EF Language Abroad, part of EF Education First (EF), a global provider of culturally immersive education, has opened its new Japanese language campus on the 36th floor of the popular Shibuya Sakura Stage, with a spectacular view over downtown Tokyo and the famous “Shibuya Crossing”, known from the movie “Lost in Translation”.
This comes amidst an exponential growth in popularity of Japanese language learning amongst international students, partly influenced by manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation), which have become a global phenomenon. While English remains the most popular EF Language Abroad program, students’ interest in Japanese has increased rapidly over the past few years.
EF Tokyo is visited by thousands of students from all over the world each year, who want to learn or improve their Japanese and immerse in the local culture.
EF Language Abroad Vice President Asia & President Japan, Linus Jonsson, said: "At EF Language Abroad, we have a 53-year history in Tokyo, which is also our Asian headquarters. Last month, we were excited to welcome our first hundreds of students hailing from over fifty countries to our beautiful new campus on Shibuya Sakura Stage to ‘Live the Language’ – learn Japanese in Japan and immerse in the local culture. We look forward to continuing to support our students through their educational journeys, helping them not only master the language but also build lasting connections and unforgettable memories in one of the world's most vibrant cities.”
With the relocation of EF Tokyo, international students can study in the center of Shibuya and have additional opportunities to experience Japan's cutting-edge culture and technology. They improve their language skills and immerse in cultural exchange while staying with a homestay host or in EF residences, for a period between two weeks to a year.
The new school facility has classrooms that utilize the latest teaching technology, and a multi-purpose space where cultural exchange events are held, increasing opportunities for exchange with Japanese students and international collaboration.
In keeping with EF’s contextual design approach, the design of the new campus considers the character of the local city as well as the architecture of the building. And on the 36th Floor of Shibuya Tower Tokyo, it’s all about the view. All rooms are kept away from the façade, leaving space to circulate the picture- perfect views. Furthermore, Japan is revered worldwide for its craft tradition, and EF worked with a majority of Japanese furniture manufacturers for this project. The result is an infusion of solid wood furniture that brings a warmth to this otherwise cool modern building.
The relocation also marks an important milestone for the establishment of EF’s Asia hub, with the aim to further develop and promote the Language Abroad program across the continent.
With EF Language Abroad, students travel to one of EF’s 50 language campuses worldwide, including in Tokyo, to improve their language skills and immerse in cultural exchange. They stay with a homestay host, or in EF residences, for a period between two weeks to a year.
EF Education First provides culturally immersive education through language, travel, cultural exchange, and academic programs in over 100 countries. Founded in Sweden in 1965, EF’s mission is opening the world through education.