Our program has five special characteristics:

1. Applicants are accepted irrespective of the field of study they wish to pursue upon completion of our course.

2. In addition to Japanese language instruction, we also offer extensive counseling on undergraduate and graduate school options.

3. Students of our institute who meet certain requirements can enroll for credit (and be issued transcripts) in courses at the university level.

4. Students can use facilities at J. F. Oberlin University as regular university students.

5. Students have ample opportunities to meet and exchange information with undergraduate, graduate and fellow exchange students at J. F. Oberlin University.

Our curriculum is organized around three main pillars: "Foundations and Integrated Learning" to ensure the linguistic and academic readiness of our students; "Goal-Oriented Study" for those preparing to take the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test; and "Individualized Study" for those who are studying for other purposes such as preparing to go on to university.

The mission of the Institute for Japanese Language and Culture is to serve the needs of international students: to help them choose a course of study that suits their aspirations, to help them formulate a plan of study, to help them practice for interviews, and to guide them toward acquiring the language and academic abilities they will need for entrance exams and after they have enrolled in academic programs as freshmen, juniors, or graduate students.