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A Gifu City’s Japanese-Language Training Gets Foreign Kids Up to Speed for School

  • Three siblings from Pakistan introduce themselves. As of December 2025, there were 23 children attending classes at the center. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

    Three siblings from Pakistan introduce themselves. As of December 2025, there were 23 children attending classes at the center. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

  • Kojima Yoshimi previously worked as a public elementary school teacher and was involved in ODA projects in Guatemala and Bolivia. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

    Kojima Yoshimi previously worked as a public elementary school teacher and was involved in ODA projects in Guatemala and Bolivia. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

  • Bara 1, Kani’s first Bara Kyōshitsu, is located in an area of the city with a large foreign population. The entrance bears words of welcome in many languages. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

    Bara 1, Kani’s first Bara Kyōshitsu, is located in an area of the city with a large foreign population. The entrance bears words of welcome in many languages. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

  • Bara Kyōshitsu head Wakahara (at center) interacts with children. “We want the kids to feel comfortable coming here, so we make a point of praising them for even the smallest signs of progress,” he says. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

    Bara Kyōshitsu head Wakahara (at center) interacts with children. “We want the kids to feel comfortable coming here, so we make a point of praising them for even the smallest signs of progress,” he says. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

  • James from the Philippines, an instructor at Bara 2, is an alumnus of the Bara Kyōshitsu. He teaches with the hope that the children won’t have to go through the same difficulties he experienced during his junior high school years. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

    James from the Philippines, an instructor at Bara 2, is an alumnus of the Bara Kyōshitsu. He teaches with the hope that the children won’t have to go through the same difficulties he experienced during his junior high school years. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

  • Filipino children having fun during a scavenger hunt race held at a Bara 2 physical education class. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

    Filipino children having fun during a scavenger hunt race held at a Bara 2 physical education class. (© Kumazaki Takashi)

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