10 Best Japanese Universities for International Students
What is the best foreigner friendly university in Japan?
Many young foreigners come to Japan with the sole purpose and goal to study at a Japanese university.
This is because there are many merits to studying at a Japanese university such as learning Japanese-style business manners while getting to experience a unique culture firsthand.
However, there are many universities in Japan to choose from. Some people may have a specific university they want to apply to. But for those who have no idea where they want to apply to, it might be difficult to find a lot of information regarding Japanese universities.
In this article, I will show you a little about the situation of international students in Japan as well as introduce to you 10 of the best Japanese universities that are international student-friendly.
The Situation of International Students in Japan
First, let me explain the overview of the situation of international students in Japan.
Number of international students in Japan
According to research made by the Japan Student Services Organization, the number of international students in Japan has been increasing at a quite fast pace. The total number of international students in Japan (as of 2019) was around 312,000, which is more than triple that of 20 years ago.
Where do these international students come from?
Most of these international students come from Asian countries such as China and Vietnam. Asian international students compose 94% of all international students in Japan. This is followed by foreigners from Europe (2.8%), and then, North America (0.7%).
Where are international students studying at?
The prefecture where most international students study is, as you may guess, Tokyo with over 100,000 students. This is followed by Osaka (around 24,000 students) and Fukuoka (around 19,000 students).
What majors are popular?
The majors that are most popular among international students are “Humanities” consisting of 36%, followed by “Social science” (29%) and “Engineering” (15%).
What kind of programs are there for international students?
There are several ways that you can get into a Japanese university. One way is utilizing Japanese Government Scholarships. Another way (the more common way) is to apply as a private expense international student.
Major Japanese universities will mostly have a certain amount of spots reserved especially for foreign students.
Depending on the university, the requisites and required documents for applying vary, and even the entrance exams can be very different. I will explain this later on.
Also, there are some universities that have “English-taught Degree Programs” where classes are all taught in English rather than Japanese.
10 Best Japanese Universities that are International Student Friendly
From here, let me introduce to you 10 of the best universities in Japan that are international student-friendly. This means that these universities have either a high number of spots reserved for international students or they have a high percentage of international students compared to Japanese nationals.
All of the following universities have some kind of special program that make the integration process easier for international students to the new environment. I hope there’s a university that interests you.
1. Waseda University
The first Japanese university on this list that is international students friendly is Waseda university (早稲田大学).
Waseda university is one of the most prestigious private universities in all of Japan and is, in fact, the university that has most international students enrolled.
In March of 2014, near Nakano station in Tokyo, this university opened a large dormitory specially for international students.