{
  "id": 10062102,
  "title": "A Gifu City’s Japanese-Language Training Gets Foreign Kids Up to Speed for School",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/a-gifu-citys-japanese-language-training-gets-foreign-kids-up-to-speed",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-26T21:00:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nippon.com",
    "slug": "nippon-com",
    "url": "https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02595/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A small learning center in Kani, a city with a population of 99,000 situated in Gifu, Japan, plays a crucial role in preparing foreign children for the Japanese education system. The program, named Bara Kyōshitsu Kani, which translates to \"Rose Classroom,\" has been in operation for over two decades and targets children aged 6 to 15. Established in 2005, the program provides instruction in Japanese language basics, mathematics, school rules, cultural customs, and the use of chopsticks. Led by instructor Yoshimi Kojima, a Filipino woman, the class uses a hands-on and engaging approach, with the teacher introducing new students using Japanese, body language, and gestures. On this particular day, three newcomer children from Pakistan join twelve familiar faces from the Philippines and Brazil as they practice counting to fifteen with excitement. The four-month preparatory program aims to alleviate anxiety and familiarize children with school life prior to enrolling in regular classes at local schools. Compulsory education in Japan does not extend to non-Japanese children, requiring families to apply to the local board of education for enrollment. However, Kani guarantees foreign children the same opportunities as their Japanese peers. The Ministry of Education has recognized the program's success and plans to launch a nationwide model project in 2027 to establish similar \"preclass\" initiatives across the country. The Bara Kyōshitsu was inspired by Kojima's concern following the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, when she noticed foreign children not attending school in Kobe. Her research revealed that 10% of foreign children in Kani were unenrolled, with over 30% not attending school altogether. The comprehensive survey conducted by Kojima confirmed the extent of the issue and led to the creation of the Bara Kyōshitsu program, which has since become emblematic of Kani's efforts to integrate its foreign population.",
  "summary": "The industrial city of Kani, Gifu, has seen a constant rise in its foreign population. For more than 20 years the city’s Bara Kyōshitsu, or “rose classroom,” program has worked to integrate newcomers into the local community and education system with patient instruction in the Japanese language and other subjects.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}