A week in our Fukuoka Japanese language school

What can you expect from a week in our Fukuoka Japanese language school? Of course, no two weeks are the same when you are in Japan and studying with us! But as a school we have a structure that will help with your study flow. Start your journey to study Japanese in Fukuoka with us and see what awaits you!

Your arrival in Japan

That’s it, you are ready to fly to Japan and can’t wait to get there! You’ve heard of Fukuoka (mostly because you read our other article here: Study Japanese in Fukuoka!) and are excited to discover the city. You are making sure you are not forgetting anything. Toothbrush: check. Passport: check. Favourite manga: check. That book of onomatopoeia that grandma offered you for Christmas thinking that knowing how to say ペコペコ (peko-peko)* would be helpful: check.

After a long flight, you finally arrive at the Fukuoka airport. The connection at the Tokyo airport was not so bad. This is true after all, the Japanese society is well-organized and it was easy to find your new gate. The Fukuoka airport itself is not so big, so you easily find your taxi and are now on your way to your accommodation!

You enter your room, put your suitcase as far away as possible, because carrying something that heavy for hours and hours should be illegal! Finally, you sit down on your bed, and let it sink in… you ARE in Japan! Time to pat yourself on the back for a minute. Sure, you could not understand what that taxi driver was saying, but you made it regardless. You decide to close your eyes for a minute… and wake up a few hours later. Jetlag is real!

*ペコペコ, or the sound an empty can makes. Often used when one wants to say they are hungry. I.E: お腹がペコペコです (Onaka ga peko-peko desu). I am hungry.

Your first day at our Fukuoka Japanese language school

It’s Monday morning, and before leaving your accommodation, you check the email the school has sent you. You study the map one more time to make sure you know how to get to the school. To Hakata station then! Riding the train was a bit challenging, but that station staff was nice enough to explain you how to buy a ticket. You secretly thank GenkiJACS, because you know the school will help you obtain a train pass. This will make things much easier in the coming days.

You are now in Hakata, ready to walk to the school. It is only a 10-minute walk after all, it should be ea… dang it, wrong exit! Off you are now, on your way to the other side of the station. You finally reach the school. It’s right here, in front of your eyes, with its red sign. You made it!

You push the door and see other students starting on the same day as you and wonder who will be in your class. Regardless of this, you are excited to get to know people from all around the world that share your passion for Japan. Surely these will be great weeks!

After an orientation that explains you in details how the school works, and how to get that train pass and other necessities, it’s time to wait for your first class to start. Great time to start talking to other students and make new friends.

Time for class!

Alright, you know your schedule for this week now. Classes every day, from Monday to Friday, 4 times a day. You knew what to expect for the class content, because you also read that following blog post: What will you learn in a Japanese language school in Fukuoka?

This week, you have learnt how to order your favourite dish at a restaurant. The pair work in class was fun and easy, and your classmate is quite good too. Class finishes, so you decide to go to lunch and try to use what you have just learnt. Hopefully, the restaurant staff does not ask difficult questi… aaand you have no idea what that waitress is asking you! Do you want what? What is toupingu… Ah! Topping? Yes, some cheese please. Phew, that did not go as planned, but in the end, you’ve got what you wanted. The lunch is delicious. But when you go back to class, you will be sure to tell your experience to your teachers. Surely, they will have an advice that helps.

The homework you have every day really helps your understanding of this new grammar point. How to ask for things politely has no more secrets for you now!

The events at our Fukuoka Japanese language school

It’s now Wednesday and you have finished class and done your homework. You’re excited because every Wednesday evening, GenkiJACS organizes a language exchange with Japanese people. You will finally be able to practice your Japanese even more. You also feel better knowing that they will speak a bit of English. That way, you can safely switch back to a language you are more comfortable with. You’re not quite ready to have a full-on Japanese conversation yet. Baby steps!

This event is great, and you can’t wait for Thursday afternoon too. You heard GenkiJACS shows a Japanese movie every week on that day. What will it be this week? A Ghibli movie you have not seen yet? Or maybe one of these funny/crazy movies Japan is known for. Nevertheless, that’s the best way to train your ear to listen to Japanese. Surely, having fun while learning, that’s a win!

What? There’s more? GenkiJACS also organizes a Friday party? This week everyone will eat pizza in the lounge of the school. You’re curious to see if pizzas taste the same as back home. No, surely Japan will have put a twist on that dish. In any case, you look forward to speaking with other students. Your Japanese level is getting better, so you might join a higher-level class next week. Some of them might be your new classmates.

Weekends

The week is over, and the Friday party was great! It was unexpected but after the party, you ended up at the Karaoke with other students. You make a mental note that it’s time to learn how to sing better. You ask for forgiveness to those artists you criticized over the years. Singing is hard!

Before going home last night, you planned to meet your classmates at Ōhori Park to eat lunch. You check how to get to the park. It’s next to the subway station, so it should be easy to find. The park is nice, and it feels good to sit next to the water on the grass. You take out the onigiri and snacks you bought at the convenience store. You are not totally sure what that weirdly-shaped snack is, but it’s time to try new things! Hey, it tastes good!

You spend a part of the afternoon at the park. That student from the other side of the world has so many interesting stories. Maybe you’ll visit their country one day. You then go to Tenjin, for some shopping. After that, everyone will go to that sushi place they wanted to try. You are not sure how you feel about raw fish. Why not trying!

The day is over. On Sunday you will go back to the park because it was really nice. You cannot believe that one week has already passed! From Monday, you will start classes again. You check your new schedule. This time you have classes in the afternoon on Monday. You don’t have to wake up too early! Maybe you will go somewhere in the morning before class. You heard there is a garden on top of a building at the Hakata station next to the school. You have to see this!

Conclusion

If you are interested in experiencing what you have just read, it’s as easy as requesting a free estimate here: Fukuoka estimate request

Already spent some time in Fukuoka and want to share your experience with people who are reading this? Leave a comment!

Ōhori park sounded very nice? See some pictures here: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4805.html

We hope to see you very soon in our Fukuoka Japanese language school. We also have schools in Tokyo and Kyoto for those of you who want to see different cities.

DISCLAIMER: This article is describing how a typical week would be at our school, but guarantees in no way that all the things we talk about would really happen. It is clear that in times of the Coronavirus, outings and events cannot be organized. But as soon as the situation is back to normal in Japan, we are sure that they will be again.