In recent years, Japanese universities have sought to have a greater number of faculty courses taught in English, where traditionally Japanese has been the medium of instruction. This article begins with an overview of the literature discussing Japan's responses to the spread of English, and philosophies and ideologies influencing the appropriation of the language. By way of examining data from a questionnaire to educators in a liberal arts faculty at a university in the Tokyo area where a selection of courses are taught in English, the discussion proceeds to examine issues relating to the delivery of academic courses in English in a Japanese university setting. The article concludes by noting that in terms of philosophy and shared professional understandings at least, there remain incongruities with current policy initiatives to have academic courses delivered in English -- a matter which invites deeper scrutiny to help ensure that efforts towards having more English in higher education are not to be found to be cosmetic or superficial. The contents of the article will resonate with similar situations where ostensibly "educational" initiatives dissimulate instances of manipulation and oppression that need to be surfaced and resisted.