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Program Overview

Doshisha university was founded in 1875 as the Doshisha Academy for English studies by Joseph Hardy Nesima. Nesima was known as an internationally minded person, because he was the flrst Japanese citizen to receive a degree from a Western University.

As of April 2013 Doshisha university has grown to include 14 faculties,16 graduate schools, Institute for the Liberal Arts, the Center for Japanese Language and Culture, and the lntensive Japanese Language program "Bekka".  Out of its approximately 30,000 students, about 1,400 are international students from many countries around the world.  Exchanges with overseas universities have also been increasing steadily. Even today, after 139 years of foundation, the founder's spirit of internationalization has remained as a spirit of Doshisha. 

Program Focus

The purpose of the Nichibun program is to teach international students Japanese language  and to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture.  Every semester, the Nichibun program offers intensive Japanese Language courses mainly in the morning, Monday through Friday, and these courses are divided into different levels (elementary level, upper elementary level, pre-intermediate level, intermediate level, upper intermediate level, pre-advanced level, advanced level, upper advanced level and high advanced) depending on each student's Japanese ability. the afternoon, the program also offers various lecture courses on Japanese language, culture and society, conducted mainly in Japanese and English, lecture courses in international studies which approach various topics from an international perspective, and the Japanese and English Language seminars. 

Through the classes and the extracurricular activities, the program also offers various opportunities to learn Japanese traditional culture, such as calligraphy, flower arrangement, tea ceremony, shrine festivals, etc., by making good use of the location in Kyoto.