Seiritsu International Education

Get the experience of a lifetime in Japan!

Running since 2007, Seiritsu Gakuen’s Japan Experience programme gives junior high and senior high school participants an intensive two-week course during which they can learn Japanese, enjoy both traditional and modern-day cultural activities, explore Japan through fun and educational field trips plus actively take part in Japanese life.

On top of this, each participant gets to see how Japanese people really live by staying with a host family during the first half of their visit!

Our goal is to provide the opportunity for students to experience Japanese life at both home and school, while making many new friends from Japan and around the world. Upon finishing the program, participants will be able to truly say they know Japan!

The registration deadline is June 15, 2012.The fee for the program is ￥190,000. In order to keep the students’ costs as low as possible, participants are required to organize their round trip airfare to Japan, purchase a 7-day Japan Rail Pass, and acquire regular traveler’s medical insurance. Registration is limited to only 10 junior high and high school students. Space in the program fills up quickly so do not hesitate to register.

An easy explanation of the application process follows this letter. In addition, the program information explains the full schedule of events, activity descriptions, standards of conduct & dress code, plus terms and conditions.

In addition to the Japan Experience program, we also welcome students who want study at Seiritsu for a longer period, especially in our Gap Studies course, bridging graduation from high school or further education to starting university. Former Japan Experience participants have also returned to complete this Gap course, and they have found it extremely helpful in preparing for their future international academic studies.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us anytime. We look forward to meeting you soon!

Sincerely

Richard Mosdell
Manager, International Education Department
Seiritsu Gakuen Junior & Senior High School

office:　Seiritsu Gakuen High School
　　　　6-9-13 Higashi-jujyo, Kita-ku
　　　　Tokyo, Japan 114-0001
tel:　81-3-3902-4411　fax 81-3-5939-4286
email:　international@seiritsu.ac.jp
web:　www.seiritsu-int.com

Seiritsu Gakuen Japan Experience Home Stay 2012
Day 1 7/29 (Sun)		Students arrive at Narita Airport at various times					Staff bring students to Seiritsu Gakuen to meet their home stays
Day 2 7/30 (Mon)		8:45 Meet at Seiritsu	9-10 Orientation	10:30-12 Japanese Lesson		12:00 Lunch at Seiritsu	13:30-15 Japanese Calligraphy	15:00 Wrap up meeting	15:30 Finish
Day 3 7/31 (Tues)		8:45 Meet at Seiritsu	9-10 Japanese Lesson	10:30-11:45 Taiko Drumming		12:00 Lunch at Seiritsu	14:00-16:00 Studio Ghibli Museum		17:00 Finish
Day 4 8/01 (Wed)		8:45 Meet at Seiritsu	9-10 Japanese Lesson	10:00-12:30 Manga Drawing Lesson		12:30 Lunch at Seiritsu	13:30-15:30 Shibuya 15:30-17:30 Harajuku		17:30 Finish
Day 5 8/02 (Th)		8:45 Meet at Seiritsu	9-10 Kendo	10:45-12:45 Japanese Cooking			13:00-14:30 Tea Ceremony 14:30-16:30 Akihabara Electric Town		16:30 Finish
Day 6 8/03 (Fri)		8:45 Meet at Seiritsu	9-10 Karate	10:30-12:00 Origami Lesson		12:00 Lunch at Seiritsu	14:00 Sumo Museum 15:00 Edo-Tokyo Museum		16:30 Finish
Day 7 8/04 (Sat)		8:45 Meet at Seiritsu	9:00-12:30 Higashi Jujo Festival			12:30-14:00 Lunch Party with all home stay families			Activities with Home stay family
Day 8 8/05 (Sun)    Activities with Home stay family
Day 9 8/06 (Mon)		8:00 Meet at Akabane Station	8:15 Akabane to Tokyo Tokyo to Shin Kobe 14:00 arrival at Hiroshima (Bullet Train)			Lunch on train	14:30 Check-in at K's Guesthouse Hiroshima	14:30-17:30 Explore Hon-dori shopping district	17:30 Dinner Okonomiyaki
Day10 8/07 (Tues)		8:00 Breakfast	9-12 Miyajima		12-13:00 Lunch 'Anago'	14:00-15:30 Hiroshima Peace Museum Guided English Tour		16:00-17:30 Peace Memorial park	18:30 Dinner
Day11 8/08 (Wed)		8:00 Breakfast	9:30-17:00 Hiroshima-Shin Kobe to Tokyo (Bullet Train) Tokyo to Narita Airport to Narita City (JR)				17:30 Meet Ryokan (Kirinoya) staff at Narita station		Dinner Ryokan Kirinoya
Day12 8/09 (Th)		8:00 Breakfast Ryokan	9-11:00 Chiba Bosa no Mura Museum		12-13:00 Lunch Bosa no Mura	14:00-18:00 Narita Omotesando Narita Daihonzan temple			Dinner Ryokan Kirinoya
Day13 8/10 (Fri)		8:00 Breakfast Ryokan	9:17-9:37 Narita-Maihama station		Tokyo Disneyland Lunch at the park			17:00-18:30 Maihama station-Narita	"I know Japan!" content
Day14 8/11 (Sat)		8:00 Breakfast Ryokan	Seiritsu Staff take students to Narita Airport for departure

*Please note the schedule may change without notice. Seiritsu will do its utmost to maintain the activities as listed if different days or times are arranged.

*From July 30 to August 4, the finish time is when the students may either return to their home stays or remain at the field trip locations to spend more personal time (for example Harajuku) and return to their home stays later. If a student plans to remain longer, they must have informed their home stay families beforehand and double-check with the school staff about which trains to use to return to their home stay.

成立学園　ｼﾞｬﾊﾟﾝ･ｴｸｽﾍﾟﾘｴﾝｽ　2012
1日目 7/29 (日)		成田空港着 教師の二人が迎えに行きます。					成立につれてきて ホストファミリーに会わせる
2日目 7/30 (月)		8:45 集合	9-10 オリエンテーション	10:30-12 日本語 会話練習		12:00 昼食 (学食)	13:30-15 書道	15-15:30 話し合い	15:30 解散
3日目 7/31 (火)		8:45 集合	9-10 日本語 会話練習	10:30-11:45 太鼓体験 (和太鼓練習場所)		12:00 昼食 (学食)	14:00-16:00 ジブリ美術館		17:00 解散
4日目 8/01 (水)		8:45 集合	9-10 日本歴史	10:00-12:30 マンガ教室		12:30 昼食 (学食)	13:30-15:30 渋谷 15:30-17:30 原宿		17:30 解散
5日目 8/02 (木)		8:45 集合	9-10 剣道体験	10:45-12:45 日本料理			13:00-14:30 茶道 14:30-16:30 秋葉原		16:30 解散
6日目 8/03 (金)		8:45 集合	9-10 空手体験	10:30-12:00 日本美術 折り紙		12:00 昼食 (学食)	14:00 相撲博物館 15:00 江戸東京博物館		16:30 解散
7日目 8/04 (土)		8:45 集合	9:00-12:30 東十条祭り			12:30-14:00 送別会			ホストファミリーと(午後)
8日目 8/05 (日)    ホストファミリーと
9日目 8/06 (月)		8:00 集合 赤羽駅	8:15 赤羽駅-東京駅 東京駅-新神戸 14:00 広島到着 (新幹線)			昼食 東京駅 駅弁買う	14:30 ケイズハウス 広島に チェックイン	14:30-17:30 本道で 散歩	17:30 本道 夕食 お好み焼き
10日目 8/07 (火)		8:00 朝ご飯 ファミレス	9-12 宮島		12-13:00 昼食 (あなご)	14:00-15:30 広島平和記念資料館 (ツアーガイド付き)		16:00-17:30 平和記念公園 でのお散歩	18:30 夕食
11日目 8/08 (水)		8:00 朝ご飯 ファミレス	9:30-17:00 広島-成田に移動 広島駅>新神戸>東京駅(新幹線) 東京駅>NEX>成田空港駅>成田駅				17:30 旅館スタッフが成田駅 に出迎え		旅館
12日目 8/09 (木)		8:00 朝ご飯 旅館	9-11:00 千葉県立房総のむ ら博物館 (旅館バス)		12-13:00 昼食 房総のむらで	14:00-18:00 成田市 表参道 成田山 大本山			旅館
13日目 8/10 (金)		8:00 朝ご飯 旅館	9:17-10:37 成田駅-舞浜駅		東京ディズニーランド 昼食：レストラン			17:00-18:30 舞浜駅-成田駅	旅館＋日本を知ってる!
14日目 8/11 (土)		8:00 朝ご飯 旅館	成田空港着(各自のフライトスケジュールによる) 学校関係者が空港に出迎え

Program fee

The fee is ￥190,000 (paid in Japanese yen via a wire transfer from participant’s bank account to the school’s bank account). This includes all program classes, home stays, meals and local transportation from the school to all field trip activities. Breakfast and dinner are with the host family during the first week, while lunch is provided by the school, except on the weekend when the participants will be with their host family. In addition to the program fee, participants are responsible for the following

1.Round trip airfare
2.Traveler’s health insurance
3.7-day JR rail pass
4.Long distance telephone calls
5.Any personal shopping.
6.Local transportation to and from the home stay to the school or any place a student goes in their free time. Participants should budget approximately ￥1000 a day for this.

How to Register

Please see our simple workflow above for our registration process Please clearly fill-out the registration form, provide all information that is requested and send it to arrive at Seiritsu by June 15, 2012. Once we confirm the receipt of your registration, the complete payment of ￥190,000 is due immediately. Only when we have received all required information and payment is your place on the course fully confirmed. A passport size picture is also required when you mail your registration form to us. Please remember that space is limited to 10 people and English will be the main language used to communicate with participants.

Registration Payment

can be made by bank wire transfer payable to;

Bank name: Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
Branch name: Akabane Branch
Bank address:1-7-8 Akabane, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Bank code: 0001
Branch code: 203
Swift code: MHBKJPJT
School address: 6-9-13 Higashi-jujo, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 114-0001
Account name: Seiritsu Gakuen Educational Foundation Formation School
Account number: 200213

Required Visa

The standard Japanese TOURIST VISA is all that is required for most participants. Of course you will need a passport from your country. Upon arrival at Narita Airport, simply tell the customs officer you are here for a ‘SCHOOL HOME STAY’.

However, you must be sure of your country’s visa arrangements with Japan, so please check the official Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Japan does require citizens from some countries to obtain a tourist visa or entry permission from a Japanese embassy PRIOR to arriving in Japan.
→ http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

A ‘Student Visa’ is NOT required because this program is not a for credit course; it is a short home stay program.

Day 1 - Narita Airport Greeting and Short Meeting

Seiritsu staff will meet you at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport on Sunday, July 29, 2012. When you arrive, you will receive a ‘Welcome to Japan’ package and go over its contents with the Seiritsu staff, including identification card, contact numbers, explanations on what to do in case of an emergency and also some basic Japanese phrases and etiquette. From the airport you will go to Seiritsu Gakuen by train to meet your home stay family once all the students have arrived.

Once all the students have arrived, everyone will go to the JR Rail office at Narita to hand-in their JR Rail Pass exchange orders for the JR Rail Pass Books. In addition, reservations for bullet train seats for the 2nd week’s train travel will also be made.

Day 2 to Day 6

Each day, you will meet with the other participants at school at 8:45am to review the day’s activities with school staff, and then take part in cultural activities from the morning to early afternoon. There is usually a 30 minute morning break after the day’s first activity. Lunch will be provided by the school. During any breaks at the school, you can use a computer in the library or computer room. During the afternoons there will be field trips. The whole group will walk to a local train station and travel to the afternoon’s activity together by train.

Lunch, any activity fees and local travel to and from the afternoon activities are included in the program fee. After the field trip is over, students can either travel around Tokyo on their own, or head straight back to their home stay; they simply need to inform their home stay of their plan prior to the start of that day.

Day 7

Everyone will meet at Seiritsu at 8:45am for a morning review of the day’s activities. From 9am to 12:30pm you will take part in Higashi Jujo Matsuri festival when the school’s students and neighbors carry around a portable shrine. At 12:30pm there is a party to thank the home stays for their hospitality. Each student will be presented with a program completion certificate from the principal to signify their successful participation of the first week’s cultural lessons.

Day 8

Individual activities with your home stay family.

Day 9 to Day 11 - Hiroshima

The Seiritsu staff and participants will travel to the city of Hiroshima in western Japan via an ultra modern bullet train. Students will use their JR Rail Pass Books. The tour includes visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park, sampling famous Hiroshima cuisine, and exploring important historical sites. The group will stay at K’s Guest house inn, which caters to tourists. http://kshouse.jp/hiroshima-e/index.html

On day 11 the whole group travels back to Tokyo via bullet train, than to Narita City by express train. We will check into a traditional Japanese Inn called Kirinoya. http://www.naritakanko.jp/kirinoya/

Day12 - Sightseeing in Narita City

An exciting day of sightseeing in the traditional areas of Narita City, as well as enjoying another night at the Japanese inn, during which evening games are planned.

Day 13 - Tokyo Disneyland

The group will spend the day at Tokyo Disneyland and finish off the night with the “I Know Japan!” contest.

Day 14 - Departure

The final day, everyone will travel back to Narita airport with the Seiritsu staff, check-in at their respective airlines and depart for home.

Japanese lessons

Lessons are based on conversational Japanese. Students who have studied Japanese, and students who are beginners to the language, will be separated into different groups. The final lesson plans will be based on the language level of the participants who have registered for the program.

Japanese cultural activities

Each activity is focused on learning in a fun, hands-on style, while also being educational.

All physical activities are safe and fun for both boys and girls. Please remember to bring some work-out clothing, like t-shirts, long shorts or track pants, for the physical activities.

Host family commitments

To make your trip enjoyable and easy, one main home stay family member will be the ‘family contact person’ for you and the school. This family member will;

●　Meet you at Seiritsu on Day 1 and then take you back to their home.

●　Teach you how to get from their home to the school by local transportation.

●　Provide a room for you to stay in.

●　Prepare breakfast and dinner and arrange for members of the family to spend time with you each day.

‘I Know Japan!’ Contest

Near the end of the program, the annual ‘I Know Japan!’ contest will be held. All the participants will answer fun trivia questions about the cultural activities and the field trips everyone did to see who ‘learned’ the most during the course of the program. At the end, the winner of the ‘I Know Japan!’ contest will be presented with a contest trophy and prize.

Home Stay Appreciation Party

The last group activity at the high school at the end of the first week is the Home Stay Appreciation Party, when everyone will be presented with a completion certificate from the Principal. Each participant will be required to give a short 1 minute acceptance speech to say whatever they wish about their time in Japan.

Japan Experience DVD

During all the activities, Seiritsu staff will take photos and video. After the completion of the program, Seiritsu will produce a DVD and mail it to the participants in their home country.

Interested?

Now, if you are interested, please register with us now, or send us an email if you have any questions.
Before you sign the registration form, read over the standards of conduct, the dress code and the terms and conditions carefully please. These are all designed to be straight forward and allow all participants to enjoy the program and their time in Japan together.

Standards of Conduct & Dress Code

Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit to themselves, their families, their schools, and the countries they represent. The participants are truly ambassadors of their country, which they should be proud to be. Therefore, Seiritsu expects all participants to adhere to the following rules during the entire program from the time they arrive at Narita Airport until the time they return home.

Seiritsu Standards of Conduct
1.　I agree to abide by the School’s rules and regulations at all times, and to not obstruct or disrupt the program at
　　anytime during cultural activities, field trips, or at any time with the host family.
2.　I agree to try to resolve any problems I may have through discussion with School staff and other participants.
　　I will not to attempt to harm or harass others.
3.　I agree to respect the property of the school, its staff and its students.
4.　I agree not to be disruptive through disorderly or indecent conduct.
5.　I agree to respect everyone around me at all times and not to discriminate or show intolerance towards anyone
　　based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, or physical handicap.
6.　I agree not to use, possess, sell or distribute alcoholic beverages, tobacco, illegal substances or weapons.

Homestay Standards of Conduct
1.　I agree to abide by my host family’s house rules at all times.
2.　I agree to communicate openly with my host family especially in regard to any issues I have with my placement.
　　If communication is difficult, I will make an effort to speak with School staff as soon as possible.
3.　I will respect the privacy and personal belongings of my host family.
4.　I will not use my host family’s telephone, fax or computer without permission from my host. I will use my own
　　international telephone card or equivalent whenever possible.
5.　I will be financially responsible for any damage resulting from my stay.
6.　I will not have in my possession or use alcohol or illegal drugs.
7.　I will not borrow anything that belongs to the host family without their expressed permission.
8.　I agree to be courteous and respectful in all my communication with the host family at all times.

Dress Code
While Seiritsu is a private high school and regular Japanese students are required to wear the school uniform at all times, Japan Experience participants are not required to wear a school uniform. Personal clothing is fine, but participants are required to dress appropriately. In general, a participant’s clothing and grooming must include decency, neatness, cleanliness, non-disruption, safety and suitability for the school and the field trips.

Japan is a more conservative country than some other countries, so each participant is requested to use common sense in regards to their appearance. July and August are warm summer months in Japan; therefore participants should wear acceptable summer clothing.

Participants must change their clothing if it is deemed inappropriate, e.g. not worn correctly, is in disrepair, or has inappropriate slogans and/or graphics, etc. The School requests participants to not wear accessories which may cause a safety problem or be disruptive to the learning process. Tattoos are not accepted in Japanese schools so it is best to cover them up if you have one.

Warnings and dismissal
If any participant is not acting in compliance with program regulations, they will be warned by the School staff and they are then expected to take full responsibility for changing their behavior or risk being sent home early at their own cost. There will be no fee refund to anyone dismissed from the program.

Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol Violations
The legal smoking and alcohol drinking age in Japan is 20 years old, therefore, NO participants are allowed to consume tobacco or alcohol at anytime. Use of illegal drugs will result in instant expulsion from the Program. Japan is also a zero tolerance country in regards to all illegal drugs, and penalties for drug violations are often harsher than in other countries. Participants must remember that while traveling in Japan they are subject to Japanese laws and that their own country’s laws do not protect them.

THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS OUTLINED BELOW PERTAIN TO THE SEIRITSU JAPAN EXPERIENCE PROGRAM 2012.