1 The origin and goal of the Japanese class from Meguro UNESCO Association
Have you ever heard of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)? Meguro UNESCO Association ofeers Japanese language classes to people aged 16 and above, from complete beginner to intermediate levels. This is an interview about the foundation of Meguro UNESCO Association and summary of the kind of Japanese lessons they offer. If by any chance you are looking for a school to learn or improve your Japanese, read on!

Meguro UNESCO Association was founded in 1954. Their main goal is to realize UNESCO’s spirit of peace in the local community through a variety of volunteer activities, and to enrich international relation and cultural exchange with support from the Meguro City Board of Education, compliant with Japanese law concerning UNESCO activities. The Japanese language class is part o these activities to achieve this goal.
We asked Ms. Kato Reiko, the Honorary president of Meguro UNESCO association about the history and how the Japanese language class started in the first place. Originally it was a request from the Meguro City Board of Education. Due to the lack of resources, they asked Meguro UNESCO Association for support in teaching Japanese to 15 elementary school students that came from China. Additionally, a Vietnamese refugee called and asked them to teach Japanese to his wife.
In order to run a class, you will need teachers. However, back in the 1980’s, it was hard to secure Japanese teachers with the necessary knowledge and qualification in the first place, also there weren’t any official Japanese textbooks or classrooms available. Ms, Kato kindly offered her own house as a place to conduct lectures / meetings for Japanese educators, and the nearby Yokohama Bank located at Yutenji also offered their meeting room for this purpose. And thus, the Japanese language class of Meguro UNESCO Association started in 1987.
Students who like to study Japanese at Meguro UNESCO Association are registered under a “Friendship membership”. There is no distinction between teachers and students, hence those with a “Friendship membership” are exempted from the yearly membership fee which is required to become a regular UNESCO member.

2 The Japanese language classes available at present.
Meguro UNESCO Association offers Japanese classes ranging from complete beginner to intermediate courses and they are separated into 3 terms, Spring, Autumn and Winter. The classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday morning, Tuesday night and Saturday morning (Kanji class). Most of the classes are conducted at the Meguro school support center and the night classes are conducted at Gohongi elementary school.
The motto of the Japanese class is to teach learners the Japanese used in everyday life in an enjoyable way. Especially for absolute beginners, instead of using a completely language immersive method, they use English when necessary, as well as a wide variety of visual aids such as gestures and flashcards, and sometimes a physical tour to learn new vocabulary and phrases used in everyday life.

3 Activities beyond Japanese language classes.
According to Mr. Tamesue Shigeru the director of Meguro UNESCO Association, there are many more meaningful activities to promote international relations and help Japanese language learners to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture simultaneously. One of such activities is called “International Exchange Forum”, where Japanese learners are introduced to traditional Japanese cultures such as SUmo, Kabuki, and Noh, and they can also enjoy exchanging conversation with Japanese people participating in the program.
Another extremely interesting event that is provided to learners is visiting local elementary schools. Learners can immerse themselves in a Japanese school environment, have school lunch and clean up the classroom with the students. This is once in a lifetime experiences which cannot be found elsewhere!
The pros of learning Japanese at Meguro UNESCO Association is that they teach using a proper textbook called “Minna no Nihongo”, which is also used by education institutions in other countries. You will learn not just the Japanese required for everyday conversation, but also the Japanese grammar required to construct a proper and grammatical Japanese sentence on your own. Another point worth mentioning is that all the teachers are volunteers who have undergone Japanese educators training or have passed the Japanese educator exam. Therefore, you can be certain that all the volunteers are professional teachers who have fulfilled the teaching standard set by UNESCO. For more details about the Japanese language class, please refer to the following URL.

4 A final message from the Meguro UNESCO Association’s director to all Japanese language learners
Here is what Mr. Tamesue wanted to pass on to all Japanese language learners, Japanese people are very shy in general and have little opportunities to communicate with people from another country. But what do they need is a simple trigger. It can be a simple greeting in Japanese such as “Konnichiwa!”, Japanese people will surely greet you back with a smile. Once you exchanged greetings, the conversation will go on. Just keep in mind there could be cultural differences and always respect each other’s believes, that way you can not only practice but also enjoy a Japanese conversation with even a stranger!

Meguro UNESCO Association Gohongi Primary Schoo, 2-24-3, Gohongi, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5725-6150 FAX: 03-5725-6160 E-mail: meguro@unesco.or.jp Office hours: 13:00 – 16:00 / Monday to Friday

 

May 5th, 2019
Edited by: Meguro International Friendship Association(MIFA)