In order to increase their competitiveness and learn to live independently, many people will consider studying abroad after graduating from high school. If you are influenced by Japanese anime, movies, music and other cultures, you may think ofStudy in Japan.

However, studying abroad is a major life event that may change your future, or even your entire life. If you make an impulsive decision, you will most likely regret it in the future.

This article will list the advantages and disadvantages of studying in Japan, and will also help you analyze whether you should study in Japan. Before making a decision, please think carefully. If you can't decide on your own, you should ask your friends and family for their opinions.

10 Advantages of Studying in Japan

In addition to learning Japanese, experiencing Japanese culture, and sightseeing in Japan, what are the other advantages of studying in Japan? Here, we introduce you to 10 advantages of studying in Japan.

Japanese schools have many subjects and career options

Japanese universities offer a large number of subjects. In addition to the mainstream science, business, and liberal arts, they also offer more niche subjects such as music therapy, art therapy, and sports science.There are also music universities and art universities, so even if you are not interested in general subjects, you can still find the university subject you like..

In addition to universities, there are also junior colleges and vocational schools that offer various courses such as animation production and IT. You can choose the subject you are interested in according to your interests and ideals.

World-class subjects: science, design, animation

The level of Japanese universities is world-class, especially in science fields such as physics, chemistry and biology (medicine).

Since 2000, a total of 16 Japanese have won the Nobel Prize, including 6 Nobel Prizes in Physics, 6 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and 4 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine. The number of winners is comparable to that of educational powerhouses such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

If you are interested in science, studying in Japan will allow you to receive a top university education.Of course, even if you choose business, liberal arts, education or management, the quality of education is guaranteed.

Japan has a high employment rate

Whether or not they can stay in Japan to work after graduation is also a consideration for many people. In Japan, where the "declining birthrate and aging population" is becoming increasingly serious, it is becoming increasingly easy for graduates to find jobs in Japan.

The employment rate of Japanese university graduates is among the highest in the world. Statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan show that all 98% university graduates in 2020 will be successfully employed.Even in 2021, when the epidemic was severe, about 96% graduates were able to find jobs, which is higher than the employment rate of domestic universities.

Some people think that it is more difficult for international students to find a job than Japanese students, but as long as you prepare well for job hunting, I believe you can find a job you like. In fact, many international students who fail to find a job do so because they do not understand the characteristics of job hunting in Japan.

Job prospects after graduation in Japangood

In China, the career options for university graduates are very limited: most people choose to work in finance-related jobs. If you have no interest in finance and do not graduate from specialized disciplines such as medicine or law, you will encounter many difficulties in finding a job.

In comparison, Japanese graduates have more career options.The development of various industries in Japan is relatively average. Even in animation production and stage production, there are basically new recruits every year..

Besides that, except for jobs that require professional skills, Japanese companies mostly don’t care what subject the graduates specialize in. For example, even if you don’t have any programming-related knowledge, you can still join an IT company and do IT-related work.

It is easier to obtain a work visa after graduation

Compared to European and American countries, it is easier to obtain a work visa in Japan. Basically, if you find a company willing to help you apply for a visa, you can apply for a visa.According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Justice, 79.9% international students successfully obtained work visas in 2019In some years, the success rate was as high as 93.9%.

However, if you study in the UK, you can apply for a 2-year graduate work visa after graduation, but if you want to apply for a visa again, you need to meet several conditions, including an annual salary of more than 25,600 pounds (250,000 RMB). Even if you successfully find a job, you may not be able to obtain a visa due to insufficient annual salary.

In addition, after working in Japan for 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency in Japan and live in Japan from then on. Of course, the application threshold for permanent residency in Japan is lower than that in Western countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

The cost of studying in Japan is cheaper than in Europe and the United States

Compared to Europe and the United States, university tuition fees in Japan are cheaper.

Take the United States as an example: the tuition fee is 27,020 US dollars (1800,000 RMB) per year, and the total tuition fee for 4 years is 81,060 US dollars (600,000 RMB). In the UK, the tuition fee for one year is at least 12,600 pounds (120,000 RMB). The total tuition fee for 3 years is at least 37,800 pounds (380,000 RMB).

In contrast,Tuition fees in Japan are much cheaper: the minimum tuition fee for 4 years is only RMB 160,000, which is one-third of the tuition fees in the United States.Tuition fees at private universities may be a bit more expensive, but still cheaper than in the UK and the US.

In addition, Japan has a wide variety of scholarships. There are at least 245 scholarships provided by the government, foundations, and non-governmental organizations, not to mention tuition waivers and scholarships provided by universities! If you want to study abroad at a relatively affordable price, Japan is your first choice.

It is easier to earn living expenses by working in Japan

In order to pay for tuition and living expenses, you may consider working part-time to earn money. However, not all countries allow international students to work part-time.

In the US, unless you have serious financial difficulties or encounter an emergency, you can only work on campus. There are restrictions on hours and wages. In the UK, although you can work, you can only work 20 hours a week and you cannot engage in full-time work of a professional nature.

On the other hand, it is much easier to work part-time in Japan. You can work part-time for 28 hours a week by applying for "Permission to Engage in Activities Other than Permitted Activities" from the Immigration Bureau. It sounds difficult to apply, butIn fact, many international students have part-time jobs: According to a survey by the Japan Student Services Organization (JSSO), 75.81% of international students have part-time jobs..

As for the content of the work, you can basically do any job except for some places such as pornographic places or game centers.

It is easier to adapt to Japanese life culture

As a country in East Asia, people in Japan can adapt to Japanese culture and customs more easily than those in Europe and the United States.Even if it is your first time in Japan, you don’t need to worry about not getting used to the food or the climate. At least you won’t be forced to eat bread every day..

Life in Japan is very safe

Good public security is another advantage of Japan. The 2020 Crime White Paper of the Ministry of Justice of Japan shows thatThe incidence of murder, robbery, theft and other crimes in Japan is lower than that in advanced countries such as Europe and the United States..

I believe you have heard of news about Asians being robbed of their money or property in Europe and the United States. If you study in Japan, you don’t have to worry about these things happening to you.

You can enjoy the "club activities" of Japanese universities

Unlike China, Japanese universities have a variety of club activities for students to participate in.

Taking Waseda University as an example, there are currently more than 500 university-recognized clubs and 3,000 unrecognized clubs.There are about 45,000 college students, which means there is one club for every 13 students! There are many types of club activities: sports, culture, study, etc. There is always one that suits you.

In addition to allowing you to immerse yourself in your own interests, participating in club activities can also allow you to make Japanese friends and earn stories for your job search!

Studying in Japan, you can participate in a variety of club activities in the university and live a fulfilling university life. The yearning for Japanese club activities is also one of the reasons why the author decided to study in Japan.

There are not only advantages, studying in Japan also hasshortcoming

After looking at the advantages of studying in Japan, let’s look at the disadvantages.

Need to adapt to various rules and unspoken rules

As we all know, Japan is a country with many rules, and most Japanese people are very rule-abiding. For example, loud conversations or phone calls are not allowed on trains and buses, and garbage must be sorted and recycled on designated days.

It is not easy to abide by Japan's strict rules all the time.Especially when you first arrive in Japan, you may feel stressed by the various rules., in serious cases it may even affect your health.

The university's world ranking is not high, and it is difficult to find a job outside of Japan

Japanese universities can be divided into grades A to F. Basically, C-grade universities are already good and can help you find a job in a good Japanese company.

However, these universities are not ranked high in the world, and some are even ranked below 1,000. Even Waseda University, one of the top A-level private universities in Japan, is only ranked 189th in the QS World University Rankings 2021.

The world ranking is low, and of course the university's overseas popularity will also be low: many Chinese people don't know other universities except Tokyo University and Waseda University.If you want to return to your home country to work directly after graduating from Japan, you canenterThere may be difficulties outside Japanese companies.

Threats from natural disasters

Another concern is natural disasters in Japan. Apart from typhoons, there are basically no other natural disasters in the country. However,Japan is located in a seismic zone, with many earthquakes occurring every year, as well as the threat of tsunamis and typhoons.If you live near a volcano, you may have to worry about volcanic eruptions. I believe everyone remembers how shocking the images of the 2011 Japan 311 earthquake were!

Need to learn Japanese

If you want to work and live in Japan, Japanese is basically a must. Especially for work, unless you have very outstanding experience or skills, Japanese companies may not even consider your application.

You may ask, Japanese has Chinese characters and not much grammar, isn't it very easy for us who know Chinese to learn? In fact,The most difficult thing to master in Japanese is the sense of language (Nuance)The pitch of a word can affect the meaning of the entire sentence. In addition, the Japanese are more tactful and indirect, which makes it more difficult to understand what they mean. Even though I have been working in Japan for about 4 years, I still sometimes can't figure out the Japanese sense of language......

English may be declining

You may have heard that Japanese people's English is very poor. One of the reasons is that Japanese people basically do not use Japanese in their daily lives. After studying in Japan for 4 years, you may have rarely had the opportunity to use English, which makes your English become rusty. Many of my friends said that their English has become worse after coming to Japan.

As overseas students, knowing multiple languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and English is an advantage, especially when looking for a job.If you don't want to lose this advantage, don't forget to create opportunities to practice your Japanese during your study abroad. For example, make more friends in Europe and America or join an English conversation class..

High workplace pressure in Japan

Even if you are able to find a job after graduation, you still cannot rest assured. One of the things you will face is the pressure in the Japanese workplace.The 2020 Labor Safety and Health Survey of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan showed that 59.11% of Japanese full-time employees feel stressed because of work. Heavy workload and interpersonal relationships are the main sources of stress..

Although the Japanese government has been committed to improving the workplace environment in recent years, such as setting a cap on overtime hours and requiring companies to allow employees five days of paid leave each year, there is still much room for improvement in Japan's workplace environment.

If you plan to stay in Japan to work after graduation, you must be mentally prepared to face the pressure in the workplace.

How should you choose whether to study in Japan or not?

Above, we have seen the main advantages and disadvantages of studying in Japan. So, should you study in Japan?

In fact, there is no absolute answer to this question. Everyone has their own characteristics and concerns, so the conclusions will be different. However, here we can provide you with the following 3 questions for you to think carefully before making a decision.

What is the purpose of studying abroad?

First, you need to figure out your purpose of studying abroad. To experience life? To learn the language? To immigrate? Or do you simply like Japanese culture and want to experience life in Japan?

If you just want to experience life in Japan, short-term study abroad or working holidays may be more suitable for you than studying abroad for 4 years. If you want to learn a language, you can choose to study abroad at a language school.

If your goal is to find a job in your home country or learn English well, then Japan may not be the best choice.

First decide your purpose, then consider whether you should study in Japan!

Are you determined to live in Japan?

To be honest, Japanese universities are not very well-known among some international students, so many people hope to stay in Japan to work after graduation.

So before studying abroad,You should first ask yourself whether you are determined to live alone in Japan for about 7 to 10 years? Are you mentally prepared to overcome the difficulties in life?If you don't have any, it might be better to stay in your country. Or you can go to Japan for a short-term study or exchange program and live there for a while before making a decision.

What is the budget cost?

Finally, the practical question: money?Although studying in Japan is cheaper than in Europe and the United States, the annual tuition and living expenses are at least 1,074,000 yen (70,000 RMB), but after all, it is a burden for the average well-off family.

Before planning to study abroad, you need to find out how much savings you have, or ask your parents how much they can afford. If your budget is insufficient, you may need to find a scholarship or part-time job to pay for tuition and living expenses.