What happened

On September 3, 2026, the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) announced that registration for the December 2026 JLPT held in Japan is fully closed. The previously published deadline of September 7, 17:00 no longer applies. Test vouchers for registered applicants are expected to be mailed by November 20.

Any web page, news item, FAQ or group post still saying "open until September 7" or "N3 seats left in Tokyo/Osaka" is now out of date.

If you already registered

Only one thing to do: watch for your voucher, due by November 20. If your address has changed, follow the procedure on the JEES site as early as possible.

If you missed it: decide which certificate you actually need

The December session in Japan is closed, and the next JLPT in Japan is July 2027. Rather than wait, work out what the certificate is for, then pick a route:

  • You want to live in Japan, take an entry-level job, or apply for the Specified Skilled Worker status: take the KISO + JFT-Basic route. JFT-Basic (the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese) runs many times a year, is computer-based with fast results, and is treated as equivalent to N4 for work and residence purposes. KISO is a from-zero foundation course; finish its 52 lessons of core grammar and pronunciation, then sit JFT-Basic.
  • You are already around N2 and need proof of business-level Japanese: take the BJT route. The BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test is score-based, computer-delivered and bookable year-round, and J2 or above counts in corporate hiring and on the points table for the Highly Skilled Professional visa. Check your current score with the free questions on bjt.nice.okinawa, then choose a 10-day, 30-day or 90-day study plan.

Next step: pick one

For anyone running a website or community

Update every mention of the December JLPT registration deadline tonight. Each day the old date stays up, another batch of readers is misled.

*Source: JEES official notice (info.jees-jlpt.jp), September 3, 2026.*