Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs has recommended revising the country's romanization system for the Japanese language, marking the first such overhaul in approximately 70 years. The proposed change involves shifting from the traditional Kunrei-shiki system to the Hepburn system, which aligns more closely with English pronunciation. This revision is expected to be approved and implemented starting from the 2026 academic year, with elementary schools gradually adopting the Hepburn system for teaching Japanese romanization. Specific changes include altering the romanization of certain syllables, such as changing "shi" from "si" and "fu" from "hu" to better reflect English phonetics. Despite the shift, internationally recognized romanizations like "matcha" will remain acceptable. The Agency for Cultural Affairs submitted its recommendation to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, signaling a significant update to Japan's language education and romanization standards.