Japan Foundation

Organization

35°41′15″N 139°43′04″E / 35.687447°N 139.717781°E / 35.687447; 139.717781

Shinjuku, Tokyo

OriginsAct of the National Diet

Area served

WorldwideProductJapanese cultural educationWebsitehttp://www.jpf.go.jp/

The Japan Foundation (国際交流基金, Kokusai Kōryū Kikin) was established in 1972 by an Act of the National Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an Independent Administrative Institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent Administrative Institution Japan Foundation Law".^[1]

The Japan Foundation aims towards comprehensive and effective development of its international cultural exchange programs in the following categories:^[2]

Promotion of (Japanese) arts and cultural exchange
Promotion of (overseas) Japanese-language education (the JLPT exam)
Promotion of (overseas) Japanese studies and intellectual exchange – Japan Foundation Information Centers^[3] collect and provide information about international exchange and international cultural exchange standard bearers.

Prince Takamado served as administrator of the Japan Foundation from 1981 to 2002.

Japan Foundations worldwide

The Japan Foundation is headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo and has a subsidiary office in Kyoto. There are also two domestic Japanese-Language Institutes in Saitama and Tajiri, Osaka.

Internationally, the Japan Foundation maintains 25 overseas branches in 24 countries:^[4]

Asia and Oceania

The Americas

Brazil (São Paulo)
Canada (Toronto)
Mexico (Mexico City)
Peru (Lima)
United States (Los Angeles, New York City)

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Wochi Kochi Magazine

The Wochi Kochi Magazine (をちこちMagazine)^[5] is a Japanese website designed by the Japan Foundation^[6] to enhance the strength of information transmission about Japanese culture to the world. It replaced the paper magazines Kokusai-Kouryu (International Exchanges) (1974–2004) and Wochi-Kochi (Far and Near) (2004–2009). Those were the only domestic paper magazines which were especially published for "international cultural exchanges". The word "wochi-kochi" itself is a pronoun from ancient Japanese "Yamato" language meaning "here and there" or "the future and the present". As the web magazine title, "wochi-kochi" demonstrates places and times, and it expresses the desires to spread Japanese language/culture overseas, moreover, play a role as the cultural bridge among countries and people. Keeping those aspects from previous magazines, the Wochi-Kochi Magazine website carries interviews, contributed articles and serialized stories written by the experts from various professional fields each month.

Activities

Let's Learn Japanese – educational Japanese-language learning series, produced 1985, 1995, and 2007
JF Nihongo - Japanese language classes offered using the Can-do evaluation system.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test – Japan Foundation co-proctors exam overseas

Asian Cartoon Art Exhibition

From 1995 onward regularly inviting leading cartoonists from various Asian countries to conduct Asian Cartoon Exhibition and Conference at The Japan Foundation Asia Center, Tokyo as an annual event. Later on the same exhibition travels to the various Asian counties. In the process, it has employed the friendly medium of cartoons for introducing Asian societies to those who would like to know more about them and appreciate people other than their own kind.^[7]^[8]^[9]

References

^ "The Japan Foundation > Program Guidelines". Jpf.go.jp. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
^ "The Japan Foundation". Jpf.go.jp. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
^ "The Japan Foundation > About Us > Overview > contents". Jpf.go.jp. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
^ Japan Foundations Worldwide, retrieved 13 March 2019
^ Wochi Kochi Magazine (をちこちMagazine) Archived 2 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ Japan Foundation(English)
^ 3rd Asian Cartoon and Art Exhibition : Manga Hai Kya, Comics by Shekhar Gurera
^ 10th Asian Cartoon Exhibition at Kualalumpur : National Library of Malaysia : Nov14,2006
^ 11th Asian Cartoon Exhibition at New Delhi : The Hindu : Feb28,2008

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Japan Foundation.

Official website
Japan Cultural Profile National cultural portal for Japan created by Visiting Arts with Japan Foundation support
International Societies (local-government-funded NPOs) in Japan to promote cultural and language exchange

International cultural promotion organizations

Americas

Asia

China: Confucius Institute
India: Indian Council for Cultural Relations; Samskrita Bharati
Japan: Japan Foundation
Philippines: Sentro Rizal
South Korea: Korea Foundation; Korean Cultural Center; King Sejong Institute
Taiwan: Taiwan Academy
Turkey: Yunus Emre Institute

Europe

Andorra: Ramon Llull Foundation
Czech Republic: Czech Centres
Denmark: Danish Cultural Institute
Estonia: Estonian Institute
European Union: EUNIC
Finland: Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes
France: Alliance Française; Institut Français
Germany: Goethe-Institut
Greece: Center for the Greek Language; Hellenic Foundation for Culture
Hungary: Balassi Institute
Ireland: Culture Ireland
Italy: Società Dante Alighieri; Istituto Italiano di Cultura
Poland: Adam Mickiewicz Institute; Polish Institute
Portugal: Instituto Camões
Romania: Romanian Cultural Institute
Russia: Russkiy Mir Foundation
Spain: Instituto Cervantes / Institut Ramon Llull
Sweden: Swedish Institute
Switzerland: Pro Helvetia
Ukraine: Ukrainian Institute
United Kingdom: British Council

v t e Incorporated Administrative Agencies in Japan
There are 102 institutions as of April 1, 2012. Bold institutions employ national public servants.
Cabinet Office	National Archives of Japan ja:Northern Territories Issue Association ja:National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications	National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) ja:National Statistics Center ja:Public Foundation for Peace and Consolation ja:Management Organization for Postal Savings and Postal Life Insurance
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	Japan International Cooperation Agency Japan Foundation
Ministry of Finance	ja:National Research Institute of Brewing Japan Mint National Printing Bureau Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition '70
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology	ja:National Institute of Special Education National Center for University Entrance Examinations ja:National Institution For Youth Education ja:National Women's Education Center National Museum of Nature and Science National Institute for Materials Science ja:National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention ja:National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology National Institutes for Cultural Heritage ja:National Institute of Radiological Sciences ja:National Center for Teachers' Development Japan Science and Technology Agency Japan Society for the Promotion of Science RIKEN Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ja:National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health Japan Arts Council ja:Japan Student Services Organization Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology ja:Institute of National Colleges of Technology National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare	ja:National Institute of Health and Nutrition ja:National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ja:Organization for Workers Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid ja:Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers ja:Welfare And Medical Service Agency ja:National Center for Persons with Severe Intellectual Disabilities, Nozominosono Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training ja:Japan Labour Health and Welfare Organization ja:National Hospital Organization ja:Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency ja:National Institute of Biomedical Innovation ja:Readjustment of Facilities for Insured Persons and Beneficiaries Organization Government Pension Investment Fund ja:National Cancer Center ja:National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital ja:National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry ja:National Center for Global Health and Medicine ja:National Center for Child Health and Development ja:National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontrogy
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	ja:Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center ja:National Center for Seeds and Seedlings ja:National Livestock Breeding Center ja:National Fisheries University ja:National Agriculture and Food Research Organization ja:National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences ja:National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences ja:Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences ja:Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute ja:Fisheries Research Agency ja:Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation ja:Farmer's Pension Fund ja:Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Credit Foundations
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	ja:Information-Technology Promotion Agency ja:Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry ja:National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training Nippon Export and Investment Insurance National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology National Institute of Technology and Evaluation New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization Japan External Trade Organization ja:Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization ja:Information-technology Promotion Agency Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ja:Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism	ja:Public Works Research Institute ja:Building Research Institute ja:National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory ja:National Maritime Research Institute ja:Port and Airport Research Institute ja:Electronic Navigation Research Institute ja:National Institute for Sea Training ja:Marine Technical Education Agency ja:Civil Aviation College ja:National Agency of Vehicle Inspection: Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency Japan National Tourism Organization ja:Japan Water Agency ja:National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid ja:Organization for Environment Improvement around International Airports ja:Maritime Disaster Prevention Center ja:Urban Renaissance Agency ja:Fund for the Promotion and Development of the Amami Islands ja:Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency ja:Japan Housing Finance Agency
Ministry of the Environment	ja:National Institute for Environmental Studies ja:Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency
Ministry of Defense	ja:Labor Management Organization for USFJ Employees
Related topics	ja:Act on General Rules for Independent Administrative Agency List of Independent Administrative Institutes in Japan ja:Japanese administrative reforms ja:Government Revitalization Unit ja:Japanese government program review ja:Japanese extra-governmental organizations

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