Kenyatta University
TAKAHASHI Tomoya

My FY2018 report was titled, “Weaving Long and Durable Threads, No Matter How Thin.” In that report, I shared my experiences as a Japanese-Language Specialist (hereinafter “Specialist”), explaining how the network of various dots that the Specialists had worked to link together had been strengthened, with threads woven through the network gradually becoming discernible. For this FY2019 report, I would like to concentrate on how these threads are being woven together and are now starting to spread across the entire Sub-Saharan region.

1. From the East Africa Conference on Japanese-Language Education to the 1st Africa Conference on Japanese-Language Education

On the entire African continent, the countries where Specialists are dispatched from the Japan Foundation are Egypt in North Africa and Kenya in East Africa. Kenya is the only Sub-Saharan country to which a Specialist is dispatched. It is for this reason that the duties of the Specialist dispatched to Kenya have included promoting the formation of a Japanese-language education network throughout all countries of East Africa. Incidentally, in the last year that network has spread beyond East Africa to now encompass the entire Sub-Saharan region.

The East Africa Conference on Japanese-Language Education (hereafter “EAC”) was first held in 2013, and the 6th EAC was hosted by the Japanese Language Teacher Association – Kenya (hereinafter “JALTAK”) from August 31 to September 2, 2018 at the Japanese embassy in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, the city and country where I am dispatched. From the planning stages, we were expecting participants from Kenya, Madagascar, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. However, in actual fact the conference also received participants from Benin, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, including substitute speakers. This marked the beginning of the formation of a network of 10 countries that transcends the boundaries of East Africa. Lecturers from Europe were also invited to the EAC, in addition to participants from China and Japan, so all in all it provided an opportunity to bring regions and continents together. In addition, we were able to conduct a program for learners, which was requested by many countries, which was another fulfilling aspect of the conference.

6th East Africa Conference on Japanese-Language Education

Last year I was writing this report while on a business trip to Ethiopia, and until then, I had visited Japanese-language educational institutions in Madagascar, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. Since then, I have also visited South Africa, as well as Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana in West Africa, where I had opportunities to observe Japanese-language education in the field, and meet with people involved in Japanese-language education. The formation of new Japanese-language teacher associations in Ethiopia and Ghana, with the help and encouragement of Specialists, was a major development in Sub-Saharan Africa during this year.

In September this year, a newly planned conference that will become the successor of the EAC and cover the entire African continent with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa is due to be held in Ethiopia, titled the “1st Africa Conference on Japanese-Language Education: Japanese-Language Education for African Development.” In addition, the Ghana Association of Japanese-Language Teachers is planning three training seminars in Ghana. I am looking forward to seeing how the network will continue to be woven around the teachers’ associations in each country.

2. Japanese Speech Contest

Every year in March, the Japanese embassy in Kenya and JALTAK co-host a Japanese speech contest and this year the 12th Japanese Speech Contest was held at the Japanese embassy. At the 11th contest last year, for the first time contestants were welcomed from outside Kenya, meaning that the contest acted as a pioneer for cross-border exchange among students. This year’s event was once again an international event for the second consecutive year, as we were able to welcome Japanese-language students from the University of Dodoma in Tanzania.

12th Japanese speech contest

This year for the first time a business presentation category was established, with the aim of creating interest in Japanese language learning and education among a broader section of the population. There was also a demonstration of Japanese sweet making and a performance of Japanese songs by the choir of the Japanese Association and Kenyan secondary school students, making it a very exciting event. Scenes from the contest can be viewed on JALTAK’s YouTube channel.