Overseas Japanese Language Education Institution Support Grants

The Japan Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and educational institution tasked with promoting understanding of Japan worldwide, including its language, arts, and scholarship. It supports overseas Japanese-language education by funding non-profit institutions, teacher associations, academic societies, and cultural exchange initiatives. The Foundation helps build capacity—through teacher training, materials development, and educational programming—in countries and regions that either lack a local Japan Foundation office or are seeking to strengthen Japanese­language education ecosystems. Its grants aim to encourage non­commercial, non-political, non-religious projects that stimulate interest in Japanese language and culture, while fostering local ownership and sustainable impact.

This grant program assists overseas institutions engaged in teaching the Japanese language, especially in places where a Japan Foundation office is not present, or in designated countries without direct access to such support. It offers various grant types including: support for activities that motivate students (speech contests, debates, presentations); salary assistance for Japanese language teachers; purchase of teaching materials; conference/seminar grants; publication of locally relevant resources; and original proposals aligned with promoting Japanese language education. Projects must be non-profit, avoid political or religious aims, and not be commercial enterprises. Grants typically cover only part of the cost. The grant period is for Japanese fiscal year 2025 (April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026), with some grants offering multi-year salary support (up to 36 months under some categories), though specific conditions apply.