Frequently Asked Questions

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai (KC) promotes e-learning materials such as online Japanese courses and Japanese learning websites and apps. The teaching materials include reading materials for graded readers at the beginner and intermediate levels of Japanese.

For details of the e-learning platforms, please see our teaching resources page.

KC Yom Yom is a library for extensive Japanese reading at the introductory, beginner and beginner-intermediate levels which are also suitable for children. You can access KC Yom Yom here.

You can view a list of Japanese supplementary schools, kindergartens and international schools suitable for mother-tongue speakers of Japanese here.

No, you must apply for our funding before your project starts.

Teachers of Japanese and university students studying Japan-related fields can join the Book Loan Service as full members. For full details on membership criteria, click here.

This depends on the programme – for some types of funding you must be part of an organisation but others are intended only for individuals. Please check with the person responsible for the funding programme you want to apply for.

Yes. Japanese exams commonly taken by school students in the UK include GCSE, AS, A2 and IB. Click here for more details about these exams.

Sadly, the Japan Foundation cannot give grants for undergraduate study in any country.

However, to offer support for Japanese Studies in the UK, our Japanese Studies team organises various projects. Through the results of our Japanese Studies Survey, you can discover more about courses related to Japan in the UK. And why not learn about Japanese Studies through joining us at one of our free, hybrid “Exploring the World of Japanese Studies” talks, or watch one of our past talks on YouTube? Our “Japan Up Close” Essay Series also highlights the work of researchers in the UK and encourages a deeper understanding of Japan and Japanese Studies!

The Japan Foundation’s Japanese Language Local Project Support Programme enables schools and other institutions to apply for up to £3,000 to fund Japanese language related projects. We do not give cash funding for non-Japanese language related school projects, but we can put you in touch with other organisations that do. For information about general support that we offer to schools teaching Japanese language, please see our Japanese Language FAQ.

Yes! Click here to see it.

It is best to contact the Embassy of Japan for this information.

We will advertise any opportunities on job-seeking websites, as they become available. We do not currently offer internship or volunteering opportunities.

The Japan Foundation is unable to provide translating or interpreting services. Some of the organisations that may be able to help you include:

• J-net
• Institute of Translation & Interpreting
• Japan Association of Translators
• ProZ.com

(The Japan Foundation does not endorse any of the organisations listed above.)

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai has released the JF Japanese e-Learning Minato platform to provide an opportunity to study Japanese for all those who wish to begin learning. The main course is the Marugoto Japanese Online Course, which provides an integrated learning experience covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Please contact The Japan Foundation London or visit our Funding page.

The Japan Foundation has a number of programmes designed to support the holding of international conferences in Japan or the UK. For full details please go to our Funding page or contact The Japan Foundation London by e-mail.

Click here to download the guidelines and information about qualifications needed in order to teach Japanese in a UK school.

Our Fellowship programme has a category for doctoral candidates from the UK wishing to conduct research in Japan for PhD dissertation purposes. The Japanese Language Programme for Specialists in Cultural and Academic Fields provides intensive residential training in Japan to specialists including postgraduate students who need a good command of Japanese language to conduct fieldwork and research.

We do not offer any other grants for postgraduate study in Japan. Please contact the Embassy of Japan for details of the MEXT Scholarships for Postgraduate Research in Japan.

See our list of schools in the UK that teach Japanese. You can also sign up to JLE-UK, our email discussion list for teachers of Japanese and others interested in this area.

Speakers of Japanese can join our Japanese Taster for Schools volunteer programme, and gain experience of running Japanese language tasters in schools.

The Japan Society locates partner schools in Japan and supports both UK and Japanese schools as they develop their exchange activities. This includes language support for exchange between students using the bilingual Japan UK LIVE! website.