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The country’s second public Japanese language school will open in Osaka next April. Behind this is a sense of crisis in local areas due to population decline. Miyagi’s future is in doubt as to whether welcoming foreigners will bring new vitality. The Furukawa Hoyanagi area of Osaka has a quiet, rural setting. The Osaka Japanese Language School will open in the building of Nishi Furukawa Elementary School, which closed last year. It is the second public Japanese language school in the country and accepts international students from Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Principal of the Japanese Language School in Osaka, Toshimitsu Suzuki: “I would like to introduce you to the most characteristic room of our school. This is a prayer room. Before prayer, people cleanse themselves. That is why we equipped it with such premises. In addition to conducting trial sessions before opening the school and striving to provide high quality education, we are also working to create a school that actively promotes exchange with the local community. Ken Suzuki, Bishop of the Osaka Japanese Language School (immigrated from Tokyo) “It’s an uplifting feeling. When we open a school, we want to create a school that partners with the local people and grows with the community.” Why Osaka The city actually has a public Japanese language school. Will there be a language school open? The initiative came from Governor Muray, who was experiencing a strong sense of crisis due to population decline in rural areas. Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai: “As the prefecture’s population is seriously declining, it has become increasingly important to promote the acceptance of foreigners and maintain and revitalize local vitality. Japanese language schools in the prefecture are based on the current situation. The facilities are located in the city of Sendai, we would like to exchange views with municipalities that are interested in establishing facilities outside the city of Sendai.” “Although the birth rate is not expected to increase significantly, we are trying to attract people from abroad to increase the resident population and exchanges. The idea is to increase the population. In response to the prefecture’s ideas, the city of Osaka volunteered to open a Japanese language school. Osaka Mayor Yasushi Ito: “Osaka is home to agricultural World Heritage sites, Ramsar hot springs, ski resorts, beautiful rural scenery, and a culture and way of life that represents Japan. We want you to experience the best of Japan.” Comparing the age structure of the population with 1980, it is estimated that next year the proportion of people aged 65 and over will triple to 31.7%, while the proportion of people aged 14 and under will roughly halve to 11.8%. On the other hand, the city of Osaka ranks third in the prefecture in terms of the number of foreign residents after the cities of Sendai and Ishinomaki. One reason is that the city of Osaka has many factories that serve as production bases. 17 residents of Furukawa, Osaka, took an “easy” Japanese language course to communicate with foreign students. Lecture Situation: “The hiragana word “Yashii” has two meanings: “Easy” means light, and “Yasashi” means “kind or full of love.” This is my language.” A student dormitory for a Japanese language school is currently being built, as well as classes for residents who will host international students. However, it is true that it is not only the residents who are hospitable. A resident who took part in the course said: “As a foreigner, I had some concerns about public safety in the area.” To solve various problems of residents, a public Japanese language school has already been opened in the city of Osaka. We visited the city of Higashikawa in Hokkaido with representatives of the residents. We have strengthened the vision of how the region will change with the challenges. A local resident involved in the inspection said: “When I visited, I walked past several international students and they seemed to merge into one space and I felt it was internationalization. Being an old person like us, it is worrying, but young people… I hope that, for example, primary school and junior high school students can develop a new sense of international consciousness.” “The number of people living in the area is decreasing and the population is increasing. I’m getting old, so I’d like for foreign exchange students to come and learn a little about Japanese culture.” But I want people to touch me.” To maintain the vitality of the region and develop human resources that can play an active role in the world. Residents who took part in the review said they believed this was a necessary choice for the future of Osaka. Principal of the Osaka Japanese Language School, Toshimitsu Suzuki: “Without the understanding and cooperation of the local community, we cannot succeed and cannot become a good school. Although we are a regeneration school, it is important to work with the local community to improve the school itself.” “The Japanese language school in Osaka is scheduled to open in April next year.