Number of Vietnamese studying in Japan has decreased for 4 consecutive years, 'falling in rank' for the first time in 9 years

The number of Vietnamese studying in Japan is decreasing.

The Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), under the Ministry of Education , Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, announced in May 2024 statistics on the number of international students in the country as of early May 2023. Vietnam has 36,339 people, down 2.8% compared to 2022 and is the only country with a decrease in number in the top 5 countries with the most international students in Japan. Vietnam also accounts for 13% of the total number of foreign students studying in Japan.

Notably, Japan, which was the most popular destination for Vietnamese students in 2018-2019, surpassed Western countries or South Korea when it was continuously chosen by more than 72,000 people, now sees a decrease of more than 50%. Not only has the number of Vietnamese students in Japan decreased sharply, it has also continuously decreased from 2019 to present. This is also the first year Vietnam ranked 3rd in the number of international students after continuously holding the 2nd position since 2014.

Previously, Vietnam entered the top 5 for the first time since 2005 and witnessed continuous growth, officially peaking in 2019 with 73,389 international students.

In the top 5, China has always been the leader in the number of international students for many years. Nepal, usually ranked 3rd, now grew by 56.2%, reaching 37,878 people and "usurping" the 2nd place from Vietnam. Another country with a similar "huge" increase is Myanmar with 103.9%, surpassing Indonesia to rank 5th. Meanwhile, South Korea increased slightly by 1,245 people, continuing to hold the 4th place in the number of international students in Japan.

Vietnamese students performing at the Vietnam Festival 2024 taking place in early June in Tokyo, Japan

Although ranked 3rd in the total number of international students, Vietnam ranked 2nd in the number of full-time international students studying at Japanese higher education institutions with 22,353 people, accounting for 11.9%. In addition, there are 448 Vietnamese short-term students studying at Japanese higher education institutions, an increase of 196 people compared to 2022. This is also the only index that witnessed Vietnam's growth.

The report also shows that the three majors in Japan that are most popular with international students are social sciences (30.5%), humanities (23.1%), and engineering (18.6%). The three regions that attract the most international students are Kanto (48.9%), Kinki (22.6%), and Kyushu (10%). The three major universities with the most international students are Waseda University (with 5,560 people), Tokyo University (4,658), and Ritsumeikan University (3,027).

Studying in Japan is getting more expensive?

According to the JASSO report, 2023 will also be the first year to record growth in the number of international students in Japan after 4 years since the country lifted strict restrictions due to Covid-19, with a total of about 280,000 people. At the same time, Japan also recorded a record number of international students enrolled in Japanese language institutions, an increase of more than 83% compared to 2022.

Responding to the international education news site The PIE News , Mr. Kuniko Takeda, Deputy Director in charge of international affairs from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports , Science and Technology, commented that the Japanese government's efforts to restore the number of international students, which has decreased significantly due to the impact of Covid-19, are showing stable results.

Factors driving this growth include an attractive academic research environment, safe and affordable living conditions, a unique culture and a network of alumni in their home countries, Takeda added. “At the same time, we see opportunities to further promote international student exchanges and want to increase efforts in this area,” the Japanese education agency representative said.

A building in the University of Tokyo, Japan

Previously, in March, Japan decided to remove the tuition fee cap for international students at 86 national universities and allow schools to increase tuition by a maximum of 20%. This move is to improve the learning experience for international students and encourage schools to provide specialized services for them. Currently, the "standard" level is 535,800 JPY and schools can increase it up to 642,960 JPY (103 million VND).

Most recently, the University of Tokyo, the leading university in the land of cherry blossoms and attracting the second largest number of international students in Japan, announced on its internal website on May 16 that it plans to increase tuition fees from 2025. On the official website, Mr. Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo, said that tuition fees have not changed in the past 20 years since its establishment. However, this has caused the school to fall into many difficulties in the current context.

Currently, 7/86 national universities in Japan are charging tuition fees higher than the "standard". However, observers say that these fees are still much "more affordable" than traditional study abroad destinations such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Japan is also aiming to attract 400,000 international students by 2033, double the current level, while increasing the number of domestic students studying abroad to 500,000.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-viet-du-hoc-nhat-giam-lien-tiep-4-nam-lan-dau-tut-hang-sau-9-nam-185240614114947678.htm