Shina Kokusai Gakuin

Shina Kokusai Gakuin, also known as New Asia International Academy, is a Japanese language school in Okegawa City, Saitama Prefecture, at 1-8-6 Minami.

Studying Japanese in Okegawa

The school offers two college preparatory courses: a two-year course starting in April and a one-year-six-month course starting in October. Teaching runs through basic, beginner, intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced levels, each of 400 hours at 20 hours per week over 20 weeks, with the advanced level reserved for the two-year course. Main textbooks include Minna no Nihongo beginner I and II. Classes meet Monday to Friday in morning (9:00-12:30) or afternoon (13:30-17:00) sessions of four 45-minute periods.

The campus sits in a residential area a few minutes' walk from Okegawa Station, about 15 minutes from Omiya by the JR Takasaki Line and 45 minutes from Tokyo. Nearby are the Okegawa Mine shopping mall, the city central library and several supermarkets.

The curriculum introduces Japanese television and film at intermediate level. As students move up, presentations and study visits support more formal use of the language. The advanced block on the two-year course goes further into understanding lectures and exploring Japanese society. This extra stage matters for applicants deciding between the shorter autumn entry and the longer spring route.