Sakata Junior College in Yamagata Prefecture held a special orientation program on Wednesday for Chinese students who moved to the main campus following the closure of a Tokyo campus last month, college officials said.

The program included helping the students plan course work for the new semester that begins Jan. 21, they said.

The orientation program was attended by 52 of the 65 students who had reported as of Wednesday at the two-year college in Sakata.

Class attendance and a certain number of credits are requirements for extending the students' visas, the officials said.

In December, the private college issued an appeal urging 198 Chinese students registered at the Tokyo campus to report to Sakata by Monday.

Close to 70 percent of the students have not shown up; they have until Feb. 14 to check in at Sakata or face strict penalties, according to the officials.