Call for Applications for Annual Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2025

The Japan Foundation (JF) provides funding for people actively engaged in cultural exchange and provides grants for cultural exchange by making available tools, opportunities, and venues that facilitate exchange activities.

• Providing grants to people involved in exhibitions and stage performances related to Japanese arts and culture.
• Supporting individuals and NPOs for Japanese cultural exchange projects.
• Supporting programs to assist the professional skills of Japanese-language teachers.
• Supporting universities and research institutes engaging in Japanese studies.
• Supporting dialogue about international common issues and developing human resources who play key roles in future dialogue and exchange initiatives.

Headquarters’ Programs: Call for applications for fiscal year 2025 programs is open now
https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/

Application should be uploaded to the Online Application Portal (https://www.apply.jpf.go.jp) by 1 p.m., December 3, 2024 (Japan Standard Time). Please be note that the details about “The Japan Foundation Fellowship for Arts and Culture in Asia (Visual Arts)” and “The Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership (JFIPP) Research Fellowship” will be released in 2025. ※Any documentation submission by email or to the Japan Foundation, Yangon office will not be accepted.

1.Arts and Cultural Exchange [Culture]

(1) The Japan Foundation Fellowship for Arts and Culture in Asia (Visual Arts)

As a part of the “Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0” (The Japan Foundation – “Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0” (jpf.go.jp)), this program grants fellowship with the aim of developing human resources in the field of visual art to those who cultivate and nurture transnational collaborating/co-creating projects in Japan, ASEAN countries, India, and East Timor.

(2) Ishibashi Foundation/The Japan Foundation Fellowship for Research on Japanese Art

This program aims to support the development of professionals specializing in the study of Japanese visual arts by providing an opportunity for curators and researchers from abroad to conduct research in Japan, and by so doing, promote the study of the field and the introduction of Japanese art overseas.
This fellowship is implemented by the Japan Foundation with generous funding from the Ishibashi Foundation.

(3) Exhibitions Abroad Support Program

This program is designed to provide financial support for museums and art institutions overseas that organize exhibitions introducing Japanese art and culture to audiences overseas. In addition, this program is designed to support overseas international exhibitions such as biennials/triennials introducing Japanese artists and their works.

(4) Support Program for Translation and Publication

This program is designed to provide partial financial support for overseas publishers intending to translate and publish works originally written in Japanese. The program aims to foster better understanding of Japan by encouraging overseas publishers to translate and publish Japanese works. The grant covers part of the translation and publication costs (e.g. costs for paper, typesetting, platemaking, printing, and binding).

2.Japanese-Language Education Overseas [Language]

(1) Support Program for Organizations in Japanese-Language Education (Grants)

This program aims to support Japanese-language education activities by targeting Japanese-language teachers and students of overseas Japanese-language institutions and organizations.

(2) Training Program for Teachers of the Japanese Language

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa (JFJLI, Urawa) provides training opportunities in Japan (Saitama Prefecture) for Japanese-language teachers teaching outside of Japan.
The eligibility, duration, and content differ in every program.

• Basic Training Program for Teachers of the Japanese Language

This program is a six-month program designed for teachers who are early in their career with an opportunity to improve their Japanese-language skills, acquire the basic teaching methodology, and deepen their knowledge of Japan.

• Japanese-Language Program for Teachers of the Japanese Language

This program is a six-week program designed to provide an opportunity to improve their Japanese-language skill which is necessary as teachers of Japanese language. There will be NO lessons of Japanese-language teaching methodology.

• Japanese Teaching Methods Program for Teachers of the Japanese Language (Summer/Autumn/Winter)

Training Program of four to six weeks duration, which are designed to improve the teaching methodology will be conducted 3 times in FY 2025. There will be NO lessons for improving Japanese-language skill.

• Japanese-Language-Teacher Training Program to Accept Foreign Nationals (Teaching Methods)

This program is a 4-week onsite training program for teachers of the Japanese language at overseas organizations that provide Japanese-language education, with the aim of supporting Japanese-language educational programs for those who come to Japan on the working visa: Specified Skilled Worker, etc. The aim of the program is for participants to improve their teaching skills and to deepen their knowledge on Japanese affairs, society, and culture.

• Japanese-Language-Teacher Training Program to Accept Foreign Nationals (Japanese-Language)

This program is a five-week training program for teachers of the Japanese-language at overseas organizations that provide Japanese-language education, with the aim of supporting Japanese-language educational programs for those who come to Japan on the working visa: Specified Skilled Worker, etc. The aim of the program is for the participants to improve their Japanese-Language.

(3) Program for Specialists in Cultural and Academic Fields

With the aim of supporting specialists who require Japanese-language proficiency in order to smoothly perform their specialized work and research activities (such as researchers, graduate students, librarians, and museum and art museum curators), this program provides training to improve their Japanese- language ability by learning practical Japanese and actually using it in their research and specialized work-related activities, conducted at the Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai.

* In FY2025, only a six-month course will be offered.

3.Japanese Studies Overseas and International Dialogue [Dialogue]

(1) JF-JSA-ASEAN Fellowship Program

In order to develop the next generation of human resources and thus build a strong and long-lasting relationship of trust between Southeast Asia and Japan, this program, with the support of the Japanese Studies Association in Southeast Asia (JSA-ASEAN), provides opportunities to do research and engage in exchange activities in Japan for researchers in the field of Japanese studies from Southeast Asia.

(2) Grant Program for Strengthening Research Networks to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation

In order to develop the next generation of human resources and thus build a strong and long-lasting relationship of trust between Southeast Asia and Japan, this program provides grants to organizations in Southeast Asia to help implement their Japanese studies projects with the aim of forming and strengthening networks in Japanese studies.

(3) The Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership (JFIPP) Research Fellowship

This program provides support for researchers and practitioners in Japan, Australia, India, or the U.S. to conduct research activities on the common policy issues in the Indo-Pacific, mainly in the four countries, excluding the fellow’s country of origin.

(4) Grant Program for Japan-ASEAN Global Partnership (JFSEAP)

This program is designed to support collaborative activities conducted by organizations in Japan or ASEAN countries that aim to address global common issues, with the goal of contributing to the development of a multilayered network and building trust between Japan and ASEAN through intellectual exchange and the cultivation of the next generation of intellectual leaders.

Also, JF provides more Japanese studies grants programs jointly organized with outside institutions. For the details, please see the websites below.

(1) JF-GJS Fellowship Program

In order to promote Japanese Studies overseas, this program, jointly organized by the Japan Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia of the University of Tokyo (Tobunken), provides post-doctoral researchers in the field of Japanese Studies with opportunities to conduct research in Japan while belonging to Tobunken. The Fellows will also be expected to gain experience as project facilitators through operation and management work at various meetings or workshops, and to form and expand networks with people involved in international exchange.

2025 JF-GJS Fellowship Program Application Guidelines and Instructions (JF-GJSフェローシップ・プログラム募集要項) | Networking | GAS: Global Asian Studies (u-tokyo.ac.jp)

(2) JF-Nichibunken Fellowship Program

In order to promote Japanese Studies overseas, this program, jointly organized by the Japan Foundation and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, National Institutes for the Humanities (Nichibunken), provides post-doctoral researchers in the field of Japanese Studies with opportunities to conduct research in Japan while belonging to Nichibunken. The Fellows will also be expected to gain experience as project facilitators through operation and management work at various meetings or workshops, and to form and expand networks with people involved in international exchange.

Fellowships｜International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)