274

Japanese Studying Abroad:
Motivation and Trends

Hazuki Ikemoto（Stephen Richmond ゼミ）
Deguchi in an article on the business information

1. Introduction

website Diamondiii. Some Japanese companies

It was recently reported by Mika Tanikawa

now require measured English ability forin the New York Times that in Japan,“college

employment because of the growth of Japanese

educators and government often complain aboutbusiness overseas. For example, Rakuten andiwaning student interests in overseas studies.”

Uniqlo, which are known as representative

The Japanese Ministry of Education, along withcompanies of Japan, both decided to use

individual universities, is in fact pushing students

English as a primary company language into study overseas and become internationalized,

2012. However, as Tanikawa points out, major

but despite this, the number of students studying

Japanese companies such as Panasonic andabroad is decreasing year by year. Furthermore,Sony have increased foreign employees to 30 toin his 2011 article“Naze ryugakubanare wa

80 percentiv. If Japanese also would like to be

okotteiru no ka ?”(Why are students no longer

hired by such companies, they must be naturally

studying abroad?), Hiroshi Ota notes that therequired to have a high level of English ability innumber of Japanese studying abroad remainedorder to communicate within the company.

relatively stable at 75000 since 1999. This

From these examples it is clear that English

number increased once in 2004, but since thisability will become increasingly necessary forpoint, the number has continued to decrease.

people working in Japanese companies, andOn the other hand, the worldwide number

study abroad is widely considered to be one ofof people studying abroad increased fourfold

the best routes to achieving a high level of skill

in the period from 1975 to 2008, according toin communicative English. However, in spite ofOrganization for Economic Co-operation andthese needs, as reported in the sources above,

Development (OECD). Additionally, about half ofthe number of Japanese studying abroad has

Japanese studying abroad choose the US as their

dropped since peaking in 2004. What are thedestinationii, but this number also is a downward

reasons for this decline? In this essay, I would

trend compared with other Asian countries

like to examine the reasons behind this trend

like China and Korea. It seems clear that fewer

and also suggest some ideas how to change theJapanese students are choosing to spend time

various systems influencing study abroad, suchstudying abroad. Mr. Ota asserts that this trend

as universities, companies and the attitudes ofposes a serious problem for Japan because

society in general.

contemporary young people will be increasingly
important in the global society of the future.
Currently, the globalisation of the world
economy is progressing quickly, and exchange

2. Japanese Studying Abroad
2.1 History of ryugaku (study abroad)with foreign countries is extremely important

Many people would agree that the basic

to local economies, as pointed out by Haruaki

goal of studying abroad is the formation and275
Japanese Studying Abroad: Motivation and Trends

completion of character. The history of studyingof scholarship, gaining experience in foreign

abroad in Japan is long, and new knowledge

lifestyles, and studying abroad systems wereand skills have been introduced into Japan byinstitutionalized by major companies. Frominternational students from foreign countries

the 1960s, when Japan began to experiencesince ancient times. In ancient Japan, both kanji

rapid economic growth, private students

characters and Buddhism crossed to Japan frombecame wealthy enough to travel abroad, but

China and the Korean Peninsula, but the politicalhigh exchange rates make foreign travel andpowers only began the dispatch of Japanesestudy too expensive for most Japanese. Morestudents to China in the late sixth century. Five

people became able to go abroad with eachyoung nuns were sent to Baekje, the state of thegoal, and this became more accessible in 1985.

ancient Korean Peninsula, for the first time in

These purposes are similar to current one, for588. They returned safely, but traveling overseas

example, language study, the working holiday

was still a dangerous endeavor at the time, since

aimed at gaining life experience, and to acquire

shipbuilding technology was still in its infancy.

qualifications. While studying abroad in the

In the Heian period (794-1185), studying abroad

modern era was seen as a means of gaining

for a short time became a more mainstream

a fuller personality for many Westerners,

pursuit. The costs involved in travel and study

for countries like Japan as it was aiming atwere covered by the state. In the 12th century,

modernization, it also a way to developing

many Buddhist priests successively visited Song

civilization and society through the adoption of

Dynasty China as a result of increased interest

foreign ideas.

in Buddhism. On their return, other domestic
priests were strongly influenced by them and

2.2 Recent trends

studying abroad became increasingly popular.

The graph in Figure 1 shows the change

However, in the Muromachi period (1336-1573),

in numbers of Japanese studying abroadcrossing to China was prohibited, except for

between the years 1983 and 2010. The verticalsome temporary Japan-China trade. Up until

axis represents number of students, while thethis point, Japan had sent people as international

horizontal axis shows the years.

students only to Asian countries, such as China.

According to Japanese studying abroad

However, the Edo Shogunate began dispatching

figures tallied by the Ministry of Education, theinternational students to Holland in 1862, andnumber of Japanese people studying abroad

also to European countries, such as Britain andreached record highs by 2002, but grew at

France. In 1866, the Edo Shogunate permitted

a sluggish pace after that. 2004 saw a peakJapanese citizens to travel overseas for thenumber of 83,000 students leaving Japan, withpurpose of study. During the Meiji period (1868-

major destinations being the United States,

1912), systematized overseas study was one

China, and the United Kingdom.

of the more important national policies, due to

What is the reason behind this drop in

the government's aspiration for modernization

numbers? Tsuyoshi Saito, the author of aand westernization. Some well-known public

news report on Benesse education website,

figures experienced study abroad during thiscommented that some people assume that theperiod, such as Prime Minister Hirobumi Itou,

number of people studying abroad also deserves

and novelists Souseki Natsume and Ougai Mori.

to have decreased every year because theAfter World War II, there were a number of

number of young people has decreased because

academics studying abroad through a systemof the dwindling birthrate . However, compared

v

276

Figure 1. Number of Japanese studying abroad, by year. (Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology-Japan)

with 2010 and the peak year 2004, the number

studying abroad and gaining communicationof people studying abroad decreased by 30%,

skills in foreign languages. It is widely believed

while the number of people entering universitythat studying and living in foreign countries

actually rose. In other words, about decrease

is remarkably helpful as ways of not onlyin the number of young people wanting go

increasing one's communication ability, but also

overseas is irrefutable.

broadening one's outlook.

Meanwhile, with the globalization ofbusiness developments, Japanese companies

2.3 Reasons for decline

began competing with the rest of the world,

In this section I would like to individuallyrather than just within Japan. According

address some of the reasons that have been

to a survey conducted in February 2012 bygiven for the decline in outbound student

Japanese job information site DISCO , 22% of

numbers.

1245 companies answered that they are plan toemploy people who has experienced studying

2.3.1 Financial reasonsabroad, up ten points from the previous survey.

Some have commented that the decrease

Besides, the percentage of Japanese companies

in numbers of Japanese studying abroad isthat consider that studying abroad does not

linked to economic reasons. For example, Hitomi

influence employment opportunity declined to

Okazaki, on the employment information website

60% in 2010 from 72% in 2006.  People who are

Riku-nabi said that“one reason for (students)

able to be globally active seem to be increasingly

staying put was financial, given the state of theneeded by companies which aim to branch out

economy, especially since tuition in countries likeoverseas in the future. Therefore, university

the United States is soaring.”vii

students especially need the experience

In 2010, only 58,000 Japanese students

277Japanese Studying Abroad: Motivation and Trends

studied outside the country, in a large decrease

cost of studying abroad for reasons such as cuts

from the record high of 83,000 achieved duringin their parents' annual earnings. There is data

the 2004 academic year. This decrease mightthat indicates that the higher a parents' annual

be largely due to the struggling economy whichsalary, the greater the children's the four-year

affected families and increased their financial

university entrance rate increase xii. There areburdens, including those of paying for theircurrently scholarship systems, such as the one

children's education. Instead of pursuing further

created and run by the Japan Student Services

education abroad, students concentrated on

Organization, but ultimately, parents' income hasviii

finding jobs to help out their families .

a huge influence on the prospective academic

According to the popular website Ryugaku

courses of their children. On current figures,

Journal, which provides information in Japaneseparents who have a child entering four-year

on visiting foreign countries for study or for

university have to pay about 450 million yen forwork, the average cost for a language study

admission and tuition fees over four yearsxiii, andabroad (tuition and travel expenses combined)some of them need to send additional allowance

totals between 160 million to 300 million

money for children to live by themselves.

yen per person per year. ix According to theGiven this data, and Japan's current economic

Ministry of Education, popular study abroadclimate, it is easy to guess that a large number

destinations among Japanese students areof families have to cut back on studying abroad

the United States of America, China, Britain,

because of financial reasons.

Australia, and Taiwan x . Hiroshi Ota, in hispiece Naze ryugakubanare wa okotteiru no ka?

2.3.2 English language ability(Why are students no longer studying abroad?),According to an article in the ICEF Monitor ,states that one of the reasons for decrease ina dedicated market intelligence resource fornumber of people studying abroad is the highthe international education industry, anxiety

cost of university tuition in English-speaking

language barriers were commonly a citedcountries. For instance, at many influential

reason among students' disinterest in study

American universities, students require at least

abroadxiv. Besides, Ota Hiroshi points out a delay

fifty thousand dollars for their total expenses

in the development of international education

Moreover, they are required to

exchange programs at Japanese universitiesxv.

demonstrate their amount of money more thanCompared with other countries, international

this cost as certification of bank account when

program development at Japanese universities

applying to studying abroad, so the average

is often delayed. This is nothing less than aper year.

xi

Japanese family has extreme difficulty lettinglack of effort on the part of the institutions totheir children go abroad while the Japanese

attract students to studying overseas. As aeconomy is flagging and savings are low.

major problem of Japanese higher education,

According to a research paper published by

the delay of university globalization is a major

the Inter-University Seminar for the Future ofissue, but such case focuses mainly on small andJapan (ISFJ), a student policy forum, it is also

midsize private universities. Furthermore, there

supposed that one of the reasons for decrease in

is little government support for most of thesestudy abroad numbers is an increase in students

cases. The government's support is more likely

who are forced to give up study abroad plans

to focus on high level universities, but appealingon economic grounds. Researchers assume an

programs of studying abroad, including shortincrease in students who cannot cope with theterm ones, are still not adequately developed. In278

addition, the number of programs in which one

some comments from Naoki Ogi, a professor ofis able to have plural degrees (double degree)

education at Hosei University in Tokyo, about

through studying abroad while in university is

fewer Japanese students studying abroad. He

extremely small. Although this program is  now

has compiled his own theory of why this isa world trend, the Ministry of Education still

the case. Young Japanese were increasingly

has not accepted it. On the other hand, we are

becoming introverted and risk-averse, Mr. Ogi

required a certain level of TOEFL and TOEIC

said, and were unwilling and ill-prepared to taketests to study abroad. According to Ryugaku

on new challenges. He added that he believed

Jaanaru , students need a score of between 46

their lack of interest in going abroad was partto 80 in the TOEFL iBT in order to attend aof that growing unease with the unknown

foreign college or four-year university. The

and challenging situations. According to Mr.

transition to TOEFL iBT was completed in

Ogi,“They (Japanese students) are growing

2006, and it became an integrated test of four

mentally weak and feeble and some even lacklanguage skills: reading, listening, speaking andxvii
basic survival instincts.” Recently, it is often

writing. It is not only the relative difficulty ofcommented in the media that Japanese youth

the question gets higher, but also grammaticalare becoming increasingly inward-oriented.

questions are excluded. Moreover, sinceCompared with other Asian students, thespeaking tests which Japanese students havenumber of Japanese students studying abroad

been traditionally poor at, were added, it becomehas decreased. It is said that young Japanese

harder to attain high score without special

have lost interest in foreign countries from thispreparation lectures. In fact, figures quoted bytendency, and words such as uchi-muki (inward-

Ota show that the average English speaking test

looking) and soshoku-ka (‘herbivorous’, meek

score of Japanese test-taker is the lowest level ofpeople) are often quoted in the media. This

the countries sampled, while writing test scoreslack of energy and motivation is apparent evenxvi

are also second-lowest . High level universities

to foreign students in Japan. An example isin English-speaking countries tend to demand an

Hochuen Kwan, a study abroad sophomore at

appropriately high level of English ability for all

Waseda University in Tokyo, who opines thatexchange students, but the number of JapaneseJapanese university students do not use muchstudents who cannot fulfill the requested score,energy in studying hardxviii.

even if they want to study abroad, is increasing.

However, according to a survey prepared

Besides, some indicate that the difficulty of

by a study group of Yoshio Higuchi at Keiothe new TOEFL test leads to an avoidance ofUniversity, though young Japanese are said

English language study and studying abroad.

to have a lack of interest of foreign countries,

Meanwhile, the English ability of both Chinese

their interest in studying abroad remains high.

and Korean students is improving steadily,Consequently, it is concluded in the article

and study abroad prerequisites are not such

“Nihonjin daigakusei no ryugaku sokushina serious problem as in Japan. It is therefore

seisaku (A Study Abroad Promotion Policy

necessary, according to Ota, to reconsider

for Japanese University Students)” that theJapanese English education fundamentally fromdecreasing trend of study abroad is not fully

this point of view.

explained by this, and it is more rational to takeaction to promote study abroad based on other

2.3.3 Lack of interest in foreign culture/language

known barriers. In his article, Akira Kobayashi,

The New York Times article reported

professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, states

279Japanese Studying Abroad: Motivation and Trends

that his students whom he contacts routinely

and cultures. Ota claims that it is possible

are quite overseas-conscious and hope to havethat young Japanese have lost admiration andthe chance to study abroad regardless of theinterest for foreign countries, due to a highly-

length of time, while at universityxix. Thus it

developed culture exchange and increasing

seems that a decrease in student motivation isschool trips to foreign countries. A more affluent

not as significant factor as it is sometimes madeand open Japan means that study abroad has

out to be.

lost its novelty.

Kobayashi believes that he most important
problem is how much a university understands

2.3.5 Job-hunting schedule clash

students’circumstances and employs concrete

Many educators and experts state thatxx

ideas to enable study abroad opportunities .

another cause of the decrease in study abroad

The international society is a community

numbers lies in the job hunting practices ofin which people should co-exist across theirgraduating students.“A likely reason for the falldifferent cultures. Japanese universities havein the number of students studying abroad is aa responsibility to get students who do not

fear among students that if they study abroad,want to go overseas interested in study abroad,they may lose the chance to find employment

but that vision is not necessarily shared bywhen they come back to Japan from their

all parties at universities. Universities arestudies”,stated the editorial in The Japan Times

generally supportive of study abroad fairs,

Weekly in 2011

counseling, orientation for students hoping to

xxiii

.

Since 1996, the job hunting process starts

study abroad, but Kobayashi suspects that inin the autumn of university students' third

general, information provided by universities isyear and reaches its peak by the end of that

insufficient, especially for students who are notyear at all fourth-year universities. As a result,interested in study abroad to begin with, but

students are disinclined to take time off fromxxi

have the means and opportunity to participate .

this to study abroad. Additionally, since all new

The question remains then, what arerecruits are hired and begin at the same time,

young Japanese interested in? They invest their

it is extremely difficult to try looking for a job

limited funds in various choices such as hobbies,

after going through studying abroad experience,education, and entertainment. As a result, thewhen one's fellow students have already secured

value of studying abroad may have fallen down

employment.

their lists of priorities.

The survey result of affairs of university
graduating students who found a job in 2010

2.3.4 Image of foreign countries

by the Ministry of Education is 57.6% andOta mentions in his article the convenience

this percentage declines no less than 4.9%,of modern Japan as one of the reasons for fewer

compared to the previous year. Risk awarenessJapanese studying abroad. xxii The economic

with regards to employment appears to be

miracle of postwar Japan gave rise to aincreasing, and Akira Kobayashi sees thisconvenient and comfortable society- a situation

as a key problem. Additionally, the gradualthat is sometimes hard to leave. Ota believes

lengthening of the job hunting process adds tothat the younger generation is not finding value

students' anxiety about the continuing economic

in taking the trouble to open up to difficult

downturn upward financial crisis. In 2012, in

situations which arise when attempting to

response to this problem, the Japan Businessunderstand a wide variety of foreign customs

Federation announced that they will push

280

forward the start of the job hunting season

but students with study abroad experiencefrom October 1 st to December 1 st. However,report that rather than these, financial and

Mr. Kobayashi said that this level of shift is

English language issues pose more problems.

quite unlikely to be recognized by students as

Many students who do not end up studying

a direct and immediate solution to the study

abroad seem have given up the idea of goingabroad conundrum. Therefore, students tend to

through fear of having their job hunting schedule

step up their efforts in studying for additional

postponed.xxvi It is also reasonable to assume that

qualifications, and studying abroad is now

some students studies abroad in spite of these

becoming an unpopular option in their busy

shortcomings.

student years. In addition to seasonal problems,

   In order to revive interest in study

the study group of Yoshio Higuchi reports thatabroad, perhaps it would be useful to support

students sometimes believe that studying abroad

universities and society local organizations.

has no value if it is not seen to directly influence

Yoshio Higuchi's Association suggests that

their prospect of employmentxxiv. The promotion

contemporary Japanese companies need toof studying abroad has no meaning if Japanesegive greater recognition to the study abroadsociety does not understand the importance ofexperience of students, and make allowances formaking use of students' study abroad experience.

this during job hunting. Study abroad is vital for

It is fair to suppose that society's attitude

Japanese students, and consequently, the future

toward study abroad experience is ambiguous.

of the country in a globalised society. Since

Hiroshi Ota says that he interviews recruitment

Japan is an island nation with its own language

staff and students taking part in job interviews

and culture, study abroad experience remains

who not think that companies rate students'

one of the few methods by which Japanese canxxv. In the past,interact with the rest of the world. Of course,

there was a sense that the Japanese economic

the rise of the internet and the communication

experiences of studying abroad

recession gave meaning and motivation to study

channels it provides has lessened the needabroad; however, this is no longer necessarily

for study abroad, but this alone is not enough.

the case.

The Japan Times Weekly points this out in no
uncertain terms:“The government and private

3. Conclusion
   As we have seen, there are numerous

sector must realize that a decline in the numberof students studying abroad could have axxvii

devastating effect on the future of Japan”.

possible reasons for the recent decline inJapanese students' interest in study abroad.
These include financial reasons, falling Englishi   Tanikawa Mika, Fewer Japanese Students Studying

ability, lack of interest in foreign culture andAbroad , The New York Times, February 20, 2011

language, and clashes with job-hunting schedule.
Of these, the most pressing would seem to beii   Ota Hiroshi, Naze ryugakubanare wa okotteiru noa harmful effect of increased time, energy andka? (Why are students no longer studying abroad?),money being expended by students in their job-

Kyoiku to Igaku (Education and Medicine), 59(1):69

hunting efforts. According to Yoshio Higuchi
survey, the problems of financial resourcesiii

   Deguchi Haruaki, Wakamono ga kaigairyugaku

and poor English ability are both significant

wo shitagaranai genin ha nihonkigyou nobottlenecks in allowing students to study abroad,uchimukitaishitsu ni aru. (Reasons for youth not281Japanese Studying Abroad: Motivation and Trends
studying abroad lies in the nature of Japanesecompanies.), Daiamondo Online homepage (http://xiv  Interest in study abroad picking up again in Japan,

diamond.jp/articles/-/15920) (accessed 3 January,

ICEF Monitor homepage, September 17, 2013,2014)(accessed September 20, 2013)iv

  Tanikawa

xvv

   S a i t o T s u y o s h i , K a i g a i r y u g a k u n o g e n s h oxvi  Ota, p34
  Ota, p71

hauchimuki no sei dake? (Is students' introspection
the only reason for decrease in study abroad

xvii

  Tanikawa

numbers?), published March, 2013, Benesse
homepage (http://benesse.jp/blog/20130325/p2.html)

xviii

  ibid(accessed January 3 , 2014)
xix

  Kobayashi Akira, Nihonjingakusei no kaigairyugakuvi   Sankei News, published May, 2012, (http://de-wa-

sogaiyoin to kongo no taisaku (Obstructive factors

news.iza.ne.jp/blog/entry/2681301/) (accessedon study abroad for Japanese students and future

January 3, 2014)

policy), Ryugaku Koryu (Study Abroad Exchange),
Vol.2, p7vii  Tanikawa
xx  ibid, p7

viii

   Ida Torres, Government to encourage more
Japanese college students abroad, The Japan Dailyxxi

  ibid, p14

Press, May 7, 2013xxii

  Ota, p74

ix

   Ryugaku Jaanaru (Journal of Study Abroad)
homepage (http://www.ryugaku.co.jp/) (accessedxxiv

December 2, 2013)xxv

  Higuchi, p16

  Ota, p36

xxvi
x  ibidThe Japan Times Weekly Editorial, "Fear of

studying abroad," Published January, 2011, The
Japan Times Weekly Online (http://weekly.

xi  Ota, p72

japantimes.co.jp/ed/fear-of-studying-abroad)(accessed September 14, 2013)xii

   Kokosei no shinro to oya no nenshu no kanren
ni tsuite (On the correlation between high school
students’graduate pathways and parents’income).
Tokyo University Graduate School of Education,
2009

xiii

   Higuchi Yoshio, Shintaku Hiroki, Takahata Mami,
Tsuda Ayana, Netsu Syunsuke and Fujimori
Tatsuya, Nihonjin daigakusei no ryugaku sokushin

seisaku. (Study abroad promotion policy forJapanese university students.), p14