{
  "id": 9884681,
  "title": "News in Easy English: Girl in Yamanashi Pref. passes hardest Eiken test",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/news-in-easy-english-girl-in-yamanashi-pref-passes-hardest-eiken-test",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-26T02:00:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260924/p2a/00m/0na/028000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, an 11-year-old girl named Erina Honda passed the most difficult Level 1 of the Eiken English test. This test is as challenging as advanced university English. Erina attends Yamanashi Gakuin Elementary School and was in fourth grade when she took the test, even though she started learning English at about age two. Her parents, Fumie and Erina's father, were not fluent in English. From the first year of kindergarten, Erina read many English picture books, often read to her by her mother. She also borrowed books from the library and learned English grammar through reading. By the end of her kindergarten year, she had already passed Level 3 of the Eiken test. Her passion for English only grew stronger, and by the end of third grade, she had passed Levels Pre-2, 2, and Pre-1. Erina attempted Level 1 for the first time in fourth grade, but she failed due to the test's length and fatigue. However, she climbed Mount Fuji in August, which boosted her confidence. For the Level 1 test, she used elementary and junior high school level English books with pictures and studied old test questions. Before the test interview, she read English newspaper articles and wrote short notes. After learning about her success on her second attempt, Erina expressed her happiness. Her mother emphasized the importance of keeping English enjoyable rather than pushing her too hard. Erina aspires to become an international lawyer and uses English to achieve her goal.",
  "summary": "FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO, Yamanashi -- Erina Honda, 11, passed Grade 1 of the Eiken English test. It is a very hard test. The level is like advanced university",
  "key_points": [
    "11-year-old Erina Honda passed Level 1 Eiken test",
    "Erina started learning English at age 2",
    "Erina aims to be an international lawyer"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Erina Honda's achievement shows that self-motivated learning and access to reading materials can propel a young learner to excel in English proficiency, even surpassing expectations for her age.",
  "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."
}