Experience in VR! "Home Visit A1 Self-Study Course" & "Virtual Tour of the Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai"

Nihongo Kyoiku News: This corner introduces the latest information on matters of high interest to overseas Japanese-language educators from among the Japanese-Language Education Programs conducted by the Japan Foundation.

February, 2025
The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai (hereinafter "KC") has created virtual reality (VR) content that enables users to experience places as if they are really there. This corner introduces information about some of that content: the Home Visit A1 Self-Study Course (hereinafter "HV Course") and the KC Virtual Tour. This content can be enjoyed without special equipment such as a head-mounted display.

1. What is the Home Visit A1 Self-Study Course?

The HV Course is a self-study course (registration required) available free of charge via JF Japanese e-Learning Minato. It is aimed at people who expect to visit a home in Japan and wish to learn about it in advance, as well as people who want to see and learn about Japanese residences. The course is split into four STEPs: STEP1 is an introduction, STEP2 consists of content that enables users to learn phrases and manners useful when visiting someone's home, STEP3's content offers visual comparisons of various types of Japanese residences, and STEP4 is a review (video introducing the course ).

Main visual for the Home Visit A1 Self-Study Course

Image of the STEPs that make up the HV Course

The STEPs that make up the HV Course

STEPs 2 and 3 make use of VR content, giving users the sense that they are actually visiting a home in Japan. Next, this article will offer more detailed information on the content of STEP2 and STEP3.

STEP2: Learning key phrases using VR content

In STEP2, users study expressions and manners that are useful when visiting a home in Japan through four topics: "Ojamashimasu", "Omiyage Doozo", "Itadakimasu", and "Ojamashimashita". After confirming the Can-do goals for a topic, users practice through (1) Watching the Scene, (2) Key Phrase, and (3) Try by Yourself, finishing with a Can-do Check. VR content is used in (1) and (2).

Image showing the progression of STEP2

The progression of STEP2

STEP2 (1) Watching the Scene: Watch the actions of the characters! (VR video)

People normally see regular videos (2D videos), and these focus on the areas they want users to pay attention to. This enables users to concentrate and learn without confusion. However, they do not allow users to understand the actions or expressions of the characters who are off-screen, and it can be difficult to grasp the whole picture. In (1) Watching the Scene, users can also view the 2D video content in an optional VR video, so they can move the screen in all directions and freely look at areas of interest.

Screenshots of the VR video from STEP2 (1)

VR video from STEP2 (1) Watching the Scene

STEP2 (2) Key Phrase: Check key phrases, words, and culture! (VR images)

In (2) Key Phrase, users check the key phrases that appeared in (1) Watching the Scene. There are three types of checkpoints, "Key Phrase", "Word", and "Culture", in the optional VR images, and if the user clicks them, they will appear. Users can look around the room, and freely select phrases, words, and cultural information to practice and confirm. You can hear the key phrases and words said aloud, so this can also be used for speaking practice.

Screenshots of the VR video from STEP2 (2)

VR image of STEP2 (2) Key Phrase

STEP2 (3) Try by Yourself: Pretend you're the main character and have a go yourself! (video)

This does not have VR content; (3) Try by Yourself consists of a video shot from the perspective of the main character who is visiting. Quiz questions appear, asking for key phrases, and the next clip will play once the user gives the right answer. The user can feel as though they are the protagonist visiting a home in Japan.

Screenshots of the VR video from STEP2 (3)

Video of STEP2 (3) Try by Yourself

STEP3: See various types of Japanese residences!

In addition to the traditional house visited in STEP2, in STEP3 users can see and compare a modern house where a family of four lives and a single-person apartment through VR images.

STEP3 Other houses & Your house

Plus, in the traditional house, there are also questions about the user. When the button is clicked, a user question screen will appear, asking, for example, "Do you sit on the floor of your living room?" When the question is answered, the screen will show responses from users from different countries and regions who are studying this course. Looking at the outcomes could offer new perspectives for the user: "A surprising number of people sit on the floor", "Which country or region are the people who sit on the floor from?".

Examples of use in class

We share examples of activities that you can put into practice straightaway in a classroom using STEP2 and STEP3.

Use of STEP2 "3. Kitchen" (2) Key Phrase: Introducing new words

1. Give learners a Japanese word list for the kitchen and ask them to predict the meaning of the words.
2. The learners form groups and search for the predicted items using the Key Phrases in the 360-degree image, clicking the checkpoints and confirming the meaning and pronunciation of each word.
3. The learners write the meaning of the words on the list to complete it.
4. The class confirms the meaning and pronunciation of each word together.

Use of STEP3 "1. Entrance hall": Cross-cultural experience through the residences

1. The whole class takes a look at the entrance hall of the traditional house in the 360-degree image and talks about similarities and differences compared to their houses.
2. The learners split into groups and predict whether the other two homes will be the same as the traditional house, or whether things will be different. The class comes together again, looking 360 degrees around the other two residences and talking about what they notice.
3. The learners split into groups again. They choose one thing that they noticed was different to their country (e.g. taking off shoes/not taking off shoes), or something that was different between the different Japanese residences (e.g. the height of the step in the entrance hall), and think about and investigate why that might be.
4. Each group summarizes the outcomes of their investigations, what they noticed and their thoughts, and gives a presentation.

If VR content is used effectively, not only does it offer a more real experience, it will also increase learners' motivation and their independence. We hope you will make use of it in classes and lessons in way that suits your learners Note 1.

2. What is the KC Virtual Tour?

The KC Virtual Tour offers content that is available to the public via KC's website—users can view KC's 10 facilities and equipment through VR images. This is available in Japanese and English, and anyone can access it, including people planning to participate in training programs, people considering coming to Japan and commissioning a Japanese-language training program (Commissioned Programs Note 2), and members of the public who want to visit the library or dining hall. There are two types of content: "View in map" mode and "Take a tour" mode.

KC Virtual Tour home screen

a. "View in map" mode

"View in map" mode enables users to jump directly to a place by clicking on the place they want to see on the floor map.

Floor map
The Dining Hall, which was clicked on

b. "Take a tour" mode

In "Take a tour" mode, users can freely move the screen 360 degrees, advancing along their chosen route by clicking the arrows that show the available directions.

Start screen
Route selection screen

Training program participants who have made use of this content before coming to Japan have said that it was fun to see, and useful for their preparation before visiting Japan. Additionally, some people noted that they anticipated their program more, and their anxieties were eased. People seemed to think highly of the fact that they could move the point of view as if they were in the facility, in contrast to explanations and photographs only.

Examples of use in classes

You can use this tour for classroom activities even if there are no plans to come to KC. Here, we give two ideas for activities that make use of information gaps (differences in the information held by yourself and the other person).

a. Use of "View in map" mode: The "where am I?" game

1. The learners split into pairs (A and B) and open "View in map" on different devices.
2. A chooses one place from the floor map, such as the "Dorm Room", and opens this location.
3. B opens the floor map.
4. A looks 360 degrees around their location and tells B what is there and what sort of place it is.
5. B guesses A's location by looking at the floor map, selects a location and opens it.
6. A explains their location again, and B looks 360 degrees around the selected location to check whether it is the same location selected by A.

b. Use of "Take a tour" mode: The directions game

1. The learners split into pairs (A and B) and open "Take a tour" on different devices.
2. The instructor tells A a location, such as the Japanese Style Room.
3. A holds the cursor over the icon ◎ on the start screen to find the Japanese Style Room and confirm its location.
4. A and B click the "PRESS to start a tour" arrow on the start screen and start a tour.
5. A keeps the image of the Japanese Style Room's location in their mind as they move, telling B the route through phrases such as "Go straight ahead" and "Go right".
6. B listens to A's instructions, clicking the arrows to move forward, and aims for the Japanese Room.

Multiple pairs can compete and time how long it takes them to arrive at the right location, making the activity feel more like a game. We hope you'll try using this in your classes and lessons.

Summary

This corner introduced two types of VR content created by KC. We hope you will make use of it in a way that suits your educational setting.

Notes:

1. When using the HV Course for educational purposes, please check the explanations about copyright and intellectual property on KC CLIP.
2. For more information about KC's commissioned programs, see Commissioned Programs (PDF:781KB) and Request for Training Program Proposal (PDF:561KB) in the Japanese-Language Programs section of the website.

(NAKAO Yuki and OKAMOTO Taku, Japanese-Language Education Specialist, Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai)

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