My name is Jacob Johnson I am 18 years old and currently staying in Japan, Osaka for the next few months. During my stay I have noticed the lack of english speaking foreigners. So, I decided to do some research I have been looking into why so few of the international students/workers that come to Japan are from english speaking countries.
As of May 1st 2016 there were 239,287 international students in Japan with an increase of 30,908 (14.8%) from the previous year. However, from so many different countries as few as 24,706 people come from countries that even have the potential to be english speaking countries. Only the top 10 countries are named, with the rest grouped under "others". go to http://www.jasso.go.jp/en/about/statistics/intl_student/data2016.html for more information.
I believe that the main issue, for lack of a better phrase, is simply the language barrier. It is widely know that Japanese is an incredibly difficult language to learn and although Japanese universities are trying to fix that by opening programs in english. The effect was not what they had hoped for, as there are still many underlying problems that Japanese universities that universities overseas do not have, such as the rigidity of the overall curriculum.
Around the world it is now common, even encouraged, to take courses in many different subject areas as well as in multiple different departments, in order for you to have broader skills and be more well rounded. While in Japan, it is still quite common for students to be restricted to one course, cutting down the options students may have in the future. But if you want to specialize in just one subject this is clearly no problem.
Another issue is the lack of courses that are provided in English with Tokyo University and many others only offering two subjects, as of 2014. Those being Japanese study and environmental studies. I think that this lack of freedom to choose a subject to study in is detrimental to Japanese universities trying to attract students from overseas, this can clearly be seen in an article written in the Japanese times (see below).
Nearly 70 percent of foreign students accepted by the University of Tokyo for undergraduate coursework taught in English decided to go elsewhere for the 2014 school year, data from the university revealed. All of these students chose instead to enter universities outside of Japan. The mass-shunning exposes Japan’s educational system as still rather isolated and represents a setback for efforts to establish broader international education here.
As for finding a job, it depends on exactly what job you're looking for and how hard it might be to obtain a visa. As for people wanting to move to Japan permanently, the government themselves make it very difficult to achieve residency. Japan is one of the few countries in the world with a decreasing and aging population. Despite this, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has an extremely strong stance against foreign immigration and even said they should put more Japanese women and elderly to work before accepting immigrants. However, the number of foreign workers has been increasing steadily for the past four years. The Japanese government is very reluctant to call it immigration.
Obtaining a working visa to enter Japan is relatively easy with the number of foreign workers now up to over 1,000,000. This is due to the fact that Japan is lacking workers because of the declining population, especially in the construction sector after the 2011 eastern earthquake and tsunami as well as leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Although getting a working visa for five years or even more in some cases is not too hard, obtaining permanent residency is nigh impossible without a very valid reason i.e marrying a Japanese national. But if all you're looking for is overseas work experience Japan is a place I would highly recommend. Between its rich heritage and culture contrasted with the bustling cities there is bound to be something that catches your interest. If none of that excites you the food certainly will, with flavours you never even dreamed of.
I am a New Zealander and reaching out to my fellow Kiwis I asked the question "If you were given the chance to study in Japan what would be the main reasons you would be willing to leave your home to go there?" and also "What would be the reasons you are reluctant to leave?" The answers I got were oddly similar but not surprising in the slightest.
Sam Merson (Palmerston North)
Age- 19
Ocupation- University student
The main reson i would want to go would be to learn about he differant culture
The reason why i wouldnt go is probably the language barrier
Jules Harry (Otago)
Age- 18
Ocupation- University student
Well I'd like to go to experience the culture due to Japan having a very old traditional culture different to most societies. I love Japanese food so I would see that as a bonus and to gain some worldly experience in a country unlike New Zealand.
The only reasons why I wouldn't would be due to missing family and friends and not knowing the language
Anna Pattison (Wellington)
Age- 18
Ocupation- University student
Id go to see japan and travel around it.
I wouldnt go because i think the language barrier would be too intense for me to beable to study.
Emma Weenink (Christchurch)
Age-24
Ocupatin- Community Rugby manager at Canterbury Rugby union
apan are now a major player in global Rugby and I would love to work there particularly around the rugby World Cup and further developing their Rugby pathways and communities based on my experience at both New Zealand Rugby and Canterbury Rugby.
I would be reluctant to work in Japan as I don't speak Japanese and I know that living in Japan is expensive. Plus i have limited contacts in Japan which would make work difficult.
John Su (Auckland)
Age-18
Ocupatin-University student
Well, its always good to be aware of other cultures as well. Apparently it can have a very good impact on your CV etc and since japan is known for the country leading in technology, it makes it more interesting.
Due to large cultural differences, one may not be accustomed to the new one
James Pointon (Wanganui)
Age-17
Ocupation- Student
The culture is amazing. As well as new experiences and all that Mostly the culture aye haha and anime
It's so far away, I don't know the language It's a bit over populated. I think I would be overwhelmed.
Jonny Mathews (Wellington)
Age-18
Ocupation- First year university student
pros - With the Japanese education, there are several universities in the top 70 in the world, with Tokyo University, Osaka University and Kyoto university being in the top 20. Being over there and experiencing another countries culture could be life changing along with the food with so much more variety than what we have in NZ. An up would be that you are able to actually live your everyday life learning how to speak Japanese rather than book learning/anime/manga
cons - Depending on how the inflation and how tightly the Government over there is keeping an eye on the unemployment rate. If there is a high amount of unemployment, then it could be difficult to get a job over there. This could be even harder if you didn’t study in Japan at all and they don’t think highly of NZ education. It could be even harder if you aren’t fluent in Japanese. If the Japanese culture is completely brand new, then it could be difficult living up to the high expectations that we don’t have over here in NZ.
Maria Johnson (Wellington)
Age 49
Entrepreneur
Learning language, Facing challenges, Multi cultural opportunities, Learning new things, all the different kind of food, and the rich history
I guess distance from family? I think it's a great place with lots of opportunities
But it's so far away from NZ we don't really have the same push to learn Japanese as there is now with Chinese But I think Japanese culture is more genuine
Kendall Mcilraith (Wellington)
Age- 18
Ocupation- University Student
I would go because i would be in a different country meaning i'm experience a different place whilst getting qualifications so its like purposeful travel
I wouldnt go cause theres obviously a language barrier so it would be harder to be educated plus it would be harder to cope alone and make more friends and not have backup family support
Graham Dickie (Auckland)
Age-18
Ocupation- University student
New place, New culture, new people, Exciting, Experiance Adventure. learn a new language and expand your horizons learn about japan history and mythology become a more well rounded person
nerves, never lived away from home. might miss your friends.
Mathew Johnson (Christchurch)
Age-24
Ocupaion-Entrepreneur
Awesome cultural experience/ can combine an O.E and study together so your not wasting time. The food is awesome a great way to get out of your comfort zone. More positives are the increasing rugby culture and potential to play properly over there get behind a club ect more entrepreneurial ventures that can be applied back in nz as Japan is advanced ect
initial thoughts are- government subsidies education for local residents here and the rest you get on an interest free loan so it is much cheaper,plus our unis are well recognised( not saying Japans aren't unsure on that). work I imagine has a language barrier and business chat is probably the hardest part of a language to learn. not only is it way cheaper to study in NZ because of the costs of uni but from what I gather Japan is expensive for many other reasons food entertainment ect.
After reading this what are your thoughts on this subject? id love to hear what you think if you are looking to contact me, you can do so by sending an email to jacobmikejohnson@gmail.com or you can leave a comment in the section below.
As of May 1st 2016 there were 239,287 international students in Japan with an increase of 30,908 (14.8%) from the previous year. However, from so many different countries as few as 24,706 people come from countries that even have the potential to be english speaking countries. Only the top 10 countries are named, with the rest grouped under "others". go to http://www.jasso.go.jp/en/about/statistics/intl_student/data2016.html for more information.
I believe that the main issue, for lack of a better phrase, is simply the language barrier. It is widely know that Japanese is an incredibly difficult language to learn and although Japanese universities are trying to fix that by opening programs in english. The effect was not what they had hoped for, as there are still many underlying problems that Japanese universities that universities overseas do not have, such as the rigidity of the overall curriculum.
Around the world it is now common, even encouraged, to take courses in many different subject areas as well as in multiple different departments, in order for you to have broader skills and be more well rounded. While in Japan, it is still quite common for students to be restricted to one course, cutting down the options students may have in the future. But if you want to specialize in just one subject this is clearly no problem.
Another issue is the lack of courses that are provided in English with Tokyo University and many others only offering two subjects, as of 2014. Those being Japanese study and environmental studies. I think that this lack of freedom to choose a subject to study in is detrimental to Japanese universities trying to attract students from overseas, this can clearly be seen in an article written in the Japanese times (see below).
Nearly 70 percent of foreign students accepted by the University of Tokyo for undergraduate coursework taught in English decided to go elsewhere for the 2014 school year, data from the university revealed. All of these students chose instead to enter universities outside of Japan. The mass-shunning exposes Japan’s educational system as still rather isolated and represents a setback for efforts to establish broader international education here.
As for finding a job, it depends on exactly what job you're looking for and how hard it might be to obtain a visa. As for people wanting to move to Japan permanently, the government themselves make it very difficult to achieve residency. Japan is one of the few countries in the world with a decreasing and aging population. Despite this, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has an extremely strong stance against foreign immigration and even said they should put more Japanese women and elderly to work before accepting immigrants. However, the number of foreign workers has been increasing steadily for the past four years. The Japanese government is very reluctant to call it immigration.
Obtaining a working visa to enter Japan is relatively easy with the number of foreign workers now up to over 1,000,000. This is due to the fact that Japan is lacking workers because of the declining population, especially in the construction sector after the 2011 eastern earthquake and tsunami as well as leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Although getting a working visa for five years or even more in some cases is not too hard, obtaining permanent residency is nigh impossible without a very valid reason i.e marrying a Japanese national. But if all you're looking for is overseas work experience Japan is a place I would highly recommend. Between its rich heritage and culture contrasted with the bustling cities there is bound to be something that catches your interest. If none of that excites you the food certainly will, with flavours you never even dreamed of.
I am a New Zealander and reaching out to my fellow Kiwis I asked the question "If you were given the chance to study in Japan what would be the main reasons you would be willing to leave your home to go there?" and also "What would be the reasons you are reluctant to leave?" The answers I got were oddly similar but not surprising in the slightest.
Sam Merson (Palmerston North)
Age- 19
Ocupation- University student
The main reson i would want to go would be to learn about he differant culture
The reason why i wouldnt go is probably the language barrier
Jules Harry (Otago)
Age- 18
Ocupation- University student
Well I'd like to go to experience the culture due to Japan having a very old traditional culture different to most societies. I love Japanese food so I would see that as a bonus and to gain some worldly experience in a country unlike New Zealand.
The only reasons why I wouldn't would be due to missing family and friends and not knowing the language
Anna Pattison (Wellington)
Age- 18
Ocupation- University student
Id go to see japan and travel around it.
I wouldnt go because i think the language barrier would be too intense for me to beable to study.
Emma Weenink (Christchurch)
Age-24
Ocupatin- Community Rugby manager at Canterbury Rugby union
apan are now a major player in global Rugby and I would love to work there particularly around the rugby World Cup and further developing their Rugby pathways and communities based on my experience at both New Zealand Rugby and Canterbury Rugby.
I would be reluctant to work in Japan as I don't speak Japanese and I know that living in Japan is expensive. Plus i have limited contacts in Japan which would make work difficult.
John Su (Auckland)
Age-18
Ocupatin-University student
Well, its always good to be aware of other cultures as well. Apparently it can have a very good impact on your CV etc and since japan is known for the country leading in technology, it makes it more interesting.
Due to large cultural differences, one may not be accustomed to the new one
James Pointon (Wanganui)
Age-17
Ocupation- Student
The culture is amazing. As well as new experiences and all that Mostly the culture aye haha and anime
It's so far away, I don't know the language It's a bit over populated. I think I would be overwhelmed.
Jonny Mathews (Wellington)
Age-18
Ocupation- First year university student
pros - With the Japanese education, there are several universities in the top 70 in the world, with Tokyo University, Osaka University and Kyoto university being in the top 20. Being over there and experiencing another countries culture could be life changing along with the food with so much more variety than what we have in NZ. An up would be that you are able to actually live your everyday life learning how to speak Japanese rather than book learning/anime/manga
cons - Depending on how the inflation and how tightly the Government over there is keeping an eye on the unemployment rate. If there is a high amount of unemployment, then it could be difficult to get a job over there. This could be even harder if you didn’t study in Japan at all and they don’t think highly of NZ education. It could be even harder if you aren’t fluent in Japanese. If the Japanese culture is completely brand new, then it could be difficult living up to the high expectations that we don’t have over here in NZ.
Maria Johnson (Wellington)
Age 49
Entrepreneur
Learning language, Facing challenges, Multi cultural opportunities, Learning new things, all the different kind of food, and the rich history
I guess distance from family? I think it's a great place with lots of opportunities
But it's so far away from NZ we don't really have the same push to learn Japanese as there is now with Chinese But I think Japanese culture is more genuine
Kendall Mcilraith (Wellington)
Age- 18
Ocupation- University Student
I would go because i would be in a different country meaning i'm experience a different place whilst getting qualifications so its like purposeful travel
I wouldnt go cause theres obviously a language barrier so it would be harder to be educated plus it would be harder to cope alone and make more friends and not have backup family support
Graham Dickie (Auckland)
Age-18
Ocupation- University student
New place, New culture, new people, Exciting, Experiance Adventure. learn a new language and expand your horizons learn about japan history and mythology become a more well rounded person
nerves, never lived away from home. might miss your friends.
Mathew Johnson (Christchurch)
Age-24
Ocupaion-Entrepreneur
Awesome cultural experience/ can combine an O.E and study together so your not wasting time. The food is awesome a great way to get out of your comfort zone. More positives are the increasing rugby culture and potential to play properly over there get behind a club ect more entrepreneurial ventures that can be applied back in nz as Japan is advanced ect
initial thoughts are- government subsidies education for local residents here and the rest you get on an interest free loan so it is much cheaper,plus our unis are well recognised( not saying Japans aren't unsure on that). work I imagine has a language barrier and business chat is probably the hardest part of a language to learn. not only is it way cheaper to study in NZ because of the costs of uni but from what I gather Japan is expensive for many other reasons food entertainment ect.
After reading this what are your thoughts on this subject? id love to hear what you think if you are looking to contact me, you can do so by sending an email to jacobmikejohnson@gmail.com or you can leave a comment in the section below.
