In recognition of a need in the Buffalo area, the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo) established the Japanese Language and Culture Program for Business People and Students (JLCP) within the university's Center for Critical Languages. JLCP is a 3-year, 6-semester certificate program open to anyone with at least a high school diploma. The goal is to instruct and train participants in both spoken and written Japanese language communication skills, with emphasis on business Japanese, and in various aspects of Japanese culture with emphasis on business customs and practices. The program has three components: language, culture, and video lab. Four administrators manage the program, which uses native Japanese speakers as instructors. Students are recruited from 300 selected companies and other educational institutions in the Buffalo (New York) area; 54 people, mostly managers and sales people, have taken at least one class to date. Participants who want more practice outside of class are matched with a volunteer Japanese language conversation partner who is a student enrolled in the Intensive English Language Institute of the university. It is concluded that although JLCP is still new and needs improvement, programs like it will probably appear in other cities. Contains 11 references. (LB)