The program, which is fully funded by the Government of Japan, promotes greater intercultural understanding between the two nations. This year up to 400 educators from all over the United States will be selected to participate in the 2007 program.  

Participants will begin their visit in Tokyo with a practical orientation on Japanese life and culture and meetings with government officials and educators. They then will travel in groups of 20 to selected host cities where they will have contact with Japanese teachers and students during visits to primary and secondary schools and a teachers college. They also will visit cultural sites and local industries and have a brief stay with a Japanese host family.  

The 2007 participants will be invited to visit Japan in June and October in two groups of 200 educators each. To date, more than 5,200 primary and secondary educators visited Japan through the JFMF Teacher Program.  

The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund, based in Tokyo, oversees all aspects of the Teacher Program, which was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program. That program has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the United States on fellowships for graduate education and research. The Institute of International Education acts as the agency for the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund to coordinate the recruitment and pre-departure activities of the Teacher Program in the United States.  

Teachers of all disciplines, including art, physical education, English, ESL, history, geography, math, science and special education, from every region of the United States, are encouraged to apply. Applicants are not required or expected to have previous knowledge of Japanese or Japan. The application deadline for both 2007 trips is Dec. 7, 2006.  

For more information, refer to http://www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp, call 1-888-527-2636 (1-888-Japan-FMF) or email jfmf@iie.org. All applications must be completed online.