study · japanese language school
language school, honestly.
i'm a current student at a tokyo language school, somewhere around n3, balancing class with a startup job. this is what school here actually is: the visa it gives you, the day it builds for you, and how to choose one without regretting it.
the part nobody explains
language school does three jobs at once.
01 · the visa
it's your legal door into japan
the school sponsors your student visa, no job offer needed. for most people this is the most reliable route in.
02 · the structure
it builds your entire day
class five mornings a week gives your new life a spine. a commute, a rhythm, a reason to get dressed. do not underestimate this.
03 · the people
it's your first friend group
fifteen people, your age, exactly as confused as you. school is secretly the best friendship hack in japan.
from my own wallet
a school day, actually
what a real day looks like: school in the morning, startup in the afternoon.
this is my actual routine. 12,000+ of you watched a day of it on youtube. watch the day here.
train in from kanagawa. this is where the day's kanji review happens, phone in hand like everyone else.
startup work before school: the student-visa life mostly means building your day around class, not the other way round.
around n3 this stops being flashcards and starts being real: reading passages, grammar you'll actually hear, speaking drills with the same 15 faces every day.
the underrated half of school. your class is your first friend group in japan, whether you plan it or not.
afternoon shift: marketing work for the startup. school + remote work is the whole balancing act, on camera.
back to the 2dk. repeat tomorrow. it's a routine, and that's the point nobody shows you.
choosing a school · what actually matters
visa sponsorship first
a school that sponsors the student visa is a different product from a casual course. if you need the visa, this filter comes before price, location, everything.
course length = your visa
your visa lives and dies by your enrollment length. i learned this with my own wallet. my 1-year-3-month course meant a visa that could not renew. read the fine print twice.
intensity, honestly
'intensive' means homework every night and tests that matter. if you're working alongside school, be honest about hours before you enroll, not after.
location is your life
you'll commute to this building 5 days a week. the school's neighborhood decides your daily rhythm, your lunch spots, and half your social life.
what it costs
the 28-hour rule
the school series · watch the real thing
my language-school life, on camera.
a day in my life in tokyo: language school + working at a startup
orientation, prep, classes & my first week
finals week at japanese language school
last day at language school in tokyo
school questions (which school, which course length, n5 to n3 timelines) get answered through the letter first.