Throughout the course of this series of articles that had been looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), I had discussed the importance of having a high level of Japan literacy among members of the general Australian populace for the future of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship in question had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business or people-to-people in nature). However, while the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan are among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, in recent years, there had been a gradual decline in the number of academic programs that had specialised in both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), an argument could be made that this decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language (and, more generally, the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English) at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system has had negative ramifications for the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan, as well as the various relationships that had existed between Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia.

When it comes to the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship that had existed between Australia and Japan had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature), as well as the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories more generally, having a high level of Japan literacy (as well as having a high level of Asia literacy more generally) is widely seen as important for both the development, as well as the maintenance, of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan, as well as the various relationships that had existed between Australia and the constituent nation-state and territories of Asia, especially when it comes to the future of these relationships as the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories (and in particular the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan) are among the most important relationships that Australia has with the world’s constituent nation-states and territories. But despite the importance of the various relationships that Australia has with Japan (as well as the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories), in recent years, the development of Asia literacy (and in particular the development of Japan literacy) among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) had been downplayed by governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (whether the government in question had been located at the federal, state, or local level of the Australian political system, and this tend to be most pronounced among governments that had been located at both the state and federal levels of the Australian political system), placing a stronger emphasis on both the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects that are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study at the expense of subjects that are in the SASH (the Humanities, the Arts and Social Sciences) fields of study, the latter including the teaching and the study of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the teaching and study of the four Asian languages other than English that had been identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was released in October 2012 by the Australian Federal Government, of which the Japanese language was one of the four Asian languages other than English that was identified as a ‘priority’ Asian language other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century), and an argument could be made that this decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system has had negative ramifications for the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of Japan literacy) that exist among members of the general Australian populace.

And while there had been a decline in the number of academic programs that had specialised in both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan and the Japanese language at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) and that the decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in both the teaching as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the four Asian languages other than English that had been identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was released in October 2012, of which the Japanese language was one of the four Asian languages other than English that had been identified as a ‘priority’ Asian language other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper), it has not been the only part of the wider Australian society that had seen a decline in its focus on Japan. Another part of the wider Australian society that has seen a decline in its focus on Japan (and, more generally, a decline in its focus on Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories) in recent years has been large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”), which had, in recent years, seen a gradual decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan (and, more generally, a gradual decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories), and that an argument could be made that this decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories (and in particular the decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan) in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”).

As had been discussed in the fourth article in this series of articles that had looked at the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan (and, more generally, Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”) and the impact that it had on the image that this decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan (as well as Asia more generally) has had on the image of Japan that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the image of Japan that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), the various media outlets that makes up the wider Australian media system often serves as the people’s window on the outside world, a role that became more pronounced during the coronavirus pandemic which saw national governments around the world implement restrictions on movements (both internally as well as externally) in order to control its spread, limiting physical people-to-people contact between the people of Australia and the people of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, and in particular physical people-to-people contact between the people of Australia and the people of Japan. And in regards to the coronavirus pandemic, and the limitations that it imposed on the level of people-to-people contact between the people of Australia and the people of Japan, an argument could be made that the coronavirus pandemic also had negative ramifications for the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem, especially as many media outlets that makes up the wider Australian media ecosystem (and this had especially been the case with media outlets that makes up the so-called “mainstream media”) citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason behind the closure of various news bureaus that had been located throughout Asia.

When it comes to the future of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), an argument could be made that both the educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), as well as the various media outlets that makes up the wider Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”) will play an important role in the development of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the development of Asia literacy) that exist among members of the general Australian populace. As had been discussed throughout the course of this series of articles that had been looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, in recent years, there had been a decline in both the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan (and, more generally, a decline in the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories) in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”), and an argument could be made that these two key variables can have negative ramifications for the future of the various relationships that exist between Australia and Japan, as having a high level of Japan literacy among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, is important for the various relationships that exist between the two nation-states.

So, what is the future of the various relationships between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature) and what role that the level of Japan literacy (and, more generally, the level of Asia literacy) that exist among the members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) can play in regards to the future of the various relationships between Australia and Japan and the image that members of the general Australian populace has of Japan? In this sixth and final article in this series of articles that had been looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) which can influence how Japan is viewed among members of the general Australian populace. In this article, I will be discussing the future of Japan literacy in Australia through both the teaching, as well as the study, of Japan at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular educational institutions that had been located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system) as well as the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Japan (as well as the level, depth, and quality of the coverage of key news and current affairs events that had been emanating from Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories) in large sections of the Australian media ecosystem (whether the media outlet in question had been part of the so-called “mainstream media” or had been part of the so-called “alternative media”).

You can view the entire article on my website at bhiskins.wordpress.com/2026/09…