JICE conducts Japanese language training program prior to the arrival of JDS fellows in Japan. The aim of this program is to nurture fellows to be familiar with Japan by deepening their understanding of Japanese and encouraging their smooth communication in the community and universities.

In order to acquire the Japanese language skills in a short period before their arrival in Japan, JDS fellows attend Japanese language classes after their official duties on weekdays/weekends, starting with the basic Japanese language study. The goals of this program are to reach a level at which they could understand basic Japanese, handle very basic conversational situations, and promote understanding of Japan.

Some of the fellows immediately started using the Japanese they have learnt with their friends and Japanese teachers in the classroom, exchanging greetings as “Konnichiwa!” “Otsukaresamadesu!”