Opinion Exchange with Colorado Japanese Language Education Association (July 28, 2016)

On Thursday, July 28th, Consul-General and Mrs. Ito participated in an opinion exchange with the Colorado Japanese Language Education Association (CJLEA). CJLEA has been popularizing Japanese language education in Colorado for many years.

Consul-General Ito said that Japanese language education is linked to interest in Japanese culture, and promotes friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S.. As a result the importance of Japanese language teachers is increasing. In response, the CJLEA members shared that there is an increase in young people wanting to study Japanese because of interests in Japanese video games and anime as well as students who wish they had started studying Japanese at a younger age, making Japanese’s popularity more deep-rooted compared to other foreign languages.

As a Consulate-General, we will continue to cooperate with Japanese language education affiliates in order to further popularize and develop Japanese language education in Colorado.