Syonan Japanese Academy Hamamatsu Campus

Syonan Japanese Academy Hamamatsu Campus is located at 6095-1 Irino-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka. The school began Japanese language instruction in October 2016 under the name Nissei Japanese Language Academy Hamamatsu Campus and adopted its present name in September 2018.

Studying Japanese in Hamamatsu

The curriculum offers two courses aimed at admission to specialist schools: a two-year course starting in April and a one-year-six-month course starting in October. Each provides four hours of instruction per day, in either a morning or an afternoon session, and students are placed by a test at enrolment. Classes are kept to about 20 students, and lessons centre on group work, discussion and presentations rather than lectures. Teaching uses the textbook Dekiru Nihongo and a dialogue-focused series, chosen to develop the ability to express opinions and converse with others. Career counselling and individual interviews support each student's progression, and certificates can be issued after graduation.

The school's two routes assume different starting points. Its admissions outline gives N5-equivalent Japanese or 150 hours of study for the longer route and N4-equivalent or 350 hours for the shorter one. In class, the Dekiru Nihongo materials focus on dialogue and communicating a thought to another person. That emphasis complements the goal of preparation for entry to a specialist school.