Message from the Director of the Center for Japanese Language Education

The 21st century has brought new challenges with many uncertainties. Mapping and predicting the future has become much more difficult because of the increased movement of people across national borders, the accelerated speed of information dissemination fueled by technological progress, and the changes and issues that accompany these developments. Rikkyo University understands that the human resources the world needs as we prepare for the future are people who can think and act independently while co-existing harmoniously through mutual understanding. Our aim is to instill in all of our graduates the ability to contribute to the globalization of society overall.


The Center for Japanese Language Education (CJLE) was established in 2011. Since then, we have consistently considered various means of contributing to Rikkyo University’s internationalization while educating the “new global leaders” we aim to cultivate at the University. As an organization responsible for Japanese language education, the CJLE offers courses tailored to the needs of nine different levels of Japanese language learners to ensure that we serve everyone from beginners to program completers. We also perform kanji skills aptitude testing, which is unique to Rikkyo University, and hold speech contests in which overseas students from all language learning levels (including beginners) can participate with the help of Japanese students. Additionally, the CJLE Japanese Language Support Desk offers Japanese learners hands-on assistance. We also implement short-term programs featuring lectures from Rikkyo faculty from various departments, as well as special field trips.

A key goal of the CJLE is to create environments in which international and Japanese students can interact, share ideas and experiences, and enjoy learning together. For example, in our speech contests, we pair overseas students with Japanese students and allow the latter to participate in both regular and short-term courses. With the CJLE as the core organization, we offer numerous activities through which students from all countries and regions can enjoy participating in exchange activities alongside students from Japan. We have a wide variety of venues through which all students can appreciate the value of other languages and cultures and expand their knowledge and increase their motivation to continue learning.


In the academic year 2022, Rikkyo University embarked on a new stage of internationalization. One outcome is that students from outside Japan, who have varying levels of proficiency in Japanese, can attend the classes offered by our departments as regular international students. In cooperation with the University departments that accept international students, the CJLE continues to develop and strengthen Japanese language courses so that international students can enjoy rich, abundant learning experiences alongside Japanese students. We make special efforts to ensure that all students learn and interact with each other in each department. Our goal is to not only help our overseas students enjoy University life but also provide them with the skills they need to adapt and live comfortably in local Japanese society. Through the close cooperation of students from Japan and abroad, we offer more than just international exchanges; rather, all students benefit from their interactions, as their global awareness grows, and they link their learning experiences with new realizations and even behavioral changes.

Furthermore, international students who have studied at Rikkyo University now receive more support, and many are active in Japan and overseas, where they are engaged in continuous relationship-building with Japan. Our Japanese language education goes beyond career and business-related language needs; the content was developed collectively by faculty across all the departments involved in providing international students with the education they need to strengthen their ties with Japan.
The “new global leaders” being educated at Rikkyo University are professionals who will be able to use their abilities no matter where they live in the future. To cultivate human resources who possess these skills, the University has transformed itself into a space where international and Japanese students can work together, share various experiences, and learn a host of important things. This is the type of “cooperative creation” that is needed to enable Rikkyo students to apply the perspectives they learn and transform their knowledge and skills into sustained action and innovation. Under our motto “From Collaboration to Co-Creation,” the Center for Japanese Language Education will continue to diligently perform its role as Rikkyo University’s core Japanese language education organization. As we progress ever forward, we ask for your continued support to and cooperation with CJLE.

Nobuko Ikeda, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Japanese Language Education

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