In response to concerns about a lack of funding for Japanese studies at British universities, a major cash injection will be announced next month in the form of new teaching posts.
In October, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and the Nippon Foundation will announce which universities have successfully won grants from a special fund that will be used to establish 13 full-time teaching and research posts.
Over the last 10 years, several university departments have closed, leading to concerns that experts and research are at critically low levels.
The government recently stepped in to boost funding for strategically important "minority" subjects, including Japanese, but critics believe it didn't go far enough.