japan semester/year program

Program Services

 

  Pre-Departure & Orientation

  Visas, Passports, & Travel

  Student Enployment

  Housing

  Health Insurance & Emergency Services

  Student Life & Academic Excursions

  Contact

 

 

PRE-DEPARTURE & ORIENTATION

Temple University International Programs provides participating students with a series of pre-departure postings on the Web to help students prepare for studying and living in Tokyo. A predeparture orientation program is also conducted at Temple
University’s main campus in Philadelphia. Students are required to attend the on-site orientation program in Tokyo before starting classes. This program is designed to acquaint students with Temple University, Japan Campus, and life in Tokyo and Japan.

 

VISAS, PASSPORTS, & TRAVEL

Students must obtain visas for study at TUJ, and Temple assists students with this process. Detailed instructions on the documentation required by Japanese immigration officials from students and their parents are provided to all participants. This process can be a lengthy one, so it is important for program participants to follow the instructions carefully and observe the deadlines for submitting materials.

Special Passport Note: Students must procure a valid passport, valid for a minimum of 90 days beyond the end of the program, shortly after program acceptance to apply for a visa. Passport applications can now take up to several months to process. Students who do not have valid passports should therefore apply for or renew their passports as soon as possible. For information on obtaining a passport, visit http://travel.state.gov/passport

Students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Tokyo and are required to arrive in time for the start of the orientation program. Further details are provided to accepted students.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

Students may have the opportunity to work on-campus through student worker positions or, in limited circumstances, at paid internships. Students who work at TUJ usually find part-time employment in the Learning Center and in administrative offices. However, the university cannot guarantee employment for all students, and jobs may be limited.

Moreover, student employment is strictly regulated and requires formal university approval to be in compliance with visa laws and restrictions that govern employment for foreign nationals in Japan. Students can only work in accordance with Japanese visa restrictions and require advance approval and documentation. Study abroad students may only work if they are under long-term visa sponsorship and may not work if they are on a short-term tourist visa (applicable in the summer term).

 

HOUSING

Students have the option of finding their own housing or of taking advantage of housing offered by TUJ. TUJ offers housing in a few select buildings, all of which have air conditioning and provide access to a kitchen, laundry facilities, and the internet. Basic furnishings, linens, dishes, and kitchen utensils are provided. Each housing facility is within a short walk of restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, and shops, and depending on the location of the housing, the commute to campus ranges from 20 to 50 minutes by public transportation.

A limited number of homestays with Japanese families are available for students interested in complete linguistic and cultural immersion.

TOP

HEALTH INSURANCE & EMERGENCY SERVICES

TUJ students are required to have health insurance with international coverage valid for the duration of the program. For this reason, all Temple study abroad participants are required, at a minimum, to purchase the International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which carries a basic emergency and accident insurance policy. This card is currently available for $22 from STA Travel offices on campuses throughout the United States, as well as online.

While Temple University requires that all students maintain ISIC coverage at a minimum, the University highly recommends purchasing additional insurance.

In the event of a medical emergency overseas, all students participating on a Temple University study abroad program have access to 24-hour assistance through a company called International SOS. International SOS helps with medical, personal, travel, and security information when away from home. More detailed information about insurance is provided in the pre-departure materials.

 

STUDENT LIFE & ACADEMIC EXCURSIONS

Since a majority of TUJ students are Japanese, becoming involved in campus life provides an excellent way to make Japanese friends outside the classroom. Student organizations range from sports clubs (boxing, basketball, tennis) to those emphasizing TUJ’s international orientation (Salsa, China Club, Multicultural Society). Students may also become involved in planning events, such as club based dances and parties, and participate in university festivals. Students often socialize in the Student Activities Center, where the student government and a student lounge are located.

To enhance understanding of Japanese culture, TUJ organizes optional field trips and excursions each semester. These include outings to Japanese matsuri (festivals), museums, sporting events (sumo, baseball, soccer) and the wide variety of offerings distinctive to Tokyo, one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. Students may also visit special cultural workshops on traditional Japanese arts (ikebana, calligraphy, tea ceremony, koto, archery), sake making, and pottery. With opportunities to visit a Japanese high school, the Tsukiji fish market, onsen (hot springs), art festivals (Design Festa), and experience the nightlife, students are exposed to a broad spectrum of Japanese society.

Arranged day trips and overnight or weekend outings to places such as Kyoto, Kamakura, Yokohama, Nikko, Hakone, and Sapporo allow students to experience the regional varieties of Japan. Students are responsible for travel, meals, and lodging costs, but every effort is made to ensure that these excursions are affordable.

Many students take advantage of Tokyo’s proximity to the rest of Asia to travel throughout the region. Roughing it in remote areas, getting the pulse of Asian cities, and visiting some of the wonders of the world make this another rewarding aspect of the study abroad experience.

Library                                                             
The TUJ Library System consists of three library facilities. The Tokyo location, at Azabu Hall, houses the bulk of the 53,000 volume general collection. Special
strengths of the collection include American studies, political science, language and linguistics, Asian history, art history, and religion. The library has collected many
rare and out-of-print materials for the Japanese and Asian history collections and provides access to thousands of magazine and journal titles in paper, microfiche,
microfilm, and online formats. In addition to book and journal holdings, the TUJ library has assembled a collection of more than 2,000 feature films and documentaries to aid in language instruction, film history, the social sciences, and film appreciation. Of special importance is the more than 500,000 documents from the ERIC document depository for research in education. In addition to the on-site resources, students and faculty have online and interlibrary loan access to the vast resources of Temple's home campus libraries in Philadelphia. When necessary, entrance to many of the fine library collections in the Tokyo area can be arranged by the TUJ library staff.

TOP


Computers & Internet Access

The TUJ computing infrastructure is constantly being upgraded to ensure
that students have the best possible computing experience and exposure to a wide variety of the latest technologies. Currently, TUJ has a range of high-end Unix and Windows 2003 servers running various e-mail, groupware, database, directory, and other server applications. TUJ has one MAC and five PC labs with the latest
graphic, video, and business applications for student use. Students can also send e-mail, scan photos, participate in online learning, or simply surf the Web using the 100MB fiber optic Internet connection. Outside the labs, students with their own laptops can connect to the Internet via highspeed wireless network.

CONTACT

Temple University Japan

Azabu Building

2-8-12 Minami Azabu

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106, Japan

Phone (from US): 011-81-3-5441-9800