Japan urged to keep program to invite foreign language instructors

A Japan-U.S. panel drawn from government, business and academia called Friday for sustaining a program to invite English and other foreign language instructors to Japan, challenging a Japanese government view, expressed earlier this year, questioning the necessity of the project as part of a review of unnecessary public projects.

The U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange, which is known as CULCON, said in a joint statement issued after its two-day gathering in Washington that investment should be made in education for the Japan-U.S. alliance in the future.

"The investment should range from improving English language education in Japan to stimulating interest in each other's country...sustaining the JET program and fostering public intellectuals through graduate and post-doctoral studies," the statement said. JET stands for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

Minoru Makihara, senior corporate adviser and former chairman of Mitsubishi Corp. and chair of the Japan panel, told a news conference that participants noted the importance of fostering Americans familiar with Japan amid growing interest in China among Americans.

The participants also discussed ways to increase the number of Japanese students studying in the United States and the importance of promoting grass-roots exchanges.

Michael Green, former senior director for Asian affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, said, "The story of popular views of Americans and Japanese towards each other is very positive," despite difficulties over the base row in Okinawa.

The bilateral conference was set up in 1961 in a joint statement of former Japanese Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda and U.S. President John F. Kennedy. This year marked the 24th biennial meeting.

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