LOSING STEAM: THE DEMISE OF THE “JAPANESE DREAM” AMONG PROSPECTIVE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Much like immigration, reasons to study abroad often relate to push and/or pull factors. Although attractive programs and courses can be major pulls for some prospective international students, financial matters such as tuition, living costs, and pathways to employment also have a significant influence. Since 2010 when Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) initiated projects and activities to promote the internationalization of universities, the number of inbound international students in Japan was steadily increasing, most of which were coming from East and Southeast Asia. This trend continued up until around 2018, and, understandably, rapidly declined in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of rigid border restrictions. While the pandemic undoubtedly played a major part in this downtrend, one cannot overlook the fact that enrollments and interest in studying in Japan was already losing steam. With its university rankings increasingly losing out to competitive universities in China and Singapore and its relatively low entry-level salaries amid a long-term recession, which has further been exacerbated by the weakened yen, the “Japanese dream” is arguably past its prime. While taking into account the contextual factors which influenced this trend, my study involved a critical discourse analysis of MEXT’s ambitious plan to somehow reverse this trend by bolstering further internationalization, attracting highly-skilled foreign talent and essentially saving a sinking ship. The findings from this study may give institutions in the education and employment sectors an opportunity to reassess their current support systems and programs for lucrative foreign talent.