On the 50th anniversary of the Establishment of the Japan Foundation Awards

My sincere congratulations and felicitations on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Japan Foundation Awards. I am deeply grateful for the Japan Foundation's efforts since its founding to promote the Japanese language and Japanese culture throughout the world, as well as for its understanding and cooperation over many years with the Centro Brasileiro de Língua Japonesa (CBLJ)’s programs.

Our Centro Brasileiro de Língua Japonesa was established in 1985 with the aim of contributing to the national development of Brazil by spreading Japanese-language education and Japanese culture, and since then we have developed training, tests, and events to support Japanese-language teachers and learners, and Japanese-language schools.

In terms of support for Japanese-language teachers, we provide Japanese-Language Teacher Training Courses, the Training Seminar for Pan-American Japanese-language Teachers, the Brazilian Seminar of Japanese-language Teachers, Japanese-language teacher skill-improvement workshops, and more. Our testing department, which supports learners, runs the CBLJ test (a test for children) and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, which is entrusted to us by the Japan Foundation. Our Events Department carries out activities across Brazil, including friendship seminars for Japanese-language students (young students), a Japanese-language exchange-students program (young students), the Brazilian Contest of Student Works from Japanese-language Schools, and Nihongo Matsuri, a Japanese festival / exhibition and award ceremony for prize-winning works from the contest. The majority of learners in Brazil study at institutions of private education, and as the situations of these institutions change with the times, the problems they face are also changing. Thus, CBLJ has continued to strive to promote programs in light of these situations and issues.

Even before the Japan Foundation, São Paulo, was established in our area of São Paulo, Japanese-Language Specialists sent from the Japan Foundation provided guidance for resident Japanese-language instructors and cooperated with the development of educational materials in CBLJ. In 2009, we were also certified as a Sakura Network organization, as a core presence that enhances Japanese-language education in Brazil and the region through our numerous programs, and that membership continues today. In addition, in FY2016 we received the memorable honor of being awarded the Japan Foundation Award in recognition of our programs over the years. CBLJ will continue to strive to form even better relationships as a collaborative organization in Brazil in the future.

I would like to express my deep appreciation for the programs that have spread the Japanese language and Japanese culture throughout the world over these 50 years, and I pray for the further development of the Japan Foundation.

YANO Noritaka
President
Centro Brasileiro de Língua Japonesa

(Original text in Japanese)

The Japan Foundation Awards (2016)