Japanese Language School in Japan: 2 Weeks vs 1 Month vs Long-Term

A Japanese course in Japan can last two weeks or two years, and the length changes almost everything else: how much you learn, what it costs, which visa or stay you need and where you live. This guide compares three common choices, a two-week course, a one-month course and a long-term course of six to twenty-four months, so you can match the length to your goal, your savings and your free time. The figures are planning estimates, not promises, because every school, class and student is different.

The short answer

• Two weeks is a taster and a holiday with structure. You will enjoy the classroom, pick up survival phrases and learn how you like to study, but you will not move up a level in any measurable way.
• One month gives a real step: roughly the first block of a beginner textbook. For a beginner, that can mean finishing the first chapters of a beginner textbook and speaking simple sentences with confidence.
• Long-term study, six to twenty-four months on a Student visa, is what moves you through JLPT levels. It is also the only option that gives you daily life in Japanese, with the paperwork, the cost and the commitment that come with it.

The three options side by side

What you can realistically learn in each

A full-time Japanese course is often built around about 20 lessons a week, and a lesson is usually a little shorter than an hour, so 15 to 20 class hours a week is a realistic range and 20 hours the upper end. Ask the school for its own timetable. The totals below use that upper figure of about 20 hours, so treat them as a ceiling, not a promise.

• Two weeks, about 40 class hours: enough to learn to read and write the kana if you start from zero, greet people, introduce yourself, order food and ask for directions. Without preparation you will use most of the time on the basics.
• Four weeks, about 80 class hours: roughly the first block of a beginner textbook, with the main polite verb forms, the basic particles, numbers, time and a first set of kanji. Add daily self-study and you can leave with real confidence in simple conversations.
• One year, about 800 to 1,000 class hours: a long-term course can take a beginner through the beginner level and well into the elementary-intermediate range, and schools commonly state that about N5 to N4 is reachable within six to twelve months of full-time study. Treat that as a school claim, not a rule.

To keep these numbers in proportion, compare them with the study hours on our post about how long it takes to pass JLPT N5. That post cites a widely quoted range of about 325 to 600 cumulative hours for a learner with no kanji background. Class hours are only part of that total, because homework, review and listening practice count too, so a month of classes alone will not be enough for N5, though it can be a very productive part of the journey. For the bigger picture, read how long it takes to become fluent in Japanese.

Immersion outside class

The classroom is only a few hours a day. What you do with the other hours decides how much you absorb, and this is where the length of your stay matters most.

• Homestay: you live with a Japanese family, usually with breakfast and dinner. It gives the most conversation and the gentlest introduction to daily life, but you must fit in with house rules and a curfew, and a room can be small. It works well for two weeks to a few months.
• School dormitory or residence: cheaper and social, with classmates from many countries. Your free-time language is often English, so you must make an effort to speak Japanese.
• Shared house or private apartment: more independence and better for a long stay, but you will need to deal with deposits, contracts and utilities, and short stays may not be offered.
• Language exchange: meet Japanese people who want to practice your language, in person or through exchange groups. It is easy to start in the first week and gives free practice in real conversation.
• Daily life: shops, cafés, stations and neighbours give you listening and reading practice that no classroom can copy. Keep a list of signs and phrases you see each day and ask about them in class.
• Part-time work: not allowed for visitors. Student visa holders may be able to work part-time after applying for the right permission, with limits on hours, so check the rules with the school and the Immigration Services Agency before you count on any income.

The visa dimension

Our guide on what level of Japanese you need before studying in Japan explains the visa paths and the official sources in more detail, so we do not repeat them here. In short, a short course is normally done as a temporary visitor, and a long course needs a Student visa.

• Short courses: Portuguese citizens can usually enter Japan as temporary visitors for up to 90 days without a visa, which is enough for two weeks, one month and even a course of about two months. Check the current rules for your passport before you book, because the allowed stay and conditions can change.
• Anything longer: you need a Student visa. The school applies for a Certificate of Eligibility on your behalf, you then apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate, and the visa is tied to a Japanese language school recognised for that purpose.
• No work on a short stay: a temporary visitor stay does not allow work, so a short course is a study holiday, not a way to earn money.
• Do not count on switching inside Japan. The official immigration page says that applicants who enter as temporary visitors only to sit an entrance exam should, as a general rule, return home to obtain the Student visa, so arrange the visa before you fly.

When courses start

According to Study in Japan, admission to Japanese language schools is mainly in April and October, and some schools also start in January or July. Its timeline page suggests starting to gather information 10 months to a year before the start and applying roughly 5 to 7 months before, so a long course needs planning well in advance. Short courses are different. Many schools run them all year, with extra groups in summer, but start dates, class sizes and the minimum length vary by school, so check each school's calendar.

Cost in words

We give no prices here because tuition, fees and living costs change and differ by city. In words: a two-week course has the lowest total but a high cost per week once you add flights and accommodation, a one-month course is low to moderate, and a long course is the largest sum by far, though each week costs less, and it adds visa, insurance and deposit costs. For figures, read our post on how much it costs to study Japanese in Japan. Travel from Europe is a cost and a time commitment too: see how long the flight from Portugal to Japan takes.

Pros and cons of a two-week course

• Pro: low commitment, so it is a good way to test whether you enjoy studying in Japan.
• Pro: easy to fit into a single holiday period, with no Student visa.
• Pro: you meet a teacher, a method and classmates before deciding on a longer stay.
• Con: very little progress. Two weeks of classes cannot replace months of practice.
• Con: a high cost per week, because flights and a short accommodation booking are a large share of the budget.
• Con: you may spend half the time settling in and the rest saying goodbye.

Pros and cons of a one-month course

• Pro: enough time for a visible step forward, especially if you prepare first.
• Pro: still within a temporary visitor stay, so no Student visa paperwork.
• Pro: long enough for a homestay to feel normal and for a routine to form.
• Con: a month is too short to move through a JLPT level on its own.
• Con: classes may not suit you, and there is little time to change school.
• Con: it can create a gap after you return home, so plan your own study to keep going.

Pros and cons of a long-term course

• Pro: the only option that realistically moves you through JLPT levels.
• Pro: a lower cost per week, a routine, friendships and real daily immersion.
• Pro: access to part-time work with permission, and a route into university, vocational school or work.
• Con: the highest total cost and a long period away from home, work or studies.
• Con: Student visa paperwork, early application deadlines and a fixed intake month.
• Con: it can be hard to stay motivated for months, and you may find the pace or the school is not right after you arrive.

Pick this if

• Pick two weeks if you have a limited holiday, you have never studied in Japan, and you want to test the experience at low risk.
• Pick one month if you can take a longer break, you already know the kana, and you want a real push before going home to keep studying.
• Pick long-term if you want to reach N3 or higher, study at a university or vocational school, work in Japan, or live there for a year or more.

Still unsure whether you can join as a complete beginner? Read our post on whether beginners can attend a Japanese language school in Japan.

How to prepare before you arrive

• Two weeks: learn hiragana and katakana before you fly. If you can read the kana, the course can focus on speaking and listening, and that is the single biggest favour you can do yourself.
• One month: finish N5 grammar basics before you arrive, including the polite verb forms, the main particles, numbers and time. You will move straight into new material instead of repeating the first lessons.
• Long-term: aim for N4 or close to it before you start. Beginners are accepted, but a stronger start puts you in a higher class and saves months of tuition. Also prepare your documents early, because the Student visa takes time.
• For every length: practice reading the placement test and classroom phrases, and set up a study routine you can keep after the course ends.

You can start today with the free NihongoTech lessons, which take you from kana through the first grammar patterns.

Japanese words for choosing and attending a school

Official information

We checked the following pages on 21 October 2026. Study in Japan's page on Japanese language institutes gives the admission months for language schools (April and October, with some schools in January or July). Its timeline lists when to apply, and its page on immigration procedures describes the Certificate of Eligibility and the Student visa. We could not open the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa-exemption page on the day, so we cite no list of visa-free countries: confirm the 90-day rule for your passport with the Embassy of Japan in Portugal before you book. We did not fetch any school's price list, so we quote no fees.