High School in Japan

Studying abroad with Greenheart Travel’s high school program in Japan will give you a chance to take a glimpse into a culture with a rich history and unique cultural traditions. As an exchange student in Japan, you will also learn first-hand what it’s like to attend high school with your Japanese peers and live with a host family. This is your chance to experience a life-changing adventure during your academic exchange abroad.

Program at a Glance:

• Must have 1 year of Japanese language instruction OR level 4 on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
• Host family accommodation provides full Japanese language & cultural immersion
• You can choose between trimester, semester or academic year lengths
• Start dates available in spring or fall
• Straight forward online application process

Greenheart Traveler, Olivia, and her Japanese classroom.

Please note we have a very limited amount of spots for our program in Japan and spots could (and do) fill before the listed deadlines. If you are set on a certain start date– please apply early! 

Spring 2025 Dates

Application Deadline: September 15, 2024
Apply early and save! Apply by June 15, 2024 and save $300 off a trimester or semester program and $500 off an academic year program.

• Trimester: March 27 – June 8, 2025
• Semester: March 27 – August 8, 2025
• Academic Year: March 27, 2025 – January 9, 2026

Fall 2025 Dates

Application Deadline: March 15, 2025
Apply early and save! Apply by December 9, 2024 and save $300 off a trimester or semester program and $500 off an academic year program. 

• Trimester: August 19 – November 7, 2025
• Semester: August 19, 2025 – January 9, 2026
• Academic Year: August 19, 2025 – June 14, 2026

You’ll know your exact arrival and departure dates after being placed in a host family and in a school! Program dates vary depending on region and school placement.

Not quite ready to commit to a long-term program? Check out our Teen Summer Language Camp in Japan!

Arrival and Departure 

All students are required to book flights on their own. An airport transfer upon arrival is included in the cost of the program. We will provide your exact arrival and departure dates after acceptance, as well as the exact timeframes you should arrive/depart, so that you can start to search for possible flights. We require prior approval of a proposed itinerary before you purchase any flights.

Nervous about flying on your own? We recommend students and parents sitting down together to review the following resources:

• How to navigate an international airport blog
• Flying internationally video
• Webinar with tips on flying internationally

For many Greenheart Travel students their first time flying is across the world to start their exchange program! You can read our alumni experiences on our blog, such as Emily’s or Madison’s blogs on their experiences flying to Japan or Rachel’s tips on what you actually need to know about flying.

In researching a study abroad program, you have already shown you are a leader and open-minded in your academic pursuits. These are just a few of the traits that our exchange students possess. You’re motivated to immerse yourself in another culture and flexible enough to live outside your comfort zone. You should also:

• Have at least 1 year of Japanese language instruction OR a level 4 on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at the time of your application.
  • The JLPT Exam is only administered twice a year and results can take months to post. Click here to register for the test.
• Be between 15 and 17 years of age (at the time of travel)
  • MUST be a current high school student. Cannot have graduated early from high school
• Be from the United States or Canada
• Have a high school cumulative GPA of at least 3.00/4.00
• Be in great mental* and physical health
• Have a genuine interest in becoming a part of your host family and community. This includes eating all types of foods, even if you have a preference for certain ones, and living with cats or dogs, even if you have a preference not to. Dietary restrictions and pet allergies are not able to be accommodated within the host family.
• Be willing to adapt to the demands of Japanese academics and culture
• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before departure

Don’t meet the eligibility requirements? Check out our Teen Summer Language Camp in Japan that takes beginners to study Japan for 1-6 weeks in the summer! You can also learn more about fulfilling the requirements with our online courses for complete beginners here.

*What does it mean to be in good mental health?

Moving to a new culture and staying in unfamiliar surroundings without your normal support structure can be very stressful, even to a well-adjusted student. Sending a student with pre-existing conditions on a long-term exchange program could exacerbate whatever challenges the student was previously facing. In order to ensure the safety of our participants, we must be rigorous in our pre-screening of all high school abroad applicants.

Therefore, we may not be able to accept students who have struggled with any kind of mental illness, specifically within the last 2 years and/or are reliant on medication to address their existing mental health condition. Each student will be addressed on a case by case basis and ultimately it is Greenheart Travel’s in-country partner who holds the right to accept or decline a student based on their individual policy.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Eating disorders
• Chronic debilitating migraines
• Bipolar Disorder

All students who currently experience one or more of these conditions will be required to submit an addendum to the terms and conditions as well as a letter of support from their current mental health specialist. If the student’s mental health issue has been managed (post-medication) for over 2 years, we will still require a note from his/her relevant practitioner (psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, etc) as part of the application process.  We encourage you to discuss your specific situation with us directly, before securing these documents.

Please note that students who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD will not be guaranteed any academic accommodations plans by the host school abroad.

Prices for Spring & Fall 2024

Academic Trimester: $10,800
Academic Semester: $14,120
Academic Year: $16,300

Packaged into the Price:

• Airport pickup upon arrival
• Host family accommodation and 2 meals per day during the week, 3 meals per day on weekends
• Comprehensive medical/accident insurance
• 2 Day Arrival Orientation (COVID-19 dependent)
  • Accommodation at Orientation Site
  • Traditional Japanese Meals
  • Orientation workshops (covering school life, host family life, Japanese culture, etc).
  • Japanese Language Lessons
• Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the program for use on college applications.
• Access to Greenheart Travel Facebook groups to connect with alumni and others on your start date ahead of your program.
• Greenheart Atlas Program 
• Greenheart Travel T-shirt & other Greenheart swag

Our Support and Services: 

• Visa Assistance in applying for the visa ahead of arrival, including visa paperwork and extensive directions and support.
• Extensive pre-departure advice and support from a US-based program manager! They will be with you from your first inquiry, all the way through preparing to leave and your arrival in Japan.
• Support from in-country staff upon arrival to Japan.
• Online pre-departure cultural and logistical orientation before you leave.
• 24-hour in-country and emergency support for the duration of the program, including 24-hour emergency phone numbers to reach a program manager at any time.
• Opportunity to apply for a Greenheart Grant to give back to your community at home or abroad

Additional Expenses to Budget for (Estimates):

• Airfare to/from Japan
• School uniforms if no second-hand one is available ($500-900)
• Physical education uniform, bag, and shoes ($75)
• School shoes ($15)
• School textbooks if no used ones are available ($130-350)
• School field trips ($700-1,400)
• Monthly public transportation pass ($100)
• Daily school lunch ($5)
• Japanese dictionary ($20)
• Additional National Health Insurance ($15/month)

Payment Details

• $1,500 Application fee due by the program deadline to formally apply
• $5,000 Commitment Payment due 14 days after acceptance
• Remaining balance is due 16 weeks prior to your start date. If your program starts within 16 weeks of acceptance, the remaining program balance payment will be due at the same time as the commitment payment. 

Worried about the program fee?

Our goal is to help make travel accessible to everyone and we are here to help when you are deciding if this experience is financially do-able. Each year we offer scholarships for high school study abroad students! We also have a guide to fundraising your program fee, and many high school students fundraise in their hometown ahead of their program.

We also offer discounts for applying early (plus there are many other benefits to applying early!) for each start date and for US families that have hosted an exchange student with Greenheart Exchange.

All participants will get to participate in a 2-day orientation upon arrival, in Tokyo DEPENDENT ON COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS.

You’ll have the opportunity to meet many other new like-minded and adventurous students who have also just arrived! By the end, you’ll have new friends scattered around the entire country. Orientation includes important activities and classes on what to expect on your program, language, and local culture. The accommodation will be at a hotel.

Example Itinerary:

Subject to change.

Thursday – Welcome!

On Thursday you will arrive at the Tokyo Airport and the High School Japan team will greet you there! If you have large luggage, it can be shipped to your host family’s house from the airport directly so that you don’t need to take it to orientation. At the airport, the staff will help the newly arrived students visit an ATM, obtain a Japanese SIM card for their phones, and anything else you might need to take care of.

Then the staff will bring you by shuttle bus to the hotel. In the evening we have dinner together and will give a presentation about the program and the rules of the orientation week.

Friday – Let’s Orientate!

After breakfast, we will do a goal setting worksheet and activity. From there, we will have Japanese language placement tests. This day is then is full of orientation classes, in the morning, afternoon and evening! We’ll cover insurance information, expectations, Japanese culture, school life, earthquake safety, saving energy in your host family home, and more! But don’t worry there are enough breaks in between for tea and also for lunch. After the orientation lectures, we’ll go to a nearby shopping mall to practice our Japanese and have dinner!

Friday – Host Family and Placements!

Friday is a very exciting day: you will meet your host family! The program staff will take everyone to Tokyo station on a chartered bus where you will board a train with program staff. All students will be chaperoned to their homestay area, where their host families will meet them and pick them up at the train station! This is such a great part of the week as now the adventure really starts and all of the students will go to their new Japanese home with their new Japanese family!

So, what about credits? 

Neither Greenheart Travel nor the host school abroad provides high school credit. All credit must be granted through your home school in the U.S. or Canada. All U.S./Canadian schools have different policies. Here’s a blog post to read more about how some alumni have transferred credits.  

In Japan, we cannot guarantee your host school will provide you an official transcript. If your school will not, some host schools will provide documentation, letters, and any other materials you require upon request. You must have good behavior, attendance, and performance in order for the school to fulfill this request.  

Then, you should take this documentation back to your home school as proof of your participation in the program. Your home school is responsible for awarding you credit for this program or not.  

Before You Go Abroad

You should meet with your U.S./Canadian high school before you leave and share the general curriculum guidelines for Japan with your guidance counselor and/or teachers.  

Because the curriculum will vary by school and we cannot guarantee you’ll take any specific classes, it is important that you arrange the required classes required for your graduation, such as U.S. History, before or after your time abroad.  

Greenheart Travel will be able to provide information about the general curriculum for your age level in Japan, but you will not know your course schedule until after you arrive in country and start attending school.  

Access your High School Curriculum Guidelines for Japan here!

Once You’re Abroad

Please keep in mind that the grading system in other countries is different than the US. Most host schools will not grant grades or transcripts as it is too difficult to evaluate your work due to the language barrier. If your host school is able to award you grades, they won’t be an exact match to what you would get in the US.

“I would love to thank Greenheart Travel for making this awesome experience happen for me! The staff is really nice and easy going. And of course, the Japanese group who took care of me during my five months, from my arrival to Narita airport in August to the moment when I walked into the security section – thank you guys so much!!”  – Manou Liu

The best way to learn about a new culture and language is to be fully immersed in it which is why all Greenheart Travel high school abroad students live with local host families. All of our host families are volunteers and will treat you as a member of their family. By being a part of your family’s daily life, you will learn to live and speak like a local.

Prospective host families undergo a rigorous screening process. Participants can rest assured that only suitable host families will be selected. In fact, many of our current host families have hosted students in the past, showing what an impactful experience it was.

In order to qualify as a host family, the prospective hosts must:

• Successfully pass a criminal background check
• Undergo and pass an in-person interview with program staff
• Agree to and pass a home inspection

We will connect you with your host family prior to your arrival in your host country. By e-mailing and speaking with them before arriving, it will help break the ice when you finally meet in person. It will also show that you are as excited to live with them as they are to host you!

Host families have many reasons why they want to welcome you! Our host families are volunteers, meaning they don’t receive compensation for housing and feeding students during their program. Many host families love the experience of cultural exchange – they learn just as much about your country as you do theirs. Many are also former exchange students and want to return the favor, or they have children who have gone or will go to study in the U.S. Having an exchange student exposes their children to new languages and cultures.

Greenheart Traveler, Maggie, with her Japanese host family.

We place students throughout the country of Japan in small to medium-sized cities. Keep in mind a medium-sized city in Japan might be considered a big city by your standards. Most Japanese homes are very small, so homestays in the big cities like Tokyo are not as common. Our top 5 most common placements are in the following cities: Yokohama, Kobe, Fushimi (Kyoto), Yamaguchi, and Fuji.

We make it a priority to place students with host families that closely match your interests and personality, for example, if you like music, we’ll do our best to find a family that also loves music! For this reason, we work first to find a suitable family rather than a destination preference.

Greenheart Travel has been working with high schoolers for many years, and there are advantages of applying for this program through us:

• 33 years of experience with cultural exchange programs.
• Friendly, responsive, and professional support from your program manager.
• Connect with alumni and others on the program via our Greenheart Travel only Facebook forums, before you even leave!
• We try and make our program fees as inclusive as we can. We include things like medical insurance and in-country airport transfers so you don’t run into any hidden fees down the line.
• Greenheart Atlas Program. The Greenheart Travel Atlas is a cultural training interactive guidebook alongside five videos where you will find three main topics covered: Personal/Professional Development, Cultural Understanding, & Environmental Awareness.
• Our alumni recommend us! GoOverseas.com Reviews // GoAbroad.com Reviews
• Hands-on support and personal attention every step of the way
• 24/7 emergency phone number to reach a staff member at any time
• Pre-departure “Culture Shock and Adjustment” Webinar before you leave
• Discounts for future Greenheart Travel programs
• We are a non-profit, mission-based organization
• Continued support throughout your time abroad

We also have some unique offerings to our Greenheart Travel students and alumni!

Greenheart Global Impact Grants (GIGs)

Greenheart GIG Grants are funds awarded to Greenheart Travel participants to use for community development projects in their host or home country. A GIG is the opportunity to create, improve, or maintain an impactful, community-focused project abroad or at home. Grant funds could be applied to supporting women’s cooperatives, schools, community centers, or health clinics, for example. Grant winners will be featured on our website, social media, and blog. You can see our past winners on our blog here.

Greenheart Alumni Program

We created the Greenheart Travel Alumni Program to provide resources and a community to support alumni in their advancement as global leaders, and a way to celebrate and reward our participants for being ambitious, inspiring catalysts of cultural exchange!

Junior Greenheart Global Leaders Conference

Each May Greenheart offers full-ride scholarships to around 10 teen alumni to attend our annual conference in Chicago. You can see more about what Jr. GGLC is and what you could do at the conference here.

For students looking for a dormitory stay option or who do not meet the traditional program eligibility requirements, Greenheart Travel offers a fantastic alternative for those thrilled to dive right into the rigors of a Japanese high school!

On the Kyoto Dorm Stay Program, students attend Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School, an accredited private school located in Uji, Kyoto and live in the school’s student dormitory, where students will be supervised by two teachers and a house mother. There’s a strong sense of camaraderie among students, and the dorm staff occasionally plan events such as barbeques, holiday parties, and movie nights.

Outside of the dormitory.

The dormitory houses around 120-160 students (co-ed) and the facilities include a cafeteria, common rooms, study rooms, shared bathrooms, kitchenette, and laundry. The majority of students at the dorm are Japanese students coming from other areas of the country and a select number of international students. Students will have a roommate, but single dorms are available upon request for an additional fee. The dormitory cafeteria can provide special meals for students with allergies or dietary restrictions.

At school, international students will be placed in either an “IM” track conducted mainly in English and an “IG” track which follows the Japanese Ministry of education curriculum. Students can request track and course preferences but we cannot guarantee any specific classes or a specific track. Students will receive school report and certificate of participation, but Ritsumeikan Uji HS will only provide official transcripts for academic year students.

Common areas.

Eligibility requirements:

• Current high school student between the ages of 15-18 at the time of travel (homeschoolers welcome to apply)
• Be from the United States or Canada
• Have a high school cumulative GPA of at least 3.00/4.00
• Be in great mental and physical health (see details here)
• Be willing to adapt to the demands of Japanese academics and culture
• Be able to read and write in hiragana and katakana

Fall 2023 Program Dates:

The program dates follow the high school’s “term” calendar, so instead of applying for a trimester, semester, or academic year, students will indicate if they would like to apply for 1 term (4 months), 2 terms (6.5-7.5 months), or 3 terms (10 months).

• 1 Term: September 1 – December 20, 2023
• 2 Terms: September 1 – March 20, 2024
• 3 Terms: September 1 –  July 20, 2024

The deadline for the program starting in September is April 15, 2023

2023 Costs

• 1 Term: $19,830
• 2 Terms: $29,028
• 3 Terms: $39,720

What’s included in the cost: 

Everything listed here, plus: accommodation in the dorm stay, breakfast and dinner, tuition, school uniform, school events fees

What’s not included: 

Daily lunch, shirt, socks, and house shoes, public transportation, spending money, personal hygiene items, additional costs for host family arrangement when dormitory is closed for break(s)/holidays, and international airfare to/from Japan

Interested in applying for this program?

Start your application here and select “trimester” if you are applying for 1 term, “semester” if you applying for 2 terms, and “academic year” if you are applying for 3 terms.

During the student interview please inform Greenheart Travel you are applying for the Kyoto Dorm Stay Program and you will indicate which term(s) you wish to study. You can also schedule a call with us here if you have any questions before applying.

After our alumni complete their programs they do some amazing things! Read some stories of what our High School in Japan former exchange students are up to now!

Sophia Ludder

When I came to Japan, something clicked with me. I loved how easy it was living here and discovered new things every day. I knew I had to come back someday, so I continued to study with a Japanese tutor throughout high school until college, where I eventually studied abroad again. Now, I work as a coordinator for international relations in Kyushu, Japan. I hope to one day become an advisor for exchange students in Japan or America, helping them to enjoy their time abroad as much as I did mine. I am still close with my host sisters from my exchange year and try to meet up when possible! We originally met almost 8 years ago.

Sophia and her host sisters.

Camille Kennedy

My year on exchange in Tokyo was indescribably wonderful and helped me form a deep and passionate love for the country, the language, its people, and the possibilities it could offer me in the future.  Japan taught me so many lessons that have greatly aided me in my position serving as the 2020 Rose Queen of the Tournament of Roses: my ability to act independently and confidently has skyrocketed, I have become more open to the unknown and trying new things, and my unique love of Japan and its culture has become one of my most valuable points of connection within my new platform.  I have been fortunate enough to meet many local Japanese business owners within my community of Pasadena, interview with a local Japanese-American magazine, and connect with many individuals (both Japanese and not) who also have ties to the country that has given me so much to be grateful for.  I am currently in the midst of completing my college applications to several Japanese universities where I hope to return to further my education in linguistics and culture/media studies!  Japan offered me a glimpse of what my future could look like two years ago, and now I’m hoping to make that vision a reality.

Camille Kennedy was the 2020 Pasadena Rose Queen.

Committing to studying abroad can feel daunting, but we are here every step of the way to make the application process as simple as possible! Below are the various steps you’ll need to take to be accepted on a high school abroad program.

Please note: Your spot is not reserved until you complete all of the steps below. You must submit all questionnaires and documents and have completed all interviews before we can process your application and save your spot. 

1. Understand the Program: It is extremely important that you are professional, detailed, and serious during this application process. You must show your best self and prove that you have the maturity and dedication to Japanese that schools and host families require. (Examples: no typos, dress professionally in your self-introduction video, submit all materials in a timely manner)

1. Start Your Application Here. You will be sent more information as well as the link to our application portal to begin your formal application. Once the initial form is complete, you will be connected to a High School Abroad program manager who will speak with you and a parent to go over the details of the program.

2. Submit Basic Program Information: The first step in our application portal will be basic things like your chosen start date, etc.

3. Submit your application fee: A $1,500 application fee is required in order to apply for the program. This is subtracted from your total program fee, it’s not additional.

4. Complete Application & Documents: Provide more detailed information about yourself in Part 2 of the application. In this section, you’ll tell us more information like your work history, motivations for joining the program, travel history, and emergency contacts. You will also submit your documents (below) within your portal account.

5. Zoom Interview: After submitting your deposit, you will schedule an interview with a Greenheart staff member.  During this interview, you will be asked questions about living with a host family, adjusting to new situations and homesickness, among other things. You will also receive an overview of the next few months and what you can expect. This is done via Zoom, and at least one parent should also be in attendance.

6. Secondary Zoom Interview with Japan staff: The final step is to interview with in-country Japanese staff. Greenheart will organize this with you after you finish all the prior steps. Note: This is sometimes on a case by case basis.

7. You’re Accepted! Once you’ve completed all the steps, Greenheart Travel will thoroughly review your application and will contact you within 2-3 weeks about your acceptance. Then, you’ll get more information about preparation, visas, and placement.

8.Commitment Payment: Once you are accepted to the program, you will need to submit a $5,000 commitment payment within 14 days to confirm your spot on the program. We cannot start the host family matching process until we have this payment. Once you submit your commitment payment you will unlock the acceptance portion of your portal, which includes things like pre-departure videos, travel and arrival information, the Greenheart Travel Atlas, and more.

9. Book your flights, and get ready for your adventure to Japan! 

Required Documents

In addition to completing an application, you will also be required to submit documents. You can be collecting the documents during the application process, but all documents will be due 14 days after you submit your deposit.

The following documents will be required:

• Additional handwritten application form*
• Secondary conditions of participation*
• Photo Album (4 photos of you with captions)*
• Letter of Recommendation (from a teacher, coach or guidance counselor) [Please provide two for Japan, one must be in Japanese by a Japanese teacher]*
• Transcript from the last 3 years
• Proof of at least 1 year Japanese language instruction
• Dear Family Letter in handwritten Japanese (must be extremely legible and written in dark ink, scanned and sent as a PDF)
• Dear Family Letter in English (must express awareness of the program, student goals, love of Japan and Japanese, and appreciation for future host family)
• Parent Questionnaire and letter*
• Medical Form*
• Copy of your passport
• 90-second student self-introduction video in Japanese (must be in professional dress, all in Japanese and rehearsed before recording)
• Four passport-size photos (4cm x 3cm) sent via mail to: 742 N. LaSalle Dr. Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60654
  • Please ask staff before sending as this requirement may change.

*Indicates that these forms must be downloaded from document upload link, completed, scanned and uploaded to the document link again.

There may be additional paperwork following your completed application before your official acceptance. Your program manager will inform you of what those documents are during the application process.

Payments

For payments, a $1,500 non-refundable fee will be due with your submitted application. This will be deducted from your overall program cost. If we are able to take a last-minute application submitted after the deadline, the deposit will be $2,000.

Once you are accepted onto the program, a $5,000 commitment payment will be due within 14 days of acceptance.  The remaining balance is due 16 weeks prior to  your start date, or at the same time as your commitment payment, whichever comes first.

You’ve Been Accepted, Now What?

Start getting ready for your adventure! Your program manager will be in regular communication with you to make sure that you are on track in your preparations to go abroad.

• Upon acceptance, you will receive a student handbook (parents – you get one, too!) and access to the Greenheart Travel Atlas, as well as the Greenheart Club.
• You will receive your host family and school placement roughly 2-3 months after acceptance.
• After receiving your host family and school placement, you will receive further instructions on applying for your student visa (if applicable for your program length)
• We will also schedule an online pre-orientation with other Greenheart students a few weeks before your departure!

Have questions or want to talk to one of the program coordinators? Set up a time to have a phone call below.