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 (Coming soon)

Enquiries: speechcontest@jpf.go.jp

Organiser: The Japan Foundation, London

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

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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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)

---

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.

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.