ICT Utilization Becomes Essential for Japanese Instruction: Over 80% of Teachers Answer "ICT is Effective" - A Fact-Finding Survey on Ensuring Learning for Children with Foreign Roots
A survey by Surara Net reveals that Japanese language instruction for children with foreign roots heavily relies on homeroom teachers. With over 80% of educators finding ICT effective, Surara Net advocates combining EdTech materials with teacher training to build a sustainable support system.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 03:45 (16h 13m after Collected)
Surara Net Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takahiko Yunokawa), which develops and provides adaptive interactive ICT educational materials utilizing AI, conducted a survey on the actual state of Japanese language instruction in domestic educational settings. The results revealed that while much of the Japanese language instruction is left to homeroom teachers, adequate opportunities for specialized training are not secured. Against this backdrop, voices citing the need for utilizing ICT educational materials reached over 80% of the total, showing a strong recognition of the importance of ICT in Japanese language instruction.
Increasingly Serious System Issues in Japanese Language Instruction and Growing Expectations for ICT Utilization
This survey was conducted targeting 208 teachers, board of education members, and school administrators nationwide. While over half of the teachers have experience handling students requiring Japanese language instruction, only about 10% have received specialized training, highlighting the reality that they are taking on this responsibility without sufficient knowledge or support systems in place.
Furthermore, the difficulty of teaching when students with different Japanese proficiency levels are in the same classroom, and the heavy burden of balancing this with subject teaching, have been pointed out. Many voices say, "It is difficult for a homeroom teacher to handle this alone," indicating a significant burden on the ground. In addition, it has become clear that local governments lack sufficient support systems due to personnel and budget shortages.
As these challenges pile up, there is a limit to supporting Japanese language instruction through the efforts of frontline educators alone, calling for new countermeasures.
Moreover, the responses stating that ICT educational materials are effective in Japanese language instruction exceeded 80% overall. Among boards of education and administrators, this figure exceeded 90%, making it clear that the need for implementation is strongly recognized not only on the front lines but also on the administrative side.
ICT is expected to provide functions to learn while checking meanings in one's mother tongue, individually optimized learning according to understanding levels via AI, and a learning environment that can be continued anywhere. Its importance is growing as a means to supplement challenges that are difficult to address with conventional mass instruction.
Instruction Systems Cannot Keep Up with the Increase in Children with Foreign Roots, Leaving Responses Dependent on Homeroom Teachers
According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of students requiring Japanese language education in public elementary, junior high, and high schools is 69,123 (FY2023), a 1.9-fold increase over 9 years. A structural issue has also surfaced where the frontline instruction systems are not keeping up with the increase in students with foreign roots.
In this survey, while 56.1% of boards of education and administrators answered that "students requiring Japanese language instruction are increasing/rapidly increasing," the main response relied on "individual support within classes by homeroom teachers" (50.0%), continuing an operation heavily dependent on teachers' manpower. With the current system, it is becoming difficult to continuously respond to growing needs.
Despite GIGA Infrastructure Progress, Over 30% Do Not Use ICT for Japanese Instruction, and Over 60% Do Not Use Data, Hindering Individual Optimization
Furthermore, the gap between the status of ICT environment development and actual utilization is prominent. Despite the establishment of one device per student under the GIGA School Concept, ICT utilization in Japanese language instruction remains limited. The reality was revealed that 35.1% "do not use ICT at all for individual learning" and 64.9% "do not utilize learning logs at all," showing they are not fully leveraged. Originally, ICT is a means to enable the visualization of learning status and individually optimized support, yet its value is not being demonstrated.
Providing ICT Materials and Training Together to Meet Frontline Needs and Build a Sustainable Japanese Instruction System
In response to these challenges, Surara Net provides training and a community to support utilization in the field, in addition to providing ICT educational materials. In February 2026, a Japanese language education training session utilizing ICT for teachers was held at the Kojiya Junior High School Evening Class (Night Junior High School) in Ota Ward.
In the survey, the need for specific practical methods such as "how to utilize ICT in classes" reached 73.9%, while voices seeking "efficient teaching methods based on the language acquisition process" were at 62.5%, and "a continuous learning environment where even teachers with little teaching experience can gain confidence" at 35.2%, showing high expectations for concrete support in the field.
Surara Net will continue to work on ensuring learning opportunities for children with diverse backgrounds by presenting concrete practical models for ICT utilization in Japanese language instruction and supporting teachers and municipalities in building sustainable instruction systems.
The Key to Japanese Language Education for Children with Foreign Roots is the Collaboration of ICT and Specialized Personnel
Genki Kajiura, the principal of Alpha International Academy, an expert in Japanese language education, said,
Increasingly Serious System Issues in Japanese Language Instruction and Growing Expectations for ICT Utilization
This survey was conducted targeting 208 teachers, board of education members, and school administrators nationwide. While over half of the teachers have experience handling students requiring Japanese language instruction, only about 10% have received specialized training, highlighting the reality that they are taking on this responsibility without sufficient knowledge or support systems in place.
Furthermore, the difficulty of teaching when students with different Japanese proficiency levels are in the same classroom, and the heavy burden of balancing this with subject teaching, have been pointed out. Many voices say, "It is difficult for a homeroom teacher to handle this alone," indicating a significant burden on the ground. In addition, it has become clear that local governments lack sufficient support systems due to personnel and budget shortages.
As these challenges pile up, there is a limit to supporting Japanese language instruction through the efforts of frontline educators alone, calling for new countermeasures.
Moreover, the responses stating that ICT educational materials are effective in Japanese language instruction exceeded 80% overall. Among boards of education and administrators, this figure exceeded 90%, making it clear that the need for implementation is strongly recognized not only on the front lines but also on the administrative side.
ICT is expected to provide functions to learn while checking meanings in one's mother tongue, individually optimized learning according to understanding levels via AI, and a learning environment that can be continued anywhere. Its importance is growing as a means to supplement challenges that are difficult to address with conventional mass instruction.
Instruction Systems Cannot Keep Up with the Increase in Children with Foreign Roots, Leaving Responses Dependent on Homeroom Teachers
According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of students requiring Japanese language education in public elementary, junior high, and high schools is 69,123 (FY2023), a 1.9-fold increase over 9 years. A structural issue has also surfaced where the frontline instruction systems are not keeping up with the increase in students with foreign roots.
In this survey, while 56.1% of boards of education and administrators answered that "students requiring Japanese language instruction are increasing/rapidly increasing," the main response relied on "individual support within classes by homeroom teachers" (50.0%), continuing an operation heavily dependent on teachers' manpower. With the current system, it is becoming difficult to continuously respond to growing needs.
Despite GIGA Infrastructure Progress, Over 30% Do Not Use ICT for Japanese Instruction, and Over 60% Do Not Use Data, Hindering Individual Optimization
Furthermore, the gap between the status of ICT environment development and actual utilization is prominent. Despite the establishment of one device per student under the GIGA School Concept, ICT utilization in Japanese language instruction remains limited. The reality was revealed that 35.1% "do not use ICT at all for individual learning" and 64.9% "do not utilize learning logs at all," showing they are not fully leveraged. Originally, ICT is a means to enable the visualization of learning status and individually optimized support, yet its value is not being demonstrated.
Providing ICT Materials and Training Together to Meet Frontline Needs and Build a Sustainable Japanese Instruction System
In response to these challenges, Surara Net provides training and a community to support utilization in the field, in addition to providing ICT educational materials. In February 2026, a Japanese language education training session utilizing ICT for teachers was held at the Kojiya Junior High School Evening Class (Night Junior High School) in Ota Ward.
In the survey, the need for specific practical methods such as "how to utilize ICT in classes" reached 73.9%, while voices seeking "efficient teaching methods based on the language acquisition process" were at 62.5%, and "a continuous learning environment where even teachers with little teaching experience can gain confidence" at 35.2%, showing high expectations for concrete support in the field.
Surara Net will continue to work on ensuring learning opportunities for children with diverse backgrounds by presenting concrete practical models for ICT utilization in Japanese language instruction and supporting teachers and municipalities in building sustainable instruction systems.
The Key to Japanese Language Education for Children with Foreign Roots is the Collaboration of ICT and Specialized Personnel
Genki Kajiura, the principal of Alpha International Academy, an expert in Japanese language education, said,