Education in Japan

Education in Japan is of high quality and recognized world-wide. The QS international ranking has included five Japanese universities in the list of top 100 universities in the world. Japan is the 9th most popular destination for training^[0]. Over 140,000 international students from 170 countries around the world study here. Japan is a renowned leader in innovation and technology, providing students with unique opportunities for theoretical and practical training. The Land of the Rising Sun also attracts foreigners with its mysterious culture, amazing cuisine and unique architecture.

Cost and Structure of Education in Japan

In general, there are six types of higher educational institutions in Japan:

• Universities;
• Junior colleges;
• Colleges of technology;
• Professional training colleges;
• Japanese language institutes;
• Graduate schools.

The options for admission to universities in Japan

Foundation - Preparatory programs in Japan

In order to enroll in a Japanese university, applicants must graduate from the 12th grade of high school. Students from countries where the school lasts for 11 years can complete one year of the university in their country or take preparatory courses in Japan.
Such courses take from 1 to 2 years. Education starts in April or in October (if the course takes 1.5 years).
A complete list of available courses can be found here.
Training is conducted in Japanese, so all applicants must know Japanese at least at the level of N5 (A1).
The general admission process is as follows:
The curriculum consists not only of Japanese classes but also subjects in the chosen field. In humanities programs, students study English, mathematics, geography, history, political science, and economics. In science programs, students study English, mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry. The program is designed to prepare students for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) and the entrance examination EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) before entering the university.

College - Vocational education in Japan

In Japan there are three types of colleges:

• Junior colleges mainly provide training for students in the humanities, healthcare, and pedagogy. Graduates can either enter universities to continue their studies or seek work.
• Сolleges of technology are higher education institutions offering a five-year program for 9th-grade graduates. As a rule, foreign students begin their studies immediately from the third year, skipping the first two years. Such colleges train highly qualified specialists who are versed in the latest technical developments. Graduates of technology colleges obtain an associate degree. They can also continue their studies for an additional two years, after which they have the opportunity to obtain a bachelor's degree by passing a special exam.
• Professional colleges organize specialized higher education courses for high school graduates (12th grade). The training here is carried out in the following areas: medicine, technology, culture and general education, business, hygiene, education and social well-being, fashion and home economics, agriculture. After completing the courses, students with a specialist diploma can find a job or go to university for undergraduate programs. In addition, students can choose to undergo two additional years of study in order to receive an advanced diploma and be able to immediately apply for master's programs.

Bachelor’s in Japan - Undergraduate

Japanese universities can choose the type of entrance examinations that suits them the most:

• Selection based on the documents provided;
• Academic ability testing;
• Interview;
• Short essays;
• JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test);
• EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students);
• National Central Testing for University Admission;
• Other qualifying tests and exams.

Undergraduate programs normally last for 4 years. Students that specialize in medical fields (medical business, dentistry, veterinary medicine) study for 6 years.
The academic year begins in April and ends in March of the following year.

The curriculum consists of theoretical studies, lectures, seminars, laboratory work, master classes, internships, and research. At the end of their studies, students usually write and defend a scientific thesis. Bachelor graduates have the right to seek work or apply for master’s.

Master's and Doctoral - Graduate/Postgraduate in Japan

Master's and doctoral programs are organized by graduate schools, which can be either independent educational institutions or part of universities.
Studies usually last for two years. Please note that an important condition for admission is the conformity of the specialty studied in the bachelor's degree with the chosen direction of the master’s degree.
In order to be able to enroll in a master's course, students must fulfill one of the criteria:

• Completed undergraduate studies at a Japanese university;
• Completed 16 years of study (including high school) in another country;
• Be 22 years old, have a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) or higher.

Many Japanese universities, unlike European ones, also arrange entrance examinations when they enroll in graduate school (see the previous section).
Subjects are divided into three categories: basic, research and electives. The first three semesters are devoted to the study of theory, and the last semester is devoted to writing a research paper (thesis). At the end of the training, students pass the final exams and defend their work.

Doctoral studies - Postgraduate in Japan

Doctoral studies take 3 years on average. For admission, students must have a master's degree and pass the entrance tests. In addition, students usually should contact the future supervisor in advance by sending a letter with the goals and objectives, explaining the relevance of the work, as well as a detailed outline of the planned study.
Students that fulfill one of the following criteria can apply for doctoral programs:

• Received a master's degree, a professional degree or the equivalent at a Japanese university;
• Completed 16 years (including high school) of study in another country and engaged in research activities for at least 2 years;
• Be 24 years old and has a master's degree or equivalent.

Scholarships and grants in Japan

Education in Japan is not free for both foreigners and local residents. However, there are categories of students who are exempt from tuition fees:

• Master’s and doctoral students who are not able to pay for tuition at the university due to economic circumstances, but differ in outstanding academic merit;
• Students who are unable to pay for tuition due to the death of the person who was a sponsor of training;
• Students who are not able to pay for tuition due to a natural disaster (flood, hurricane) that occurred during the previous year;
• Students who are unable to pay tuition due to any other difficult circumstances.

For foreign students many grants and scholarships are available:
State scholarships in Japan (Monbukagakusho: MEXT). The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology offers seven scholarships to applicants:
Each scholarship, in addition to tuition, includes the full cost of two tickets to Japan (round-trip), as well as a full exemption (for the period of the scholarship) from additional registration fees at the university. You can apply for financial assistance through the university or the Japanese Embassy. Next, students need to go through an interview and pass written tests for knowledge of Japanese and English, as well as subjects of their chosen specialty. Please note that students who receive a MEXT scholarship cannot receive any other scholarships.

Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students. JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to foreign students studying at Japanese universities, higher schools, research centers, colleges, and preparatory courses.
Basic requirements:

• Letter of recommendation from an educational institution;
• The funds sent to the student by the family should not exceed 90000 JP /month;
• The annual income of the sponsor of training should not exceed ,0 USD/year;
• GPA of 2.30 or more in the year preceding the year of the scholarship application.

The scholarship size is from 30000 to 464 USD. Local scholarships from the government or international companies are entirely dependent on the municipality of the prefecture, the university, and sponsoring organizations. The main requirement is the residence in the territory of a particular city or district. Additionally, letters of recommendation from the university or participation in events for foreigners organized by the municipality may be required.
Private grants. Many organizations also set up private foundations to provide material assistance to foreign students.
A full list of all possible scholarships and the exact conditions for their receipt can be found here.

Student Visa for Study in Japan

The choice of a Japanese visa depends on the duration of study.

• A short-term (tourist) visa is issued for 15, 30 and 90 days. A 15 and 30-day visa is enough to take an orientation language course and get acquainted with the culture of Japan. This visa does not give the right to request a work permit but is suitable for a tourist visit to the country. A 90-day visa is suitable for those who come for the whole summer and plan to undergo more serious language training.
• A student visa is issued for a period of six months. When applying for long-term language courses, students usually get a visa for 1 year and then renew for another year. You can live in Japan with this type of visa for more than two years only if you enroll in an educational institution. A student visa is issued 4 times a year: in April, July, October, and January. A visa for applicants entering a college (Shugaku) and a visa for university students (Ryugaku) can be issued for a period of 4 years at a time, this is enough for the entire time of the study. In case the student enters the master's program or MBA, the visa is extended, and if the graduate finds a job, the employer submits documents for a work permit.

A guarantor, an educational institution that enrolled an applicant, is managing the process of obtaining a visa for students. In addition to colleges and universities, Japanese language schools also have this right. As a rule, employees collect and submit all the necessary documents to the Embassy or Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan at the place of registration of the student. A visa is prepared in about 3-4 months. The consular registration fee is not charged.

Work while studying in Japan

A student visa allows students to work part-time (up to 28 hours a week) and full-time up to 8 hours a day during the break. The average minimum wage is 8 USD/hour but may vary in different prefectures (for example, in Tokyo, the minimum wage is 9 USD/hour). Typically, students receive about 570 USD/month. Most often, students can find work in the service or teaching sector, in any case, an important requirement will be fluency in Japanese.

Immigration opportunities

After graduation, foreign students can stay to work in the country. In order to have the right to stay in the country for the purpose of work, it is necessary to exchange a student visa for a work permit after employment. Often, while studying, students would get an internship at a company in which they want to continue working after graduation, and when it happens, they are ready to sign a contract.

To obtain Japanese citizenship it is necessary:

• To live in the country for at least 5 consecutive years (time spent in Japan on a student visa is not taken into account);
• Be over 20 years old (or other legal age established in the alien’s home country);
• Confirm that there is no criminal record, as well as any other violations of the law (even one speeding fine can affect the decision of the commission);
• Obtain and present a certificate of the National Pension System of Japan;
• Confirm the ability to provide for yourself;
• Abandon home country citizenship;
• Sign a document stating that the foreigner was never a member of political or other organizations that planned to destroy or called for the destruction of the Japanese state and constitution.

Prospects and job opportunities in Japan

Japan is one of the countries with the lowest unemployment rate in the world - only 2.3% (average rate - 5%)^[8]. The minimum wage is 8 USD/hour. The availability of jobs at the moment is 1.57, that is, 100 potential candidates for 157 vacancies.