Ever since Japan opened its doors to the West, English has been zealously studied in Japan's high schools, night schools, universities and companies.
But now that business with other Asian economies is booming, for how much longer will English remain the tongue of choice for linguists?
In the cramped reception area of a gray office building not far from Matsudo station near Tokyo is a bookshelf packed with well-thumbed textbooks. "Easy first steps in Indonesian" reads one. Another is titled: "An Introduction to Russian."