Cultivating friendship and ties between Japan and the world
Through culture, language and dialogue, the Japan Foundation creates opportunities to foster friendship, trust and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries/regions.
The Japan Foundation is Japan's only institution dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world. The three major focuses of our activities are Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education Overseas, and Japanese Studies and Global Partnerships Programs. The Japan Foundation has a global network consisting of the Tokyo Headquarters, the Kyoto Office, two affiliated organizations (the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa; and the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai) and 25 overseas offices (As of March 31, 2023). We are working to facilitate exchange in a variety of fields with the aim of further deepening mutual understanding and ties between Japanese people and the world.
The Japan Foundation develops programs in three different fields — Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education Overseas, and Japanese Studies and Global Partnerships Programs.
Coming into contact with arts and cultures from other countries generates and stimulates people's interest and empathy beyond language barriers. By introducing diverse aspects of Japanese arts and culture to people around the world, we bring people closer together.
Teaching the Japanese language to people outside Japan helps to increase their interest in and understanding of Japan. The Japan Foundation works to create and enhance Japanese-language education environments around the world to provide more people with opportunities to study Japanese.
The Japan Foundation promotes Japanese studies overseas and seeks to sustain dialogue with the rest of the world, thereby increasing mutual understanding and trust, and enhance global collaboration and human networks that can solve common issues.
The Japan Foundation supports people who are active in a wide range of cultural fields and creates opportunities and environments that enable continuous interchanges.
The Japan Foundation plans and organizes exhibitions, stage performances and international conferences. We also create programs that invite cultural leaders to Japan to foster networking and provide hands-on experiences in Japan.
The Japan Foundation supports people actively engaged in cultural exchange through partial funding and the provision of useful tools, opportunities and venues.
Gathering the information and materials needed by people active in cultural exchange and helping them to develop personal networks, the Japan Foundation is continually building the foundations of international cultural exchange and expanding its outreach.
JAPAN FOUNDATION HISTORY
- 1972
- The Japan Foundation established
- 1973
- The Japan Foundation Awards established
- 1984
- Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) launched
- 1985
- The Japan Foundation Prizes for the Promotion of Community-based Cultural Exchange established (renamed the Japan Foundation Prizes for Global Citizenship in 2005)
- 1989
- The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa established in Saitama Prefecture
- 1990
- The Japan Foundation ASEAN Culture Center established
- 1991
- The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) established*
- 1995
- The Japan Foundation ASEAN Culture Center reorganized into the former Japan Foundation Asia Center (-2004)
- 1997
- The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai established in Osaka Prefecture
- 2003
- The Japan Foundation became an "Incorporated Administrative Agency"
- 2006
- The Japan Foundation China Center established*
- 2014
- The Japan Foundation Asia Center established*
- 2019
- Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) launched
- 2022
- 50th anniversary of the Japan Foundation
* The Japan Foundation China Center, The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP), and The Japan Foundation Asia Center were reorganized on April 1, 2022.