We are pleased to announce the 31st Central Association of Teachers of Japanese Conference (CATJ) to be hosted jointly by the University of Michigan and Oakland University on Oct. 31, 2026. The conference will be held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

The conference theme is “Reimagining Japanese Language Education: Challenges, Opportunities, and Transformations,” seeking to provide opportunities to learn and discuss a rich array of topics, including pedagogical challenges, broader curricular challenges, the survival of individual programs, and program advocacy.

We welcome all current and future Japanese language professionals from the Midwest region and beyond across the US and Canada, as well as various institutions, including K-16 schools.

Dr. Suwako Watanabe, the department chair and Professor of Japanese at Portland State University and a Board member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), will be a plenary speaker.

For further information or inquiries, please contact event organizers Akiko Imamura, Ph.D. (University of Michigan), at aimamura@umich.edu, and Akiko Kashiwagi-Wood, Ph.D. (Oakland University), at kashiwag@oakland.edu