- 19 Japanese language educators from Japan to teach and promote culture across nine Philippine regions
- Part of the Nihongo Partners Program by Japan Foundation to strengthen language learning and mutual understanding
- Assignments include both language instruction and cultural exchange activities, lasting six months to a year
Nineteen teachers of the Japanese language from Japan will take part in a cultural exchange mission through nine regions in the Philippines as part of the Nihongo Partners Program, a programme long initiated by the Japan Foundation to forge greater mutual understanding between Japan and its Asian neighbors. Aid Ambassador Kazuya Endo greeted warmly the 12th batch of Nihongo Partners on August 8, 2025, with a courtesy visit to the Embassy of Japan in Manila. With Japan Foundation Manila Director Ben Suzuki, the delegation met with embassy representatives before going to their individual assignments.
Ambassador Endo praised the educators for their dedication and hoped that their efforts would extend beyond improving Japanese language education, enabling closer cultural relations between the Japanese and the Filipino people. He underlined that the exchange will be a mutual learning process whereas the instructors impart their skills and knowledge of Japanese customs, they will also learn from and experience Filipino ways, firsthand experiencing the nation's language, mores, and values.
The Nihongo Partners Program, established in 2014, sends Japanese nationals to secondary schools throughout Asia to aid local Japanese language teachers. The volunteers are language assistants and cultural ambassadors at the same time, engaging in interactive sessions, language classes, and cultural presentations as they discover daily life about their host communities. Assignments last from six months to a year, giving participants sufficient time to establish personal connections and expand global understanding.
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For this group, the 19 trainees will be assigned to different cities and municipalities such as Benguet, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Bohol, and Davao. They not only have to teach the Japanese language but also be ambassadors to introduce aspects of Japanese culture like traditional arts, cuisine, fiestas, and manners in order to make the exchange richer and more multidimensional.
Throughout the years, the program has been hailed as a bridge that brings Filipinos and Japanese together on a personal and cultural level to foster understanding and goodwill beyond the confines of a classroom. Through living and working with Filipinos, the Nihongo Partners are also bound to return in Japan with a greater appreciation for Philippine culture, making the experience all the more mutual. More information on the program is available on the Japan Foundation's official website.
