Greetings From the Executive Director

photo of Gunei Sato I have been the Executive Director of the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, since April 2020, having taken over from our previous Executive Director, Mr. SUNAKAWA Yuichi. I hope to honor our more than thirty years of tradition since our founding in 1989 as we strive for continued excellence. The dramatic increase in the number of foreigners visiting and moving to Japan is having a huge impact on Japanese society. It is becoming a common sight to see foreigners speaking Japanese. The number of people studying Japanese through a variety of methods all over the world has been growing exponentially. The Japanese-Language Institute has conducted training for Japanese language teachers teaching abroad, developed curriculum, and provided information about Japanese language education for many years. It will be increasingly important to Japanese society to help Japanese language teachers who are going to provide Japanese language education abroad. Japanese-language education is not only made up of the education of the Japanese language, but also involves various aspects of Japanese society and Japanese culture. Mutual understanding cannot be fulfilled just by words. It requires a cultural understanding of the social meaning and significance, as well as attitudes, to accept differences between ourselves and others. The Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, has aimed to incorporate these aspects in its educational programs. Given the growing number of foreigners in Japan, in order to contribute to the smooth coexistence and understanding of people with diverse backgrounds, we have made it our mission to train Japanese-language teachers who can educate their students abroad about Japanese language, culture, and society. Our institute will promote programs and activities while deepening collaboration and cooperation with local governments such as Saitama Prefecture and Saitama City, as well as local international exchange organizations and educational bodies, community groups, concerned agencies, and diverse people who are involved in the fields of Japanese-language learning and education around the world. We appreciate your continued cooperation and support.

April 2020
SATO Gunei
Executive Director
The Japan Foundation
Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa