Does anyone know that do they provide an LL.M. conducted in English at Hitotsubashi U.? I'm looking for an English programme of LL.M. in Japan. I'm really interested in Hitotsubashi U. and I've sent email to ask them but they didn't reply. So, does anyone know? Thanks in advance ^^

It looks from their website like they offer English langague courses at their Graduate school of law, though it doesn't offer a lot of information:

http://www.law.hit-u.ac.jp/index_e.html

Other than that I haven't heard about their program. Kyushu University and Nigata have LL.M. programs in English as well.

Hit-U doesn't offer an English language LLM. I know someone who's doing an LLM in Hit-U and she was Level 2 Japanese but she had other good credentials so she was admitted anyway, but is doing intensive Japanese in Hit-U right now (the required Japanese proficiency would otherwise have been Level 1 Japanese).

Taking on an LL.M. in Japanese with only level 2? Now that takes guts.

I have the 2kyuu and (with some study) could probably make a go at the 1kyuu but I wouldn't be at all comfortable trying to do a degree in Japanese (not yet anyway)!

apart from kyushu and niigata, yokohama also has an english language LLM. however, kyushu is more highly ranked than yokohama. i'm just not sure about niigata's ranking in japan.

senseiman, are you doing japanese language/law studies right now?

I just got accepted into the LL.M. program at Kyushu and I'll be starting there in October.

I'm studying the language on my own right now, trying to get up to the 1kyuu level. I lived in Japan for about five years (I'm in Canada now, where I did my LLB), so I can already speak it reasonably well, though its been a few years since I left so my level has gone down a bit.

How about yourself?

Okay, congratulations with your admission to Kyushu! I am doing the English language LL.M. in Peking University in China, and can speak quite a bit of Mandarin. I tried to study some Japanese earlier this year, but mostly while doing the treadmill in the gym. I did Legal Chinese this semester in Peking University though, so my Mandarin should be a bit better, although I have to keep practicing to maintain my proficiency. I hope to be able to do more of that during my internship here in China (gosh I still have to look for one) . I heard Kyushu looks for internships for LL.M. graduates though. I heard that for 2008 grads, their internship was in DoCoMo!

Hey that is cool, I hear good things about Peking. I understand Mandarin is quite a difficult language to pick up. Its definitely a good language to have. Last year I had interviews at a couple of Canadian firms with Asian practice groups and they both said "Well, its nice that you speak Japanese but what we would really want is someone who can get by in Chinese...."

I took an introductory course on Chinese law last year, it seemed pretty interesting.

ANyway, they offer courses in Japanese at Kyushu so I'm hoping to get myself up to an acceptable level of proficiency.

Do you know what you'll be doing for your internship? They do have them at Kyushu as you mention, hopefully they'll have a good place next year too!

yeah i read a blog by a mexican who went to kyushu that they do japanese from 850am to 1130am everyday, then they have law classes from afternoon onwards. that, plus staying in japan, will surely be a big boost to your japanese. and with kanji (the chinese characters?) you'll have some knowledge when you start learning chinese.

unfortunately, i don't know what i'll be doing for my internship yet. i plan to apply after i finish with all the papers and exams that i have to write by the middle of june! i'm hoping to find something good in shanghai. i'm sick of beijing already!