The Number of Japanese Nationals Studying Overseas and the Annual Survey of International Students in Japan
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology （MEXT） compiles figures for the number of Japanese nationals studying overseas, based on statistics published by the OECD and other organizations. The statistics for 2012 were recently compiled and can be found in Annex 1.
In addition, the results of the Annual Survey of International Students in Japan 2014, Annual Status Survey on Short-term Study by International Students for Fiscal Year 2013, and Status Survey of Students Enrolled in Short-term Educational Programs for Fiscal Year 2013, which are all conducted by the Japan Student Services Organization（JASSO), have been compiled and can be found in Annex 2.
Outline of Results:
- Number of Japanese nationals studying overseas:
According to the 2012 statistics compiled by the OECD and other organizations, there were 60,138 Japanese nationals studying overseas (an increase of 2,637 (5％) compared with the previous year）and the countries with the largest number of citizens studying overseas were the People's Republic of China (21,126; up by 3,165 on the previous year), the United States of America（19,568; down 398 from the previous year), and the United Kingdom（3,633; down 72 from the previous year).
*Source: Figures for OECD member countries are based on Education at a Glance, published by the OECD, while those for other countries are based on statistics published by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the Institute of International Education's（IIE）publication Open Doors, and figures published by each country.
Reference: According to JASSO's Survey of Japanese Students Studying Abroad Based on Student Exchange Agreements, as far as universities and colleges were aware, there were 69,869 Japanese students studying abroad in FY2013, up 4,496 compared with the previous fiscal year.
- Number of international students from other countries:
(1）Annual Survey of International Students in Japan 2014 （JASSO survey）
As of May 1, 2014, there were 184,155 international students in Japan up 16,010（10％) compared with the previous fiscal year) and the countries/regions accounting for the largest number of international students were the People's Republic of China（94,399; down 3,476 from the previous fiscal year), Vietnam（26,439; up 12,640 on the previous fiscal year), and the Republic of Korea（15,777; down 1,506 from the previous fiscal year).
*Of these, 139,185 were international students enrolled at higher education institutions (up 3,666 (3％)), while 44,970 were international students enrolled at Japanese language institutes (up 12,344 38％)).
(2）Annual Status Survey on Short-term Study by International Students for Fiscal Year 2013 (JASSO survey）
5,008 international students enrolled in programs of short-term study in Japan that began and were completed within the period between May 2, 2013 and April 30, 2014 (up 533 (12％) compared with the previous year's survey). The countries/regions accounting for the largest number of such international students were the People's Republic of China (1,309；down 14 from the previous survey), the Republic of Korea (651; down 62 from the previous survey), and the United States of America (628; up 93 on the previous survey）.
*Of these, 3,597 were international students enrolled at higher education institutions (up 427 (14％)), while 1,411 were international students enrolled at Japanese language institutes (up 106 (9％)).
(3）Status Survey of Students Enrolled in Short-term Educational Programs for Fiscal Year 2013 (JASSO survey）
9,325 international students enrolled in short-term educational programs in Japan in FY2013 (up 681 (8％）compared with the previous fiscal year). The countries/regions accounting for the largest number of such international students were the People's Republic of China (1,730; up 337 on the previous fiscal year), the Republic of Korea（1,717; down 179 from the previous fiscal year), and the United States of America (1,137; down 127 from the previous fiscal year).
*This survey tracks the number of international students enrolling in short-term educational programs in FY2013 （from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014）for purposes other than earning an academic degree, undertaken via attending lectures on subjects prescribed in the rules of the university or college for the purpose of education, research, gaining first-hand experience of another culture, or practicing a foreign language in the country where it is spoken, or via the issue of certification for subjects not covered in the rules of the university or college concerned.
(4）Pursuant to the provisions of Appended Table 1 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, an international student in surveys (1）and (2）is defined as a student from a foreign country who has been granted the "College Student" status of residence (commonly termed a "student visa"), who is receiving education at a Japanese university, graduate school, junior college, college of technology, professional training college, educational institution providing preparatory courses for entering a Japanese university, or Japanese language institute in Japan.
Following the integration of the "College Student" and "Pre-college Student" statuses of residence from July 1, 2010 under the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act （promulgated on July 15, 2009）, international students enrolled at Japanese language institutes began to be included in the survey in 2011.
As the four surveys conducted up to 2014 demonstrated that stable data could be gathered, figures for the number of international students enrolled at Japanese language institutes began to be included in the published figures in the 2014 survey.
Statistics on international exchange students enrolled at higher educational institutions in Japan is accessible via following link:
Result of an Annual Survey of International Students in Japan 2014
Further information:
Annex 1: Overseas Study by Japanese Nationals (PDFin English):
http://www.mext.go.jp/english/topics/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2015/05/08/1357495_01.pdf
Annex 2: Annual Survey of International Students in Japan 2014 (JASSO Survey) (PDF in Japanese):
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2015/03/16/1345878_02.pdf
