The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test will be held on Sunday, Dec. 1, in Kimpel Hall. The JLPT is organized by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services to provide a standard by which Japanese language students can demonstrate and benchmark their Japanese abilities.  

The JLPT is the only international certification examination authorized by the Japanese government. Examinees take the test at five different levels, with N1 the highest (near native-like proficiency) and N5 the lowest (simple sentence-level delivery). According to The Japan Foundation's survey in 2019, only 2 percent of American learners of Japanese had JLPT certificates. 

This year, registration for the JLPT is at an all-time high, with a record 380 examinees. This marks the fourth straight year of an all-time high number of examinees for the U of A.  

Besides recognizing the examinees' proficiency levels by common sets of standards worldwide, JLPT certificates offer unique advantages ranging from gaining admission to graduate schools in Japan to earning bonus points in work visa application to Japan.    

According to Consul-General Shinji Watanabe of Japan in Nashville, Tennessee, the JLPT began in 1984, when it was administered in 15 countries, and approximately 7,000 examinees took the test. Since then, Watanabe said that the JLPT has become the largest Japanese-language test in the world, with approximately 660,000 examinees in 85 countries and areas worldwide in 2023.  

Watanabe noted that JLPT certificates are internationally recognized and bring numerous advantages, such as recognition as academic credits and graduation credentials in schools, preferential opportunities in the workplace and societal acknowledgment of one's qualifications. 

"I am very happy that the University of Arkansas has been able to serve as a JLPT testing site since 2008, and I would like to congratulate them on hosting a record number of test takers," Watanabe said. "I look forward to seeing more students in the Mid-South region grow and expand their knowledge of Japanese language and culture, and I wish the best of luck for all of the 2024 JLPT examinees." 

Alongside Consul-General Watanabe, associate professor Tatsuya Fukushima, head of the Japanese Program, acknowledged the invaluable assistance of the AATJ (American Association of Teachers of Japanese): "Administering the JLPT has been an important mission for our Japanese program since the University of Arkansas was designated as a host institution. As successful as we have been, we cannot do it without the assistance of the AATJ, the university, our department, a group of proctors and our outstanding teaching faculty. I really thank all of them for their support." 

Neal Jansen, director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission–Asia Office and U of A alumnus (class of 2005), noted the value of having JLPT certification: "Having JLPT certification absolutely improves one's job prospects, both working with companies and organizations inside Japan, but also for those same companies' and orgs' overseas offices. The JLPT remains the most widely accepted standard for accessing proficiency and is indeed now required for many positions listed by Japanese firms seeking international talent." 

Jansen added that Japan, like many developed countries, is currently experiencing serious labor shortages in sectors such as healthcare, certain types of manufacturing and childcare. "Japanese multinationals are also keen on multilingual talent as they continue expanding overseas," Jansen said. "As such, the country needs foreign professionals to fill these roles and has implemented some programs to attract them. However, the language barrier has proven to be a bottleneck, especially as English proficiency still somewhat lags in Japan overall. It makes sense that JLPT registration would be up as more people angle for open positions in the country, many requiring certain JLPT levels to be considered." 

The U of A was designated in 2008 as the ninth U.S. host institution, and 18 U.S. institutions, including the U of A, will host the JLPT this year. The JLPT takes place on the first Sunday of December annually, and many JLPT host institutions in the U.S. are top universities such as Georgetown University, University of Washington, DePaul University and University of Michigan.  

DeShea Rigg, a teaching assistant of Japanese who spent the last eight years in Japan as a Japanese Exchange Teaching (JET) Program participant, shared her thoughts on the high number of examinees as well as her personal experience with the JLPT: 

"There are only 18 places in the U.S. where Japanese language learners can take this international test, and I am so proud that the University of Arkansas is one of them. This year, the test will not be held in the State of Georgia; some of those who would take it there will be coming here instead, and I think that is why the number of test takers at our university is at an all-time high of nearly 400 people. 

"Taking the JLPT can open so many doors for those who want careers requiring Japanese language skills. Having a JLPT certification on your resume will certainly make you stand out! Last year, when I took the N2 level of the test, many of the other test takers came from fields such as chemistry, engineering and education. Many of those taking for the test also said they planned to apply to the JET Program, an international program to teach English in Japan. Passing any level of the JLPT will show JET interviewers that you can communicate in Japanese and contribute to international exchange. 

"From a personal perspective: after spending eight years in Japan as a JET Program participant, I am very proud that I passed the N2 level. I think it shows that my time spent there was put to good use. The more Japanese I learned, the more comfortable my life was in Japan and the more I could understand Japanese culture. Now, I'm back in the US, teaching Japanese and studying my master's in TESOL. Because of my teaching experience and JLPT certification, two career paths have opened for me: foreign language education in Japanese and English education." 

Professor Mafumi Omura, instructor of Japanese, shared her experiences in the classroom as an advanced Japanese instructor:  

"As an instructor at the advanced level, I have noticed that students who are willing to speak to me or write emails to me in Japanese would likely pass JLPT N4 or higher.  I also noticed that students who study for the JLPT intensively improve their language proficiency in a short period of time. Learners of Japanese can join a JLPT preparation program as one of the greatest shortcuts to improve their Japanese." 

Professor Motoko Miura, instructor of Japanese, discussed the importance of the JLPT regarding access to career opportunities:  

"The JLPT is not just a nationally but internationally recognized exam that offers numerous benefits for Japanese language learners. One such advantage is the increased access to career opportunities and favorable immigration visa conditions. For instance, certain educational institutions use JLPT certification as a benchmark for completing Japanese language programs, and it is also utilized as a placement test. In addition, some companies in Japan require applicants to have a specific JLPT level, if their first language is not Japanese. Furthermore, the Japanese government employs a points system for immigration purposes, where achieving N1 or N2 levels alone will lead to approximately 15 percent or more of the required points. I am proud to be part of the initiative to offer the JLPT in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and I wish all applicants the best of luck in their endeavors!"

For more information, contact Tatsuya Fukushima at tatsuya@uark.edu.