JAPAN HOMESTAY

2024 Japan Homestay

Thank you very much for your interest in this program. We received many qualified applications. Please check the screening result below.

What's MNCC Scholarship?

MNCC scholarship program was established in 2000. The funds have been raised by MNCC exchange students through volunteer activities during the homestay program in the United States. It includes donations from students as well as host families who participated in our programs. For this scholarship program, we also have received a lot of support from host families and Teacher Coordinators. We are pleased to announce that we invite American students to Japan as “American Ambassadors”. We hope that this opportunity will become one of the best lifetime experiences for participants by interacting with Japanese school, Japanese culture and Japanese family.

Click here to find PDF flyer for this program.

  • fundraising
  • fundraising

    • Program Period

    About two weeks beginning in late November or early December of 2024.

    *Schedule is subject to change.

    fundraising

    What Students Need

  • Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria;
    • have GPA 3.2 or higher.
    • have achieved outstanding results in extracurricular activities.
    • have displayed significant dedication to community service.

    *A certified copy of latest transcript, reference letter or proper support document must be attached.

  • Applicants must be at least 15 but not yet 19 years of age at the time of application.
  • Applicants must be in good mental and physical health condition.
  • Applicants must have a positive personality and have an interest in Japanese culture, custom, and cultural exchange.
  • Applicants' parents and school must acknowledge the purpose of this program and agree with his/her participation.

    • Required Documents

  • Application form
  • Two letters of recommendation (One from your school principal and the other is from a teacher.)
  • Supporting documents for the required criteria

    ex: Latest transcript, recommendation letter from a coach, volunteer certificates etc.

  • Letter to Japanese host family
  • A few photos of yourself and your family
  • Waiver and release form
  • Essay - “The reason why I am a good candidate to receive the scholarship.” *500 words or more
  • Self introduction video

    We encourage you to make a 1 to 2 minute video in your home/school environment talking about what you like to do and why you want to participate in this scholarship program. Send your video to our email (japanhomestay@mncc.jp)

  • Passport copy
    • fundraising
    fundraising

    Where to Submit

    All the required documents indicated above must be submitted to MNCC office by email between August 1st 2024 and Septemper 27th 2024.

    Minami Nihon Culture Center (MNCC)

    e-mail: japanhomestay@mncc.jp

    Process

    Apply

    All the required documents must be submitted to MNCC office in Japan by the due date by email. You may send them as PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, WMV, AVI, MP4 files (even URLs for YouTube.)

    Processing and Evaluation

    Our staff will screen your applications and see if you are qualified for this scholarship program.

    Result

    After screening, applicants who are chosen as scholarship student(s) will be announced on this web page. The chosen students will also be contacted by MNCC for the next procedure.

    Where to Stay

    You will be staying in either the peaceful suburbs of Kyushu Island, located in the southern part of Japan or Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. Host family will kindly provide the accommodation and daily meals.

    Kyushu Island

    Okinawa

    Sample Calendar

    This itinerary is subject to change.

    Day 1

    Departure for Japan

    Day 2

    Arrival in Kyushu - Your host family will be meeting you at the local airport.

    Day 3-5

    Visit school - attend classes with Japanese students, have a school meal in a classroom and join school activities. Make a lot of friends! Introduce your culture and learn the differences.

    Day 6-7

    Spend weekend with host family - Experience Japanese family atmosphere, try to communicate with your host brothers/sisters!

    Day 8-12

    Visit school - attend classes with Japanese students, have a school meal in a classroom and join school activities. Find a lot of differences between America and Japan about people, foods, customs...

    Day 13-14

    Spend weekend with host family - respect and appreciate what your host family has done for you, and show your appreciation!

    Day 15

    Departure for U.S.A.

    In addition, the scholarship students must complete some assignments such as daily journal during your stay as well as an essay and an activity report that shows what you have learnt and gained from your experiences in Japan.

    FAQ

    Q1: What are the costs for scholarship students?

  • Traveler’s insurance
  • Payment of medical costs for injury or sickness
  • Other incidental costs

    • Q2: What is the most important ability for the students?

    We expect those students to be cheerful, honest, and, in the most, eager to learn and have a great interest in Japanese culture, custom, and cultural exchange.

    Q3: Do the students need to be able to speak Japanese?

    If the students can speak Japanese, it is ideal. However, it is not required, as we believe that there are some other means to communicate, using gestures and facial expressions. What most important in communication is whether the students can act positively. If you try hard to express yourself by non-verbal communication, the effort will certainly help you to develop a relationship with someone who doesn't understand your language. Nonetheless, we encourage the students to learn some basic Japanese phrases, such as "hello", "thank you", "good morning" which will be great icebreakers when you meet a host family and new friends.

    Q4: When and how can I know who is accepted?

    Those whom selected will be notified in early October by e-mail and will be provided further instructions. We will also announce those whom selected on this web site.

    If you have any further questions, please send us e-mail at japanhomestay@mncc.jp

    TESTIMONIALS

    I learned so much about Japan and myself on this trip, so I am supremely grateful to all who made this happen. MNCC students and staff, ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU! I had an amazing time as I hope you can tell from my pictures and journals. This experience opened my eyes to a whole new continent of culture and ideas and I will carry this new knowledge with me for the duration of my lifetime.

    - Kamiah Dix, Lodi, California, USA (2013)

    It was very interesting to learn about all of the similarities that my life had with theirs. I always felt that people in other countries were like worlds away, but once I spent this time over there, I realized how similar they actually were! I had a wonderful time while in Japan, and it was a great and educational experience for me.

    - Kellen Haug, Los Banos, California, USA (2013)

    I appreciate all of the students and families who helped to raise money for the MNCC scholarship program that sent me and four other American students to live in and go to school in Japan for two weeks. It is a great program and I will never forget the experiences that I had while living in Japan. I want to help with future fundraising so more students can go to Japan.

    - Derek Hines-Mohrman, Olympia, Washington, USA (2012)

    I want to thank you so much! I think I got as much as you possibly could get out of the homestay program. I experienced school and daily life, and it was so amazing and diffrent. I did so many great things in Japan. I have always wanted to go to Japan but it was just a dream. Thanks to all these wonderful people you made my dream come true and started my life of adventuring. I always wanted to travel the world and all of you volunteers were my push to get me started. Everything went so perfect, from boarding the plane to arriving in japan, living with a wonderful family that i would have never meet without you guys! The mncc program has treated me so great thanks to you guys. I loved my time spent in Japan. You have made 5 students from around the west coast extremely grateful and we all thank you so much. Thank you so much for the plane tickets and working so hard to raise money for us. I deeply appreicate it. thank you for everything i am so grateful and honored! THANKS! I would love to also participate in volunteering for others.

    - Anthony Lopez, Los Banos, California, USA (2012)

    Thank you students for fundraising and doing all the other things you did to earn money for the American students (like me) to go to Japan. I had a great experience! I’m so glad I went. I met so many new people and made so many new friends. Everyone was so nice over there and I adored my host family! They were so nice and funny! Thank you for raising enough money for me to have a life changing adventure! Also thank you American host families who helped the students by getting them to school every day, and by helping them raise funds, and also by purchasing the products and services being offered in the fundraisers. Thank you for supporting me!

    - Katie Nugent, Los Banos, California, USA (2012)

    Program Archives

    Contact Us

    Minami Nihon Culture Center (MNCC)

    3-16-19 Shimoarata, Kagoshima-city, Kagoshima

    890-0056 Japan

    e-mail: japanhomestay@mncc.jp