TOKYO - The Japanese government is expected to enhance support for beginner Japanese-language programs for children newly arrived from overseas, as the need for such education grows with the increasing number of foreign residents.
A report by an education ministry's panel of experts, compiled in June, emphasized that the central government should take "a leading role" in enhancing educational standards across the country for children of foreign nationals, such as by creating models for Japanese-language "pre-class" programs and teaching guidelines for them.
The number of public elementary, junior high and high school students in need of Japanese-language training has roughly doubled over the past decade, with such children hitting a record-high 84,759 as of May 2025. Many of them were foreign nationals.
While underscoring that efforts have already been underway to offer special Japanese-language curricula and to increase the number of relevant teachers, the report said, "The number of foreign pupils and students is increasing at a pace difficult to catch up."
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology expects the "pre-class" programs will also help foreign children get to know Japanese culture and enter school life smoothly.
Yokohama is among the municipalities that run such beginner language programs. The port city near Tokyo had about 4,600 public elementary and junior high school students in need of Japanese-language instruction as of May 2025.
A facility called Himawari in Naka Ward, which opened in 2017, offers a 12-day program for elementary and junior high school students organized into three age groups. Children take part in the language class three times a week over about a month, from morning to around noon, while attending regular schools.
The program includes language lessons as well as classroom cleaning, a common practice in Japanese schools that foreign children may not be used to. The facility also becomes a place where parents can seek advice when they drop off or pick up their children.
A Chinese teen who arrived in Japan in April appeared eager to enjoy his school life in Japan, saying, "I want to make friends at school and join the basketball club."
"The goal is to help children acquire the minimum Japanese they need and pass the baton to schools," Masumi Kanazawa, principal of Himawari, said earlier this year, stressing the significance of such facilities.
According to the education ministry panel report, the "pre-class" teaching guidelines are also expected to incorporate effective use of digital technology such as generative artificial intelligence.
Teachers who draw up personalized teaching plans for foreign students are also urged to consider adding more data such as their previous schooling as well as the goals of the student and parents. At the same time, the report called for a simple format so as not to increase the burden of the teachers.
To support foreign students seeking higher education or jobs, the report called on the central government to publicize multilingual documents for students and parents provided by municipalities as well as information on residence status provided by the Justice Ministry.
