QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT THE TIS PROGRAM

HOW DIFFICULT SHOULD I EXPECT THE PROGRAM TO BE?

The current curriculum consists of 6 x 50 minute classes 09:00-15:30 M-F, in addition to 4 hours of Parama (Independent studies) on Saturdays. Major subjects are Japanese language, Japanese culture / history, Physical education, Mathematics (independent tutorial). Other subjects taught will vary each year. Classes will generally be taught in Japanese by English-speaking instructors. For Japanese language classes, students will initially be split into separate classes according to their ability. In addition to the periodical examinations offered for each class, some students will have the opportunity to take the nationally accredited Japanese Proficiency Test in December of each year. The school also conducts a word contest, which is a monthly testing of 100 vocabulary terms. The results of both tests will be included in the student report.

Each student will be awarded a Certificate of Completion at the conclusion of the program.

 

CAN I EXTEND / SHORTEN THE TERMS OF THE PROGRAM?

The duration of the TIS is for one academic year, which will begin at the student's port of departure and continue until their return to their home country. Any alteration of the terms of the scholarship is generally not permitted. Transfer to other departments within Fukuoka Daiichi High School is only possible for those whose Japanese ability is near fluent.

 

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BRING?

A 50,000 cash security deposit (no cheques/money orders/foreign cash are accepted) is required from all students at the outset of the course. This will be maintained by the school and will be used to cover those expenses for which the school does not receive timely payment (e.g. medical expenses, breakages, loss of uniform etc.) We do not allow students to Espan class=SpellE>eborrowe money from their security deposit if they have spent all their allowance, nor do we allow it to be used for shopping.

The remaining balance of the deposit will be returned to the student upon completion of the program (parents please instruct us by e-mail as to whether you wish the money to be returned to you or if you will allow your child to keep the money for themselves!).

Regarding personal expenses, each family is different and we have seen a wide range in the allowances granted to each student by their parents. The following prices are in yen and should be used as a rough guide only.

Initial consultation fee at the doctor 7000 yen
Round trip train tickets to downtown 300 yen
Cup of coffee at caf? 500 yen
Drink at vending machine 120 yen
Compact disk - 3000 yen
Rental video 500 yen
Movie ticket 1500 yen
Light lunch 800 yen
Dinner at restaurant 2000 yen
Big Mac set 630 yen
Air mail letter to US/AUS 210 yen
Laundry detergent 400 yen
1 apple 300 yen (fruit is generally very expensive here)

In general, Japan is considered an expensive country and students will need to budget carefully. Parents are strongly advised to discuss with their children how to manage money and exactly what their budget and limits will be. Some parents give their children a monthly allowance; others choose to give the allowance for the whole 9 months all in one go at the beginning of the year. We only recommend this option for students who are good with money and have strong willpower. Parents should also consider the dangers posed by losing the bank card or having it stolen.

Some parents also give their child a credit card. Again, be sure that you can trust your child to use it carefully. Some tend to go wild, particularly in the first couple of months, and it might be a good idea to get the credit card company to impose a monthly limit.

At the beginning of the course, the school will assist each student in opening a personal bank account with the Bank of Fukuoka. Its maintenance is the responsibility of each student. Due to exchange difficulties and other factors, wire transfer direct to the personal account or dependent credit cards are the most convenient method of sending money from abroad.

Personal/company checks and bank drafts are often not cashable in Japan and should be avoided.

Travelerfs checks cannot be sent from parent to child because of the problem of counter signing. However, a Postal International Money Order can be sent. The parent pays a fee (approximately 2000 yen) at the post office and the child can then cash the money order at the post office in Japan free of charge

PLEASE NOTE: This only works for a POSTAL money order, we absolutely do not recommend a BANK money order, which is both expensive and likely to be rejected by banks here in Japan.

The charge for wiring money into a Japanese bank account is about 4000 yen. Many people ask whether there is a way to avoid this but it is difficult. There is a Citibank in Fukuoka so if you open a Citibank account in the home country, theoretically it can be cheaper to transfer money this way. However, Citibank in Japan charges a monthly maintenance fee if the account has less than 500,000 yen in it, so it is not worth opening a Citibank account here. If the student has a bank account in their own country that is affiliated with Citibank, such as Commonwealth Bank, parents can put money into the account and the student can use the Citibank ATM to withdraw money here. Bear in mind, however, that, Citibank is downtown so students would have to make a special trip there. The Bank of Fukuoka account that we set up will be a short walk from the school. Once the account is opened we will send the bank address and account number to all parents by e-mail.

A further method used by some families is to give their child a bank card or credit card (with a pin number) that has a Espan class=SpellE>eCirrusf or Espan class=SpellE>ePlusf sign. These can be used at Post Offices main branches with no fee (daily exchange rates apply).

 

WHAT EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE OFFERED AT THE SCHOOL

Various sports, cultural, personal enrichment facilities are available both locally and on campus. Students are encouraged to contact the Department of International Education to find out specifically what activities are being offered. As part of the school curriculum, various cultural / personal enrichment activities are offered as part of the Parama program. As the school is not affiliated with any particular religious denomination, all religious practices will be conducted on a personal basis. There are several churches of various denominations offering English service in Fukuoka.

Various parties, sporting events, and sightseeing trips are organized throughout the duration of the program, mostly on weekends and holidays. Most of these activities will be at cost and therefore their attendance will not be mandatory. The student will also have the chance to participate in homestay visits with Japanese families. Each student is requested to bring materials which will help explain their cultural background (personal resume, family photo... etc). Souvenirs for the homestay families are also strongly recommended. Some personal expenses (approximately 5000 yen week) are required for each homestay.

 

IS IT POSSIBLE TO INVITE VISITORS TO THE DORMITORY?

Day visitors to the dormitory are not permitted during school hours, study hours and after lights out. The student will not be permitted to leave study hours or take time off from school for private visits, except under special circumstances with prior permission of the Housemaster.

 

HOW CAN I CONTACT MY PARENTS WHILE I AM IN JAPAN?

There is a payphone with international capability in the dormitory. To contact students, parents should call the dormitory office at (092) 553-2924. Staff is available everyday 08:00-22:30 except during study hour. Students are not permitted to use the phone during study hours except for emergency purposes. Parents are discouraged from calling the students at this time. In case of extreme emergencies, a list of private phone numbers for all resident staff will be available to all parents. For reference, a 3 minute call to the US/CND/AUS/NZ is approximately 400 yen. Fax messages will be forwarded to the student from the office. Faxes can also be sent from the office at the cost of 500 yen international / 50 yen domestic per page.

Regarding E-mail capability, the address for the Department of International Education is as below:

E-mail address:directorfukuokadaiichi@yahoo.co.jp(Taiyo Rious / Director)
clmiller111@hotmail.com (Chris Miller / Overseas Student Coordinator)

Students can send and receive e-mail through HOTMAIL at the GUEST HOUSE. Sign up for personal account on HOTMAIL.

 

WHAT IS THE TIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY COUNTRY AND FUKUOKA?

USA/CND

-14 HRS EASTERN STANDARD TIME

AUSTRALIA

+01 HRS MELBOURNE STANDARD TIME

NEW ZEALAND

+03 HRS STANDARD TIME

 

IS WESTERN MEDICINE AVAILABLE IN JAPAN?

English -speaking medical practitioners are readily available within the city of Fukuoka. Western medication is not. Students are recommended to bring their own supply of any prescriptive drugs, allergy pills, skin-care products (make-up of any kind is not permitted on campus)... etc as regarded necessary. Overseas insurance is required by all students before gaining admittance to the program. (See IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS ABOUT OVERSEAS HEALTH INSURANCE regarding requirements for vaccination)

 

HOW IS THE WEATHER / TEMPERATURE IN FUKUOKA?

Average temperature for Fukuoka in:

January

05 c

March

10 c

June

22 c

August

28 c

October

16 c

December

06 c

Although considered warm for Japan, it does snow several times a year in Fukuoka. Frequent rain is expected for the entire month of June. It should also be noted that summer in Japan is generally considered extremely humid by most western standards.

For additional information / please contact:
Taiyo Rious
Director
Department of International Education
Fukuoka Daiichi High School
22-1 Tamagawa-machi, Minami-ku
Fukuoka 815-0037 Japan
Tel / Fax 92-511-5060
directorfukuokadaiichi@yahoo.co.jp

Address of the Guest House:
Fukuoka Daiichi High School Guest House
1-19-15 Mukaino, Minami-ku
Fukuoka 815-0035 Japan
Tel:92-553-2924
Fax:92-553-2984

Address of the Troubadour Dormitory:
Fukuoka Daiichi High School Troubadour Dormitory
13-23 Tamagawa-machi, Minami-ku
Fukuoka 815-0037 Japan
Tel:92-552-6711
Fax:92-553-2984


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