What's On

The Japanese Taster for Schools (JTS) Programme exists to create links between schools and Japanese-speaking volunteers. JTS volunteers carry out school visits across the UK to introduce students at any level to the Japanese language by carrying out fun and informative taster sessions. The JTS programme is a fantastic opportunity to use your Japanese to gain practical experience volunteering in your local community.

To empower and encourage volunteers, we will be holding an online training session on 9^th September 2024. We will provide information about the JTS programme and there will be a talk given by an experienced teacher of Japanese, Ms Clare Kuroishi. There will also be a chance to ask us questions, speak to other volunteers, and a fun quiz that will test your Japanese language volunteer knowledge!

This event is open to everyone – including those who are not yet registered as volunteers. We hope that existing volunteers can use this event as a chance to hone their skills and to be inspired, and that new members can get an idea about the programme.

Find out more about the JTS Programme here 

General Information

• Date/Time: 9^th September 2024 (Monday), 17:30-18:30 (BST)
• Venue: Online (Zoom software)
• Cost: Free (booking essential)
• Maximum number of participants: 20
• Spoken language: English

You can take part whether you are already registered as a volunteer or are interesting in registering as a volunteer. JTS volunteers can have any level of Japanese, from beginner to fluency.

Experienced teachers of Japanese are very welcome to attend, but will be treated as lower priority applicants if the event reaches maximum capacity.

Event Schedule

• 17:30 – 17:35: Intro / Explanation of the JTS programme
• 17:35 – 17:50: Guest speaker talk – Ms Clare Kuroishi (Tips for teaching Japanese numbers as part of a one-off taster session)
• 17:50 – 18:10: Group activity (quiz)
• 18:10 – 18:25: Q&A, networking and discussion
• 18:25 – 18:30: Close

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Speaker: Ms Clare Kuroishi (Teacher of Japanese)

Topic: Tips for teaching Japanese numbers to beginners

Biography: “I first went to Japan 34 years ago and have been teaching Japanese on and off for the past 26 years. Originally, I taught adults, then moved into GCSE, IB & A Level at grammar and independent schools. However, I have spent the last 10 years teaching in a Primary school & marking the Edexcel GCSE. I prefer to teach through experiences where possible as I believe it helps form the connections that aid retention.”

Click here to fill out an application form to attend

NB: There is NO application deadline but applications will close if the maximum number of participants is exceeded.

Applications for JaLaChamp 2025 will start in September 2024.

We will be announcing more details including application information and guidelines in September, so please follow our social media accounts and updates in this page.

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning about the previous JaLaChamp, please check:

- Guidelines and outline video of the JaLaChamp 2024

- Report of JaLaChamp 2024 Finals Day

- Videos from JaLaChamp 2024 Finals Day

JaLaChamp, or Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK, is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese. There are two categories - the speech category, where students give a speech on a theme of their choice, and the video category where students are asked to create an original video either by individual or part of a group.

The world is changing very quickly. Technology is advancing, and nowadays if we have a computer or a smartphone we can send a message to anyone in the world. In a time like this, we should always consider the following questions: “What message do I want to convey and how?” Using the voice, the written word, visuals, design and more – there are many ways to express ourselves. It is important to be able to combine these different choices of expression to create a way of expressing ourselves that others can understand, empathise with or be persuaded by.

We want to encourage students to share with us their thoughts and viewpoints, as well as show us their creativity in full and have fun challenging themselves by entering this contest and using their Japanese!

We look forward to receiving many fantastic speeches and videos!

Noh theatre is a major traditional Japanese performing art, recognised as an Important Intangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government and as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Though characterised by the stylised movements and singing of its actors, it would not be complete without the unique, carefully-carved masks they wear as they perform. These allow Noh actors to control their character’s expression by making minute changes to the angle from which the audience sees their mask.

In this special one-off event, organised in celebration of the series of activities Tradition to Modernity: Understanding Noh Theatre from its Establishment 650 Years Ago to Contemporary Times taking place in August and September, KITAZAWA Hideta, master craftsperson and second-generation Noh mask-maker, will introduce the fascinating world of Noh masks, demonstrating the techniques used to make them while offering a rare chance to take a closer look at these wooden works of art. He will also present some of his more recent creations inspired by contemporary characters.

KITAZAWA Hideta

KITAZAWA Hideta is a wood sculptor and Noh mask maker based in Tokyo. He learned traditional wood carving of Buddhist and Shinto statuary from his father, KITAZAWA Ikkyo, and later studied Noh mask carving. He currently produces classical Noh and Kyogen masks and has been designated a master craftsman by the Tokyo Metropolitan government. KITAZAWA has also created numerous shinsaku - “new” - masks for foreign-language Noh productions, notably those of Theatre Nohgaku, as well as for other Noh-influenced plays. He has given workshops and demonstrations in Japan and internationally, and a book on his work entitled Noh and Kyogen Masks will be published by Prestel in September 2024.

This event has limited availability - book now to avoid disappointment.
Click here to book on the Panorama Journal website.

Join us in Cambridge for a special FREE screening of Mori, The Artist's Habitat (2017, dir. OKITA Shuichi), in collaboration with Panorama: The Journal of Travel, Place, and Nature and Jesus College, University of Cambridge.

94-year-old painter KUMAGAI Morikazu (YAMAZAKI Tsutomu), also known as Mori, has hardly left his property for the last 30 years. Most of his day is spent tirelessly observing his garden and all the living things in it, which he renders into paintings every evening in a studio he calls the "school." While he goes about his business, his wife Hideko (KIKI Kirin) attends to a stream of visitors.
Mori and Hideko live peacefully, surrounded by the things they love, until one day, a group of developers decide to build a condominium next door, putting their small paradise under threat. If the condominium is built, it will block the sun, and the garden will become uninhabitable, so Mori and Hideko decide to take action to protect the garden they cherish...

Mori, The Artist's Habitat is a humorous depiction of a summer day in the life of an old couple who've been together 52 years, set in the more affable social atmosphere of the 1970s.

This screening is free to attend, but booking is essential.
Click here to book on the Panorama Journal website.

Join award-winning author YUZUKI Asako, known for her tantalising thriller Butter, for a series of enlightening talks on the book and its background. YUZUKI will visit 6 cities, including Cheltenham for The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival and Manchester for the Manchester Literature Festival.

About YUZUKI Asako

Born in Tokyo in 1981. Won the All Yomimono Award for New Writers in 2008 for “Forget Me, Not Blue,” which was included in her debut work Shuten no ano ko in 2010. Won the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize in 2015 for Nile Perch no joshikai (Nile Perch Women's Club). Among her many other hit works, BUTTER was published in 2017.

Venues and dates

Cheltenham
The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
Pillar Room, Cheltenham Town Hall
Saturday 5 October 2024, 18:30
Click for more details

Manchester
Manchester Literature Festival
Waterstones Deansgate
Monday 7 October 2024, 19:00
Click to book

Sheffield
Off the Shelf
The Auditorium, University of Sheffield Students’ Union
Tuesday 8 October 2024, 18:00
Click to book

London
Foyles, London Charing Cross Road
Wednesday 9 October 2024, 19:00
Click to book

Norwich
University of East Anglia
Lecture Theatre 1
Thursday 10 October 2024, 17:30
Click to book

Oxford
University of Oxford
Nissan Lecture Theatre, St Antony’s College
Friday 11 October 2024, 17:30
Click to book

Don’t forget to grab your copy of Butter before the event – click here to find out more!

Applications for the next Japanese Speech Contest for University Students will open in September. Please watch this space for more details, including application information and guidelines.

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.

Step into the world of Kabuki with six stunning kimonos worn by the legendary actor BANDO Tamasaburo V, known for his renowned onnagata roles (male actor who performs female roles). Experience the intricate artistry of these garments, highlighting a diverse range of complex textile techniques, encompassing weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and hand-painting. We are delighted to collaborate with the Ashmolean Museum.

Date: 21 November 2023 - 8 December 2024

Venue: The Ashmolean Museum

Click here for details

In collaboration with William Morris Gallery, we're proudly presenting the UK's most wide-ranging exhibition dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement originating in Japan during the 1920s and 1930s. Showcasing a diverse array of works including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, and more, this exhibition explores Mingei's cultural significance and its enduring relevance in contemporary craft and consumerism.

Date: now on, until 22 September 2024
Venue: William Morris Gallery
Click here for details

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 December JLPT will take place on Sunday, 1^st December 2024. Registration will start at each test centre from early/ mid-August.  

Please check this page for any updates on UK test centres for the December 2024 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 Applications CLOSED

University of Edinburgh Applications CLOSED

University of Leicester 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.

Ø  Let’s Try Sample Questions!

Ø  Download a Guide to the 2024 Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.

Date:	1 December 2024
Download guide_2024B