The Activities of the Japan Foundation

Language: Japanese-Language Education Overseas
Establishing Environments for Japanese-Language Education Overseas

To ensure that high-quality and stable Japanese-language education is widely implemented overseas, the Japan Foundation collaborated with local government agencies and principal Japanese-language education institutions taking into consideration the circumstances of each country and region and mainly carried out the following programs to promote the establishment of Japanese-language education environments in each country and region.

Dispatch of Japanese-Language Specialists

The Japan Foundation dispatched Japanese-Language Specialists, Japanese-Language Assistants and young Japanese-Language Instructors (J-LEAP) to the offices of the Japan Foundation, Ministries of Education and educational institutions overseas (42 countries, 130 posts) to train local Japanese-language teachers, give advice on preparing teaching materials and Japanese-language teaching methods, support the formation of networks among teachers and visit educational institutions. In-person activities have resumed as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

Support for Japanese-Language Education Institutions

The Japan Foundation provided special support programs for the promotion of Japanese-language activities such as the management of Japanese-language courses, the purchase and production of teaching materials, speech contests, Japanese-language education seminars and symposia carried out by the JF Nihongo Network ("Sakura Network") members and Japanese-language educational institutions around the world.
* Sakura Network Members are core Japanese-language educational institutions/organizations located in each country. As of March 31, 2023, the membership included 357 institutions in 102 countries/regions.

Training for Overseas Japanese-Language Teachers

The Japan Foundation conducted training programs for Japanese-language teachers aimed at enhancing the skills of those responsible for teaching Japanese abroad. We have fully resumed the invitation-based and group training sessions that were mostly put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we have continued the online training programs that were initiated in FY2021, providing opportunities to learn the theories of teaching methodologies and foundational knowledge for instruction online.

Classroom scene from a training course for Japanese-language teachers overseas (The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa)

Providing Learning Opportunities for Students Overseas

The Japan Foundation invited foreign service officers, public officials and specialists from various countries to train practical Japanese-language skills for their jobs and research, in addition to implementing training programs in Japan for Japanese-language learners from overseas. The aims were not only to enhance Japanese-language proficiency but also to deepen participants' comprehensive understanding of Japan through exchanges with partner institutions and various cultural experiences.

Lee Soo-Hyun Youth Exchange Program

Japanese-Language Education for Japanese Children Resident Overseas and for the Descendants of Migrants

With regards to the Japanese-language education environment for the children of Japanese nationals who emigrated overseas and children with foreign and Japanese parents, the Japan Foundation co-sponsored part of the annual conference of the Bilingual/Multilingual Child Network (BMCN). We also held seminars and built networks in South Korea, Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Mexico.

Keynote speech by Dr. Jim Cummins (Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto) at the FY2022 BMCN Annual Conference