- Written and reviewed by the Inochi Global Education counselling team
- Last updated:
- 16 min read
Which interviews will you actually face for a Japan student visa?
When students search for the 'Japan embassy interview', they usually mean one of two different conversations. The one almost everyone has is the language school's admission interview, held before the school sends your COE application to the Immigration Services Agency. The second is the visa stage in Dhaka after the COE arrives. The embassy's own pages describe that stage as document submission at VFS Global, with no routine interview; an interview happens only when the embassy decides it needs more confirmation. Separately, many students report that the school, and sometimes Immigration, phones the sponsor during COE screening. That is common experience, not a published step, so prepare your sponsor anyway.
| Stage | Who asks, and when | Official or common practice? | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Language school admission interview | School staff in Japan, after you apply and before the school files your COE (usually 4 to 6 months before the intake) | Official: Immigration asks schools to interview applicants wherever possible, and from the October 2026 intake a test certificate or an interview is mandatory | Online video call; simple Japanese at N5 level, plus English or Bangla questions through your institute |
| 2. Sponsor verification call | The school, and in some cases Immigration, during COE screening | Common practice reported by applicants; not described on Immigration's application pages, which only say extra materials may be requested | Short phone call to the sponsor: who the student is, job, income, why they are paying |
| 3. Visa stage in Dhaka | You submit at VFS Global Dhaka after the COE arrives; the Embassy of Japan examines the file | Official: submission through VFS only. An interview is not routine, but Japan's foreign ministry lists 'an interview with the applicant' among extra checks that can extend processing | If called: a short in-person interview in Japanese and English about the same file |
What does the language school interview check, and what changed for the October 2026 intake?
The school checks two things: that you really want to study, and that your Japanese is at least A1 level (roughly N5). Until now, a certificate of 150 or more study hours was accepted as proof of A1. Immigration's 2026 review ended that. For students enrolling from October 2026, the school must confirm your Japanese with a test certificate or an interview, and write in its confirmation form exactly how it did so. Immigration's own example is a set of A1-level questions asked in Japanese, with the number answered correctly against a pass mark. The school is also asked to interview you even if you hold a JLPT certificate. In practice this means the school interview is now a scored test of real speaking and listening, not a formality.
If you do not understand a question, say it in Japanese: もういちど おねがいします (mou ichido onegaishimasu, 'once more, please') or ゆっくり おねがいします (yukkuri onegaishimasu, 'slowly, please'). Asking politely in Japanese counts in your favour; silence or switching straight to English does not.
Which simple Japanese questions are asked, and how should you answer them?
These nine questions are the ones most commonly reported from school interviews and embassy calls. Learn the pattern, then replace every detail with your own: your real name, district, school, sponsor and plan. Short, correct sentences are better than long ones you cannot explain.
| Question (Japanese, romaji) | Sample answer (Japanese, romaji) | Meaning and tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1. じこしょうかいを してください。(Jikoshoukai o shite kudasai.) | はじめまして。ラフィ・アハメドと もうします。バングラデシュの ダッカから きました。20さいです。どうぞ よろしく おねがいします。(Hajimemashite. Rafi Ahamedo to moushimasu. Banguradeshu no Dakka kara kimashita. Hatachi desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) | 'Please introduce yourself.' Keep it to 20 to 30 seconds: name, hometown, age, and one line on what you study. |
| 2. しゅっしんは どこですか。(Shusshin wa doko desu ka?) | バングラデシュの ボグラです。(Banguradeshu no Bogura desu.) | 'Where are you from?' Use the same district as your NID and passport address. |
| 3. ごかぞくは なんにんですか。(Go-kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka?) | 5にんです。ちちと ははと あにと いもうとと わたしです。(Go-nin desu. Chichi to haha to ani to imouto to watashi desu.) | 'How many people are in your family?' Learn chichi (father), haha (mother), ani (elder brother), ane (elder sister), otouto and imouto (younger brother and sister). |
| 4. にほんごを どのくらい べんきょうしましたか。(Nihongo o dono kurai benkyou shimashita ka?) | 8かげつ べんきょうしました。いまも まいにち べんきょうしています。(Hachi-kagetsu benkyou shimashita. Ima mo mainichi benkyou shite imasu.) | 'How long have you studied Japanese?' The period must match your Japanese course certificate exactly. |
| 5. どこの にほんごがっこうに いきますか。(Doko no nihongo gakkou ni ikimasu ka?) | 〇〇にほんごがっこうです。おおさかに あります。(Maru-maru nihongo gakkou desu. Oosaka ni arimasu.) | 'Which language school will you attend?' Say your school's full name and city without hesitating. |
| 6. どうして にほんで べんきょうしたいですか。(Doushite Nihon de benkyou shitai desu ka?) | にほんの せんもんがっこうで ITを べんきょうしたいです。(Nihon no senmon gakkou de IT o benkyou shitai desu.) | 'Why do you want to study in Japan?' Name a study goal. Never answer しごと (shigoto, work) or おかね (okane, money). |
| 7. がくひは だれが はらいますか。(Gakuhi wa dare ga haraimasu ka?) | ちちが はらいます。ちちは こめの しょうばいを しています。(Chichi ga haraimasu. Chichi wa kome no shoubai o shite imasu.) | 'Who pays your tuition?' Sample: 'My father pays. He runs a rice business.' Name the same sponsor and occupation as the 経費支弁書. |
| 8. しゅみは なんですか。(Shumi wa nan desu ka?) | サッカーと りょうりです。(Sakkaa to ryouri desu.) | 'What is your hobby?' A warm-up question. One simple, true answer is enough. |
| 9. そつぎょうしたら、なにを しますか。(Sotsugyou shitara, nani o shimasu ka?) | せんもんがっこうに はいって、ITの しごとを したいです。(Senmon gakkou ni haitte, IT no shigoto o shitai desu.) | 'What will you do after graduating?' Next study step first, career second. It must match your Statement of Purpose. |
How should you answer questions on study purpose, your school and your education gap?
| Commonly asked question | What a good answer contains (sample) | Do not say |
|---|---|---|
| 10. Why Japan, and not another country? | One concrete reason linked to your field and your next step. 'I want to study IT at a Japanese senmon gakko, and Japanese companies hire IT staff who speak Japanese.' | 'Japan is beautiful', 'My friend is there', 'It is easy to get a job there.' |
| 11. Why this school and this city? | Two facts you checked yourself: course length, class style, a university or senmon preparation track, the city's cost of living. | 'My agent chose it.' The interviewer wants your reasons, not the agency's. |
| 12. How long is your course, and when does it start? | The exact intake and length on your admission letter, for example 'April 2027, two years'. | A guess, or a different intake from the COE. |
| 13. How much is the first-year tuition, and has it been paid? | The figure on the school's invoice and, at the visa stage, the date it was remitted (the embassy asks for the school's fee receipt). | 'I don't know, my agent handles it.' |
| 14. What will you study after the language school? | A named path: a senmon gakko in a field, or a university faculty, with the Japanese level you need (usually N2). | 'I will see', or a plan that skips study and goes straight to work. |
| 15. Tell me your education history. | SSC and HSC years, group, GPA, and any degree, in order, exactly as on the certificates. | Wrong years or GPA. Interviewers have your mark-sheets in front of them. |
| 16. Why is there a gap after your last study? | What you did in each period, backed by a paper: 'After HSC in 2023 I worked 14 months at my uncle's pharmacy (employment certificate), then studied Japanese for 8 months.' | 'I was just at home', or a job with no certificate in the file. |
| 17. You already have a degree. Why a language school now? | How Japanese adds to your degree: 'With a BBA and N2, I can apply for a master's or a trade job with Japanese companies.' | 'There are no jobs in Bangladesh.' It signals that work, not study, is the goal. |
| 18. Where did you learn Japanese, and how many hours? | Institute name, start and end month, total hours and any test result, matching your course certificate. | A number of hours that differs from the certificate, or an institute you cannot describe. |
What will they ask about your sponsor and money, and how do you answer?
Money questions decide most files. The interviewer is not checking whether your family is rich; they are checking whether the student knows the sponsor's real situation and whether it matches the bank statement and tax papers. Your sponsor should prepare the same answers, because a call to the sponsor is commonly reported during COE screening.
| Commonly asked question | What a good answer contains (sample) | Do not say |
|---|---|---|
| 19. Who is your sponsor, and what is your relationship? | Name and relationship; if not a parent, why they pay: 'My elder brother, who has run a garments business in Gazipur for nine years. He supports our family's education.' | 'My uncle' with no reason, or a sponsor different from the one on the forms. |
| 20. What does your sponsor do, and what is the yearly income? | Occupation, business or employer name, and the yearly income declared in the tax return, as a round figure you can explain. | A figure far above the tax return, or 'I don't know'. |
| 21. How much is in the bank, and where did it come from? | Bank name, approximate balance, and its source: 'About 12 lakh in Sonali Bank, saved from the business over several years, plus an FDR that matured in March.' | Admitting a loan or a relative's money was deposited just for the visa, or a balance you cannot explain. |
| 22. Does your sponsor pay income tax? | Yes, with a TIN, and the last three years' returns are in the file (the embassy's list asks for three years of tax papers from the financial supporter). | 'He just got a TIN for the visa.' |
| 23. How will you pay for the second year and living costs? | The same sponsor, from the same income: 'My father will send money every six months from his business income.' | 'I will earn it from part-time work.' This is one of the fastest routes to a refusal. |
What should you say about part-time work, your future plans and relatives in Japan?
The rule behind the part-time questions is official: a student may work only after receiving permission to engage in activity other than that permitted, for up to 28 hours a week, or up to 8 hours a day during the school's official long holidays, and never in adult entertainment businesses. Immigration has also told schools to check every student's job, employer and daily hours every three months, and to count 28 hours across any seven-day stretch. Knowing this, and saying study comes first, is a good answer.
| Commonly asked question | What a good answer contains (sample) | Do not say |
|---|---|---|
| 24. Will you work part-time in Japan? | Honest and limited: 'Maybe later, a few hours a week to practise Japanese, within the rules. My studies and attendance come first.' | 'Yes, as much as possible', or talking about a job a friend has already arranged. |
| 25. How many hours can a student work? | 'Up to 28 hours a week with permission, 8 hours a day only in the school's long holidays.' | '40 hours', 'unlimited', or 'two jobs of 28 hours each'. |
| 26. Can you pay your tuition from part-time income? | 'No. My sponsor pays tuition and living costs. Any part-time income would only be pocket money.' | 'Yes, I will pay everything myself' or 'I will send money home.' |
| 27. What will you do after finishing your studies? | A sequence that matches your Statement of Purpose: language school, then senmon or university, then a related job in Japan or Bangladesh. | A plan in the interview that contradicts the plan written in your documents. |
| 28. Will you come back to Bangladesh? | The truth, tied to a reason: 'After some years of experience in Japan, I want to work for a Japanese company's office in Dhaka.' Working in Japan legally after graduating is a normal plan. | 'Never', or a return promise you obviously do not mean. |
| 29. Where do you see yourself in five years? | A specific role: 'Finishing an IT diploma and working as a junior developer.' | 'Earning a lot of money in Japan.' |
| 30. Do you have relatives or friends in Japan? | Answer truthfully and give their status if asked: 'My cousin is a student in Saitama. I will live in the school dormitory.' | Hiding a relative, or saying a relative will find you a job. |
| 31. Have you ever applied for a Japan visa before, or been refused? | Yes or no, exactly as on your forms, and if yes, what you fixed since. | Denying an earlier refusal. Concealment is treated far more seriously than the refusal itself. |
Which interview red flags lead to refusal, and how do you keep answers consistent with your documents?
- A memorised script: fluent sentences followed by no understanding of a simple follow-up question. It suggests the Japanese certificate does not reflect real ability.
- Work as the goal: mentioning earning, sending money home, a job already arranged, or paying tuition from part-time income.
- Answers that contradict the file: a different sponsor, income, school name, intake, study period or gap story.
- Not knowing your own file: school name, city, tuition or sponsor's job. 'My agent knows' means you are not the one applying.
- A sponsor who cannot answer the same questions on the phone, or who gives different figures.
- Hiding a previous refusal or a relative in Japan.
| Topic you will be asked about | Document it must match | Check before the interview |
|---|---|---|
| Name, date of birth, parents' names | Passport, NID or birth certificate, SSC and HSC certificates | Spelling identical everywhere, or an affidavit explaining the difference |
| Education years, GPA, gap | Certificates, mark-sheets, school application form (CV), employment certificates | Every month accounted for, the same dates in your mouth and on paper |
| Japanese study | Japanese course certificate, JLPT or other test result | Institute name, start and end month, total hours, score |
| Why Japan, school, future plan | Statement of Purpose (理由書), admission certificate | Re-read your own SOP; the plan you say must be the plan you wrote |
| Sponsor, income, savings | Letter of financial support (経費支弁書), 6-month bank statement, 3 years' tax papers, relationship proof | Sponsor's job, yearly income, bank name and approximate balance; the sponsor knows them too |
| Tuition and intake | COE, school invoice and fee receipt | Amount, payment date, intake month, course length |
For the full list of refusal causes beyond the interview, and how to reapply, see our guide on Japan student visa rejection reasons.
How should you prepare in the last four weeks before the interview?
- Get a copy of everything submitted in your name (application form, SOP, sponsor letter, bank and tax papers) and read it twice.
- Write a one-page fact sheet: dates of SSC, HSC, gap activities, Japanese course, school name and city, intake, tuition, sponsor's job, income and bank.
- Practise the nine Japanese questions aloud every day until you can answer them in a changed order, not only in sequence.
- Do at least two mock interviews on video with someone who asks unexpected follow-up questions in Japanese.
- Brief your sponsor with the same fact sheet and keep their phone on during COE screening.
- For an online interview: quiet room, plain background, stable internet, camera at eye level, formal shirt, original documents within reach.
- If the embassy calls you in at the visa stage, bring your passport, COE and the original papers you submitted, and answer the same way you did for the school.
Practise first with Inochi's visa interview practice tool at /visa-interview: it groups common questions by theme with a tip, a model answer and a red flag for each. Then book a live mock interview, because the real test is answering follow-up questions you have not seen.
Frequently asked questions
Is there always an interview at the Japan embassy in Dhaka for a student visa?
No. Since 3 November 2024 you submit through VFS Global Dhaka and the embassy examines the file; its published procedure has no routine interview. The embassy may ask for more documents or call you in if something needs confirming, which also makes processing take longer than the standard 7 working days.
Is the language school interview in Japanese or English?
Usually both. The Japanese part is at A1 (about N5) level and, from the October 2026 intake, it can be the school's official proof of your Japanese to Immigration. Background questions about your education, sponsor and plans may be in English, or in Bangla through your institute.
Is there a Japan student visa interview questions and answers PDF?
There is no official question list from the embassy or Immigration. The 31 questions on this page are the commonly reported ones; you can print this page, but practise answering in your own words rather than memorising a downloaded script, because scripted answers are a known red flag.
Will Immigration or the school call my sponsor?
It is commonly reported, though not described on Immigration's official pages, which say only that extra materials may be requested during screening. Assume a call can happen: your sponsor should know your school, course, intake and their own income and bank figures as stated in the file.
What if I fail the language school interview?
The school will not file your COE for that intake. You can usually apply again for a later intake, at the same or another school; use the time for more speaking practice and, ideally, a JLPT or equivalent test result, so your Japanese is proven two ways.
Should I say I want to work in Japan after my studies?
If it is true, yes, as the step after your studies: for example a job related to your senmon or university course. What hurts is presenting work as the reason for going, or saying you will fund your studies with part-time work.
Official sources
Rules and fees change: always confirm with the official source or an Inochi counsellor before you act.
- Immigration Services Agency: Partial review of operations for students entering Japanese-language institutions (2026)
- Immigration Services Agency: Q&A on the 2026 review (as of 19 May 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency: Status of residence 'Student' (留学), application documents
- Immigration Services Agency: Work permission for 'Student' status (28 hours a week)
- Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh: Visa (applications through VFS Global since 3 November 2024)
- Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh: Documents required (Japanese language school students)
- MOFA: Visa frequently asked questions
- VFS Global: Japan Visa Application Centre, Bangladesh
Book a free mock interview before the real one
Inochi runs mock interviews with Japanese instructors, checks that every answer matches your file and your sponsor's papers, and tells you honestly what to fix before the school or the embassy sees it.
This guide is general information based on official Japanese government and institutional sources at the time of writing. It is not legal or immigration advice. Immigration rules, fees and exchange rates change; confirm the latest requirements with the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, the school, or an Inochi counsellor.
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