KCJS: Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies

Overview

Established in September 1989, the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS, 京都アメリカ大学コンソーシアム) is a consortium of 13 American universities that sponsors a rigorous, two-semester academic program for undergraduates who wish to do advanced work in Japanese language and cultural studies. （日本語のパンフレット(PDF)はこちら

Participating institutions are:
Boston University, Brown University, University of Chicago,
Columbia University/Barnard College, Cornell University, Emory University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Stanford University, Washington University in St. Louis, Yale University, and University of Virginia.

Students at institutions outside of the consortium are also welcome and encouraged to apply.

KCJS is centrally located in Kyoto on the Imadegawa campus of Doshisha University (同志社大学), bounded on the south by the Imperial Palace grounds, and to the northeast by Shokokuji temple.

Information on access to Kyoto, Doshisha University, and KCJS is available HERE in PDF in format.

Academic calendar

You may attend KCJS for a full academic year from the end of August through the end of April, or choose to enroll either fall semester (end of August to mid-December) or spring (January through late April). Our semesters are 14 weeks in length (including term breaks), and students receive a total of 16 points of academic credit per semester.

For a complete calendar of the 2022-2023 academic year, please click here.

For a complete calendar of the 2023-2024 academic year, please click here.

A Message from KCJS Faculty and Staff

Welcome to the Kyoto-based website for the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS)! (Please also visit our Columbia University-based website for other important information and details on how to submit an application.)

Since its founding in 1989, more than 1,600 students have completed a semester, year, or summer at KCJS. Many state in their testimonials that it was the best year of their life! We look forward to welcoming you into the KCJS community and Kyoto, our city rich in culture, history and natural beauty.

KCJS is based in the Fusokan building on the campus of Doshisha University. KCJS students are full members of the university community and enjoy access to campus facilities, student clubs, and events.

We are proud to offer a demanding and rewarding academic program that will help develop your Japanese language skills and provide opportunities to explore Japan’s history, culture, art, religion, contemporary society, economy, business practices, and international relations. Our curriculum consists of intensive morning Japanese language classes and afternoon disciplinary courses taught by accomplished faculty who are experts in their fields. KCJS students can also petition to enroll in certain disciplinary courses offered through the Associated Kyoto Program (AKP). A third core component of our curriculum is the Community Involvement Project (CIP), which encourages you to venture outside the classroom and into the local community, where you will use the Japanese language and be immersed in Japanese life.

KCJS offers a wide-range of extracurricular activities, such as field trips, guest lectures, alumni panels, and language partner exchanges, in which you can interact with students from Doshisha and Kyoto University. During your stay in Kyoto, you will have the option to live with a host family or stay in an apartment.

During the summer, KCJS offers intermediate and advanced Japanese language programs for eight weeks, along with a six-week program in Classical Japanese.

We look forward to welcoming you to Kyoto and hope that you will agree with our alumni that KCJS is indeed the experience of a lifetime!

KCJS Faculty and Staff

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies