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Living in Osaka, Japan

Osaka, Japan
Campus
Housing, Roommates & Meals
Activities & Excursions
Community Service

Osaka, Japan
Osaka has historically been the commercial capital of Japan. Located 350 miles south of Tokyo, this city of 2.6 million is in the heart of Japan's second largest metropolitan area. The city's association with water stems from the presence of a vast bay, a sheltered harbor and several rivers and canals. Osaka is home to a beautiful botanical garden in Tennoji Park and traditional Japanese arts, theater and ceremonies. Osaka is also referred to as the "nation's kitchen" and the mecca of gourmet food. Osakans are known for their love of good food and their joyful, outgoing personalities.

Osaka is less than thirty minutes from Kyoto, the cultural center of Japan; only forty minutes from trendy Kobe, one of the world's leading trading ports; sixty minutes from Nara, the oldest historical region of Japan; and about two and a half hours by Shinkansen (bullet train) from the nation's capital, Tokyo. Manageable and well connected to other Japanese cities, Osaka is an ideal study abroad city that students will want to call home.

Campus
The CET program is based on the campus of Osaka Gakuin University (OGU) which is located fifteen minutes from the downtown hub of Osaka’s business and entertainment district and twenty minutes from the center of Kyoto. CET students have access to many of the great amenities on the OGU campus including student clubs, the I-chat lounge, a library with over one million books, four cafeterias, a bookstore, a convenience store, computer labs, modern sports facilities, a health center, multiple gardens and the International Center.

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Housing, Meals & Japanese Roommates
CET students have the unique chance to room with a Japanese university student in furnished apartments near campus. Roommates hail from OGU, maintain a Japanese-only language pledge (during the summer-term only) and are excited about sharing about their country with CET students.

CET students can prepare meals at home in private kitchens or eat inexpensively at local restaurants. Meals are not included in the program fee.

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Activities & Excursions
The Resident Director and language teachers organize activities and excursions to supplement class material. Language class excursions may take students to the Ramen factory museum or historic Nara. CET’s Japanese-chat lounge sponsors activities such as shodo, tea ceremony demonstrations or manga making lessons. Students are also welcome to join OGU clubs such as brass band or kendo.

Excursions include educational activities in the region such as a rural overnight or a visit to a mountain temple. Due to Osaka’s convenient location, students are free to take day trips to nearby locations such as Himeji, Nara, Kyoto and Kobe and join in the area’s numerous festivals.

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Community Service
Students may chose to engage in select community service projects at a variety of local sites. These opportunities allow students to integrate into Japanese culture and establish connections with the local community.