Our Mission

To foster global understanding and cheerful wholesome children of healthy body and mind
To contribute to the local community

Children who think, learn, and communicate
Children who are polite and considerate
Children who are healthy, hardworking, and patient
Children who understand and respect different lifestyles, cultures, and customs

Greeting from the Chairman of the Board of Directors

Welcome to Princeton Community Japanese Language School.

PCJLS was founded in 1980 to serve children living around New Jersey for the various needs of Japanese education. Division 1 is "hoshuko-bu," where grade 1-9 students learn Japanese, social studies, and math using a curriculum similar to the Japanese school education standard. Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Technology (MEXT) sends a director as well as financial assistance. Division 2 has various programs for non-native speakers. The JASL for children and JASL for adult/high school courses are for students who have little or no background in Japanese. The Princeton Course, added in 2004, is for children whose primary language is English but use some Japanese at home, often in international marriage families or Japanese families who reside in the U.S. for a long period of time. PCJLS also has kindergarten program to give an early start in Japanese language for very young children. Our high school program has two courses; A is for students who will go to Japanese colleges and B is for students who will go to American colleges.

PCJLS was originally founded by 5 Japanese researchers at the Plasma Research Center of Princeton University to serve both Japanese and American children. It grew into a mid-sized school with the help of local parents and teachers. In 1990, PCJLS became a "hoshu-ko,"_Japanese language school receiving a teacher and support from the Japanese government. The attendance in the JASL grew, riding the wave of Japanese language study. In 2004, PCJLS added the Princeton Course at the request of a growing number of long-term Japanese residents, with a curriculum designed to preserve the Japanese ability of children who mainly speak English

PCJLS is a unique "hoshu-ko" that also has programs to serve various need of various students. Many teachers visit PCJLS to observe our original programs. It is sometimes challenging to be on the frontier of development for such a diverse student body, but PCJLS has overcome many challenges thanks to the support of our dedicated teachers, parent volunteers, and local communities in New Jersey and the greater New York area.

Children who are going back to Japan and those who stay in the U.S. permanently have the opportunity to learn together in the same school. We believe that this can be a wonderful experience for both of them that will become a precious memory for the rest of their lives, and will lead our children to be truly global people.

Thank you very much for your continuing support.

Toshiko Calder