We are happy to accept students under 18 to study with us, with or without parental/guardian supervision. We provide serveral services to ensure that minors are safe and secure during their stay with us.

• Airport pickup
  If requested, a representative from the school or the host family can be waiting at the airport to pick the student up from his/her flight and take him/her to the accommodation. There is a 3,150 yen charge for this.
• Only homestays
  We only allow students under 18 to stay in a homestay with a Japanese family, rather than a dormitory or shared apartment.
• Counselling
  A school counsellor is available Monday through Friday. We provide mandatory counselling sessions the first week, and optional sessions every week thereafter, to ensure that the student is adjusting to life in Japan, classes, and life with the homestay family.
• Weekly reports
  For parents who require it, we provide weekly updates on student progress, including information on academic achievement, interactions with the host family, activities that week, and our observations.
• Emergency contact numbers
  We offer a 24-hour emergency contact number that can be used by the student him/herself or parents calling from overseas, in the event of an emergency.
• Personal alarm
  All minor students are provided with a free personal alarm, that makes a loud noise when the pin is pulled. Students are asked to carry this when walking alone.
• Cellphone rentals
  Prepaid cellphones can be rented for just 500 yen per week through the school. Normally, minors cannot buy prepaid cellphones without written proof of permission from their parents, in Japanese. However, we have received special dispensation from the cellphone companies to provide cellphones to our students. In Japan, there is no charge to receive calls on a cellphone, so carrying one means a student can always be reached by their family from abroad, or by the school. In addition, calls to emergency services are of course free. If students wish to use the phone to make other calls, they must buy "talk time" from a retailer (not the school).
• Friendly, safe atmosphere
  As we are a small school, all teachers and students know each other, so minors are well supervised during their time in school, and can feel that they are in a safe and welcoming environment.
• Friendly, safe town
  Fukuoka is famous for the friendliness of its residents, and has a very low crime rate, especially when compared to the capital, Tokyo. We would definitely recommend Fukuoka over Tokyo as a good location to send your children to.

We are happy to accept students of any age to study with us. However, students under the age of adulthood (18) who wish to come from abroad to study at GenkiJACS must also send their parent or guardian's signature when confirming their application, as proof of parental approval. We reserve the right to reject applicants who we believe would be too young to homestay independent of their family.
We recommend that applicants be over the age of 13, as the pressures of coming alone to a (very) foreign country to study Japanese can be quite heavy.