[No. 1 in Domestic Study Abroad Locations*] U-GAKU Surpasses 500 Cumulative Participants in Domestic Study Abroad.
U-GAKU, a domestic study abroad program run by Crepity Inc., has surpassed 500 participants. It offers an immersive English learning environment within Japan as an alternative to increasingly expensive overseas study due to the weak yen.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 11:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 23:35 (324h 4m after Collected)
Crepity Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Katsuyuki Ikumo), the operator of the study abroad program 'U-GAKU', is pleased to announce that the cumulative number of participants in its domestic study abroad services has exceeded 500 (excluding cancellations). While the hurdles for studying abroad are rising due to the recent depreciation of the yen and soaring travel costs, U-GAKU provides an alternative for 'domestic study abroad'. It allows participants to face themselves and take a new step forward in an extraordinary, immersive environment while staying in Japan. In this press release, we will explain the definition of domestic study abroad and its social background.
Service introduction page: https://u-gaku.jp/
*In-house research: Based on a comparison of official websites and public information of 17 companies offering domestic English training camps and study abroad services for a period of one week or more, as of March 2026.
## 〇 Definition of Domestic Study Abroad — An Experience Born from 'Staying'
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology cites the significance of studying abroad not only as improving language skills, but also as 'expanding international understanding and knowledge through international experiences', 'broadening students' abilities and potential', and 'forming a wide human network across borders'. What these elements have in common is not the input of knowledge, but the experiential aspect of 'immersion in a different environment for a certain period of time'.
At U-GAKU, in order to realize these essential elements of studying abroad within Japan, we define 'domestic study abroad' as follows:
- **English Mainly Policy:** Realizing communal living with English speakers, including native instructors, and making the flow of daily life English-based not only in classes, but also during meals, breaks, and bedtime.
- **Highly Reproducible Living Design:** Intentionally not adopting the 'homestay' format, which depends on the quality of the host family, but instead offering stays in dedicated facilities controlled by the management.
- **Securing Long-term Contact Time:** Based on the premise of 'continuous stay of one week or more' necessary for switching to an English brain, rather than a one-off event.
## 〇 Background of the Demand for Domestic Study Abroad — 3 Social Factors
### 1. Rising Costs of Overseas Study
In recent years, the hurdles to studying abroad have increasingly been determined by 'cost' rather than 'motivation'. In fact, compared to the strong yen period when $1 was around 76-80 yen, the yen has recently depreciated to around $1 = 155 yen. This means that even if the study abroad cost in dollars is the same, the burden in yen equivalent can be nearly double.
On the other hand, according to the 'Survey on Students' Overseas Study 2022' by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the maximum amount parents can afford to pay for study abroad is '1 million yen or less' for 45.3%, and '0 yen (cannot/will not bear)' for 19.7%. For many families, studying abroad remains a high wall.
Furthermore, while the number of Japanese students who started studying abroad in FY2023 has recovered to 89,179, an increase of 53.3% from the previous year, only about 16% of short- to medium-term study abroad students received JASSO scholarships. The reality is that financial support is not sufficient for the recovering demand.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | Survey on Students' Overseas Study 2022
JASSO | FY2023 Japanese Students Study Abroad Status Survey
Service introduction page: https://u-gaku.jp/
*In-house research: Based on a comparison of official websites and public information of 17 companies offering domestic English training camps and study abroad services for a period of one week or more, as of March 2026.
## 〇 Definition of Domestic Study Abroad — An Experience Born from 'Staying'
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology cites the significance of studying abroad not only as improving language skills, but also as 'expanding international understanding and knowledge through international experiences', 'broadening students' abilities and potential', and 'forming a wide human network across borders'. What these elements have in common is not the input of knowledge, but the experiential aspect of 'immersion in a different environment for a certain period of time'.
At U-GAKU, in order to realize these essential elements of studying abroad within Japan, we define 'domestic study abroad' as follows:
- **English Mainly Policy:** Realizing communal living with English speakers, including native instructors, and making the flow of daily life English-based not only in classes, but also during meals, breaks, and bedtime.
- **Highly Reproducible Living Design:** Intentionally not adopting the 'homestay' format, which depends on the quality of the host family, but instead offering stays in dedicated facilities controlled by the management.
- **Securing Long-term Contact Time:** Based on the premise of 'continuous stay of one week or more' necessary for switching to an English brain, rather than a one-off event.
## 〇 Background of the Demand for Domestic Study Abroad — 3 Social Factors
### 1. Rising Costs of Overseas Study
In recent years, the hurdles to studying abroad have increasingly been determined by 'cost' rather than 'motivation'. In fact, compared to the strong yen period when $1 was around 76-80 yen, the yen has recently depreciated to around $1 = 155 yen. This means that even if the study abroad cost in dollars is the same, the burden in yen equivalent can be nearly double.
On the other hand, according to the 'Survey on Students' Overseas Study 2022' by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the maximum amount parents can afford to pay for study abroad is '1 million yen or less' for 45.3%, and '0 yen (cannot/will not bear)' for 19.7%. For many families, studying abroad remains a high wall.
Furthermore, while the number of Japanese students who started studying abroad in FY2023 has recovered to 89,179, an increase of 53.3% from the previous year, only about 16% of short- to medium-term study abroad students received JASSO scholarships. The reality is that financial support is not sufficient for the recovering demand.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | Survey on Students' Overseas Study 2022
JASSO | FY2023 Japanese Students Study Abroad Status Survey