Choosing which country you want to go for your student exchange may be difficult. There are many things you should consider before you choose. If you are looking into Japan and want to know why you should choose Japan, this article is for you!
1. The high quality of education
Japan is known for being one of the most innovative and futuristic countries with its technologies. So needless to say, they have some of the best education programs in the world. There have been 25 Nobel prize winners in the past, 22 of whom are from fields of physics, chemistry or medicine. This is the second highest number of Nobel prize winners in the world. If you are in the STEM field, Japan is a country you should definitely consider.
Out of Asian universities, 20 of the top 100 are in Japan in Times Higher Education’s Asian university rankings. With approximately 780 universities in the country, you have many to choose from. You will surely find a university that matches what you want to do.
The standard amount of yearly tuition fees of Japanese national, prefectural, or other public universities is around a little more than 535k yen. This amount is set by the Japanese government. Of course, you will have to pay more for some majors and for private universities.
However, there are a lot of private and government funded scholarships that support international students. Be sure to check them out!
2. Safe and clean
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, its crime rate being 10th lowest in the world. From dental checkups to urgent emergencies, Japan has a public healthcare system that covers every resident.
Japan is also known as a very clean country. For example, there is rarely any trash lying about in the streets. In Japan, there are not a lot of trash cans in public places. This is one of the secrets that keep the streets of Japan clean. It gets people to bring their trash back home and throw it away instead of leaving them in the streets.
Their safe and punctual transport system is also something worth noting. It allows you to travel around the country conveniently. You will be able to travel all around Japan during your stay. It is so safe that a lot of Japanese people sleep on trains on their way to and back from work or school, which I have heard is not safe to do in other countries.
3. Rich and unique culture
As an island country, Japan has developed a unique culture. There are temples and castles built more than a thousand years ago. They are all over Japan and a lot of them are registered as world heritage sites. Another world heritage site is Mt.Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan. You can climb the mountain during warm months.
You can enjoy delicious foods. You may have had sushi, ramen or udon in your country. You will be able to enjoy those foods and many more.
There are festivals for all four seasons that Japan has. From the snow festival of Hokkaido, to Cheery blossom festivals and autumn leaves festivals held all over Japan, there are many to choose from.
Japan has a modern side as well. If you are fond of Anime and Comic books, Japan is where it all started. Akihabara, also called “Akiba” or “Electric town”, is known as Otaku paradise. There are anime-themed shops and cafes that you can enjoy.
There are of course many other places you can visit so be sure to look them up before you go to Japan to not miss out on the fun!
4. Plenty of job opportunities
Japan has the world’s third largest GDP in the world. It is home to many multinational companies, such as Toyota and SONY. Japanese companies in general are willingly hiring people from overseas. They want to enhance diversity in the workplace, revitalize the organization and expand/develop their business overseas. They want to hire professional individuals, regardless of where they are from..
However, a lot of Japanese companies require foreign employees to be able to use some Japanese, in addition to their mother language. Your level of Japanese is expected to be at least JLPT N2, if possible, N1. English is expected as well. To achieve this level of Japanese, what better way is there than to live in Japan and learn their language through student exchange?
As a student in Japan, you can work up to 28 hours a week in Japan while studying, which is bound to help you if you need some extra money during your stay.
5. Summary
In this article, a few reasons you should choose Japan as your foreign exchange destination was listed. Japan is a beautiful country where you can focus on and pursue not only your studies, but somewhere you can learn a new language and a unique culture. Make sure to consider various options and their good points, and choose the perfect country for you!!
Reference
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3.”GDP by Country”, wordometer, retrieved 2023/3/10 from
4.”The best manga and anime locations in Japan”, Japan rail pass, retrieved 2023/3/10 from
5.”【大学の学費は4年間でどのくらい必要？】入学から卒業までの平均学費＆国公立と私立、専門学校との比較もご紹介！”, コレカラ進路.com, retrieved 2023/3/10 from
6.”Scholarship for International Students In Japan”, Study in Japan, JASSO, retrieved 2023/3/10 from
