With the aim of providing support to specialists who require Japanese-language proficiency in order to smoothly execute their specialist work and research activities (such as researchers, graduate students, librarians, and museum and art museum curators), this program provides training for the acquisition of practical Japanese-language proficiency through a curriculum that is tailored to the characteristics of the respective specialist work, conducted at the Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai.
There are no tuition fees. Participants will reside at the Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai (single rooms) and we will cover meals, and insurance for sickness and injury during the training period. Airfare will NOT be covered for US applicants.
The program is held at the Japan Foundation - Japanese Language Institute, Kansai in Japan.
In FY 2024, only a six-month course will be offered. This is primarily a "language training" course for participants requiring Japanese language proficiency for specialized work and research activities. Professional education in their specific area of expertise is NOT included in the curriculum.
Six-Month Course: late-September 2024 to late-March 2025
During the training course, participants will independently conduct interviews with specialists in their field as well as plan their own trips to visit related facilities and, as they gather and understand research materials, they will be able to acquire the skills needed to exchange, collect, and report information in Japanese. The participants will need to independently plan their activities with an explicit theme. Participants are required to make a presentation about their research themes as their accomplishments of the course and specialized activities conducted during their stay in Japan at the end of the course.
Michael VanHartingsveldt (University of Kansas) [2022-2023]
Elizabeth McDonald (University of California, Riverside) [2016-2017]
Application Deadline: Apply through Online Application Portal by 1 p.m., November 30, 2023 (Japan Standard Time) [8PM, November 29th, 2023 Pacific Time]
Upload your application documents to the Online Application Portal.
Online Application Portal: https://www.apply.jpf.go.jp
Contact
Click here and use the form to contact us with any questions or to inform us of your intention to apply to one of these programs (Select Anything Related to Japanese Language Education).
Notification of Results: Late April, 2024
Application Instructions / Application Form:
Please check back in Late September/Early October 2024 for the next application period!