Courses and Events - Overseas Japanese Language Courses

For a calendar of upcoming courses and events only, see our What's On page.

Courses for Specialists in Cultural and Academic Fields

Programme for Specialists in Cultural and Academic Fields - Kansai, Japan

This programme provides a six-month residential language course for specialists (researchers, postgraduate students, librarians, museum and art gallery curators, etc.) who need to improve their Japanese for academic or professional purposes. Courses take place at our Japanese-Language Institute in Kansai, Japan. Tuition, accommodation and meals are included in the programme but UK based applicants bear their own return travel expenses to Japan. The programme is open to those who are in a field of Japan-related humanities and social sciences, who are aged under 40, and who have a proficiency in Japanese, equivalent to or higher than level JLPT N4 (level 3 of the old JLPT).

Dates for FY 2024-25 programme:

Course Dates: 6 month course, from late-September 2024 to late-March 2025
Applications available: on the programme list on our Tokyo site
Application Deadline: Apply through Online Application Portal by 4am GMT (1pm Japan Standard Time) on Thursday 30 November 2023
Notification of Results: Late April 2024

Please contact the Japan Foundation to discuss eligibility before applying.

For further details on this programme either contact The Japan Foundation London or go to our Tokyo site.

Courses for Teachers of Japanese in Japan

The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute in Urawa organises several training programmes for teachers of Japanese. The eligibility, length of courses and content is different for each programme. For more information and to download an application form, please visit the Japan Foundation head office's website. Click here for English and click here for Japanese.

There are three onsite courses aimed at teachers of the Japanese Language for Fiscal Year 2024: "Basic Training Program", "Japanese-Language Program", and "Comprehensive Japanese Teaching Methods Program". There is one onsite course for Fiscal Year 2024 for teachers of the Japanese language who come to Japan on the working visa: Specified Skilled Worker*. The details are below.

*The Specified Skilled Worker Programme is not applicable to candidates from the UK, however you can read more information about it here.

Basic Training Program for Teachers of the Japanese-Language

This programme is a 6-month programme designed for teachers who are early in their career with an opportunity to improve their Japanese language skills, acquire the basic teaching methodology, and deepen their knowledge of Japan.

This course takes place at our Japanese Language Institute in Urawa, Japan. Open to those who have between 6 months' and 5 years' Japanese teaching experience, and at least JLPT N4 (level 3 of the old JLPT) or equivalent. This is Level A2 in the JFS or their equivalent. Applicants whose institutions are based in the United Kingdom and Ireland must bear their own travel expenses to Japan. Higher priority will be given to individuals aged 35 or under as of December 1, 2023.

Dates for FY 2024 programme:

Application Deadline: 4am GMT (or 1PM Japan Standard Time), Thursday 30 November 2023 - Through Online Application Portal
Results Notification: Within April 2024

Course dates:

27 August 2024 – 20 February 2025 (tentative)

For more information and to download an application form, please visit the Japan Foundation head office's website. Click here for English and click here for Japanese

Japanese Language Programme for Teachers of the Japanese-Language

This programme is a 6-week programme designed to provide teachers of the Japanese language with an opportunity to improve their Japanese-language skills necessary as teachers of Japanese-language. Open to those with more than 6-months of experience in teaching the Japanese-language as of December 1, 2023 (teaching practice and private lessons NOT included), and JLPT Level N4 or N5 (Level 3 or 4 of the old JLPT) or their equivalent. This is level A2 in the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education (JFS) or equivalent. Those who have the proficiency in Japanese higher than these levels are not expected for this programme.

Applicants who have participated in a Japanese-language teacher onsite training programme conducted by the Japan Foundation or any other academic institutions in Japan for more than one month during the period from April 2018 to December 1 2023 are NOT eligible. Higher priority will be given to applicants aged 55 or under as of December 1, 2023. This course takes place at our Japanese Language Institute in Urawa, Japan. Applicants whose institutions are based in the United Kingdom and Ireland must bear their own travel expenses to Japan.

For more information and to download an application form, please visit the Japan Foundation head office's website. Click here for English and click here for Japanese.

Dates for FY 2024 programme:

Application Deadline: 4am GMT (or 1PM Japan Standard Time), Thursday 30 November 2023 - Through Online Application Portal
Results Notification: Within April 2024

Course dates:

5 June 2024 – 19 July 2024 (tentative)

Comprehensive Japanese Teaching Methods Program for Teachers of the Japanese-Language

This programme is a 6-week programme designed to provide an opportunity to improve teaching methodology. This programme will be conducted twice in FY 2024.

This course takes place at our Japanese Language Institute in Urawa, Japan. Applicants whose institutions are based in the United Kingdom and Ireland must bear their own travel expenses to Japan.

Eligibility:

(Summer Course) Those with more than 2 years and less than 5 years of experience in teaching the Japanese language as of December 1 2023 (not including teaching practice or private lessons)
(Autumn Course) Those with more than 5 years of experience in teaching the Japanese language as of December 1, 2023 (not including teaching practice or private lessons)
JLPT Level N3 (Level of the old JLPT) 2 or higher or equivalent (B1 in JFS). Applicants who have participated in a Japanese-language teacher onsite training programme conducted by the Japan Foundation or any other academic institutions in Japan for more than one month during the period from April 2018 to December 1 2023 are NOT eligible.

For more information and to download an application form, please visit the Japan Foundation head office's website. Click here for English and click here for Japanese.

Dates for FY 2024 programme:

Application Deadline: 4am GMT (or 1PM Japan Standard Time), Thursday 30 November 2023 - Through Online Application Portal
Results Notification: Within April 2024

Course dates:

Two courses will take place of six weeks each. (Please note that JFJLI, Urawa may be obliged to offer a course other than the candidate's desired course).

Summer Course: 17 July 2024 - 30 August 2024 (tentative)
Autumn Course: 1 October 2024 - 14 November 2024 (tentative)