December, 2023
The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai

“JF Japanese e-Learning Minato” (hereinafter Minato) is a Japanese-language learning platform that can be used by anyone around the world. It was developed for learners who are unable to attend Japanese-language classes due to geographical, time, or economic constraints, and for people around the world who want to start learning Japanese, to provide opportunities for them to study. Since it launched in July 2016 Note 1, it has expanded to offer multiple languages and a variety of courses Note 2. The Self-Study Course, which allows learners to begin studying at any time, always runs more than 80 courses. There are currently more than 280,000 registered users Note 3 from 199 countries and regions around the world, and the number of past participants has reached over 480,000 people.
Minato has now been updated, becoming more user-friendly and meeting an even broader range of needs. The update covers two key points:

• The platform is easier to use on smartphones.
• The Course for Teachers has been added to the available courses.

Easier to use on smartphones

With the exception of certain courses Note 4, it was already possible to use Minato on smartphones, but the number of users who do everything from user registration to taking courses only on their smartphone has increased, so we have made sure the design and layout of our homepage, the gateway to Minato, are easy to see and easy to operate on smartphones as well.

• 
  <Homepage: smartphone version>
• 
  <Homepage: PC version>

*On the smartphone version, access to the “Japanese Course” tab, etc. as well as the User Guide and other information is collectively available on the top right.

A lot of users told us that it was hard to enter information on the user registration screen on a smartphone, so we have made it easier to input registration information.

<User registration screen: smartphone version>

A new Course for Teachers is available

On top of the existing Self-Study Course and Tutor Support Course for Japanese-language learners, we have started a new course, the Course for Teachers. This is in response to the people who said they wanted us to run courses on teaching methods for teachers.
With this update, we now offer a total of four self-study courses: three courses created by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai, and one course created by the Japan Foundation, Jakarta.

Guide to Applying e-Learning

This course presents methods of integrating e-learning into lessons and considers how to use e-learning in combination with lessons Note 5, using the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai’s e-learning as an example. Participants can also learn about consideration for issues such as copyright when using e-learning in a lesson. It is mainly for teachers who want to incorporate e-learning in their lessons but do not know how to do so. <Explanations given in: Japanese>

Japanese Online Lesson Start-Up

This course offers a simulated experience of an online lesson and enables participants to learn the key points of running online lessons through videos. It is mainly for teachers who want to try giving online lessons in the future, and teachers who are anxious about giving online lessons. <Explanations given in: Japanese>

Introduction to Creating Video Materials (vol.1)

This course enables participants to learn the know-how they need to create video materials, starting from different types of video materials and including methods for preparation, filming, and editing. It is mainly for teachers who want to try creating video materials but have little experience making videos. <Explanations given in: Japanese>

Methods for Teaching Middle-School Japanese (Basic)
Pengajaran Bahasa Jepang Pendidikan Tingkat Menengah (Dasar)

The Japan Foundation, Jakarta created this course, which covers teaching methods focusing on 21st-century skills and learners. It is aimed at Japanese-language teachers who teach in middle schools in Indonesia. <Explanations given in: Indonesian>

Minato in the future

Minato wants to provide many different learning opportunities, including courses that suit the circumstances of different countries and regions.
We hope you’ll enjoy Minato’s future development. You can see the latest information on our official social media (Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)).

Notes:

1. 1.「学びと出会いの場「JFにほんごeラーニング　みなと」」Nihongo Kyoiku Tsushin, Nihongo Kyoiku News, July 2016
2. 2.「ますます発展中！「JFにほんごeラーニング　みなと」」Nihongo Kyoiku Tsushin, Nihongo Kyoiku News, February 2019
   「さらにますます発展中！「JFにほんごeラーニング　みなと」」Nihongo Kyoiku Tsushin, Nihongo Kyoiku News, March 2021
3. 3.Unless otherwise specified, these figures are accurate as of the end of February 2022.
4. 4.Given their learning aims, there are several courses meant to be taken on a computer, such as Hiragana A1 and Katakana A1.
5. 5.There are examples of Minato's Self-Study Course, which allows learners to teach themselves, being used as a teaching material by teachers. The articles in Note 2 introduce examples of it being used in educational institutions overseas; please have a look if you are interested.

(MIYAKE Naoko, Japanese education specialists, The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai)