Long Beach Japanese Language School (LBJLS) was established in 1949 for the purpose of providing Japanese language and culture instruction to the Harbor District area youth of Japanese descent as its primary target population.  But, reflecting drastic social changes that have occurred in the Japanese -American population everywhere over the years, the LBJLS students today are more varied linguistically, culturally and in age groups.

To serve such a varied student population effectively, LBJLS has maintained a duel curriculum orientation in recent years.  The LBJLS students are assigned to classes that focus on learning Japanese either as a heritage language or a foreign language, depending on their linguistic and family backgrounds.

Proficiency in language skills is developed gradually over a long period of time.  Therefore, to continue the development of Japanese language skills, it is highly desirable that students remain exposed to Japanese as much as possible- preferably facilitated by exposure to a structured learning situation.  To encourage the students to remain involved in the Japanese language study process, we believe the continued support from both school and family is very important.  To that end, LBJLS is trying very hard to make the learning of Japanese as much fun and rewarding as possible.

By involving both students and their family members in various Harbor District Japanese Community Center annual events, LBJLS also tries to provide opportunities to learn about the Japanese-American past and traditions.

Additionally, in cooperation with the Long Beach Unified School District, we enroll the students from Polytechnic High School in our special summer program.  The presence of these high school students and children enrolled in our Summer Japanese Culture/Language Program for Kids creates a unique opportunity for all LBJLS students to acquire cross cultural communication skills.

LBJLS is a member of the California Association of Japanese Language Schools (CAJLS).