The Japanese Ministry of education,, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) presents itself as the agent and promoter of education reforms. On 1 March 2003, MEXT published the document, regarding the establishment of an action plan to cultivate Japanese with English abilities. Its main purpose was to reiterate that Japanese people should acquire better English communication skills. In her statement, an excerpt of which is presented below, then education minister Atsuko Toyama analyzed environment in which Japan faced globalization, encouraged her citizens to meet various international challenges emphasized the importance of the English language, and pointed out the fact Japanese people are not equipped with enough language skills to significantly function in the international community: