Information for Japanese Language Courses, 2026
Hokkaido University Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education International Education and Research Division has announced its Japanese Language Courses for 2026. Please see the information below and check the flyers and *course guide for the General Japanese Course.
General Japanese Course and CMC
Semester
First semester: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 – Thursday, August 6, 2026
Second semester: Thursday, October 1, 2026 – Wednesday, February 3, 2027
(Except Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays)
Timetable
Please refer to the Course Guide 2026.
Classroom Location
Most classes will be taught in the Student Communication Station (Kita 15, Nishi 8, South of Frontier Research in Applied Sciences Building) with some classes in the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education building (Kita 17, Nishi 8).
Classrooms will be announced via e-mail on the day before the classes begin.
Class Times
- Period 1 08:45-10:15
- Period 2 10:30-12:00
- Period 3 13:00-14:30
- Period 4 14:45-16:15
- Period 5 16:30-18:00
Eligibility
The General Japanese Courses and Co-learning in Multicultural Classrooms (CMC) are open to:
- international students enrolled at Hokkaido University with a student visa (research students or ‘kenkyusei’, graduate students, special auditors, and special research students);
- international teaching or research staff;
- and office workers who work at the university.
Please be reminded that auditors, credited auditors, and Bachelor’s degree program students are not eligible to register.
In CMC, you can study Japanese language, culture, society, and research methodologies through collaborative learning together with Japanese students. Please note that this course does not deal with language skills such as Japanese grammar, pronunciation, reading, writing, and so on. For those who want to study these skills, please take our General Japanese Course.
Placement Test and Applications period
| Test-taking period | Application periods | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st semester | Fri. March 6 – Thu. March 26 | Fri. March 13 – Thu. March 26 |
| 2nd semester | We will announce the schedule on our website: https://isc.high.hokudai.ac.jp/general_ja_lang/ |
Placement Test
- New Applicants:
- New applicants who have never taken the General Japanese Course must take a placement test. However, except for those who have not previously studied Japanese, please DO NOT take the placement test, as you will be automatically placed in Introductory 1.
- Continuing Applicants:
- Continuing applicants must select one of the following options.
- A) Taking a placement test
→ Choose your classes based on the test scores. - B) Not taking a placement test
→ Apply for a class one level higher than the one you took before
- A) Taking a placement test
- In either case, admission is ultimately regulated on the basis of the number of students. There is no guarantee that you will get into the course that you desire.
- Please check this website and see how to take the test.
- Continuing applicants must select one of the following options.
Note:
All students must apply online, even if you don’t need to take a placement test. If you don’t apply online, you will not be allowed to attend classes.
Applications
All applicants for the General Japanese Course should submit an application form here.
Please complete and submit the application during the appropriate period. As the number of student intakes in each class is limited, an early application is recommended.
For more information on the course and application procedures, visit our website.
Have further questions? See if it’s in our FAQ.