Second Language in Japan..

English is the second language in Japan. Almost all Japanese school children study English, beginning in junior high. Some even begin in elementary school. One major reason is that most students have to take English tests as part of the high school and university entrance exams. Another is that a knowledge of English is considered an advantage. Therefore, many Japanese now have at least some knowledge of English.

On the whole, Japanese can't really say they speak English well. They work very hard at learning English, but their knowledge is mostly passive. They can read and understand English much better than they can speak it.

Perhaps it's because few Japanese students ever get a chance to practice outside of the classroom. There are millions of Japanese studying English in Japan. But there are relatively few English-speakers for them to talk with.