Japan Foundation

Japan Foundation logo

The Japanese Cultural Institute in Cologne

The Japan Foundation ( Japanese 国際交流基金 , Kokusai Kōryū Kikin , dt. "Foundation for international exchange") is a Japanese cultural institution whose task is the promotion and dissemination of the Japanese language and culture . It can be seen as the Japanese counterpart to the German Goethe Institute .

The institution was founded in 1972. On October 1, 2003, it was subordinated to the Japanese Foreign Ministry and is thus part of Japan's foreign cultural policy. To promote cultural exchange between Japan and other countries, events are organized and language courses offered by the branches abroad. The Japan Foundation approves the most widely used test for Japanese proficiency , the JLPT .

The Japan Foundation has 21 offices in 19 countries. The head office is in Tokyo . There is also an office in Kyoto .