English is a hot topic these days, thanks to the announcement by Rakuten Inc., Japan's biggest Internet shopping mall operator, that it was making English its official company language.
But what about Japanese?
It may not be well-known, but its profile has also been on the rise, with more people than ever trying to learn it. But the number of Japanese who teach nonnative speakers isn't growing, partly due to lack of interest among academic circles and the low pay at private language schools that derives in part from restrictions on management.