Studying in Japan as a foreigner

Recently, I stumbled upon a leaflet about undergraduate and graduate studies in Japanese universities.
What grabbed my attention was the fact that it is funded by the Japanese embassy, where you can apply for a scholarship.

I already contacted my local embassy and asked all the appropriate questions.
The whole idea is that you choose a unversity (you have to contact them yourself) based on your graduate studies, and spend 1.5 years in order to contact a field research on a topic.

Has anyone of you ever applied for this grand? What is the university environment for a foreigner, especially for someone whose Japanese level is just the stuff you hear on anime and games? (according to the lady I asked at the embassy, it's not a big deal, as you spend a semester learning the language)

 

Calling @DeChief for this one. He should have a handsome amount of input here.

 

The only thing that I know about Japanese universities is that they're full of Japanese people with very few foreigners. Expect to be almost entirely isolated until you get a grip on the language.

Other than that, I don't know anything. I'm not studying here.

 

I imagine it depends which field you are in. Science and engineering is done exclusively in English now, I think even at the undergraduate level. I don't think it would be particularly hard to get one of these scholarships if you find someone who is willing to take you on as a student (i.e. find someone you want to work with, and ask them to support your application). I have a friend who went to Japan as part of her PHD studies, and loved it. I also met someone who started a PHD in Japan, and quit to start again in Australia because she couldn't handle the social isolation.

Really though, before applying to any place where English is not the first language among the locals, you should think long an hard about how you will cope socially. If this is the first time being in a foreign country, you will likely feel isolated at first, and there won't be anyone there to help you out. Some people cope by seeking out other expats, which can easily be found at English bars in any city (or through JET forums). Though some criticize this, I think it is not a bad idea if you are only in the country short term. I only am in Japan sporadically, and I have managed to make friends with locals, so it is possible to avoid this. If you know some rudimentary Japanese, it does help a lot, though. If you are an extrovert, it may be more difficult than if you are an introvert.

 

My field of studies is Marketing, so I don't know if it belongs in the English only studies.
You are absolutely correct on acquiring the scholarship. The lady I spoke at the embassy, gave me the impression that it is quite easy to get the grand, since a very select few people from my country (Greece) choose Japan for their studies.

I'm also considering to get a job there as way to cover the costs, since life in Japan seems to be kinda on the expensive side (from what I'm used to in my country).
Again, the lady in the embassy assured me that I can easily get a part-time job if I ask my supervising teacher.

I'm kinda worried though on the language isolation part. I've been in countries where English isn't the mother tongue,but only for short periods of time (1 to 2 weeks max) for travel or business. Seems that I can't avoid the 'lost in translation' part. I was told though, that Japanese people who can speak some english (and aren't afraid to speak it), are seeking for foreigners to practice it.Is that true?
Also, how long can an average adult get a grasp of fundamental written and oral Japanese?

 

I don't know how it was for you to learn English as a Greek speaker, but it took me about 4 months of constant listening to Japanese to be able to "hear" it. Once you get to that point, you realize that most Japanese people actually speak very slowly. By comparison, I can "hear" Swedish and German quite easily, even though I don't know a word of those languages (both countries where I have lived in during the past two years). I wouldn't expect to pick it up in a few months, especially considering that written Japanese is insanely difficult, and spoken Japanese is incredibly vague. Plan ahead and start listening to NHK News podcasts well before you start learning the language.

As for blending in with the locals, it really depends on your expectations. Are you expecting to be able to find a bunch of anime obsessed people? Well, I can tell you that those are the kind of people you will not meet at the local izakaya. Do you like going out drinking with people and having excessive amounts of high calorie food? If so, then it will be far easier. Yes, there are a lot of Japanese people who want to practice their English, but they will definitely be in the category of "going out drinking". I have met a lot of locals through my interest in shochu, which is the local alcoholic beverage.

As for working while you are here, just beware that Japan is probably the most bureaucratic country in the world outside of Germany. Although the person at the embassy told you it isn't a problem, don't be surprise if it is. I have a cousin who came to work during the Nagano Olympics as an English instructor, only to find out that he didn't go through the proper channels and was forced to leave. And unless you want to teach English, you probably will find it hard to find a job without Japanese language skills.