Several Points to Note for the 08 Application for Studying in Japan

At the beginning of September, the 2007 Japanese Teaching Seminar was held at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. At the seminar, Hikaru Ikeda, Director of the Division of Exchange for International Students under the Higher Education Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, expressed that there is hope for an increase in the rate of student visa issuance to Japan in 2008. Excellent students with a high school education or above and clear learning objectives will be favored. Industry insiders believe that from the overall environment, there will not be the same dramatic fluctuations in Japan visas in April 2008 as there were this year. However, in order to suppress criminal activities among international students, Japan will continue to reject applicants whose motives are unclear or whose families cannot afford the costs of studying abroad.

Visa Rate to Japan Likely to Increase in 2008

It is understood that China has always been one of Japan's main sources of international students. As of last year, out of the 118,000 international students in Japan, Chinese students accounted for about 90,000. Affected by the rise in crime rates among international students in Japan, this year Japan attempted to curb crime by lowering the rate of visa approval, resulting in a significant decline in the visa rate, which stranded many Chinese students' plans to study in Japan. Although this measure was effective, it undoubtedly also slowed down Japan's large-scale participation in international talent competition.

In June 2007, the Japanese Education Revitalization Conference determined to elevate the acceptance of international students to the status of "national strategy," adopting measures such as adjusting the admission time for national and public universities from April to September and increasing the proportion of foreign teachers.

Higher Requirements for Japanese Language Ability

Although Japan’s welcome for Chinese international students will increase somewhat, its requirements for their Japanese language ability and understanding of Japanese culture will also rise. This poses new challenges for Japanese language teaching in China and Japanese language educational institutions. The meeting revealed that currently, after arriving in Japan, nine out of ten Chinese students attend language schools before continuing their studies. The introduction of the new policy means that in the future, these nine out of ten Chinese international students need not only to improve their language skills but also learn to use language to understand Japanese culture.

The new policy also made corresponding adjustments to the testing methods for Japanese language proficiency. In the future, candidates' "task execution ability and the communication skills needed to achieve that ability" will be the focus of the examination. According to Tomoka Kobayashi of the Beijing Office of the Japan Foundation, there was a significant increase in the number of participants in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, 165,353 people in the Chinese region took the exam, accounting for 45% of the total number of participants.

Students from Vocational Schools Should Avoid Tokyo

Analysis shows that in this year's sharp decline in Japanese student visas, the main targets for rejection were "students from vocational schools", who were previously the main force applying to language schools, while students with a high school education or above and clear learning objectives were largely unaffected. In April this year, almost all "students from vocational schools" going to Tokyo to study language were rejected, but the visa rate for "students from vocational schools" outside Tokyo remained stable. Therefore, some students have redirected their goals to regions outside Tokyo.

Although the Japanese side announced several policies beneficial to Chinese students at this conference, none of them involved "students from vocational schools" applying to language schools in Tokyo. Study abroad consultants suggest that "students from vocational schools" aiming to study language in Japan should choose schools outside Tokyo for greater security. Meanwhile, "students from vocational schools" in China should make every effort to improve their Japanese language skills domestically, participate in relevant Japanese language proficiency tests or J.TEST exams, and then apply for language schools or directly enter professional courses based on their academic level.

Points to Note for Applications in 2008

Despite the indication from the Japanese Teaching Seminar that Japan's study abroad policies will loosen next year, the requirements for details such as the Japanese language for Chinese students remain strict. Therefore, study abroad consultants suggest that students planning to apply for entry in April next year should pay attention to the following points:

1. The cycle for studying in Japan is relatively long and the procedures are complicated, so students must apply promptly. Applications for entry in April next year will close in October this year, and each school has a fixed enrollment quota. Early applicants will have more flexibility in choosing schools and majors.

2. Students who already possess Japanese language proficiency test Level 2 or above domestically and have general academic levels are advised to directly enroll in Japanese universities or junior colleges, which will ensure better visa acquisition.

3. Currently, apart from individual programs at private universities, Japanese universities have not yet widely recruited directly in the Chinese region. If students domestically already possess Japanese language proficiency test Level 2 or above and have higher academic levels, they can transition through language courses to choose schools in Japan to attend. This will increase options in terms of schools and majors.

4. Some students believe that as long as they possess Japanese language proficiency test Level 2 or above, there is no need for a language course transition. This is entirely incorrect. In fact, language courses lay a solid foundation for entering university courses, especially for students who have quickly passed the Japanese language proficiency level exam. Directly entering university studies would inevitably cause discomfort for these students, and it would be best for them to enter language schools or university preparatory courses for systematic language transitions.

Reprinted from China Education Information Network