Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute（新宿日本语学院）, known as SNG, is a Japanese language school in Takadanobaba, a student district in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo. Founded in 1975, it has taught Japanese for more than 50 years and, according to its own website, currently enrolls over 700 students from more than 60 countries. This guide walks through the decisions an international student actually faces: which program fits which goal, what the entry requirements are, what the long-term courses cost, how the application and visa process works, and which support services connect to it. All facts below were checked against the official SNG website on August 5, 2026.
Programs: which course fits which goal
SNG’s weekday course runs Monday to Friday and is the core option for student-visa holders. Students can pick the General Course, aimed at natural everyday communication, or the Intensive Course, built for those aiming at a Japanese university, graduate school or vocational school, or for anyone who wants to push their level up quickly. Both are leveled from beginner to advanced. Beyond the weekday course, the website lists a JLPT preparation course, an EJU preparation course, short-term courses, evening classes, Saturday classes, a summer course, private lessons and online classes.
Two prep courses matter most for university-bound students. The JLPT preparation course runs twice a year, in the April (spring) and October (fall) semesters, every Saturday at the Takadanobaba campus: a three-month intensive of 10 sessions covering the N1, N2 and N3 levels. The EJU preparation course targets intermediate-and-above students with five classes: Japanese twice a week from 13:40 to 16:40, mathematics (a basic track for liberal arts and an advanced track for science) once a week from 13:30 to 15:10, and integrated subjects covering politics, economics, geography and history twice a week. Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute also offers special classes in business Japanese, tourism business Japanese, and Japanese teacher training, the last requiring JLPT N1 or equivalent.
Intake windows are the first thing to get right. For student-visa holders, SNG offers only two long-term entry points: April entry for a 1-year or 2-year course, with registration opening the previous November, and October entry for a 1.5-year course, with registration opening in April. The school states that a student visa allows up to 2 years of study, that applications open 6 months before the month of admission, and that the intake closes once capacity is reached. Someone targeting April 2027 admission should therefore be registering from November 2026. Holders of short-term or working-holiday visas, and people already residing in Japan, follow a different, simpler path with four entry windows a year: April, July, October and January.
Entry requirements and required documents
Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute lists three requirements for student-visa applicants. First, in principle applicants must have completed secondary education in their home country. Second, they must satisfy one of the Japanese language proficiency requirements in place at the time of application. Third, the financial sponsor must be judged capable of providing financial support.
The language requirement changed for intakes from October 2026 onward. SNG’s website quotes a Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau revision: previously, a certificate of 150 hours of Japanese study was accepted as proof of proficiency; going forward, applicants must either (A) hold a pass certificate for an official Japanese language test recognized by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, such as JLPT or NAT-TEST, or (B) pass a Japanese language interview conducted by the school. Applicants holding a degree from a foreign higher education institution in listed countries or regions may be exempt, provided they submit proof of graduation. Because the rule change is recent, the school advises checking the current requirement at the time of application.
Documentation splits into two sets. The student prepares: the school application form, a personal history form, a statement of purpose, a statement on relatives and their health, four photos (4 cm by 3 cm, taken within the last 6 months), copies of the final diploma and transcript, a certificate of Japanese study, a passport copy and a health certificate. The financial sponsor prepares: a statement of financial support, certificate of employment, proof of income, bank certificate of deposit, a copy of the bankbook, identification, family credentials and a written oath. SNG warns that the intake closes when capacity is reached and that missing information delays or rejects the application, so early submission is the operative advice.
Costs: the 2026-27 fee schedule
Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute publishes its fees openly, in three tiers for long-term student-visa courses. The 1-year April-entry course totals ¥990,000: registration fee ¥40,000, processing fee ¥40,000, educational materials ¥60,000, tuition ¥840,000 and insurance ¥10,000. The 1.5-year October-entry course totals ¥1,415,800: tuition ¥1,260,000 and insurance ¥15,800 on top of the same registration, processing and material fees. The 2-year April-entry course totals ¥1,840,000: tuition ¥1,680,000 and insurance ¥20,000. The site’s Chinese-language version shows identical figures.
Insurance is worth reading closely. International students are obliged to join Japan’s national health insurance, which covers 70% of medical fees; the student insurance arranged through the school covers the remaining 30% during the study period, from the first day of the starting month to the last day of the final month. For visa holders already in Japan, the rates are separate: a 3-month course totals ¥265,000 (registration ¥40,000, materials ¥15,000, tuition ¥210,000), while a course under 3 months costs ¥55,000 plus ¥5,000 per class day (4 hours). The school’s website also publishes a refund policy.
Payment is tied to the application timeline rather than the start of term: the non-refundable processing fee is charged once the application screening passes, and the full first year of tuition, materials and insurance is due in a lump sum after the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued. Housing and living costs in Tokyo are additional; SNG’s housing page lists partner accommodation near Shinjuku and Takadanobaba, and prices there are set by the providers and subject to change.
Application process: step by step
SNG handles the Immigration Bureau procedures on behalf of student-visa applicants, and its website describes nine steps. (1) Submit the long-term application form; an online interview may be part of the screening. (2) The school emails the screening result within 2 weeks. (3) Pay the non-refundable processing fee. (4) Prepare and mail the visa documents with email support from the school. (5) The school files the application with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan for a Certificate of Eligibility. (6) The COE arrives at the school after 2 to 3 months, and the school notifies the applicant by email; Immigration provides no status updates during processing. (7) Pay the first-year fees in full, then receive the COE, the certificate of enrollment and a student email address, and take a placement test to confirm the class level. (8) Apply for the visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country, whose requirements may differ. (9) Arrive in Japan and attend orientation, where textbooks are handed out; the classroom venue is announced the day before the course starts.
The two waiting periods deserve planning: up to 2 weeks for screening and 2 to 3 months for the COE, plus embassy processing. Combined with the 6-month advance application window, the realistic horizon from first registration to first class is about half a year. Budgeting that timeline is the single most useful thing a prospective student can do before applying to Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute.
Support services: housing, scholarships and higher education
Three support blocks connect directly to the application journey at Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute. Housing: SNG has partnerships with accommodation providers near Shinjuku and Takadanobaba offering apartments, dormitories, single and twin rooms and share houses, including the school-managed Takada Dormitory with two-person and three-person sharehouse units and private rooms. Scholarship: the website lists four schemes — the JASSO scholarship at ¥48,000 per month (apply in April; student visa, 100% attendance, and continued study at SNG until the following March), the Takayama International Education Foundation scholarship at ¥120,000 per month (apply in January; over a year of study, continuing to university, Asian students only), the Kyoritsu Maintenance Scholarship at ¥70,000 per month (apply in January; over a year of study, Asian students only), and the JASSO University Scholarship Reservation System at ¥48,000 per month for students with excellent EJU scores, paid after university admission.
Higher education support is the third block. SNG runs a guidance counseling service Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, reservation required, with 30-minute one-on-one sessions covering entrance-exam requirements and schedules, EJU subjects and scores, JLPT and TOEFL expectations, tuition and scholarship information, plus at least one event per month, such as the April career guidance session and the May EJU mock examination. There is also a designated school recommendation system for excellent students: total attendance of 90% or above, current-term attendance of 90% or above, course level Intermediate I or higher for a basic letter and Advanced I or higher for a school-targeted letter, and at least 6 months of enrollment. Letters take one week to issue; transcripts and attendance records cost ¥500 to ¥2,000 per page. Partner universities and vocational schools are listed on the site.
Is SNG the right school for you
Putting it together, Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute suits students with a concrete goal — a Japanese university, graduate school or vocational school, or professional Japanese for work — who can start planning six months or more ahead of their target intake and fund a full year of fees up front. Beginners can enter the weekday course at the basic level and stack JLPT or EJU prep later; the 1.5-year October entry is the natural fit for someone who needs more runway before university entrance exams. The boundaries are equally clear: intakes close at capacity, the COE wait is several months with no status updates, most scholarships demand 100% attendance, and accommodation prices are set by partner providers, so costs should be checked against the latest pages. Facts above reflect the official SNG website as of August 5, 2026; fees, intake dates and language requirements are revised periodically, so confirm against the current pages before applying. If you would like to map your own background, Japanese level and budget onto a concrete program and application timeline, speak with our study-abroad advisers about your specific situation.