The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (MEXT) has announced plans to increase the number of English teachers at public elementary schools by 1,000 in 2018 (and 4,000 in total by 2020) in preparation for forthcoming English language education reforms.  

Commentary by Ayako Towatari, Projects Manager (Education), Japan
At elementary schools in Japan, teachers normally teach all subjects including Japanese, arithmetic, arts, music, and PE. Since the English language education reforms were announced in 2016, there has been widespread concern that elementary teachers, who generally lack experience in teaching English, will not be able to deal with the changes. Considering there are more than 6.3m pupils at over 20,000 public elementary schools in Japan (as of 2016, MEXT), recruiting 4,000 additional English teachers may still not be enough to achieve a smooth transition as the reforms kick in.  
With a clear need to equip teachers with adequate English teaching skills, demand for teacher training within Japan and overseas has been growing.  Funding support for individual teachers to enrol in training courses is also increasingly available. Funding bodies tend to be local governments such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other external bodies including the Metropolitan Foundation for Private Schools. Local governments usually work with a contractor (typically a large, established study abroad agent) to plan and coordinate overseas training trips for groups of local English teachers.  Cost is one of the key factors for agents when deciding destination countries and in this respect the UK is at a disadvantage due to prevailing perceptions that it is an expensive place to study.  Past experiences can also influence decision making. One agent, that has an arrangement with one of the major local governments in Japan, noted two major issues they have had with the UK; relatively high cost and a lack of flexibility regarding accommodation.  We, therefore, advise UK providers to regularly engage with their partner agents to try and change any negative perceptions of the UK regarding cost and to maintain a flexible approach in order to meet specific needs. Valuing and nurturing relationships with agents can help you win in the market over the long term.