Japanese elective language in 2026/27 in ‘Japanese schools’ in Egypt

CAIRO — 17 February 2026: Egyptian students will soon have the option to study Japanese as an elective subject starting in the seventh grade.

In a Monday statement to the Middle East News Agency (MENA), Japanese Ambassador to Egypt Fumio Iwai confirmed that the new curriculum will be introduced in the upcoming academic year as part of a deepening educational partnership.

The language initiative coincides with a major expansion of the Egypt-Japan School (EJS) project. Ambassador Iwai revealed plans to increase the number of these institutions from 69 to 90 in the near future. He emphasized that Japan’s support spans the entire educational spectrum, from kindergarten to postgraduate studies.

Central to this model is the continued implementation of "Tokkatsu," a Japanese pedagogical system designed to foster a spirit of cooperation and collective responsibility among students. To support this growth, Japan will continue dispatching experts and teachers to train Egyptian staff and transfer technical expertise.

Ambassador Iwai reaffirmed Tokyo’s belief in investing in human resources as the cornerstone of development, pledging ongoing support for Egypt’s evolving educational landscape.