Record Number of Japanese-Language Learners in Japan

Number of Japanese Learners Rising

A survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology found that there were 294,198 people from other countries learning Japanese within Japan as of November 2024. This is a rise of more than 30,000 from the previous year and a new record.

The survey for the 2024 fiscal year includes students in Japan who are studying Japanese at universities or at language schools designated by the Ministry of Justice, or taking Japanese classes run by local governments or private organizations. The total number of these institutions and facilities increased to 2,669.

The previous survey conducted in 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, found that 277,857 people in Japan were studying Japanese, which was a new record. By contrast, there were only 60,000 learners in 1990, so the number has increased fivefold over the past 35 years.

Among Japanese-language learners in Japan, 192,525 (65%) are exchange students. The next largest group consists of business professionals and their family members, at 6.6%, followed by trainees and technical interns at 4.5%, spouses of Japanese nationals at 2.3%, and people of Japanese descent and their family members at 1.1%. In terms of length of stay, 37.2% have been in Japan for less than one year and 26.3% for one to three years. In other words, more than 60% of learners have been in Japan for a period of three years or less.

By country and region, 85% of learners come from Asia. China has the largest number at 78,821, followed by Nepal, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

More than Half of Instructors Are Volunteers

The number of Japanese-language teachers totals 50,309, for a year-on-year increase of roughly 4,000. This marks the first time for the figure to exceed 50,000. However, only 6,847 teachers, or 13.6%, work full time, while 26,721, or 53.1%, teach Japanese on a volunteer basis.

Nationwide, 61.8% of local governments have Japanese-language classes. In Hyōgo Prefecture, all municipalities have classes, while in Osaka, Ibaraki, and Kanagawa more than 90% have them.

Data Sources

• Survey of Japanese-language learners in Japan in the 2024 academic year (Japanese) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)