Urasa (Yamato-machi), Japan
International University of Japan (IUJ) is the first, and one of the few Japanese universities which run their courses entirely in English. IUJ is fully approved and accredited by the Ministry of Education, Japan. The IUJ campus has an extremely diverse student body, with students from all over the world. The diversity can be illustrated by the fact that IUJ holds the Guinness World Record for the most nationalities in a Sauna (50). IUJ provides a balanced education through the discovery of Japanese and other world cultures.
The School
IUJ is broken down into the Graduate School of International Management and the Graduate School of International Relations. The MBA program is conducted entirely in English with its own distinctive curriculum leaning towards a Japan-Asia perspective. IUJ has developed many joint industry programs and has established joint projects with the cooperation of the Japanese business society. The main focus of the school is on teaching and corporate relations. The school is in a remote setting located near Urasa and by train it will take an hour and a half to get to Tokyo. Students are very active in sports and student organizations.
The City
Yamato-machi is only a 100-minute train ride from central Tokyo and is a beautiful valley surrounded by magnificent mountains. IUJ is about 60 minutes south of Niigata city on the Sea of Japan. Yamato-machi is much less expensive than other parts of Japan because of its remote area and the local townspeople are more traditional and friendly. The local area offers hot springs, ski resorts, a golf course and hiking trails. The climate can be snowy and cold in the winter and summer is especially nice with cool mornings and evenings. Summers are warm.
Term Dates
Fall term: early October- mid December
Winter term: early January- mid March
Spring term: early April- mid June
Courses Available
Undergraduate, masters and doctoral. Masters courses are offered in the MBA and E-Business Management programs, including concentrations in finance, IT/OM, management, and marketing. Students can also elect to take approved courses from the Graduate School of International Relations.
Languages
School operates in English as a policy, but you will still see and hear much Japanese.
Grade Conversion
| IUJ Grade | IUJ Description | UF Assignment | Grad Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | F (fail) | E | U |
| 1.1 - 2 | LP (low pass) | D | U |
| 2.1 - 2.4 | D+ | U | |
| 2.41 - 2.8 | S- (satisfactory minus) | C | S |
| 2.81 - 3 | B | S | |
| 3.1 - 3.5 | S (satisfactory) | B | S |
| 3.51 - 3.75 | S+ (satisfactory plus) | B+ | S |
| 3.76 - 4 | H (honors) | A | S |
| — | P (pass) | S | S |
Credit Conversion
1 IUJ credit = 1 UF credit
Credit Requirements
Per UF, maximum is equivalent to 7 UF credits.
Accommodation
Available on campus are single rooms with a private bath, and bedding, furniture and phone provided. Each dormitory floor has a large lounge and kitchen to be shared by the residents of that floor. There is really no other housing option for students in the town!
Travel Opportunities
The nearest railway station and town is Urasa, approximately 4km away. The Joetsu Shinkansen (bullet train) has a stop at the Urasa station. From there, it takes 40 minutes to reach Niigata city and 100 minutes to reach Tokyo by shinkansen. The International University of Japan runs a regular shuttle bus service between campus and the Urasa station. Larger towns within a 30-minute drive from the university include Muikamachi and Koide. There are also local buses and trains in operation.