Did you know that Japan has invested more money in America, and created more jobs for Americans than any other country?  Did you know that Japan buys more American products than any European country? Those are just two reasons why Japan is so important to the United States.  And did you know that Japan created the laptop computer, the LED screen that we see on our electronic devices, the digital SLR camera, the QR code, and so many other other things that we use everyday?  And of course, there is sushi, and anime, and sudoku, and Hello Kitty.  The point is, Japan is an economic, cultural, and technological powerhouse around the world. And Japan is America's most important ally and partner in Asia.

J-LEARN was created in 2017 to help parents and school administrators understand how important Japan is to the United States --  and to make sure that American students will always have the opportunity to learn Japanese. That's why J-LEARN created this paper, "Why Learn Japanese," and why I love to update it every year -- because Japan matters to us and our nation's future, and especially to the future of our children.