Japan's control vs. support for foreign residents' Japanese language proficiency

Seriously, how's your Japanese? For those of us going the distance in Japan, language proficiency is a major issue. How we navigate social and work contexts with our Japanese coworkers and neighbors depends on the environment. In my daily life, I feel confident I can communicate with my coworkers, friends, and neighbours. However, my literacy is a huge barrier. To manage email, read notices, and message my friends, I depend on translation and audio to read and respond. I'm sure there are a lot of us out there - able to communicate, but not near native level in Japanese.

On the platform at Kashiwa Station

How did I manage? I had one year of formal Japanese language instruction at university in my home country. After arriving in Japan, I spent time on self-study and correspondence courses. Community language lessons at international associations helped. Beyond that, interaction with my Japanese-speaking friends and partner helped communication. Passing the JLPT N2 was a big hurdle and a confirmation that I'm working my way up to fluency.

 Inagaki Midori, a Juntendo University professor, identifies hurdles to Japanese language proficiency in her recent Japan Times opinion piece. She's a specialist in Japanese language education, language policy, and immigration studies. Her article reveals a significant deficit in the most recent policy decisions about permanent foreign residents. The new policy anticipates Japanese language proficiency but no specified benchmarks as yet.

For some foreign mothers, maintaining the heritage language requires labour and precludes learning Japanese. The "old country langauge" is a net benefit to Japan, but not recognized. In fields like mine, where foreign language proficiency is important, many employers don't demand or value our Japanese language ability.  In other fields, multilingualism is necessary. Consider those foreign residents working in imports/exports, health care, and tourism.

Regardless of your Japanese language ability, you contribute to Japan's society.

How do you feel about the impending requirements of Japanese language proficiency for permanent resident status?