If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Hi there!
As an applicant to Yamasa, I had a lot of questions. I have searched the net for information from third parties. Blogs are a good source of information when you want to learn about the student life at Yamasa. I have collected a short list of blogs from students. Navigating at yamasa.org can be hard sometime when you are looking for a very specific information. See because there is hyperlink everywhere, sometime I get lost. Also sometime there is information that look like outdated. But if you take your time, you soon find another page with the corrected information.
I have found interesting documents about Okazaki too. Okazaki City Hall published a booklet for visitors. Okazaki City Hall edited in January 2005, a guide in English about life in Okazaki. I have printed it and now read it sometime before going to bed. My site is still in an early stage. I know I should spend more time studying Japanese 
I started my blog a year ago. At that time I wasn’t sure I wanted to apply at Yamasa. I ordered the visa application kit in February 2005. The kit contained a prospectus and the paper forms. I must say that I was impressed with the prospectus, information was organised in a more interesting way. I have passed it over at my friend and relatives so that they could know were I wanted to go. Yamasa.org is way to intimidating for them.
By July 1st , I had completed it. Yamasa admission received it the next week. I was a bit early but I was sure about this project and I wanted to give me the best chance possible. Later in October I mailed in my Bank Statement. My application was completed. After that no news from Yamasa. In December they withdraw the visa application fee from my credit card. At that stage I did not knew if I was accepted at the school. Now I can tell that it was the case. The letter of acceptance they just send last week, state that I have been accepted at the end of November. We are now halfway thru March with 20 days remaining before I move to Japan. The wait was long for the Visa approval… I was very nervous because I had already left my job at the microprocessor foundry. No worries, everyone is accepted this year too!
I hope this will ease the concerns of future applicants. I will be in Okazaki from April 3rd, I look forward to meet some of you there.
If you have a blog about your life at Yamasa, I would like very much if you could email me about it. I would like to keep a neat list of all blogs related to Yamasa. Write to whitewhip on this domain name. Thanks!
Update 2007: I will soon update this list. I am looking foward to hear also your comments about the school. Be sure that I will make the effort to write a full report on the claims made by the official Yamasa website.
My Nihon
He stayed from October 2006 to June 2007. His photoblog is extensive
Ingrid in Japan
I am not quite sure but I think she is in N class in the AIJP program. She got absolutly great marks I heard.
Plan your escapce route!
interresting comments on the school, is in Okazaki for 2 months in SILAC
Zoeæ¬新家
An other 2006 AIJP student : now with english!
Andy’s Jap blog
An other 2006 AIJP student: English man, now teaching english.
Mystic Route
A lot of people are comming here during the summer. He was kind enough to reply to a comment I left on his blog.
Lost in Normality
An other student in Okazaki: some picture and comments about Yamasa accomodations
Lasses in Japan
Swenden-jin in Okazaki, was in my class from April to June.
Jonathan’s Japan Journal
Story of a Houston man, who will be studying Japanese at Yamasa in April 2006. Somehow this is similar to my story…
Orange Reel’s
Crazy story about American airport security, first day at the student village. Bonus: Her new blog url, empty at the moment
Tsukasa’s boredom
Impression on the first days at Yamasa. This is not easy, I can see that. Sounds scary…
David Chart’s Japan Diary
Long entries about life in Japan. Recently bought a flat, I must say I am impressed. Studied for a year and a half at Yamasa. Worth reading from the beginning. ( this link was misplaced in my Japan link section, thanks to Brian who pointed it out )
Yamasa Teachers Exposed
Report that this page is outdated: here
Monkey Pen
Don’t think LiveJournal users are safe from me, sooner of later I will find your blog and read it! This blog contains the usual, life at Yamasa, Nagoya trips and exploited gaijins…
dawne_aoi’s live journal
Very actual adn verry funny. This girl began in October of 2005 at Yamasa. She wrote a funny story about one of her friends that did not know how to make rice. You need to add water! ( same happened when I was at College, except the moron tried with pasta) I am enjoying this blog very much.
Chris Wright
Was on the newsletter on the Yamasa website. Not much on this blog.
Markfay.com
I wonder if he is related to Kate Fey, and Christina Fey, the adult internet sensations. Probably not. First post dated from october 2004 are the most interesting. Arrival and pictures of a shared room at Yamasa’s students village.
mindykuo
I dont understand a word of this blog, but in the picture section of the blog, there is a load of visual candy. Was in Okazaki during summer 2005. Very good pictures of Japan, and life in general in Okazaki. She went to Okazaki Hanabi, the Expo and to Tokyo.
kei’s Diary at Yamasa
This one is in Japanese and Chinese, some pictures too. I suppose she is the one that took pictures for the ‘gallery’ at Yamasa official web site, under the english name of Sandra. keiã®Yamasa日本滞在日記
GoodKittens.com
They have not updated their site since August. Brenda was at Yamasa this summer. They provide us with some good pictures of the school, and of… Brenda…The site tells the story of a young couple who lived in Japan for some years. But they have returned to America now. A must see.
Hajaa and ‘jumping japanesiac’
Worth reading, especialy for the part about a special advice to Yamasa Students: don’t fall in love with your teacher!
Kongetsu
Went to Okazaki for 3 months, was in Tokyo too. Long text entry about Okazaki, first impression and so on.
A homeless blog
Taiwanese guy who studied in the U.S is now at Yamasa. Again an interessting blog. Been there for 2 months.
Studying in Japan 2005 with Peter Donohue
Experiences studying in Japan from September through November of 2005. He went there for the third time!
Peter Donohue also went to Japan in 2003
to continue his study of the Japanese language at Okazaki Japan, Yamasa.
Peter Maydell
I think he is very brave; he leaved his flat witch he owns I think for long studies. The interesting part is the present time has he return to his old life. He is still taking Japanese courses.
Precious Moments
Girl’s blogs are very different from those from the guys. They talk more about new friends, cooking and how they miss family. So they are the most interesting if you want to learn about the student life at Yamasa. Some great pictures are there too.
Rambling, a piece of…
One of my favorite, we can follow the inscription process at Yamasa. Required documentations such as the medical letter, and all the visa hassle. He is still there. He is about to extend his stay for another 3 months.
Mystic journeys
For a guy who did not like blogging, he gave us a very good one. Nice picture of Nagoya, Okazaki, and Yamasa. He bought enough anime to load the bookshelf entirely.
Grant’s Journal
Funny, a guy who did the same thing as I am about to do, leave a good job to go to Japan. Except that I am leaving for a year, not 3 months. IT professionals need to take breaks. Please take care of yourself and avoid depression, now that your trip to Japan ended. He did the SILAC class.
Toby Oxborrow
A recent addition to the blogosphere, Toby Oxborow and his blog half in English half Japanese take us away with is ‘gallery’ and flickr photos. It shows that he has been there for some time but, he does not provide a link to his old site.
NullSchool
I hate variable, pointers, programming and � Visual Basic. Scroll down a bit to see the Yamasa Part. Not a long part, but worth taking 30 secs. Even Microsoft techies are into Japanese.
Update on her blog. After working for almost a year at the international office of Yamasa, she returned back home. My guess is that freaky atmosphere at the school is slowly gaining on everybody, faculty included.
Ah one of my favourite. A girl again. This blogs starts January 2005 and continues as of October. Shopping in Tokyo, Aichi World Expo, cooking and bitching are the commons subject of the blog. This girl is lazy, read report on studies.
elzkitten’s journal
Once in Yamasa now an intern at the American Embacy. Not much else to say.
What does a vegan do…
Was sharing in the summer of 2005, a room in Yamasa dorm + a homestay. Beware of the epileptic choice of color.