What's On

The Finals Day of the Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK (JaLaChamp) will be held on Saturday 10^th May 2025, at the Hall of Japan House London.

JaLaChamp is a contest for primary and secondary students studying Japanese in the United Kingdom, and this is the third time for the contest to be held. It consists of two categories: a speech category and a video category. On finals day, speech category finalists will give speeches in front of a large audience consists of the panel of judges, teachers, fellow students and their families, on a variety of topics, entirely in Japanese. After speeches, there will be a premiere for short videos created by video category finalists using Japanese (there will be English subtitles). There will be an award ceremony for both Speech and Video categories at the end of the day.

This year, we will welcome Ms Mara Yamauchi, a former elite athlete and diplomat who worked for the Foreign Office, including at the British Embassy in Tokyo, and also achieved sixth place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics women’s marathon, to give a special talk for the event. 

We would like to welcome friends and families of finalists, school members as well as young children who study or are interested in studying Japanese to attend finals day. The event is free but prior registration is required for security purposes. We would appreciate everyone except finalists to book a seat in advance.

Title: Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK 2025, Finals Day

Date & Time: Saturday, 10^th May 2025   1pm – 4.30pm (TBC)

Event Schedule (TBC):

     13:00-13:50         Opening and Speech Category finals

                                  Short break

     14:00-14:35          Video Category Secondary School Division 1 & 2 Finals

                                  Short break

     14:45-14:55          Video Category Primary Division Finals

     14:55-15:40          Special Talk and finalist programme

                                  Short break

     15:50-16:30          Award Ceremony

Venue: The Hall of Japan House London (101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA)

Language: Speeches will be given in Japanese but speech summaries will be made available in English. Student videos have English subtitles.

Please note that finalists should be registered via their teachers of Japanese (Link below is for non-finalists only). If your schedule has changed and you are unable to attend, we would appreciate it if you could cancel the seat by emailing us at speechcontest@jpf.go.jp, as spaces are limited. Young participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. Non-finalist registration will start in early to mid-April.

Book here

Enquiries: speechcontest@jpf.go.jp

Organiser: The Japan Foundation, London

This event is generously supported by (in alphabetical order): Calbee Group (UK) Ltd., E’quipe Japan, Ltd., The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Japan Centre, The Japan Society, JP BOOKS, Lingualift, Pentel (Stationery) Ltd., Mizkan Euro Ltd., Ricoh UK Limited

This event is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese in the United Kingdom. The aim is to encourage the students to use their Japanese and present one’s thoughts, views, ideas and messages.

The first round of applications for the Japan Foundation London Grant Programme FY 2025-26 are open now until Thursday 17 April for projects taking place between 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.

This programme is designed to provide grant assistance to projects (e.g. lectures, workshops, conferences) in any discipline of the humanities and social sciences that have a significant Japan element, or involve collaboration with Japanese researchers/practitioners.

Projects must take place in the UK to be eligible for support and applications can only be accepted from not-for-profit organisations in the UK.

Priority will be given to projects that fall under one or more of the following descriptions:

1.     Projects that will bring together researchers/ practitioners from a variety of disciplines and sectors that are relevant to Japan

2.     Projects organised by, and/or involving core participation by, early career researchers/ practitioners

3.     Projects that will nurture diverse interests in Japan among future generations in the UK

Applications for preliminary project development will be considered as long as such projects include some of the above elements.

Grant coverage:

Only specific items such as travel expenses, honoraria, venue hire, printing/publicity costs etc. which are deemed to be essential in order to carry out the project.

Successful applicants may be granted up to £1500. As successful applicants will not necessarily be granted the full requested amount, applicants are strongly encouraged to secure additional funding from their own organisation and elsewhere.

Before contacting us, please read the full Application Instructions, containing further details about eligibility and the Application Process.

Application Deadline: Thursday 17 April 2025, 1pm BST. Results will be notified by the end of April.

To read the Application Instructions PDF, click here.

If you have any questions, email Iona Vos at LO_JapaneseStudies@jpf.go.jp.

When you email us, please CC Natsumi_Abe@jpf.go.jp (Assistant Director for JF London and Manager of Japanese Studies Affairs) and Iona_Vos@jpf.go.jp (Assistant Programme Officer for Japanese Studies).

Date:	31 March 2025 - 17 April 2025
Download 01_2025_Application_Instructions

Do your students have an interest in Japanese culture? Would you like to hold programmes for cross-cultural understanding at your school?

A professional team from the University of Edinburgh and the Japan Foundation, London can visit your school to deliver fun Japanese language and culture sessions for your students. Teachers who wish to host a visit are encouraged to apply! It is free to apply for sessions at your school.

Overview

(1) Period: Monday, 2 June, 2025 – Saturday, 7 June, 2025

*Please note that we are happy to hold sessions on Saturday.

(2) Location: Your school (different venue negotiable)

(3) Content: Japanese language and culture sessions lasting 45 to 90 minutes

*Mainly aimed at students who have never studied Japanese, but it is also alright if there are participating students who have studied Japanese before.

(4) Aims: This program aims to expand students' perspectives on other languages and cultures by offering them an opportunity to experience Japanese language and culture. This programme is for schools in Scotland, where there are fewer opportunities to experience Japanese culture.

(5) Costs: There are no costs for the schools. The program is free as your school will not need to cover honoraria or transportation costs for the session/s, or any other actual costs (for example, if origami paper is used in a session, the origami paper will be arranged and provided by the organisers).

(6) Organisers: University of Edinburgh and The Japan Foundation, London

- Application Deadline: 21st April 2025 (Monday)

- Apply: Application Form

- Inquiries: events.japanese@jpf.go.jp

We look forward to receiving your applications!　　

Download the Flyer for More Information

Project Team

The University of Edinburgh and The Japan Foundation, London

Date:	2 June 2025 - 7 June 2025
Download Bring Japan to Your Classroom_Scotland 01

Spring applications for the Local Project Support Programme will open soon! Watch this space for the latest information on when applications open, including information on amounts eligible.

Applications Open: Late April 2025 (TBC)

Application Deadline: Late May 2025 (TBC)

Institutions can apply for for non-profit-making projects or activities which promote Japanese language education in the UK. Please see the attached documents at the bottom of this page for more detailed information.

We prioritise projects that fit into one of the four following categories:

• Category 1 - Newly Introducing Japanese into the curriculum

Projects that promote the introduction of Japanese into the curriculum (or onto the main school timetable) at primary and secondary schools. This grant covers staff costs and the cost of Japanese language books. Projects may take place online or offline.

• Category 2 - Supporting GCSE or A-level courses

Projects that support GCSE or A-level courses. Particularly, if schools/organisations require support to ensure a large number of candidates are able to take formal qualifications in Japanese, they will be able to maintain their project by re-applying the following year. This means organisations will be able to apply for up to a total of £6,000 over two years. (Please note that we do not supplement the salary of teacher(s) already hired by the applying organisation.) Covers staff costs and costs of Japanese language books. Projects may take place online or offline.

• Category 3 – New Japanese clubs

Projects that newly introduce Japanese as an extracurricular activity or enrichment subject. In the case of schools, this is even if this is not within the school timetable. Covers staff cost, Japanese language book cost, some costs for items contributing to Japanese language learning, such as origami and calligraphy materials. Clubs may take place online or offline.

• Category 4 - Projects that enable links between primary/secondary institutions and institutions of higher education

Projects that strengthen connections between secondary institutions and institutions of higher education and create and/or strengthen networks among pupils, students, and teachers for the purpose of helping to promote Japanese language education in the UK. These projects can be aimed at both potential learners of Japanese and people who already are learning Japanese. This is a recently added category, so please contact us if you have any questions or would like to apply but are unsure as to whether your project is suitable. These projects may take place online or offline.

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• If you have an idea for a project that doesn't fit into the above categories, you may still be eligible! Contact us to discuss potential eligiblity.

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Check out information on our Autumn 2024 applications to get an idea about what this programme is all about!

Please note: Application criteria, amounts and rules may be different compared to the Spring 2025 applications.

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Related Event!

We will hold an online seminar and Q&A (date TBC) for potential applicants to find out more about the programme. More information will be posted here soon. 

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a test for non-native speakers of Japanese which evaluates and certifies their Japanese-Language proficiency. The test takes place twice a year (July and December) in Japan and various locations around the world. Currently, it is the largest Japanese language test in the world, with more than 1.48 million people worldwide having registered for the JLPT in 2023.

The next July JLPT will take place on Sunday, 6^th July 2025. Registration will start at each test centre from early/ mid-March. 

Please check this page for any updates on UK test centres for the July 2025 JLPT. For application opening dates and registration details, please refer to each university’s website using the links below:

- Japan Research Centre, SOAS University of London SOAS Applications have now closed

- University of Leicester Applications at University of Leicester have now closed

- King's Language Centre, King's College London (!New!) Applications at King's College London have now closed

Please note that the JLPT is very popular and registration at each test centre will close when the test centre has reached its maximum capacity.

For more information about the test, please visit JLPT website. 

- Let’s Try Sample Questions!

The Japan Foundation (JF) conducts its “Survey on Japanese Language Education” every three years in order to confirm the current state of Japanese language education in countries and regions around the world.

The information collected is very important as the results are widely used as basic data to understand the situation of Japanese language education all around the world.

The results will be compiled into a report containing the latest information concerning the current state of Japanese language education. They will also be utilised in our "search engine for institutions offering Japanese-language education".

The 2024 survey will be conducted from September 2024, but we wish to tell you basic information about the survey below. Additionally, your cooperation would be appreciated at this stage with item “5.” (“Request for information about institutions offering Japanese education”).

1.     Survey coverage

2.     Survey items

3.     Survey method

4.     Reward for responding to survey

5.     Request for information about institutions offering Japanese education.

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1. Survey coverage:

All organisations that potentially offer Japanese language education outside Japan.

The following organisations are NOT covered by the survey:

• Groups and activities that are not associated with an actual organisation
• Overseas educational institutions that offer only ‘kokugo’ (Japanese national language) education　

*However, overseas educational institutions offering courses that are not ‘kokugo’ education (Japanese as a heritage language / foreign language) will be covered at the departmental/course level.

• Broadcasters or website operators providing Japanese-language education for an unspecified number of people
• Short-term Japanese language experience activities

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2. Survey items:

(11 questions in total. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete).

Basic information on your organisation (organisation name, name of Japanese-language education department , address / URL, contact information, institution type, educational stage (level) (in formal education terms, primary / secondary (lower/upper) / higher, other education), positioning of Japanese-language learning

Number of teachers (by education stage (level), breakdown of full-time/part-time, number of teachers who are native Japanese language speakers)

Number of Japanese language learners (breakdown by education stage (level))*

Whether degree awarding, Japanese language teacher training courses, and online classes are offered

Purposes and reasons for learners’ Japanese language learning, the state of Japanese language development at your organisation

*In the case of primary and secondary education, there is a question about the number of learners studying the Japanese language as a formal subject or as an extracurricular activity. In the case of universities, there is a question about the number of learners studying the Japanese language as a major, as a non-major, or as an extracurricular activity. Preparing these figures beforehand and having them at hand will help you in completing the survey smoothly.

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3. Survey method:

A questionnaire format to be answered online. The URL of the form will be sent to you via email.

*In some cases, we may seek your cooperation via a different method, such as over the telephone.

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4. Reward for responding to survey:

After you have submitted your response, you will be able to download supplementary Japanese language teaching materials created by the Japan Foundation. Please use them in your lessons.

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5. Request for information about institutions offering Japanese education.

Prior to the survey, we are seeking information on organisations that may teach Japanese in the UK. It does not have to be the organisation where you work . Ambiguous information is also welcome. If you know information on any organisations that may teach Japanese language, please provide information by the following ways. We appreciate your cooperation.

1.     Fill in the form.

2.     Send an email to LO_survey@jpf.go.jp

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For your information, the institute that can be searched from the website below are responded that they offer Japanese language education in the previous survey in 2021.

Search criteria | Survey Report on Japanese-Language Education Abroad 2021 (jpf.go.jp)

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If your organisation does not receive a request despite offering Japanese-language education, or you have any other inquiries, please contact us via the email above. 

We are hoping that a large number of organisations will cooperate with the survey and would like to ask for your help in this survey as without your answers your Japanese language education activities will not be reflected in the data and we will not have fully accurate figures, which would negatively affect the value of the survey.

Thank you for your support.

If you are a pre-university student in the UK, and you are interested in making friends from Japan and learning Japanese culture, while also attending lectures at top UK universities delivered by academics and professionals and learning crucial team work and presentation skills through participating in the UCL Grand Challenge Workshop, then why not register for the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge 2025?!

This is a prestigious, annual summer school programme that was established in 2015. The programme brings together students visiting from high schools across Japan with pre-university students from the UK.

The programme takes place across various locations, including the Rikkyo School in England, the University of Cambridge, and UCL.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the programme! The theme is “Space for the Future”, focusing on how we can shape our future with the most advanced science and technology.

This year’s programme will run from Saturday 26^th July – Sunday 3^rd August 2025. Please note that some dates are optional, and full details can be found on the UCL-Japan Youth Challenge website.

The programme is now taking applications from UK students, so if you know anyone you think might be interested, please share the information with them!

For more information, visit the UCL-Youth Challenge official website: UCL-Japan Youth Challenge - Summer school programme

The Japan Foundation, London is working with The National Modern Languages SCITT to help aspiring Japanese teachers obtain the skills and qualifications needed to teach Japanese in England.

School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) is a school-based teacher training course where trainees work in placement schools whole pursuing a teaching qualification.

The NML SCITT has introduced a new pathway for training Japanese language teachers as part of its programme, and The Japan Foundation, London is offering financial support to assist trainees. Please note that there are entry/eligibility requirements. Find out more on NML's website.

The National Modern Languages SCITT (The NML SCITT) is unique, being the only national single-subject provider to specialise solely in the teaching of modern languages. The NML SCITT programme is a great opportunity for those who are looking to gain QTS together with the recognised standard qualification of Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Subject to financial, degree classification and residential qualification, participants accepted on the programme may receive a substantial bursary while training.

Please note that trainees are required to have some knowledge of French, German or Spanish as a foreign language they can potentially teach, with Japanese as an additional language. This means that trainees will be able to teach two languages. NML can provide opportunities to develop this second modern foreign language, so please contact them if you have any questions.

• Length of course: 1 year
• Course start date: August
• Qualifications awarded: PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education), Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), 60 credits towards a Master’s degree.
• Training locations: NML North East London, Oundle and South East London hubs.
• Fees: please see the NML SCITT website
• Bursary if eligible

Find out more, including how to apply, on the NML SCITT website.

If you have any specific questions about the course, please contact NML SCITT directly.