The yen’s continued depreciation is discouraging Japanese from studying abroad, a trend that has prompted concerns about “asymmetry” as international students continue to flood into the country, according to scholars.
Last week, the yen fell to a 39-year low of roughly ¥162 per dollar, further inflating the cost of tuition and living expenses for Japanese at overseas universities.
According to the Japan Association of Overseas Studies (JAOS), a total of 70,253 students went abroad in 2024 through 39 JAOS member organisations, down from 80,566 in 2018.
The Japanese government has been making efforts to promote international education among local students, and it has set a target of sending 500,000 Japanese students abroad by 2033.
However, it looks unlikely that this policy goal will be met.
