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July 24, 2026
 

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EIKAIWA

The Japanese government is considering revising requirements for permanent residency, including mandatory language proficiency and other moves that could place foreign residents under continuous evaluation and uncertainty about their future.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 23, 2026
Japan¡¯s residency debate risks turning integration into exclusion
What was once a predictable path toward long-term stability could become a precarious process subject to continuous state evaluation.
One-third of elementary school students in Japan do not like learning English, according to a 2021 poll, an 8% rise since 2013. The pressure of taking proficiency tests is eroding children's engagement with studying English and its benefits.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 17, 2025
Japan¡¯s English-language education doesn¡¯t pass the test
An excessive focus on testing students¡¯ English ability is turning language learning into a chore, depriving children of the joy and opportunities of intercultural communication.
For language learners under 40 in Japan, AI tools such as ChatGPT are now preferred over in-person classes or radio language programs.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 19, 2024
AI services growing in popularity among younger language learners in Japan
The number of people using AI language tools grew by more than 80%?in 2024, a recent survey?showed.
The Japanese government updated its English education guidelines in 2017 to emphasize communication over grammar and memorization. Public school teachers are incredibly busy, however, which means schools haven¡¯t been able to implement changes uniformly. Private and alternative schools are attempting to remedy this.
LIFE / Language / Longform
May 27, 2024
The language of opportunity: Bilingual education is on the rise in Japan
Stuck with a reputation for poor English, Japan is pushing its next generation to be bilingual. Privately run schools are seeing the benefits.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 6, 2023
Round 2 at your teaching job: New confidence, new opportunities
We¡¯re coming up on a new school year. Aim to improve your language skills and travel the country more with your newfound confidence.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Feb 28, 2022
Teaching from home and in need of resources? Online platform Twinkl makes a push for Japan.
Bolstered by a rise in pandemic-enforced home-schooling overseas, the online education platform Twinkl hopes Japan will emerge as a major market.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / BLACK EYE
Feb 28, 2022
Here¡¯s hoping our better angels can persist beyond Black History Month
Just because Black History Month technically ends on Feb. 28, it doesn¡¯t mean your education needs to stop.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 24, 2022
Landed a gig teaching in Japan? You may need a crash course in curriculum creation
Schools that are under strain from both budget shortfalls and the pandemic don¡¯t have time to walk new teachers through every step of the process.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Explainer
Jan 4, 2022
What¡¯s next for English-language education in Japan?
English has been at the heart of discussions over nationwide university entrance exams amid growing frustrations that few Japanese students learn to speak the language fluently.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 20, 2021
New job? Be sure to read the fine print
Foreign teachers of English in Japan are good at sharing cautionary tales on messenger boards, but the best thing you can do to avoid any pitfalls is read your contract.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 6, 2021
What to expect as a ¡®teacher of color¡¯ in Japan
Every situation is different. As a nonwhite instructor in Japan, it helps to know others facing the same challenges you are.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 3, 2020
With the coronavirus canceling classes, what are English teachers to do?
ALTs and English-language school employees are reporting confusion over what role their employers should play in a possible pandemic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 9, 2020
Japan-run language school that saw stock surge 1,093% last year eyes expansion
A Japan-run language school that saw its stock soar almost 12-fold last year is planning to expand into new business areas as its chief executive officer tries to keep the rally alive.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Dec 2, 2019
With great knowledge comes a great chilled beer
Sultan ¡®Sam¡¯ Vidhani operates Sam¡¯s Bar TalkEigo, a place in Fukuoka where you can participate in some language exchange with a cheeky drink.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Aug 4, 2019
What makes a good teacher? It depends on who you ask
When considering your role as a teacher it is best to think about what your students and employer want, and don¡¯t forget to take cultural differences into account.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
May 15, 2019
A tale of two ads (and two different sets of eyes)
Since many Japanese people don¡¯t have the opportunity to interact with black people in their daily lives, how the community is represented in the national media is important.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Apr 24, 2019
Malala is only one part of what makes Pakistan great
The textbooks used in English class are starting to look more and more like they should be used in social studies class, focusing increasingly on the cultures of countries where English isn¡¯t the first language. These lessons in diversity come in the form of stories about famous people such as Pakistan¡¯s...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Apr 10, 2019
Two English teachers stand up for their rights and win ¡ª a valuable lesson for anyone working in Japan
The closure of 51 Coco Juku eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan last week, with more to come in June, illustrates just how unstable the English teaching market can be. Companies that used to provide fairly well-paying jobs are now, in many cases, restructuring them into something that resembles...
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 10, 2019
Nichii Gakkan says more closures to come after shuttering 50 Coco Juku English schools across Japan
Nichii Gakkan wrote in a statement it decided to close most of the language schools as they were deemed unlikely to turn a profit.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Apr 10, 2019
Know your rights as a language teacher
Dennis Tesolat is chair of the General Union based in Osaka. Founded in 1991, the organization is part of a national private sector trade union known as Zenkoku-Ippan (the National Union of General Workers), which belongs to a confederation known as Zenrokyo (National Trade Union Council).
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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