Why Toyo? TOYO UNIVERSITY STUDENT LIFE AND ACADEMIC STUDY Introduction Among Tokyo's numerous comprehensive private universities, Toyo University stands in a class by itself. Boasting more than 120 years of academic distinction, we are famous in Japan on the one hand for our excellence in education and research_carried out in 44 academic sections housed in 10 departments across 5 campuses―and on the other for our outstanding achievements in sports such as sumo wrestling, baseball and soccer. Bunkyo Ward, the site of Hakusan Campus and the Japanese language program for exchange students, is revered among locals for its many academic institutions and popular urban traditions. OToyo's newly reorganized program in intensive language training NEST (Nihongo for Exchange Students at Toyo) now offers 11 credits of intensive Japanese language study each semester, granting a total of 22 credits during the year (details provided below). Our outstanding team of instructors combine abundant experience in teaching JSL (Japanese as a Second Language) with impressive expertise in applied linguistics. The NEST program offers two 90-minute classes each morning, allowing students to increase their Japanese proficiency through intensive daily study. In the afternoons, in addition to the discipline-specific courses that match their individual interests, exchange students have numerous opportunities outside of class to meet and get to know Japanese students by participating, for example, in one of Toyo University's countless student clubs. (List of Course Offerings by Discipline/ List of Student Clubs) Among Toyo's 30,000 students, the proportion of exchange students is relatively small, but their significance to our institution is inestimable. Our students are excited at every chance to meet international students and form new friendships with them. Their relatively small number also equals endless opportunities for exchange students to immerse themselves in Japanese language and culture. Among the numerous education and research institutions in Bunkyo Ward, few can rival the quiet learning environment of Toyo's Hakusan Campus surrounded as it is by residential homes and shrines, including the adjacent Hakusan Shrine. On the other hand, the campus is only a 15-minute train ride away from some of Tokyo's most dynamic districts, such as Ikebukuro, famous for its international art and culture; Jimbocho, renowned for its used books stores and antique art shops, and Akihabara, known around the world for its electronics and popular culture. Also within walking distance is the beautiful Confucian garden Koishiyama Korakuen and Tokyo Dome City, attracting more than 30 million visitors a year to its indoor stadium, amusement park and luxury hotel. This wonderful setting in combination with the newly reorganized NEST program allows us to offer exchange students a unique and unforgettably rewarding experience as never before.