Yes, students from Canada require a visa to study in Japan. International students planning to study in Japan for longer than 90 days need a student visa. The first step is getting accepted into an accredited Japanese educational institution (school, university, or language center) and receiving a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) from Japan's Immigration Bureau. With the CoE, you can then apply for the student visa at the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in Canada. If your course is shorter than 90 days, you can enter Japan without a visa, though this doesn't let you work part-time or stay longer than 90 days.