the program. You can check out student testimonials here. 

13. Temple University Japan High School Summer Program

Location: Temple University, Tokyo

Cost: 340,000 JPY ($2,191) + 20,000 JPY (~$129) registration fee

Program dates: July 29 – August 6

Application deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis

Eligibility: High school students

The TUJ High School Summer Program is an eight-night program during which high school students get to explore Japan and learn in the city of Tokyo. Depending on your knowledge of the language, you will be assigned to a beginner, intermediate, or advanced language class, where you will boost your Japanese proficiency. The program includes a college-level elective class, an overnight trip to the city of Nikko, and a visit to DisneySea. Unlike exchange programs, this summer program does not include accommodation with a host family; you will be housed in a hotel for the duration of the program.

14. World Campus—Japan

Location: Various sites in Japan, including Isa, Kagoshima; Kumamoto, Kumamoto; Uda, Nara; Suita, Osaka; Ueda, Nagano; Isehara, Kanagawa; Inzai, Chiba; Abiko, Chiba; Tama, Tokyo

Cost: $2,900/session

Program dates: Session 1: June 12 – July 1 | Session 2: July 2 – 21 | Session 3: July 22 – August 10

Application deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Students who are at least 17 years of age  

World Campus International offers three-week stays in Japan to high schoolers from across the world. You will travel alongside students from over 15 different countries and learn about Japan through seminars and personal interactions with community activists and political leaders. You will stay with a local host family and engage in hands-on activities such as participating in a tea ceremony, attending ninja training, visiting katana swordsmiths, or exploring a sake factory. The program ends with an Arigato Event, during which you get to express your gratitude to the community and express your own culture through music or art.

15. States’ 4-H International Exchange Program

Location: Tokyo, Japan]

Cost: Not specified; you can contact your State Coordinator to learn about the fees. Limited scholarships are available.

Program dates: June 10 – August 7 (eight weeks) | July 8 – August 7 (four weeks)

Application deadline: Due dates vary by state  

Eligibility: 15–18 year olds for the eight-week session and 12 – 18 year olds for the four-week session

States’ 4-H partners with two Japanese youth development organizations to provide high school students with a study abroad experience. As a delegate, you will spend four weeks or more living with a Japanese host family and being an active part of their daily life. You may also be matched with a host sibling of a similar age. The eight-week program offers four additional weeks in Tokyo, during which you will attend a Japanese language program and participate in cultural excursions. 

One other option—Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here, check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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.

Image Source - Immerse Education logo