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30,000 foreign students entered Japan since COVID border curbs eased Japan's long-running and stringent border controls drew fierce criticism from impacted students and academics ahead of the April start of the school year. Kyodo, 2022.
Foreign students in Japan losing jobs, chances and hope in pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has cut the income of foreign students in Japan, most of whom have relied on part-time jobs, such as working at convenience stores and restaurants, to make ends meet. Includes the stories of several foreign students from Bangladesh and China. Asahi Shimbun, 7 May 2020.
Pandemic kills the dreams of foreign hotel staff for new life This article looks at the situation of foreign students in Japan who were working in the hotels in Japan to make money to live on but have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. It tells the story of several such students. Asahi Shimbun, 11 Aug 2020.
Experts warn Japan’s language schools are becoming a front for importing cheap labor This article looks at the increase in language schools which allow or arrange students to work more than allowed by their visas, at the increase in Vietnamese and Nepalese students which is related to this, at the connections between Japanese and Nepalese language schools for bringing students to Japan which may be close to a system of human trafficking, and at the experiences of two Nepalese students. Japan Times, Jan 3 2017.
Japan's entry ban hurting foreign students' mental health: survey Students across the world who have been unable to enter Japan for study due to the current COVID-19 entry ban mostly feel that their mental health has deteriorated. Kyodo News, 2022.
Japan's unique recruitment system leaves foreign students behind Support from universities needed to explain timing and techniques of job hunting Nikkei Asia, 2022. You may need to use a VPN to read this article。
Against the “Japanese Dream”: Vietnamese student-workers in Japan With the hope of escaping from their destiny of joining the manual labour force in Vietnam, Vietnamese youth choose to come to Japan to make a fresh start. Instead, they end up working part-time jobs and get stuck in them after graduation. This article looks at the reality of working at student in Japan and problems with Japan's language schools. Asian Labour Review, 2022.
Vietnam ranks second in number of students in Japan Vietnam+, 2021.
Children's cafeteria in Japan becomes melting pot as international students cook up tastes of home An "international children's cafeteria," where foreign students cook their favorite foods from their home countries and serve up meals, opened in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, on April 7, 2021. This is a unique initiative in Japan that connects international students, who currently tend to be isolated amid the virus pandemic, to children so they don't have to eat alone. Mainichi, 2021. Japanese version
Yoshinoya chain refused to let "foreign" student attend recruitment event This article discusses Yoshinoya rejection for a job of a student it wrongly assumed was not Japanese and other cases in which foreign students have been rejected by the company. Kyodo News, 2022
The cost of convenience in Japan: when foreign students work instead of study This article discusses the rise in the number of foreign students who are working long hours in Japan and the reliance of convenience stores, restaurants and other 24 hour services on their cheap labour power, noting that 20% of foreign workers in Japan are now students. It also discusses government policy on foreign students and labour laws for foreign students and tells the stories of two students from Thailand and Nepal. Japan Times, 23 Apr 2017.
Kyoto mayor petitions for permanent resident status for overseas students "To get more overseas students to enroll in Kyoto University and to revive the economy of the town, Kyoto Mayor Keiji Yamada is proposing....granting permanent residence status to overseas students who will be graduating from the university as well as other supportive measures." Japan Daily Press, 15 April, 2015.
Japan job market open to talented international students Students at Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, can testify to the fact that Japan is a seller's market for overseas students with Japanese language ability and an understanding of the nation’s corporate culture. Asahi Shinbun, 27 January 2013.
Yokohama International Student House YISH is a house for international students Offering various Exchange programs. This Public facility was established by the city of Yokohama.
Foreign Students Staying on to Work in Japan Hits Record High: Ministry of Justice According to the Ministry of Justice, which controls Japan’s immigration bureau, the number of foreign students who found jobs and stayed in Japan after graduating in 2006 increased by 40%, from just over 5,900 in 2005 to 8,272 last year. Japan Economy News, August 15, 2007.
JAPAN: University internationalisation scaled back The future of Japan's Global 30 project, established by the government just last year to internationalise universities, is in doubt as it is running out of money. At the end, this article also looks briefly at challenging faces foreign students trying to find work in Japan, especially language issues. University World News, 28 Nov 2010.