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Learn Japanese in Okazaki
About Okazaki
Set on the central and largest of the islands that make up Japan, Honshu. Okazaki is some 30 minutes by train from Nagoya, and is within 2 hours of both Tokyo and Kyoto by "Shinkansen" (bullet train).
Home to just 330,000 inhabitants, Okazaki offers students a chance to experience a truly Japanese experience without the hassle and frustration of long commutes. Okazaki has huge appeal to language students for short and long-term courses for adults and Gap Year students. It is cheap to live in the city and provides a real taste of traditional as well as contemporary Japan. The courses are of good quality, accommodation is within a short walk or bike ride of the college and there are plenty of other students at the college to socialise with.
Okazaki is in Aichi Prefecture which has milder weather conditions than most of the country. Winters are coldest in January with an average temperature of 4oc and summers are hot and humid, reaching an average of 28oc in August. The rainfall is greatest in the summer and early autumn. Spring, with it's cherry blossom displays, is a favourite season with most Japanese people. Summer is festival season with fireworks, barbecues and trips to the river, and Okazaki is less humid than in Kyoto (which is almost unbearable in August). Autumn is a mild season with warm days and cool evenings. Winter offers skiing at the weekend in Nagano Prefecture (host to the '98 Winter Olympics).
Okazaki flourished from the 8th century as an agricultural centre but took on new status from the 12th century when the main route between the Shogun in Kamakura and the Emperor in Kyoto past through the city. Originally built in 1452, the Castle was the birthplace of Ieyasu Tokugawa. He is best known to the West from James Clavell's novel "Shogun" and was an important military figure who consolidated nearly all of Japan under his rule in 1603. This historic fact means that the local dialect is standard Japanese, whereas Nagoya citizens speak "Owari-ben" and Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe citizens speak "Kansai-ben".
With the formation of the Meiji Government in 1871 the Castle was pulled down and not until 1959 was an exact scale replica built. Whilst the majority of Japan went through a period of major reconstruction and development, after WW II Okazaki became a quiet residential city and has therefore been able to retain its historical and cultural heritage.
Local Specialities
Enjoy your spare time visiting the bars and restaurants that specialise in "tempura" (deep fried fish and vegetables served with grated ginger or horseradish - totally delicious and very light, unlike the British Fish & Chips style of cooking) or "fugu" (blow fish). Local dishes include dark "miso" soup, using the miso made in the famous nearby factory that produces the traditional "hatcho miso". Noodle dishes are a popular option, such as "udon" and "kishimen" Famous sweets from ice cream to cakes are made from "ogura" (a sweet red bean unique) to the Aichi region of Japan.
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