Kobe City University of Foreign Studies

Kobe, Japan Public Website

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Kobe City University of Foreign Studies is a public, specialist university in Kobe, Japan, founded in 1946. Its academic identity centers on intensive language education, regional and cultural study, and international relations. Undergraduate options cover English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, and International Relations, with both day and evening study available in English Studies. The graduate school offers master’s and doctoral education in related humanities and social-science fields. Most regular teaching is in Japanese, so degree-seeking international applicants should examine the applicable Japanese-language admissions materials carefully. Exchange students from partner institutions can instead enter the Japanese Language Program for one or two semesters. The compact subject focus suits students seeking sustained language study combined with culture, society, politics, economics, or international communication rather than a broad comprehensive-university curriculum.

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Key Highlights

Public specialist university founded in 1946
Active undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs
Academic focus on languages, cultures, and international relations
Exchange Japanese Language Program offered in fall 2026 and spring 2027

Student Life & Environment

Student life reflects the university’s language-focused identity. Officially recognized organizations include athletic and cultural clubs, an evening-course circle federation, student government, and committees responsible for the university festival and the annual foreign-language drama festival. The drama festival is especially connected to the curriculum: participating students stage performances in their languages of study. The university’s 2026 club information also lists voluntary clubs and circles beyond the formally recognized groups. International students can use the International Office on weekdays for study-abroad advice, exchange activities, information resources, and practical support. Japanese Language Program participants are paired with mentors and Japanese conversation partners. GAIDAI Chat provides informal conversation sessions in several languages, creating contact between local and visiting students outside class. Support services include health and student-counseling provision. Confidential counseling in English is available free to international students on designated teaching-period Tuesdays, with advance booking recommended for some appointment times. Japanese counseling is offered on additional weekdays. Prospective students requiring disability-related accommodations or other structured support should contact the university before enrolling to confirm current arrangements. The 2026–2027 exchange brochure includes university-arranged accommodation procedures for Japanese Language Program participants, but the reviewed sources do not establish a general residence guarantee for all degree students. Degree applicants should therefore request current housing guidance directly rather than assuming on-campus accommodation is included.

Location & Surroundings

KCUFS is at 9-1 Gakuen Higashimachi in Nishi Ward, Kobe. The campus is immediately accessible from Gakuen-Toshi Station on the Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line. The university’s current access page estimates the subway journey at about 24 minutes from Sannomiya and 27 minutes from Shin-Kobe, placing the campus outside the central waterfront but within direct public-transport reach of Kobe’s main commercial and intercity-rail areas. Kobe is a port city in Hyogo Prefecture, positioned between the Rokko Mountains and Osaka Bay. Its history as an international trading center provides a relevant setting for study in languages and international relations. Students can reach Osaka’s central stations by rail through Sannomiya, while Kobe Airport connects to Sannomiya by Port Liner. The university also lists bus access from Maiko and Tarumi stations. The immediate Gakuen-Toshi setting is an academic suburban district rather than downtown Kobe. This can support a campus-centered routine, while the direct subway makes cultural venues, employment events, shopping, and transport connections in central Kobe accessible. Commuters should budget for the trip between the campus and Sannomiya when planning housing or part-time work.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The official English fee page lists annual undergraduate tuition of JPY 535,800 for the day course and JPY 267,900 for the evening course, with payment divided between two semesters. It separately lists entrance fees of JPY 282,000 for the day course and JPY 141,000 for the evening course, plus insurance and several student, alumni, cooperative, and support-organization charges. All amounts are stated as subject to change, and applicants should obtain a current individualized invoice before making a financial commitment. The same English page contains an apparent inconsistency: the amounts labeled for Kobe residents or their families are higher than the ordinary entrance fees. Because that may reflect a labeling or translation problem, this profile does not interpret the residency discount. Applicants should confirm the correct 2027 amount directly with the admissions or finance office. The reviewed sources do not provide a verified general living-cost budget or a housing price applicable to all students, so rent, food, transport, insurance, and visa-related expenses must be budgeted separately. The 2027 master’s information lists annual tuition of JPY 535,800 and an entrance fee of JPY 423,000, or JPY 297,000 for qualifying Kobe residents or family members, again subject to change. Career support includes a campus Career Support Center, job-search guidance, vacancy information, internships, career-design study, and resources for international students seeking work in Japan. The latest English outcome table covers FY2024: among 348 graduates recorded as job seekers, 344 obtained placements, including 315 in private companies, 20 in public service, and nine in teaching. This is a historical cohort outcome, not a guarantee for future students.