Contact Us Apply

Terms & Conditions

The following agreement applies to all students taking courses offered by Genki Japanese and Culture School.

For a list of changes, in chronological order, see the Changelog.

Before applying for the chosen courses, please read and understand the Genki Japanese and Culture School course agreement, to ensure that you understand your rights and obligations. We have tried to write this clearly, but if you do not understand any of the terms, please feel free to contact us to request clarification.

The terms of this agreement apply to all contracts for Programme Courses applied for on or after October 1st, 2004.

1. Contract offer and formation

  1. Applications are completed by the applicant sending an estimate request form to the school.
  2. For 1-year and 18-month courses, applicants must apply and pay the application fee by the application deadline.
  3. The school assumes that all applicants complete their applications after having read and understood the terms and conditions.
  4. The contract is concluded when the school sends the invoice to the applicant.

2. Reasons for refusal of application

The School reserves the right to refuse any application without reason, at the sole discretion of the school. In particular, applicants will be refused in the following cases:

  1. The applicant is under 18, and the applicant's parent or legal guardian has not given verifiable permission to study.
  2. The applicant has not reached the age required by the school to take the course (16 years old in Tokyo/Nagoya, 14 years old in Kyoto/Fukuoka)
  3. The requested course is unavailable or full. (The School alone determines availability.)
  4. The time to complete the procedures to apply for the requested course is insufficient. (We ask people to apply at least one month in advance. However, shorter notice is possible, especially if accommodation is not required.)
  5. The School judges that the applicant's medical history, or current physical or mental status, are not suited to the pressures of the course of study.

3. Extent of duty of the School

The School, upon receiving the application, will perform the following duties.

  1. Furnishing of information
    Upon receiving the application, the School will provide timely information to the applicant in response to the applicant's questions or requests.
  2. Living arrangement procedures
    The school will provide accommodations according to the applicant's requests. Accommodation is contracted directly between the applicant and the accommodation provider, not the school. The school acts as a contract facilitator. If the requested accommodation is not available, the school may ask the applicant to consider another accommodation type.

    If the applicant is not willing to accept alternative accommodation, the applicant may choose to withdraw from the contract without penalty as provided in these terms. In some cases, two or more students may stay in the same accommodation at the same time.

    1. Accommodation is contracted directly between the applicant and the accommodation provider, NOT the School. The School acts as the contract facilitator. In case of contractual claims related to accommodation, the School will do all in our power to help, but the contractual responsibility lies with the accommodation provider, and the School cannot accept responsibility for provisions outside the terms of this contract.
    2. For example, if the student wishes to cancel the accommodation early, there may be a cancellation fee levied by the accommodation provider, in addition to any School cancellation fees provided for in these Terms. Clarify with the accommodation provider in advance, if you do not receive notification.

4. Fees

No objections with regard to fees will be accepted after the applicant's course of study has begun.

  1. 1 year course/18-month course
    • 1 year course: 1,120,000 yen (including 15,000 yen application fee, 35,000 yen screening fee, and teaching materials fee)
    • 18 month course: 1,570,000 yen (including 15,000 yen application fee, 35,000 yen screening fee, and teaching materials fee)

  2. Other courses and fees
    • Registration fee: 16,000 yen (including 1,000 yen screening fee)
    • Standard course: 36,000 yen/week including materials fee.
    • Additional conversation class: 12,000 yen/week.
    • Cultural class: 12,000 yen/week
    • Additional private lessons: 7,000 yen/lesson
    • 10 week package: 355,000 yen including registration fee, screening fee, and teaching materials fee.
    • 20 week package: 660,000 yen including registration fee, screening fee, and teaching materials fee.

  3. *The cost of all textbooks and materials used in the course is included in the price. There are no additional charges for textbooks or materials. Normally, all textbooks and materials used in class are distributed to students.

    **The screening fee is nonrefundable for any course.

    The fees listed below are not included in the invoice, and will be charged separately depending on request and/or requirement.


    The fees listed below will be charged to or paid out-of-pocket by applicants based on their requests and/or requirements.

    1. Lodging fee
      The fees vary depending on accommodation type and length of stay. If a student wishes to cancel their accommodation early, they may be subject to a cancellation fee charged by the accommodation provider in addition to the school's cancellation fee stipulated in 7. Early Cancellation and Refunds.
    2. Accommodation arrangement fee, accommodation change fee, accommodation period change fee
      It costs 20,000 yen for each accommodation arrangement. For example, if you book two accommodation types, two accommodation arrangement fees will be charged. If you wish to change your accommodation after the requested accommodation has been arranged, an additional arrangement fee of 10,000 yen will be charged.
      Accommodation arrangement fees will not be refunded. However, if the accommodation information had not yet been sent to the student at the time of cancellation notification, we will refund 10,000 yen of the 20,000 yen arrangement fee.
    3. Meal fees
      Breakfast and dinner only are provided at the homestay destination. No meals are provided at other accommodation types. The applicant is responsible for the cost of other meals.
    4. Travel and transportation expenses
      Applicants will be responsible for all travel and commuting costs.
    5. Alteration fee
      If the applicant requests a change to the study period, the following change fee will be charged:
      • Extension of study period: No fee
      • Shortening of study period: 2000 yen (if refund is required)
    6. Bank charges/transfer fees
      Bank fees/transfer fees are to be borne by the customer for both payments and refunds.
    7. Airport Pickup
      If a student wishes to cancel their airport transfer in advance, they may be subject to a cancellation fee charged by the transfer service provider in addition to the school's cancellation fee stipulated in 7. Early Cancellation and Refunds. Additionally, if your flight does not arrive on time due to flight changes or delays, additional charges may apply to reschedule your transfer.
    8. Other considerations
      1. Exchange rate fluctuations
        All billing is done in Japanese yen. When values in other currencies are provided, they are only for informational purposes, and do not form part of the contract. Final payment must be made in yen, and changes in the exchange rate (e.g., between the date of billing and the date of payment) are the responsibility of the applicant.
      2. International travel insurance
        Applicants must purchase international travel insurance. Most international visitors are not eligible for publicly funded medical services while in Japan. If you receive medical treatment while in Japan, you may need to cover the entire cost of that treatment. If a student wishes to cancel the overseas travel insurance purchased through the school early, they will be charged a cancellation fee from the insurance provider in addition to the school's cancellation fee stipulated in 7. Early Cancellation and Refunds.

5. Payments

All fees specified in this agreement must be paid in full to the school by the date specified and in the manner specified.


  1. Payment deadlines
    • For 1 year course/18 month course.
      1. Application fee, partial screening fee (1,000 yen), accommodation arrangement fee: To be paid at the time of application (by the deadline specified in the recruitment guidelines for each term)
      2. Full amount other than the point above: To be paid when the Certificate of Enrollment (hereinafter referred to as COE) is issued (usually 1.5 months before the start of classes). If a COE is not required, this payment is due 2 months prior to the start of classes
    • For other courses
      • Registration fee (including screening fee) and accommodation arrangement fee due within 14 days after the invoice is issued.
      • Full amount excluding registration fee (including screening fee) and accommodation arrangement fee due by 60 days before the start of the course.

      Note 1: When paying the registration fee (including screening fee) and accommodation arrangement fee, it is also possible to pay all other fees together with them.

      Note 2: If you apply less than 60 days before the start of the course, full payment will be required before the course and accommodation can be confirmed. Accommodation cannot be arranged until full payment has been received.

      Note 3: If you require support for a tourist visa, full payment of the invoice is required in order to receive the support documents.

  2. Payment methods
    • Flywire (online bank transfer via link provided on invoice), credit card, international bank transfer*1, Paypal*2.
    • Transfer fees will be borne by the applicant.
    • For Paypal, an additional fee of 4.2% of the total invoice amount will be charged.

6. Cancellation by the School

  1. The School may cancel the programme contract in accordance with this Agreement upon notifying the applicant, if any of the following causes are established.
    1. If necessary documents requested of the applicant are not received by the specified date.
    2. If fees billed to the applicant are not paid by the specified date.
    3. If the school is unable to contact the applicant for a period of more than 30 days.
    4. If documents submitted to the School by the applicant are found to contain a falsehood, or a vital omission, including omission of diagnosed medical conditions.
    5. Any other reason, as decided solely by the School.

    If the school cancels the contract based on any of the above, the cancellation will be processed in accordance with the provisions stipulated in 7. Cancellation and Refunds.

7. Cancellation and Refunds

  1. If the applicant wishes to cancel the contract, they must contact the school directly and request cancellation.
  2. The applicant may withdraw from the program at any time. However, depending on the date of cancellation, a cancellation fee may be required.
  3. In the event that a contract is canceled mid-term, the canceler shall be responsible for the following expenses.
Date of cancellation Amount
Before the start of classes
      ¥15,000 As expenses necessary for concluding and executing the contract
After the start of classes

Total amount of points 1,2 and 3

  1. ¥15,000 As expenses necessary for concluding and executing the contract
  2. Tuition for the completed period of classes (calculated based on the Standard course fee, weekly basis.)
  3. 20% of tuition as compensation for the period of remaining classes (however, this shall be limited to a maximum of ¥50,000)

※ The screening fee will not be refunded.

※ Accommodation arrangement fees will not be refunded. However, if the accommodationn information had not yet been sent to the student at the time of cancellation notification, we will refund 10,000 yen of the 20,000 yen arrangement fee.

※ Refunds are provided for full weeks only. Per-day refunds are not provided.

※ The amount returned to the applicant will be calculated based on the yen value originally received, regardless of changes in the exchange rate since the original payment.

※ You may be charged a cancellation fee in addition to the above fees if you cancel your accommodation, transportation, or travel insurance.

About the cooling-off period

  • As stated in 3. Extent of duty of the School above, accommodation facilities are contracted directly between the applicant and the accommodation provider, not the school. The school acts as a contract facilitator. It is the applicant's responsibility to read their accommodation's cancellation fees, etc. If your accommodation provider does not provide this guidance, please contact them before moving in.
  • If you wish to shorten your study period, you must move out of the accommodation arranged by the school within one week from the last day of your study. In this case, the school is responsible for informing the student of the last day of their accommodation stay.

  • When the school is closed for national holidays or other scheduled closing, a free event will be held instead, or students will be refunded tuition for missed classes. If no event is held, students will be refunded 1100 yen per group lesson, or 4200 yen per private lesson. A student’s fees will not be refunded even if the student chooses not to attend the scheduled event.
  • If the applicant is absent from scheduled group classes, no refund will be provided regardless of the reason. However, at the School's discretion, the School may allow the student to join other scheduled classes of the same duration. For example, if a student misses two days of classes, in some cases it may be possible to extend the student's stay by two days for no extra cost, if an applicable class is already scheduled. In these cases, a new class will not be made specifically for the applicant.
  • In cases where a third party has paid all or part of the student's fees, the permission of the third party is required before the school can refund directly to the student.
  • When shortening a student visa course, any refund you might be eligible for will only be made after the school has been able to confirm that you are no longer resident in Japan using the student visa provided by the school.
  • 8. Changes after application

    1. Students can request to change the course of study after an application has been completed. The school reserves the right to refuse this change of course. However, we try to accommodate all requests where possible.
    2. Requests to change the course of study must be made at least one week in advance of the requested date of change. Changes are only accepted to take effect from Monday of each week. Therefore, a change request made on a Tuesday, for example, will take effect on the second Monday thereafter. This period may be shortened at the discretion of the school.

    9. Course Changes if Few Students

    1. If the class that GenkiJACS has placed you in has only one or two students, and you are not studying on a student visa, lessons will be given as follows:
      1. One student only:
        1. Standard Course: 5 private lessons per week plus 10 group lessons with the closest available class, or 10 private lessons per week if no appropriate class is available.
        2. Japanese Plus Conversation Course additional conversation lessons: 2 private lessons per week.
      2. Two students only:
        1. Standard Course: 10 semi-private lessons per week plus 10 group lessons with the closest available class, or 15 semi-private lessons per week if no appropriate class is available.
        2. Japanese Plus Conversation Course additional conversation lessons: 3 semi-private lessons per week.
      * Note that this condition only applies to cases where GenkiJACS teachers have placed you in a class as above. It does not apply if you have requested private lessons yourself.

    10. Exemption from responsibility

    1. If any of the following causes result in the applicant being unable to study, the date of study being changed, or any other problem, we will do our best to work with the applicant to make alternate arrangements; however if arrangements can not be made, the School will not accept legal responsibility.
      1. If the desired accommodation cannot be secured due to factors beyond the school's control (such as illness of the selected host family).
      2. If the applicant is refused accommodation due to an act that violates the accommodation's rules or an act that clearly violates social standards.
      3. If it is considered impossible to provide classes due to the applicant's health, and staying in Japan is deemed unfeasible.
      4. If it is considered impossible to provide classes due to the applicant's health.
      5. If admission is refused for the reasons listed in Section 6 above.
      6. Cancellation or change due to the applicant's personal reasons outside of those listed here.
      7. In the event of other causes beyond the control of the school, such as accidents or natural disasters (including bad weather).

      Applicants are responsible for their own actions from the time they arrive in Japan. The school will not bear any legal responsibility for any damage caused by the applicant's intentional actions that violate laws, regulations, customs, or school regulations. In addition, if the applicant's intended actions result in a loss to the school, we will request the applicant to pay compensation for damages.


      Applicants are responsible for their own valuables during their stay. Always keep valuables in a locked suitcase or safe place.


      The school will not bear any legal responsibility for any physical, psychological or economical damage caused to the applicant due to earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, floods, fires, wars, riots, civil disturbances, terrorism, strikes, lockouts, infectious diseases, enactment/revision/abolition of laws and regulations, orders/dispositions by public authorities, and other force majeure events.


    11. Governing law

    This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Japanese law.

    12. Jurisdiction

    For any disputes related to this agreement, the Nagoya District Court or Nagoya Summary Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction of the first instance.

    13. Amendment of this agreement

    This agreement may be amended without notice to the applicant, depending on circumstances. Changes will be posted to the International Student Terms and Conditions Changelog, and it is the applicant's responsibility to check for any changes.

    Begin the journey of a lifetime. Speak Japanese, live Japan.

    About Us

    Accredited and award-winning Japanese school in Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Nagoya. Learn real-world, communicative Japanese in small, intimate classes. Kickstart the journey of a lifetime in Japan, or bring your existing skills to new levels.

    Head Office

    Hakataekihigashi 1-16-23,
    Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi 812-0013,
    Japan

    +81 (0)92 472 0123

    Tokyo School

    Hanazono Bldg 3F, Shinjuku 5-17-6,
    Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022,
    Japan

    +81 (0)3 6457 3554

    Kyoto School

    Hayashi Bldg 2F, Shimizuchō (Kawaramachidōri), 454-1,
    Shimogyō-ku, Kyōto-shi 600-8025,
    Japan

    +81 (0)75-353-0003

    I.C.Nagoya

    Meieki-Nagata Bldg 4F, Meieki 3-26-19, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 450-0002,
    Japan

    +81 (0)52-433-3152