Over the last decade, the Japanese Ministry of Education has undertaken multiple reforms aimed at improving foreign language education and ensuring young Japanese people are ready to respond to the challenges of globalization. Many of the new guidelines have been modelled on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The present paper examines the impact that the CEFR has had on the national curricula, teaching practices, and assessment in Japan. After a brief review of the origin and goals of the CEFR, it discusses the development of the CEFR-J project, the introduction of ‘Can-Do’ descriptors in national curricula, and the development of CEFR-based teaching materials and tests. Positive changes as well as challenges are examined, following which recommendations are made for improving current policies. Special attention is given to developing the language competencies of Japanese teachers of English
