International students at ICA Ureshino School listen to an address by Principal Hiroko Nakano in Ureshino, Saga Prefecture, on April 25, 2025. (Mainichi/Akiho Narimatsu)
SAGA — A Japanese school for international students opened at a famous inn in Saga Prefecture on Japan’s Kyushu island. Students from other countries will study Japanese here. They will also work part-time at local hotels and inns. The school wants them to become tourism workers in Japan.
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The school is called ICA Ureshino School. It opened inside Wataya Besso, a well-known traditional inn in the city of Ureshino. Ureshino is famous for beautiful hot springs (onsen). ICA also runs Japanese language schools near Tokyo. The school hopes students will stay and work in the area after finishing their studies. Many hotels and inns need workers in this area.
ICA Ureshino School uses some large rooms inside Wataya Besso for classes. This is unusual in Japan. It is special to have a school inside an inn.
There are 40 new students from overseas at the school. They are 21 to 35 years old. They come from countries like Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and India. Students study Japanese language for four hours each weekday. They learn to speak Japanese for work and daily life.
Students can also work part-time outside school hours, up to 28 hours each week. Many students will choose to work at local inns, hotels and other places.
The school’s first ceremony was on April 25. Eighteen of the 40 students were there in Ureshino. Other students joined online from their countries. Principal Hiroko Nakano said, “I hope you learn Japanese language and culture. I hope you will become good friends with local people.”
One student from Nepal named Gurung Preety, age 35, said, “I’m interested in Japan’s culture, art and history. My dream is to find a good job in Japan. I want to study hard and make my dream come true.”
The president of the inn, Kohara Yoshimoto, welcomed the students. He said, “I know you might feel worried. But our workers and the local people will help you. I hope you will study and also help create new business here in Ureshino.”
The Wataya Besso inn is seen in Ureshino, Saga Prefecture, on April 25, 2025. (Mainichi/Akiho Narimatsu)
Ureshino Mayor Daisuke Murakami also spoke. He said, “This school is important for our city. More tourists from other countries visit every year. I hope you students will learn Japanese and become great workers in tourism here.”
(Japanese original by Akiho Narimatsu, Saga Bureau)
Vocabulary
inn: a traditional small hotel
international: from or between different countries.
tourism: when people travel for fun or vacation.
hot spring (onsen): hot water coming up from the ground, used for bathing.
ceremony: a special event to welcome people or celebrate something.
principal: the leader or head teacher at a school.
mayor: the leader of a city or town.
worker shortage: not enough workers; more people needed to do jobs.
local: about the area nearby.
business: buying and selling things or services to make money.
AloJapan.com