The article describes an attempt to trace essential peculiarities of Japanese language within the context of non-Western (Japanese) concept of education, with the aim to analyze the possibilities of improving philosophical and methodological base of teaching Japanese language to philology students in Ukrainian universities. In particular, the system of Japanese language teaching standards (JF standard), developed by the Japan Foundation on the basis of the system used in European methods of teaching foreign languages, is described. The paper discusses strategies through which current JFL teaching and learning practices can be improved, to effectively form communicative and academic language competence of students.