ISI Language School Nagano, Japan
3-5-18 Chuo, Ueda-city - 386-0012 Nagano - see on mapPay less than booking at the school
What we like about the school
- Welcome party.
- Free assistance in applying to college/university programmes by a qualified consultant.
- Electronic whiteboards in all classrooms.
What we dislike about the school
- Do not offer favorable cancellation terms in the case of a student getting a visa rejected.
Location: ISI is in Ueda city, to the north of the province of Nagano. It is just underneath the capital city of the region, also called Nagano. The school is centrally located in Ueda, and has lots of amenities around the immediate area including shops, cafes and restaurants.
Ueda city: Due to its location, most of Ueda is walkable from the school. The Ueda City Historical Museum and the Ueda Castle Ninomaru ruin are just over 10 minutes by foot from ISI. The Ario Ueda Shopping Mall is 20 minutes from the school.
Exploring the area: The school is 13 minutes away from the Ueda Transportation Station which has trains that stretch across the region. From this station, the city of Nagano is a 45-minute train ride. The Zenko-ji Temple is 20 minutes from the train station in Nagano. There is lots of natural beauty within the region, such as the Kamikochi Valley. This takes either 4 hours by public transportation or 2 hours by car. Matsumoto is a picturesque town with the Matsumoto Castle. This southern city is an hour and a half away by train or a 60 minute drive.
Course structure: ISI has courses that are created in two formats; one that students will need a visa for and one that does not require a visa. These are both group classes for learning general Japanese. The school offers packages of individual classes.
Japanese Courses
General Language
Japanese Language Course Short-Term
This course tends to sell out quickly!20 lessons per week | 10 students (max)Starts weekly (every Monday)Offer!from¥21,700¥20,615 / week More
Japanese Language Course Short-Term
This course tends to sell out quickly!
20 lessons per week | 10 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
Offer!from
¥21,700¥20,615 / week
More
FREE changes
| Weeks | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price at school (¥) Our price (¥) | 43,400 41,230 | 65,100 61,845 | 86,800 82,460 | 93,000 88,350 | 111,600 106,020 | 130,200 123,690 | 136,400 129,580 | 139,500 132,525 | 155,000 147,250 | 310,000 294,500 |
| Price in US$ | 262 | 392 | 523 | 560 | 672 | 784 | 822 | 840 | 934 | 1,867 |
See Availability
- Starting dates
- For all levels except of absolute beginners:Every MondaySee starting dates for absolute beginnersStarting dates for absolute beginners who have not taken a Japanese course before:
06 Apr 2026, 22 Jun 2026, 05 Oct 2026
Extra compulsory fees
- Facilities and management fees: JPY 1750 per week.
Course specific data
- General course schedule
- 4 daily lessons of 45 minutes will take place within the following possible time slots. The exact schedule will be assigned on the first day of class according to your level:
Morning: 8:50 - 12:00
Afternoon: 13:00 - 16:10 - Possible course durations
- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20 weeks
- Minimum required student age
- 18 years
- Students per class
- Maximum: 10 / Average: 7
- Lesson duration
- 45 min
Additional information for all courses
See Availability
Japanese Language Course Long-TermThis course tends to sell out quickly!20 lessons per week | 10 students (max)Starts weekly (every Monday)Offer!from¥15,500¥14,725 / week More
Japanese Language Course Long-Term
This course tends to sell out quickly!
20 lessons per week | 10 students (max)
Starts weekly (every Monday)
Offer!from
¥15,500¥14,725 / week
More
FREE changes
| Weeks | 20 | 40 |
|---|---|---|
| Price at school (¥) Our price (¥) | 310,000 294,500 | 620,000 589,000 |
| Price in US$ | 1,867 | 3,733 |
See Availability
- Starting dates
- For all levels except of absolute beginners:Every MondaySee starting dates for absolute beginnersStarting dates for absolute beginners who have not taken a Japanese course before:
06 Apr 2026, 22 Jun 2026, 05 Oct 2026
Extra compulsory fees
For both 6 months and 1 year courses:
- Visa application: JPY 33000.
- Admission: JPY 77000.
For 6 months (2 terms): - Materials: JPY 22000.
- Facilities and management fees: JPY 30000.
For 1 year (4 terms): - Materials: JPY 44000.
- Facilities and management fees: JPY 60000.
Course specific data
- General course schedule
- 4 daily lessons of 45 minutes will take place within the following possible time slots. The exact schedule will be assigned on the first day of class according to your level:
Morning: 8:50 - 12:00
Afternoon: 13:00 - 16:10 - Possible course durations
- 20, 40 weeks
- Minimum required student age
- 18 years
- Students per class
- Maximum: 10 / Average: 7
- Lesson duration
- 45 min
Student reviews about "Japanese Language Course Long-Term" at ISI Language School
Igor
"I enjoyed the course. I was very pleased with the trip. I got a taste of real life in the Japanese countryside and made a lot of new and interesting acquaintances. With the help of Languagecourse I collected all the necessary documents and got my visa without any problems. It took me 6 months to submit the documents and get everything done. But I recommend that you start doing all of this 10 months before your planned trip, so that you can be sure to be on time in case there are any nuances."
Additional information for all courses
See Availability
Our prices for ISI Language School include
- INCLUDED Organized activities
- INCLUDED Internet access and use of school computers
- INCLUDED Wireless LAN zone at school
- INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
- INCLUDED Language level placement test before arrival
- INCLUDED Free consultation about suitable college/university programs by a qualified consultant
- INCLUDED Free assistance in applying to college/university programs by a qualified consultant
- INCLUDED Free assistance for finding jobs
Laptop1/30
2/30
Chatting3/30
classroom4/30
Library5/30
Terrace6/30
cafeteria7/30
Nagano Markets 8/30
Happy students 9/30
Street10/30
Nagano streets 11/30
Exploring Nagano12/30
ISI Language School entrance13/30
14/30
Seeing Nagano15/30
Common area16/30
Shopping mall17/30
ISI Language School desks18/30
Excursions 19/30
flowers20/30
Computer facilities 21/30
School building 22/30
Studying in Nagano23/30
Brochure24/30
Mugs25/30
Nagano Business and Language College26/30
Welcome to ISI Language School27/30
Desks 28/30
Studying at ISI Language School29/30
Students in Nagano30/30
Student opinions about ISI Language School, Nagano
4.0
Overall school rating of
ISI Language School, Nagano
ISI Language School, Nagano
1 authentic ratings from students who booked with us
School
Location of the school
Facilities
Social activities
Organisation
Course
Quality of teaching
Value for money
Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
Igor
34 yearsOverall rating
4.0
“Welcoming and friendly staff. They always listen and try to help on all issues (there is a rather big BUT, about it further on). They help to find a part-time job, solve administrative issues, help with housing, relocation, household issues. Sunohara-sensei is a man of the world!
Very diverse students, both in age and nationality. Having travelled to one country, I have interacted with people from all continents.
The hostel is a bit expensive, but if you don't mind the constant company or pushing in the kitchen, I recommend it as a place to live, at least for the first time. It is clean, cosy, the common areas are constantly cleaned and it is not far from the city centre.
One class is taught by several teachers at once, which is a big plus for me. Since everyone has their own approach and interests, so you can talk about different topics and learn a lot about culture and life within the school classes. There is an opportunity to move to another class depending on your level of Japanese, either to a higher level or to a lower level, at any time. As long as there is room in the class you want to move to. The school itself is also good because it has several branches around the country and you can always try to transfer to another city if the one you are in doesn't suit you.”
Very diverse students, both in age and nationality. Having travelled to one country, I have interacted with people from all continents.
The hostel is a bit expensive, but if you don't mind the constant company or pushing in the kitchen, I recommend it as a place to live, at least for the first time. It is clean, cosy, the common areas are constantly cleaned and it is not far from the city centre.
One class is taught by several teachers at once, which is a big plus for me. Since everyone has their own approach and interests, so you can talk about different topics and learn a lot about culture and life within the school classes. There is an opportunity to move to another class depending on your level of Japanese, either to a higher level or to a lower level, at any time. As long as there is room in the class you want to move to. The school itself is also good because it has several branches around the country and you can always try to transfer to another city if the one you are in doesn't suit you.”
“I will write about a big BUT about the staff. It is true that they are always ready and willing to help, but they do not always know how to do it. There were times when quite simple questions put them in a stupor or their answers did not correspond to reality. Therefore, many things like buying a SIM card or bank card registration had to be done by myself. One more thing, all the staff speaks only Japanese. So without at least a basic level of language you may have difficulties. For learning the language it is useful, but for solving everyday situations - definitely a minus.
As for teaching: here the minus is more the programme itself than the school. They teach according to Minna no nihongo. This programme involves very little practice during classes. And since my school is located in the small town of Ueda, there are not many places where you can find this practice. So be prepared to do a lot of practice on your own, because, for example, you will be given new kanji every day, and you will be asked about their knowledge about once every 3 weeks. It's easy to forget characters without constant repetition. And some teachers present the material rather dryly.”
As for teaching: here the minus is more the programme itself than the school. They teach according to Minna no nihongo. This programme involves very little practice during classes. And since my school is located in the small town of Ueda, there are not many places where you can find this practice. So be prepared to do a lot of practice on your own, because, for example, you will be given new kanji every day, and you will be asked about their knowledge about once every 3 weeks. It's easy to forget characters without constant repetition. And some teachers present the material rather dryly.”
Insider tip: “Students from the Russian Federation should of course initially be concerned about how to transfer money and what means of payment to use there. My advice is to transfer rubles into crypto. No one will give you a normal bank card like a visa or a master card in the first six months in Japan. The chances are very small. But, in the application line, which is a popular messenger, you can get a virtual visa card, on which you can withdraw money from crypto wallets. I also had a solidarity bank Union Pay card working there on good terms that the commission on ATM withdrawals was very small.”
Quality of teaching / language progress: I enjoyed the course. I was very pleased with the trip. I got a taste of real life in the Japanese countryside and made a lot of new and interesting acquaintances. With the help of Languagecourse I collected all the necessary documents and got my visa without any problems. It took me 6 months to submit the documents and get everything done. But I recommend that you start doing all of this 10 months before your planned trip, so that you can be sure to be on time in case there are any nuances.
Other comments: The school is good. The curriculum is not so good. And, as it is Japan, be prepared for bureaucracy.
Verified
Course: Japanese Language Course Long-Term - 40 weeks
Review date: 12. Jul. 2023
ISI Language School (ISI)
“We offer the opportunities to make Japanese friends and join the local community, as well as language lessons. You can experience the real Japan!”–Takatoshi Asano,Director of ISI Language School
- Accreditations and Quality seals
- ISO29991:2014, Association for the Promotion Japanese Language for Education
- Japanese teacher qualifications
- 100% hold a university degree100% hold a recognised language teaching qualification
- Languages spoken by school staff (cannot be guaranteed by school)
- Offer for returning students
- When you book here, you will be refunded/waived the school's administration fee if you have already attended a course previously at ISI Language School.
- Year of school foundation
- 1992
General school facilities
Cafeteria
Microwave for student use
Drink vending machine
Computer lab
Library
Lounge
Student support desk
Free water dispenser
Free WIFI
Facilities for islamic students
Available area to pray at the school
Classroom equipment
TV in all classrooms
Electronic whiteboard in all classrooms
Air conditioning in all classrooms
Heating in all classrooms
Ample natural light in all classrooms
- Number of classrooms: 26
- Number of public PC workstations: 10
Student Age / Nationality
Top student nationalities
| Student Nationality | Percentage of students |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 35% |
| China | 15% |
| Thailand | 5% |
| Sweden | 4% |
| USA | 4% |
| Italy | 3% |
| Germany | 3% |
| Brazil | 2% |
| Netherlands | 2% |
| England | 2% |
| Korea | 1% |
| Japan | 1% |
| Turkey | 1% |
| France | 1% |
| Other nationalities | 21% |
- Average number of students
- In summer: 12Throughout the year: 12
- Minimum age of students
- 18 years
- Average number of levels
- Adult courses In summer: 12Adult courses Throughout the year: 12Junior courses Throughout the year: 1
- Average age of students
- In summer: 21 yearsThroughout the year: 25 years
Information for all courses offered by ISI Language School
- Lesson duration
- 45 minutes
- School's administrative fee
- ¥20,000
- Course material
- Generally, course material has to be purchased by all students at the school. The costs of course material will be approximately ¥11,000 per course level.
- Comments about courses
Advanced and intermediate level in the morning, elementary and pre-intermediate levels are in the afternoon.
FULL PAYMENT OF FEES:
For Short-term courses: please check the due date on the invoice.
For Long-term courses: check the due date on the invoice but due to visa implications it's recommended to pay as soon as possible to avoid delays.
Best method to make the payment of full fees is by Flywire.
IMPORTANT for Long-term courses starting at the end of 2026 / beginning of 2027: to enter Japan, students need to do an online interview with the school and they need to demonstrate a A1 (N5) level of Japanese, so it's highy recommeneded that you study some basics before booking a corse.- Days without class
- In 2026 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2026, 12 Jan 2026, 11 Feb 2026, 23 Feb 2026, 20 Mar 2026, 29 Apr 2026, 03 May 2026, 04 May 2026, 05 May 2026, 06 May 2026, 20 Jul 2026, 11 Aug 2026, 21 Sep 2026, 22 Sep 2026, 23 Sep 2026, 12 Oct 2026, 03 Nov 2026, 23 Nov 2026.In 2027 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2027, 11 Jan 2027, 11 Feb 2027, 23 Feb 2027, 21 Mar 2027, 29 Apr 2027, 03 May 2027, 04 May 2027, 05 May 2027, 19 Jul 2027, 11 Aug 2027, 20 Sep 2027, 23 Sep 2027, 11 Oct 2027, 03 Nov 2027, 23 Nov 2027.If a bank holiday falls on a weekday there is no refund nor are missed lessons recuperated. This is the case for the majority of language schools. - Level test
- A test to assess your exact language level takes place before the start of the course via an online form.
Lessons needed per Japanese language level
The data above gives some guidance. For more details consult our page How long does it take to learn a language or reach a specific level.
Leisure activities
Leisure programme for adults (sample):
Sample leisure activities
View
Examples of leisure activities organized by the school
Adults - Free activities
- Flower viewing
Soccer
Speech contest
Sports day
Accommodation
Student House 
In high demand!
Single room, No meals 
Shared bathroom
from
¥20,300/ week Show more
Student House
In high demand!
Single room, No meals
Shared bathroom
from
¥20,300/ week
Show more
| Weeks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Additional Week | One-time fee (charged by school) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price in ¥ | -- | -- | -- | 81200 | 101500 | 121800 | 142100 | 162400 | 203000 | 243600 | 20300 | 40000 |
| Price in US$ | 515 | 644 | 772 | 901 | 1,030 | 1,287 | 1,544 | 129 | 254 |
| Weeks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Additional Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price in ¥ | |||||||||||
| Price in US$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Minimum stay: 4 weeks
Prices based on accommodation from Saturday to Saturday
Price per person
Prices based on accommodation from Saturday to Saturday
Price per person
Airport pick-up (shared taxi): JPY 33000.
- Check-in
- Saturday 9:00-20:00
- Check-out
- Saturday
Note: It is important to inform the school if you plan to arrive or leave outside the standard check in/check out times.
- One-time fee
- The school/accommodation provider will charge a non-refundable one-time fee of 40000¥.
- Price extra night
- ¥2,900 (Individual extra nights bookable at indicated extra night price)
- Room Occupancy
- Single room
- Average distance from school
- 5 minutes walking.
- Includes
- Bedding/linen, Weekly cleaning, Access to laundry service, Access to Wifi in building (Free WIFI), Heating, Air conditioning, Shared bathroom.
- Meals
- No meals.
- Minimum age of students
- 18
Homestay
This accommodation tends to sell out quickly!
Reserve as early as possible to get the best available homestay!
Single room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Shared bathroom
from
¥43,550/ week Show more
Homestay
This accommodation tends to sell out quickly!
Reserve as early as possible to get the best available homestay!
Single room, Breakfast & 1 meal
Shared bathroom
from
¥43,550/ week
Show more
| Weeks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Additional Week | One-time fee (charged by school) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price in ¥ | -- | 87100 | 134000 | 180900 | 227800 | 274700 | 321600 | 368500 | 462300 | 556100 | 46900 | 30000 |
| Price in US$ | 552 | 850 | 1,147 | 1,444 | 1,741 | 2,038 | 2,336 | 2,930 | 3,524 | 298 | 191 |
| Weeks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Additional Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price in ¥ | |||||||||||
| Price in US$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Minimum stay: 2 weeks
Prices based on accommodation from Sunday to Saturday
Price per person
Prices based on accommodation from Sunday to Saturday
Price per person
- Check-in
- Sunday 9:00-20:00
- Check-out
- Saturday
Note: It is important to inform the school if you plan to arrive or leave outside the standard check in/check out times.
- One-time fee
- The school/accommodation provider will charge a non-refundable one-time fee of 30000¥.
- Price extra night
- ¥6,700 (Individual extra nights bookable at indicated extra night price)
- Room Occupancy
- Single room
- Includes
- TV, Phone, Bedding/linen, Weekly cleaning, Access to laundry service, Access to Wifi in building (Free WIFI), Heating, Air conditioning, Shared bathroom.
- Meals
- Breakfast & 1 meal.
- Minimum age of students
- 18
- Dates
- High season dates: 23 Dec 2026 - 31 Dec 2026
- High season
- High season supplement per day: 2500 ¥
Student House
This accommodation tends to sell out quickly!
Double room (only for 2 people travelling together), No meals
Shared bathroom
from
¥14,000/ week Show more
Student House
This accommodation tends to sell out quickly!
Double room (only for 2 people travelling together), No meals
Shared bathroom
from
¥14,000/ week
Show more
| Weeks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Additional Week | One-time fee (charged by school) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price in ¥ | -- | -- | -- | 56000 | 70000 | 84000 | 98000 | 112000 | 140000 | 168000 | 14000 | 20000 |
| Price in US$ | 355 | 444 | 533 | 621 | 710 | 888 | 1,065 | 89 | 127 |
| Weeks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | Additional Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price in ¥ | |||||||||||
| Price in US$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Minimum stay: 4 weeks
Prices based on accommodation from Saturday to Saturday
Price per person
Prices based on accommodation from Saturday to Saturday
Price per person
Airport pick-up (shared taxi): JPY 33000.
- Check-in
- Saturday 9:00-20:00
- Check-out
- Saturday
Note: It is important to inform the school if you plan to arrive or leave outside the standard check in/check out times.
- One-time fee
- The school/accommodation provider will charge a non-refundable one-time fee of 20000¥.
- Price extra night
- ¥2,000 (Individual extra nights bookable at indicated extra night price)
- Room Occupancy
- Double room (only for 2 people travelling together)
- Average distance from school
- 5 minutes walking.
- Includes
- Bedding/linen, Weekly cleaning, Access to laundry service, Access to Wifi in building (Free WIFI), Heating, Air conditioning, Shared bathroom.
- Meals
- No meals.
- Minimum age of students
- 18
FAQ about ISI Language School, Nagano
How does public transport work in Nagano?
“In Nagano, most of the time you can get around by bus or bike.”
Maksym Sterpul, Language Travel Consultant from LanguageCourse.Net - Apr 13, 2023
What is the most popular accommodation offered by Nagano Business and Language College?
“The accommodation Student House is the most popular among all our clients of Nagano Business and Language College”
Is it possible to take a course at ISI Language School as an absolute beginner?
“Yes. The following courses can be attended as an absolute beginner: Japanese Language Course Short-Term, Japanese Language Course Long-Term”
Which countries are students of ISI Language School from?
“The highest Nationality percentage at ISI Language School comes from Vietnam with a 35% representation, followed by students from China (15%) and Thailand (5%).”
ISI Language School offers courses for which ages?
“ISI Language School offers courses from 18 years to 99. The average age is 21 during the summer and 25 the rest of the year.”
Terms of ISI Language School
- First day of course
- Students should arrive at 9:00
- Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
- Legal name/parent company
- ISI Educational Corporation | Tax registration ID: 19335
Visa Documents
Nationals from USA do not require a visa to study short term courses up to 90 days.
Check visa requirements for nationals from other countries.
Nationals from countries that require a visa will receive documents from the school, related to booking confirmation, which is required for the visa application.
- School fee for issuing the visa documents:
- 33000 ¥
- Full payment of all fees required before school dispatches documents required for visa application
- Yes
- Express shipment fee (via courier)
- 6000 ¥
- Free shipment via regular mail
- Yes
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Nagano
Nagano city attractiveness as rated by our students:
4.0
For those who are already in Japan and will not need a student visa.