After a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international students in Japan rebounded in 2023, increasing by 20.8 percent, according to a recent survey. However, enrollment levels have not yet returned to pre-pandemic numbers.
The Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) survey, released on Friday, reported a total of 279,274 international students in Japan as of May 1, 2023. This marks an increase of 48,128 students, or 20.8 percent, compared to 2022.
Of these students, 188,555 were enrolled in higher education institutions, up from 181,741 in 2022. Specifically, the number of international students in higher education increased by 6,814 (3.7 percent), while those in Japanese language institutions rose by 41,314 (83.6 percent), reaching a record high of 90,719.
More than 80,000 of these students were university undergraduates. Additionally, 1,955 and 501 students attended junior colleges and colleges of technology, respectively. During the same period, 55,539 students attended graduate schools, 46,325 enrolled in vocational schools or specialized courses, and 3,873 took preparatory classes.
China remained the top source country, with 115,493 students in 2023, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. Other significant numbers of students came from:
- Nepal: 37,878 students
- Vietnam: 36,339 students
- South Korea: 14,946 students
- Myanmar: 7,773 students
Interestingly, the number of Vietnamese students in Japan decreased by 2.8 percent in 2022.
Japan aims to host 400,000 international students by 2033, as per the Council for the Creation of Future Education in the Cabinet Secretariat.
The JASSO survey also highlighted a significant increase in Japanese students studying abroad, with a five-fold rise in 2022 compared to the previous year. Most Japanese students chose to study in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The recovery in international student numbers in Japan began in 2022, following the relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, there were still 231,146 international students in Japan in 2022, reflecting a 4.7 percent decline from the previous year.
