In December, Lviv will for the first time host the international Japanese language exam, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). In the first three days after registration opened, almost fifty people applied to take part.
Previously, JLPT in Ukraine could only be taken in Kyiv. This year, on the initiative of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, the Japan Foundation and the Japan Desk Lviv platform, the test will also be organised in Lviv. Coordination on the Lviv side is handled by the Professor Yaroslav Dashkevych Department of Oriental Studies at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
Japan Desk Lviv is a municipal service office for cooperation with Japan, operating under the Investment and Projects Department of Lviv City Council. University staff will act as on-site examiners: they will organise the exam, provide technical support and handle payments.
After the test is completed, all participants’ papers are sealed in envelopes and sent to Japan. The Japanese side is responsible for checking the documents and results. Based on the outcome of the exam, participants receive a certificate with all the necessary stamps and endorsements, which is recognised by Japanese companies and universities as the main proof of language proficiency.
“In three days, almost fifty people have already registered. This year, on the initiative of Ivan Franko University and Japan Desk Lviv, it will be held in Lviv for the first time. We have the Professor Yaroslav Dashkevych Department of Oriental Studies, which is responsible for administering the exam” — Nazar Bilyk
According to Nazar Bilyk, project coordinator at Japan Desk Lviv, previously those wishing to take the JLPT had to travel to Kyiv or even abroad, and places for the test were snapped up on the very first day of registration. He describes the opportunity to sit the exam in Lviv as an important step for everyone studying Japanese in the region.
Registration for the JLPT in Lviv began on 18 August and will run until 8 September. You can register in person at the Professor Yaroslav Dashkevych Department of Oriental Studies at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv at: vul. Universytetska, 1, room 239, on weekdays from 10:00 to 13:00.
The fee for taking the exam is UAH 3,500, regardless of the chosen level. Due to security requirements and the need to hold the test in a shelter, the number of places is limited — this year around 80 participants will be able to sit the JLPT in Lviv.
The initiators plan to make holding the Japanese language exam in Lviv a regular practice in future.
Japan Desk Lviv was opened in July 2025 as a service to develop cooperation between Lviv and Japan. Over the course of a year, the team has been building partnerships in education, culture, tourism and business, as well as helping to establish contacts between Japanese companies and Lviv-based enterprises. Cooperation in the field of innovation and defence technologies has become a separate area of work.
The next step in developing Ukrainian-Japanese economic partnership is expected to be the Lviv Japan Business Forum, scheduled to be held in Lviv this autumn. The forum will bring together representatives of business, state institutions and international organisations from Ukraine and Japan, and the organisers have promised to announce further details of the programme and participation conditions separately.