Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The number of Japanese students studying abroad in the fiscal year ending March 2024 increased 1.5 times compared to the previous year, reaching 89,179 students, according to Kyodo News.

The rise follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The survey, conducted by the Japan Student Services Organization, reported that while numbers are recovering, the current figure still falls short of the peak recorded in April 2018—the highest since data collection began in 2008.

Japan is currently aiming to increase the number of domestic students studying abroad to 500,000 by 2033, according to Kyodo News. The education minister has pledged to improve policies that would allow students to study overseas without having to take a leave of absence.

The most popular destinations for Japanese students were the United States (13,517), Australia (9,163), and South Korea (9,163), according to the survey.

It also mentioned the number of students studying in China surged by 651.3 percent to 3,133, while those going to Taiwan rose to 5,048, marking a 181.5 percent increase.

Meanwhile, the number of international students coming to Japan also increased, reaching 336,708. Most of these students are enrolled in higher education institutions or vocational training programs, followed by language schools.

The increase in foreign students is attributed to the depreciation of the yen and the global popularity of Japan’s subculture.