After visiting an English class at an elementary school in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, early this year, then education minister Takeo Kawamura told the principal, "In the near future, I think there should be English classes in all of Japan's elementary schools."
Kawamura had until then been cautious in statements about the issue. He visited the No. 3 Nippori Elementary School because it took the initiative to make English part of the curriculum for students starting with the first grade after the central government designated the ward a special educational zone.
He acted quickly. In a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee in March, he indicated he was serious about compulsory English education in elementary schools, saying, "China and South Korea have already done it."