Curriculum and Higher Education

We have kept the classes relatively small for an optimal learning environment. There are also supplementary lessons for beginners who want to strengthen the basics and for students who feel like they cannot keep up with their peers. Our classes consist of students of different nationalities and the only common language they share is Japanese; this results in the students having to communicate in and practice their Japanese. At OBKG, we will guide students who wish to attend universities so that they can have a 100% passing rate on their entrance examination.

Overview

Class Levels

Elementary Japanese I ・Elementary Japanese II ・Intermediate Japanese I ・Intermediate Japanese II ・Advanced Japanese I ・Advanced Japanese II

Lesson hours

Four hours per day, from Monday to Friday.

Morning classes

9:00 a.m. to 12:50 p.m

Afternoon classes

1:10 p.m. to 4:50 p.m

Lesson hours are 20 hours per week and over 800 hours per year.
Optional lessons for students who wish to prepare for JLPT and EJU (Japanese language, Japan and the World, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry)

Lesson Plans

Upon admission, students will have a placement test to determine their Japanese language level.

Elementary Japanese

The curriculum will start with greetings so students can interact with the people they meet in their daily lives. They will then move on to learn simple grammar, sentence structures, fun conversations, basic vocabulary, Kanji, listening comprehension and writing. The classes will be practical and enjoyable, designed to meet students’ goals in learning basic Japanese language.

Intermediate Japanese

For university entrance preparation, students will have full-scale lessons on grammar and sentence structures, learn and practice more Kanji characters, vocabulary, phrases, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, pronunciation, expressions, and writing papers, and start preparing for JLPT N1 level.

Advanced Japanese

Learning materials will include Japanese newspapers, books on various topics, and literary documents. They will learn new vocabulary used in various areas of study to keep up with lessons given in Japanese language and acquire the knowledge needed to attend university or other tertiary education organization. They will also learn to write research papers with the guidance of our teachers.

Higher Education

Form teachers will have one-on-one sessions with students to talk about their objectives and goals for the future. OBKG has a high rate of continuing education and is at the top compared to the rest of the nation. 100% of our students who decided to attend Undergraduate and Graduate schools are able to succeed. To look at past achievements, please click here.

1. A recommendation-based entrance examination for Undergraduate Studies and Vocational School
2. Students with good academic standing and attendance rate will be recommended to JASSO to receive a monthly scholarship of ¥ 30,000 for 12 months
3. Information sessions by Universities and Vocational Schools will be held at OBKG, and students can direct their questions to the school representative
4. Preparation classes for EJU (Japan and the World, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry)
5. Students can directly consult our principal
6. There are pamphlets and information on many Universities in the Staff Room
7. Information session on higher education and continuing education

Finding Employment in Japan

For students who wish to work in Japan, it is necessary to obtain JLPT N2 Level or BJT J2 Level (or higher). At OBKG, we conduct BJT preparation classes, provide guidance on interview and writing CV, and teach business manners for students who wish to find employment.

About Examinations

EJU - Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students

EJU is a test that is necessary for students who wish to study at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or at a vocational school. In the past two years, the test has become more focused on the reading comprehension section and the level of difficulty has been increasing.
At OBKG, preparation for the EJU is incorporated into daily lessons. Starting from 1 month before the examination date, students are drilled with practice questions so they can learn how to process information quickly, use the process of elimination to answer multiple choice questions, take quick notes during listening comprehension, write short essays on various topics, etc. Our teachers come together to analyze past questions and come up with the strategy for the students, so they can understand the concepts easily. We also conduct optional lessons for students who wish to prepare for other EJU subjects (Mathematics, Japan and the World, Chemistry, Physics). We believe these are why the average score at OBKG is higher than the average national score.
EJU - Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students

JLPT - Japanese Language Proficiency Test

JLPT is important for students who wish to continue studying and for students who wish to work in Japan. It is the standard for measuring Japanese language level for foreign nationals living in Japan. For the second year in a row, many of our students have passed the N1 level in July (the first of 2 examinations held every year). We conduct mock tests at the N4/N5 level in school for students in the Elementary Japanese classes, and 2 out of 3 students obtain a score of above 90%. It is important for students to have strong basic skills in order to be able to improve and pass the N1 level test, which is why we prepare the students from the first steps. Our curricula involve preparing students through intensive practice leading up to the day of the examination. We believe that through practice and doing mock tests, students will improve their ability and get closer to achieving perfect scores. Every year at OBKG, there is at least one student who obtains a perfect score (180/180) on their JLPT N1 level test.
JLPT - Japanese Language Proficiency Test

BJT - Business Japanese Proficiency Test

BJT is a test for foreign nationals who wish to work in Japan. Almost all classes taught at Japanese language schools are geared toward preparing students for university and Graduate school, so students who wish to work often have to put in more time and effort to practice business Japanese and appropriate business manners. BJT classes at OBKG are often small, so teachers can concentrate on each student and form an individual plan. We have seen many students who obtain high scores successfully find employment, and we hope to have many more students succeed.
BJT - Business Japanese Proficiency Test

Higher Education preparation

Below are outlines of schedules for students who wish to apply for Undergraduate and Graduate studies.

2-year course

※ indicates application for research students

• The above table shows an example of the curriculum for a 2-year course. At OBKG, we always put our best efforts to guide the students and put in just as much focus on planning our lessons.
• Form teachers, consulting teachers, and the principal will work together with each student to practice for their university entrance interview, choosing universities, writing a research plan or essays for university entrance application, and throughout the process of application. We spend at least 10 hours guiding each student.
• Starting from when students are admitted to OBKG, we form detailed lesson plans and consistently work toward the students' goals, keeping lapses to a minimum. We have had many students express their gratitude to the teachers, principal, and the school.

1 year 6 months course

※ indicates application for research students

• The above table shows an example of the curriculum for a 1 year 6 months course. Although the amount of time to prepare for University is shorter than the 2-year course, we have prepared a  dense curriculum so students can go to their Universities of choice.
• Form teachers, consulting teachers, and the principal will work together with each student to practice for their university entrance interview, choosing universities, writing a research plan or essays for university entrance application, prepare for interviews, and throughout the process of application. In order to achieve the students' goals, we not only put our best in improving their Japanese language skills, we also put emphasis on guiding students in writing their University application essays. Students will also have a lot of interview practices and see rapid improvement in their interviewing skills in the last 6 months of study.

Universities and Vocational Schools

Below are lists of Universities, 2-Year Colleges, and Vocational Schools that our students had been accepted to.

Public Universities

• Osaka University
• Osaka Prefecture University
• Osaka City University
• Kyoto University
• Kobe University
• Nara University of Education
• Hiroshima University
• Kyoto Prefectural University
• Wakayama University
• University of Toyama
• Nagoya University

Private Universities

• Osaka Sangyo University
• Kansai University
• Kwansei Gakuin University
• Ritsumeikan University
• Doshisha University
• Kinki University
• St. Andrew's University
• Otemon Gakuin University
• Hannan University
• Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
• Kobe University of Commerce
• Osaka University of Arts
• Hagaromo International University
• Kyoto Sangyo University
• Bukkyo University
• Ryukoku University
• Himeji Dokkyo University
• Osaka University of Tourism (Meijo Gakuin)
• Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science
  and Technology
• Osaka University of Commerce
• Tezukayama University
• Tenri University
• Osaka University of Economics
• Kobe Gakuin University
• Osaka University of Economics and Law
• Sonoda Women's University
• Osaka Institute of Technology
• Kyoto Seika University

2-year Colleges

• Hakuho Women's College
• Osaka Seikei College

Vocational Schools

• 神戸スポーツアートCocoro専門学校
• 駿台観光＆外語専門学校
• 日本コンピューター専門学校
• コンピュータ総合学園HAL
• トラジャル旅行ホテル専門学校

Companies

Below is a list of companies that our students have been employed at.

Companies

• Nakabayashi Co., Ltd.
• Koyo-mold Co., Ltd.
• 南星貿易株式会社
• ヒロセ通商株式会社
• Hagoromo Electric Co., Ltd.