Japan Foundation

{{Short description|Japanese semi-governmental organisation}} {{About|a semi-governmental organisation|the non-governmental organisation|Nippon Foundation}} {{coord|display=title|35.687447|N|139.717781|E|format=dms}}

{{primary sources|date=September 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox organization | name = Japan Foundation | logo = Japan Foundation logo.png | type = Cultural institution | founded = {{start date and age|1972}} | founder = Government of Japan | location = Shinjuku, Tokyo | origins = Act of the National Diet | key_people = | region_served = Worldwide | product = Japanese cultural education | status = Independent Administrative Institution | method = | revenue = | endowment = | num_volunteers = | num_employees = | num_members = | subsid = | owner = | website = http://www.jpf.go.jp/ | dissolved = | footnotes = }}

The {{Nihongo|'''Japan Foundation'''|国際交流基金|Kokusai Kōryū Kikin}} is a Japanese foundation that spreads Japanese culture around the world. Based in Tokyo, it was established in 1972 by an Act of the National Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture. It then became an Independent Administrative Institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent Administrative Institution Japan Foundation Law".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/ |title=The Japan Foundation > Program Guidelines |publisher=Jpf.go.jp |access-date=2011-08-10}}</ref>

The Japan Foundation aims towards comprehensive and effective development of its international cultural exchange programs in the following categories:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/ |title=The Japan Foundation |publisher=Jpf.go.jp |date=2011-07-27 |access-date=2011-08-10}}</ref>

# Promotion of (Japanese) arts and cultural exchange # Promotion of (overseas) Japanese-language education (the JLPT exam) # Promotion of (overseas) Japanese studies and intellectual exchange – Japan Foundation Information Centers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/about/outline/contact/ |title=The Japan Foundation > About Us > Overview > contents |publisher=Jpf.go.jp |access-date=2011-08-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320095746/http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/about/outline/contact/ |archive-date=20 March 2012 }}</ref> collect and provide information about international exchange and international cultural exchange standard bearers.

Prince Takamado served as administrator of the Japan Foundation from 1981 to 2002.

==Japan Foundations worldwide == [[File:Japanisches Kulturinstitut Köln (0486-88).jpg|thumb|250px|Building of the "Japanisches Kulturinstitut" in Cologne, Germany]] [[File:Japan Cultural Center, Paris 2012.jpg|thumb|250px|The Japan Cultural Institute in Paris, France]] The Japan Foundation is headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo and has a subsidiary office in Kyoto. There are also two domestic Japanese-Language Institutes in Saitama and Tajiri, Osaka.

Internationally, the Japan Foundation maintains 25 overseas branches in 24 countries:<ref>[https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/world/index.html Japan Foundations Worldwide], retrieved 13 March 2019</ref>

=== Asia and Oceania === * {{AUS}} (Sydney) * {{KHM}} (Phnom Penh) * {{CHN}} (Beijing) * {{IND}} (New Delhi) * {{INA}} (Jakarta) * {{LAO}} (Vientiane) * {{MAS}} (Kuala Lumpur) * {{MYA}} (Yangon) * {{PHL}} (Manila) * {{KOR}} (Seoul) * {{THA}} (Bangkok) * {{VIE}} (Hanoi)

=== The Americas === * {{BRA}} (São Paulo) * {{CAN}} (Toronto) * {{MEX}} (Mexico City) * {{PER}} (Lima) * {{USA}} (Los Angeles, New York City)

=== Europe, Middle East and Africa === * {{EGY}} (Cairo) * {{FRA}} (Paris) * {{GER}} (Cologne) * {{HUN}} (Budapest) * {{ITA}} (Rome) * {{RUS}} (Moscow) * {{ESP}} (Madrid) * {{GBR}} (London)

==Wochi Kochi Magazine== The {{Nihongo|''Wochi Kochi Magazine''|をちこちMagazine|}}<ref>[http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/publish/periodic/wochikochi/index.html Wochi Kochi Magazine (をちこちMagazine) ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902050747/http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/publish/periodic/wochikochi/index.html |date=2 September 2012 }}</ref> is a Japanese website designed by the Japan Foundation<ref>[http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/index.html Japan Foundation(English) ]</ref> to enhance the strength of information transmission about Japanese culture to the world. It replaced the paper magazines ''Kokusai-Kouryu'' (International Exchanges) (1974–2004) and ''Wochi-Kochi'' (Far and Near) (2004–2009). Those were the only domestic paper magazines which were especially published for "international cultural exchanges". The word "wochi-kochi" itself is a pronoun from ancient Japanese "Yamato" language meaning "here and there" or "the future and the present". As the web magazine title, "wochi-kochi" demonstrates places and times, and it expresses the desires to spread Japanese language/culture overseas, moreover, play a role as the cultural bridge among countries and people. Keeping those aspects from previous magazines, the ''Wochi-Kochi Magazine'' website carries interviews, contributed articles and serialized stories written by the experts from various professional fields each month.

==Japanese Film Database (JFDB)==  The Japanese Film Database (JFDB) (日本映画データベース ) is an online information directory of films made in Japan. The database is co-produced by the Japan Foundation<ref name="JFD">{{cite web|title=Resources for Japan Scholars: Japanese Film Database |url=https://sydney.jpf.go.jp/japanese-studies/resources/japanese-film-database/ |website=JPF: Resources: Databases |publisher=Japan Foundation |access-date=3 February 2025}}</ref> together with UniJapan,<ref name="UNI-database">{{cite web|title=Publications & Database |url=https://www.unijapan.org/en/project/information/ |website=UNIJAPAN |date=2014 |access-date=6 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321023129/https://www.unijapan.org/en/project/information/ |archive-date=March 21, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="UNI-Portal">{{cite web|title=Matching / Database |url=https://www.co-pro.unijapan.org/en/matching-database |website=Japan Film Co-production Portal |publisher=UNIJAPAN |date=2024 |access-date=6 February 2025}}</ref> and exhibited bilingually in Japanese and English.<ref name="Illinois-UC">{{cite web|title=Japanese Studies > Films |url=https://www.library.illinois.edu/japanese/japanese-studies/japanese-studies-library-resources/open-access-resources-home/films/ |website=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |access-date=6 February 2025}}</ref><ref name="Harvard">{{cite web|title=Research Guide for Japanese Studies |url=https://guides.library.harvard.edu/c.php?g=310291&p=2078067 |website=Harvard Library |access-date=6 February 2025}}</ref>

==JFF Theater== In August 2024, the Japan Foundation launched JFF Theater, a free online platform for streaming Japanese films worldwide with multilingual subtitles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.tempo.co/read/2057317/2025-annual-japanese-film-festival-to-be-held-in-indonesias-nine-major-cities|title=2025 Annual Japanese Film Festival to Be Held in Indonesia's Nine Major Cities|last=Rasyadiputra|first=Ditya|date=15 October 2025|website=Tempo|access-date=18 November 2025}}</ref>

== Activities == thumb|Delegates of 3rd Asian Cartoon Exhibition, held at Tokyo, in July 1997, organized by The Japan Foundation Asia Center * ''Let's Learn Japanese'' – educational Japanese-language learning series, produced 1985, 1995, and 2007 * ''JF Nihongo'' - Japanese language classes offered using the Can-do evaluation system * Japanese Language Proficiency Test – Japan Foundation co-proctors exam overseas

===Asian Cartoon Art Exhibition=== From 1995 onward regularly inviting leading cartoonists from various Asian countries to conduct Asian Cartoon Exhibition and Conference at The Japan Foundation Asia Center, Tokyo as an annual event. Later on the same exhibition travels to the various Asian countries. In the process, it has employed the friendly medium of cartoons for introducing Asian societies to those who would like to know more about them and appreciate people other than their own kind.<ref>3rd Asian Cartoon and Art Exhibition : [http://www.readwhere.com/read/154198/g4u-MEDIA/Manga-Hai-Kya-Comics-#page/1/2 Manga Hai Kya, Comics] by Shekhar Gurera</ref><ref>10th Asian Cartoon Exhibition at Kualalumpur : [http://www.jfkl.org.my/events/the-10th-asian-cartoon-exhibition-asian-environmental-issues/ National Library of Malaysia : November 14, 2006]</ref><ref>11th Asian Cartoon Exhibition at New Delhi : [http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article1210716.ece The Hindu : February 28, 2008]</ref>

== See also == {{Portal|Japan|Society}} * Nippon Foundation * Korea Foundation * Singapore International Foundation * British Council * Alliance Française * Cultural Diplomacy * Public diplomacy

== References ==

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website|http://www.jpf.go.jp/}} * [http://www.japan.culturalprofiles.net Japan Cultural Profile] National cultural portal for Japan created by Visiting Arts with Japan Foundation support * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120226025402/http://www.tokyo-international.org/ International Societies (local-government-funded NPOs) in Japan] to promote cultural and language exchange * [https://jfdb.jp/ Japanese Film Database], co-produced by Japan Foundation and UniJapan

Category:1972 establishments in Japan Category:Organizations established in 1972 Category:Culture of Japan Category:Japanese studies Category:Japanese-language education Category:Cultural promotion organizations Category:Independent Administrative Institutions of Japan Category:Language advocacy organizations Category:Foreign relations of Japan Category:Organizations based in Tokyo Category:Shinjuku Category:Online film databases