All posts by tokyogalaxy

Student Interview

Student Interview: entering Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry’s Watchmaker Course

Mr.K is a student of Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School, who started studying in Japan from April 2019 with the aim of studying watchmaking at a specialist level. He has passed the exam for entering the Watchmaker Course of Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry.
We asked him about his life in Japan and how he prepared for his entrance exam.

What was the key to succeeding with the entrance exam of Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry’s Watchmaker Course?
After submitting my application, I took a written test and an interview test, and I think I was able to get a good grade at the interview. Of course I got very nervous, but I had prepared for it so that I can tell the interviewers not only about my personal goals, but also about how I was planning to study at Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry, and what kind of ideas I had about applying what I learned to my future. I guess I was able to give an impression that I am a person of sincerity.

What made you decide to enroll in Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry?
I always wanted to be a watchmaker, and I decided to go to Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry while I was living in South Korea.

Can you name any teacher of Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School who you would like to express your appreciation?
Ms. Masako Suzuki, my entrance exam trainer, has helped me a lot. I was terribly worried about the interview test, but she supported me so that I would be able to stay calm, and I could do my best at the interview.

What was your reason for choosing to study at Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School?
I searched and examined many Japanese language schools and found that Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School was the best fit for me. Many people were saying that its teachers were very kind, and they would support their students’ study of Japanese language very well, so I was reassured by such comments.

Student Interview: entering Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry’s Watchmaker Course

Please give some advice to those who are planning to study at vocational schools in Japan.
You might be afraid and nervous at first; that’s the same for everyone. However, when you start your study in Japan, you will immediately realize that it’s not much different from what you have been doing before. It does not matter whether you have been making good grades in your home country or not; even if you are assigned to the beginners’ class on the basis of the result of the placement test at Tokyo Galaxy, that will give you an opportunity to work harder to get ahead of anyone else.

What are your goals for studying at Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry?
I don’t think everything will work smoothly from the beginning, but I’m going to make efforts to obtain the best skills. I hope to find a job in Japan after I finish my education.

Mr. K, who has steadily improved his Japanese language skills at Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School, has successfully passed the exam for the school he had been hoping to enter. It was really nice that he enjoyed a year full of accomplishment, and we appreciate his cooperation in this interview. We hope that he successfully completes his study at Hiko Mizuno’s College of Jewelry and make his dream come true!

Student Interview

Passing the entrance exam for Meiji University’s School of Science and Technology

We asked Mr. K, a Tokyo Galaxy student, who has passed the entrance exam for the Department of Mechanical Engineering Informatics at the School of Science and Technology of Meiji University, about how he had studied in Japan.
In our interview, he repeatedly said that studying with diligence was really important. Here are some stories about his efforts which led him to passing the exam for entering Meiji University.

– Please tell us your reason for choosing Meiji University.
I liked the way of the university’s supporting its students with their job hunting, and its Department of Mechanical Engineering Informatics had the best environment to learn about the field I have always wanted to study deeply.

Passing the entrance exam for Meiji University’s School of Science and Technology

– We heard that your EJU score in November improved significantly compared with your score in June. How did you do that?
I just studied steadily every day and that led to a higher score.

– Tell us about the classes that were especially helpful for you.
Interview practice: I was able to make up for what I was missing through examining the contents of my statement of purpose and practicing mock interviews.
EJU preparation: I could get used to the pattern of the test questions
Essay writing (basic and practice class): It was useful for preparing for essay tests and EJU.

Passing the entrance exam for Meiji University’s School of Science and Technology

– What made you to decide to enroll in Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School?
An acquaintance of mine told me about Tokyo Galaxy, and when I investigated about the school, I found that many of the students are appreciating their teachers’ kindness and the systematic ways of teaching, so I thought I could trust them. Tokyo Galaxy has the Special Preparatory Class for College Admission, and I thought that it would help me a lot to study there in order to prepare for university entrance exams in Japan.

– Would you tell us about your teachers you are especially thankful to?
Ms. Kaiho: She was my homeroom teacher, and I am really grateful for her help; she always encouraged me and cared about me a lot.
Mr. Kumazaki: His lessons were fun and his explanations were easy to understand.
Ms. Michiki: At her interview practice class, she kindly gave me the details necessary for the university entrance examination.
Ms. Higuchi: She was my entrance exam trainer, and she made me see what I was missing so that I was able to make up for it. I’m thankful for her help, pointing out what I didn’t notice.

Passing the entrance exam for Meiji University’s School of Science and Technology

– We think you have experienced difficulties while preparing for the exam. How did you overcome it?
Sometimes I felt loneliness, living away from my family in a foreign country. But I always tried to cope with it by recalling the reason I decided to study in Japan. I also did workout regularly to get rid of stress.

– How is your life in Japan right now?
When I came to Japan, I was afraid to walk around because I couldn’t understand Japanese and I was hesitant to go into stores, but now I’m enjoying my life in Japan, feeling relaxed. I don’t think it’s difficult anymore to go to a restaurant and order using a Japanese menu. Since I have been studying for the entrance exam, there are many things that I haven’t been able to try, so I’d like to experience a lot more in the future.

– Please give some advice to your juniors preparing for university entrance exams in Japan.
I think it is important to study with diligence. You should carry on at your own pace, without worrying about other people, and remain unshaken. I also recommend to participate in the open campus events held by Japanese universities.

Passing the entrance exam for Meiji University’s School of Science and Technology

– What would you like to tell your juniors about Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School?
Tokyo Galaxy’s EJU preparation classes offer extensive support, and its other classes are also conducted well and systematically. There are many good teachers, and you will have classmates working on preparations for college entrance exams just like you, so you will be inspired and encouraged by studying together with your friends.

– What are your goals with your life at university?
I’m going to live for a time in Japan, so I want to keep my grades as good as possible and get a scholarship.

We would like to thank Mr. K for telling us in details about his preparations for university entrance exam in Japan.
Mr. K, who has studied at Tokyo Galaxy’s Regular Class and the Special Preparatory Class for College Admission, was always working on the daily assignments and the kanji tests very seriously. He was also managing his time outside class hours very effectively.
If you are aiming for prestigious universities in Japan, such as Meiji University, we recommend to take a look at Mr. K’s story and draw on his experience.
Congratulations on passing the entrance exam for Meiji University, Mr.K!

School News

Do you think it’s too long, or too short?

At Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School, we are receiving increased inquiries from international students who have long been preparing in their home country to enter a Japanese university, but have not been able to pass the entrance exam for their desired university, and are seriously considering to receive Japanese language training at our school.
Those who enroll at Tokyo Galaxy in April and study for one year until March of the following year will not only learn Japanese, but will also receive guidance for entrance exams, and take the Academic Japanese Class (we will explain about it later) so that they can immediately adapt to life at university.
While responding to these inquiries, we came to know that many people were wondering if they really need to undergo language training for a whole year. Maybe it’s natural to think so, because those people must have studied a lot in their home country and have a pretty good EJU score.
However, your language training period at Tokyo Galaxy will require at least one year, even if you have already spent some time in your home country to prepare for entrance exams of Japanese universities. We will tell you here about the reason why it takes a year.

Spending a year studying abroad in preparation for university entrance exams

– You will be in quite a rush preparing for a university entrance exam in Japan.
When you say one whole year, it may sound like a very long time. But in fact, you will have only seven to nine months to prepare for the entrance exam if you start your language training in April.
This is because many universities in Japan start accepting applications at the end of August, and their entrance exams for international students are scheduled in October or November. At Waseda University, you must submit your application by the end of June.

You are required to submit the following two documents along with your application documents submitted to Japanese universities.
– EJU certificate of scores
– Statement of purpose
The EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) is held twice a year in June and November. Most of the Japanese universities start accepting applications from international students in late June and close it at the end of October, so you can’t wait until the November EJU; you must take it in June and submit your certificate of scores.
Therefore, if you are planning to enroll at Tokyo Galaxy in April, you need to start preparing for the EJU immediately so that you can get good results in June, which is only two months after enrollment.

Spending a year studying abroad in preparation for university entrance exams

Composing your statement of purpose will be a very difficult process and it is probably the biggest challenge for those aiming for university entrance exams in Japan. In order to write a statement of purpose with a quality needed to pass, you need to keep in mind that it will take a lot of time because you need to work out the content.
Your statement of purpose cannot be just a text; it requires skills to write a statement that describes what you want to say in a logical manner. However, it is also true that many students lack this logical composition ability. You cannot choose whether to submit a statement of purpose or something else; it is mandatory when you apply to a Japanese university. So that means your statement of purpose has to be of good quality; we would like to emphasize this fact.
At Tokyo Galaxy, we have a class for preparing your statement of purpose starting in April, but many students have a difficult time composing their statement, and some of them keep struggling until the time comes to submit their application documents around September to November, not being able to come up with a satisfactory statement. It takes time and lots of effort.
You may be able to improve your EJU score by working on as many practice problems as you can, but if you want to create a perfect statement of purpose, you have to undergo a process of expressing your thoughts in writing, receiving your teacher’s feedback and rewriting it over and over again, and it can be completed at last after a long period of time.
When you actually start to write your statement and receive feedback from your teacher at Tokyo Galaxy, you will probably find that questions such as “do I really have to do language training for a whole year?” was useless.
Your schedule will be fairly tight when you are doing your preparation for EJU, essay test, and statement of purpose in parallel. However, by doing so your language training experience in Japan will be rich and rewarding. When your writing skills advance to the level where you can write your statement of purpose freely as you wish, that will not only enable you to go on to the university of your choice, but it will also be a great help when you start your life in university, since you will be given many written assignments there.

By the way, why do you think Japanese universities require their applicants to submit a statement of purpose? Other materials, such as your high school transcript or school record are evaluations made by your teachers or your school. However, people in charge of university entrance exams are wanting to know what the students themselves are thinking and wishing. In other words, your statement of purpose will be the only window that allows you to communicate directly with the school of your choice. The university tries to grasp an understanding of the student’s thoughts and impressions through the statement of purpose, so you can see how important it is.

– You need to write many things in hand when applying for Japanese university entrance exams.
Did you know that handwriting is required both for the EJU and the statement of purpose mentioned above?
There is a writing test included in the EJU’s test of Japanese as a foreign language, and you have to write on the answer sheet at the test site. And in most cases, you need to handwrite your statement of purpose in accordance with the format assigned by the university, instead of typing it on computer.
At Tokyo Galaxy’s special preparatory class for university entrance exams, you will have many opportunities to improve your Japanese handwriting skills, such as kanji quizzes conducted daily and essay writing lessons using a Japanese manuscript paper (genkou youshi).
Your handwriting does not have to be extremely beautiful, but it needs to be readable and neat enough to give a nice and polite impression, and it takes time to practice Japanese handwriting. International students with the exception of those from China and Taiwan have rarely used kanji, so they have to do a lot of practice on writing Japanese characters.
However, there‘s no need to worry about that when you are studying at Tokyo Galaxy for a year, because you will be able to handwrite properly through our composition and essay writing lessons.

Spending a year studying abroad in preparation for university entrance exams

– Academic Japanese Class will help you in your college life in Japan.
At Tokyo Galaxy, students will be studying for university entrance exams from April to December. Then, during January to March of the following year, we have the Academic Japanese Class to study Japanese required for university life in Japan.
In Japan, most of the private universities announce their application results around the end of November to early February. National universities usually make announcements in mid-February to mid-March.
Students who need to prepare application documents for national universities and practice for interview tests will receive individual guidance from their entrance exam trainers and study at the Academic Japanese Class during January to March.
This class is a distinctive curriculum of the Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School. We established this class in response to our graduates’ concerns about their life in Japanese universities; many of them said they felt that the lectures at the university were much more difficult than expected, and they were experiencing difficulties in communicating with their Japanese professors, seniors and classmates.
Therefore, we started the Academic Japanese Class in January 2011, and we have heard from many of our graduates that taking this class was helpful for them to finish their school successfully.
Despite its short period of only three months, the class covers a wide scope of subjects and its contents are quite deep and satisfying.

As you can see, your study year at Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School will be very meaningful. This will be the time for you to establish your ability in order to successfully achieve your goals, such as entering a Japanese university and successfully graduating from it, or even finding a job in Japan. We are offering the perfect educational environment for students who set their goals looking towards the distant future, rather than simply aiming for university entrance exams.

School News

Comparison of the linguistic competence for JLPT and the actual Japanese proficiency

There is a question we often get asked by people who have just started or are about to begin studying Japanese.

“I read the admission guidelines of Japanese vocational schools and colleges, and most of them require their applicants to be qualified as N2 or higher level of JLPT. So, I thought that all I have to do is, enter a language school in my home country, study Japanese and pass the N2 level test. What’s the need to go to Japan for language training in advance? ”

If you ask this question to anyone who came to Japan to study or work and are living with Japanese people, including students and graduates of Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School, the answer will be the same. Everyone will say it’s definitely better to come to Japan as soon as possible. We tell you the reason here in detail.

The JLPT has five levels, N1 to N5, and the test for each level consists of four sections; vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening.
A multiple-choice computer-scored answer sheet is used in the test, and you can pass the test when you have a total score to be at or above the Overall Pass Mark (which means you need to achieve about 60%), and all of the section scores to be at or above the Sectional Pass Marks.
The JLPT is a test to evaluate Japanese language proficiency of non-native speakers, so you can’t really say that its levels of difficulty are comparable to the actual Japanese fluency of the native speakers.

Comparison of the linguistic competence for JLPT and the actual Japanese proficiency

To be specific, the JLPT does not include speaking and writing tests, so its accuracy in evaluating Japanese proficiency is limited.
Still, it is a very meaningful test to determine your understanding of Japanese required for each level, based on your diligent learning. However, passing the JLPT would not be sufficient if you are going to live in Japan, and study and work with the Japanese people.
N2 level of JLPT is considered as upper-intermediate level, so the test is not easy at all. However, most of the Tokyo Galaxy students who have studied hard and passed the N2 level test before coming to Japan are rated as pre-intermediate level when they take our Japanese placement test.
Tokyo Galaxy’s placement test determines your reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills. Even if a student can answer correctly in an answer sheet exam, he or she might be using wrong Japanese expression or grammar at the speaking test. In that case, we place the student in a class suited to learn and acquire the skill he or she is lacking.
For this reason, you may be assigned to a lower level class than you would expect, but that provides you a good chance to complement your weak skills before moving on to the next level. Most people don’t like to study elementary matters when they move up to the advanced class, so it is important to overcome your weakness in the early stages of study.

To summarize the story so far;
There is a considerable gap between the international students’ level of Japanese skills judged by the JLPT and perceived by native Japanese speakers.
Tokyo Galaxy offers lessons by Japanese teachers in which you can learn grammar, expression, pronunciation and intonation, all that are quite difficult to acquire when you are studying for answer sheet exams. You can also learn how to write kanji characters.
Your language skills acquired in this way can be a great help to speak freely with Japanese people and study at Japanese universities and vocational schools. Japanese people will be eager to communicate with students from overseas if the student can speak Japanese fluently. Students who made a lot of effort to reach such level of fluency will be able to continue their study with confidence.
It is a pity that some students, who have studied Japanese in their home country and jumped into life at a Japanese university or vocational school immediately after they have passed the entrance exam could not keep up with the actual communication in Japanese, lost their confidence and experienced difficulties with their study.

Comparison of the linguistic competence for JLPT and the actual Japanese proficiency

If you can start your study at a Japanese vocational school or a college after acquiring sufficient language skills, you will be able to concentrate in learning the specialized knowledge that you can learn only in Japan, and enjoy a fulfilling student life, communicating with Japanese friends in various situations.
What is your purpose to study Japanese? If your goal is to read a book written in Japanese or watch a drama or movie without subtitles, studying for JLPT would answer your purpose. However, if you want to gain expertise and compete with Japanese students in Japan, you must keep in mind that you need to be fully prepared with your language skills to do so.
We can tell you that, when you study Japanese steadily and come to the point where you can understand the true meaning of the story introduced here, at that time you will be at your starting line to prepare for the future, utilizing your Japanese skills. You will be able to recognize and enjoy the depth of learning a foreign language at that stage.
Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School offers Japanese classes that far exceed the level of the JLPT. If you are wishing to study or learn specialized knowledge in Japan, and to work in fields related to Japan, it is important to build your Japanese language skills, which is the most fundamental stage. We support everyone aiming to learn Japanese and to study in Japan!

School News

First steps to start designing your career

Have you ever heard of the term “career design”? Career designing is the process of thinking about what you are aiming to achieve through your career, and making a plan to realize it. In recent years, Japanese universities are starting to establish a course that specializes in career designing. So, what is your dream for the future? What do you want to do?
To everyone who is aiming to enter a university or to study in Japan, we would like to ask you to take a minute and think about these questions, in order to clarify your thoughts about your future career design. Since you must have been busy studying at school, perhaps you have never thought about such things. Or maybe your teacher or your parents told you to do this or that, and you have been doing them as you were told. However, we would like you to take this opportunity to reflect about yourself and your future plans. We recommend that you do this by writing down your thoughts and seeing yourself objectively.

First steps to start designing your career

“What were the things you liked, and what were you not good at? How did you stand up to what you were not good at, how did you think and overcame it?”
What are the things that you feel passionate about and devote yourself in? On the contrary, what are the things you never want to do, whatever the others say? What do you think is the reason that you dislike it? Maybe you can read a book about history for hours, but solving math problems might soon cause a headache before you find the answer to the second question. Maybe you love to draw cartoons and you can keep working on it forever, but you can’t make a proper move during basketball games in your physical education class. Likes and dislikes vary by person. Some people would say that they will concentrate on things that they love, and refuse to do what they hate, but some might try things like just playing with a basketball, or watching basketball games on TV, and become interested in the sport, no longer hating it.

“What kind of student life experience are you looking for in Japan and why?”
Why did you decide to go to Japan instead of studying in your home country? Maybe it was because there were faculties in Japanese universities that were not in your home country’s universities. Maybe it was because you have always been interested in Japan. Or perhaps you were watching Japanese anime and came to have a feeling of closeness to Japan. Each of you might have a different reason. But it’s ridiculous to pay lots of money to come to Japan, if you are going to spend your time in Japan without any thinking. Some of you might like traveling, and you might be planning to make use of the knowledge of tourism industry you studied in Japan when you go back to your home country. Or maybe some of you are thinking about visiting various restaurants, working part-time, going to school, and broadening your range of cooking techniques. Perhaps some of you want to leave your home country for once in order to see it through an objective perspective. There must be some reason of your own.

“What do you want to do in the future? How will you use your strengths? If you think your strength is not enough, what should you focus on now?”
What kind of work do you want to do and how do you want your life to be? Entering a university or a vocational school should be your starting point, not your goal. So, when you succeed in entering the school or department of your choice, how would you proceed with your study from there? You will need to gain not only academic knowledge but also experience. How would you gain that experience?

First steps to start designing your career

Your future plans will be based on how you have thought and acted so far. What were the things you enjoyed in your school life? What do you remember the most? What were the things you made your greatest efforts? What kind of thinking was the basis of your actions? Knowing yourself is the first step to find the path you should pursue.