While the number of students going to the US, UK and other countries such as Canada have significantly increased over time, Japan is not too far behind. In fact, recent reports state that the Japanese Government is targeting to attract 400,000 international students by 2033.
There is a rising number of Indian students fancying the idea of going to a country, which is diverse yet very close to India in terms of cultural similarities. The simplicity of its people is also a welcoming factor for international students.
Prevalent myths about Japan debunked
Rumy Joshi, an Indian who returned from Japan after being born and brought up in Tokyo, now runs Fujiwara Japanese Consultancy in Mumbai.
She finds hundreds of Indian students wanting to go to Japan for their higher studies, which is in line with the growing interest in Asian countries for affordable and quality education.
Joshi said,"Indians have a lot of misconceptions about Japan. Many believe that it is an expensive country to live in but you will be amazed to know that studying in Japan is way more affordable as compared to other countries.”
The assertion is backed by several students who are studying in Japan. They find the country not only to be a much calmer place to study but also to be a very enriching place to do research.
Students find similarities between India and Japan
26-year-old Madhura Ghosh, a scholar at Osaka University, says that Japan’s long history and tradition of scientific research and development is what attracted her to apply for the MEXT scholarship, which is fully funded by the Japanese government
“Apart from research, what really sparked my interest in Japan was the fact that our culture and values are very identical and similar, and over time it becomes very easy for Indians to acclimate here," she further added.
Another scholar named Sourav shah, a master’s student at Kyushu University, claims that life in Japan and living there is an experience like no other.
“I have often wondered why I chose Japan and whether I really made the right choice, but honestly it's a very safe and convenient option, with a rich culture spanning thousands of years. Tuition fees in Japan are really low and there are a plethora of scholarships available for International students,”he added.
Growing Demand for Japanese language in India
According to Apoorva Pradhan, a Japanese language instructor based in Mumbai, the economic relationship between India and Japan has steadily growb and deepened in recent years. Therefore, the ability to speak Japanese language could considerably improve job prospects in the nation.
“Among many foreign languages in India, Japanese classes in India are one of the most sought after ones. Due to a lack of reliable Japanese translators, there's immense scope for those who know the language,” she said.
To meet their goal of attracting thousands of international students in the next ten years, Japanese universities are introducing more English courses and building international dormitories. Apart from increased government funding, the universities are creating their own scholarships targeted at foreign students, reveals a report by the Times Higher Education.
