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July 24, 2026
 

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ENGLISH

English has rapidly replaced French as the language of the peloton.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 6, 2026
English-language takeover of Tour de France forces even French riders to adapt
English has increasingly replaced French ¡ª and also Italian, Flemish and Spanish ¡ª?as the language of the peloton.
Jimbocho, Tokyo¡¯s book town, has gained popularity online and some travel companies are already selling book-centric tours for foreign visitors.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 20, 2026
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
While some travel companies are now offering book-centric tours around Jimbocho, foreign visitors are often leaving bookstores empty-handed, despite intentions to buy books.
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.
A woman was arrested for allegedly taking an English proficiency test posing as another person, adding to a series of proxy test-taking cases that have come to light since last year.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 27, 2026
Woman arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of proxy test-taking
Police suspect the woman took an English proficiency exam last year on behalf of a Chinese man and received about ?1 million from the man as payment.
Yurika Lacy in Aisai, Aichi Prefecture, with her grandfather's book and the English version she translated
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 24, 2025
Aichi Prefecture resident tells grandfather¡¯s WWII story in English
Translating notes about being a student soldier took seven years to complete, in time for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Waseda University in Tokyo
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 3, 2025
More Japanese universities pushing toward teaching in English
Many university officials in Japan believe bringing an international environment onto campus is a cheaper, safer way to produce highly skilled graduates.
A screenshot of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's international schools portal site
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Oct 24, 2025
Tokyo launches English-language international school database
The initiative is intended to further improve the living environment for residents whose first language is not Japanese.
"Animator Skill Test Textbook¡± was written in concert with a test created and administered by the Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association since 2024. The test was designed to help set a baseline for those studying animation, and so that animation studios can get a better idea of applicants' current skill level.
CULTURE / Books
Sep 4, 2025
English textbook targets a skills gap in Japan¡¯s growing anime industry
From ¡°d¨­ga¡± to ¡°lip flap,¡± the Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association¡¯s ¡°Animator Skill Test Textbook¡± teaches aspiring animators how to talk like the pros.
Shun Sasaki, 12, an elementary school student in Hiroshima, guides foreign visitors in English as a volunteer guide in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on July 15.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 31, 2025
Hiroshima schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours? in English
Shun Sasaki¡¯s volunteer work has let to him being selected as one of two local children to speak at this year¡¯s ceremony marking 80 years since the A-bomb was dropped.
Indian assistant language teachers pose for a photo with Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Ono (center) at the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 26, 2025
Japan to regularly accept assistant language teachers from India
This marks the first regular dispatch of assistant language teachers from India under a government initiative to promote exchanges at the regional level.
A pendant-shaped relay device suspected to have been used to cheat on the TOEIC English proficiency test, in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Tuesday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jul 22, 2025
Rice grain-sized earphone may have been used to cheat on TOEIC English test
The earphone, which was several millimeters in size, was designed to be removed from the ear using a magnetic stick.
An English conversation test paper and bubble answer sheet. A Chinese graduate student from Kyoto University is suspected of having attempted to use a small microphone under a mask to tell other takers of a popular English-language proficiency test the correct answers.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jul 8, 2025
Over 800 people found to be involved in TOEIC cheating scheme
For those identified as having cheated, their scores have been nullified and their accounts for the exam have been suspended.
According to the education ministry survey for fiscal 2024, the English proficiency of public junior high school and senior high school students in Japan continues to improve.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 24, 2025
Japanese students¡¯ English proficiency keeps improving
The city of Saitama marked the highest figure for junior high school third graders with Grade 3 or higher Eiken levels, at 89.2%.
President Donald Trump¡¯s order making English the official language of the country is unnecessary, as nearly 80% of people in the U.S. already speak it at home.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 14, 2025
America doesn¡¯t need an official language
After all, what is our shared culture if not the mix of cultures ¡ª including languages ¡ª that make and remake America every day?
U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office in Washington on Tuesday. The U.S. president just signed another executive order on Saturday designating English as the official language of the United States.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 2, 2025
Trump designates English as official language of U.S.
The White House published an executive order by Trump which says it is ¡°long past time¡± that English is declared as the nation¡¯s official language.
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.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange will soon require some companies to publish their financials in English in addition to Japanese.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 13, 2025
Japanese companies rush to up English-language disclosures in 2025
The Tokyo Stock Exchange requires Prime market companies to release financial statements and other key information simultaneously in English and Japanese from April.
Otono Kuboki, a Japanese Canadian hair stylist for salon chain Sozo, is a key figure in the company's mission to elevate the viability of Japan's hairdressing industry to foreign residents.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 11, 2025
Can an international makeover help Tokyo salons meet foreign demand?
Sozo Education aims to train Tokyo¡¯s next crop of stylists not just in English vocabulary related to hairdressing but in the diverse needs of foreign hair types.
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.
Japanese companies lack the agility needed for the digital transformation, a new report says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 15, 2024
Japan ranked 31st in digital competitiveness, 92nd for English skills
In the 2024 EF English Proficiency Index, Japan was ranked 92nd, down from 87 the previous year. It was its worst showing yet.
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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