davide@gogoworld.com, Author at Education is not tourism

Trinh, 22, Vietnam

Studying in Japan will give me the opportunity to communicate directly with native people, learn many new things, and experience a very new and unique culture. With the knowledge I will acquire living and studying in Japan, I will be able to get closer to my own dreams and ambitions.

Khương, 19, Vietnam

This delay will not only affect us mentally, but also financially as we have to wait for news from Japan to move, and we are currently unable to work in Vietnam. Also, delaying my entry into the country wastes a lot of time. I believe that Japan is trying to control the epidemic in order to stabilize this country. By doing so, they will be able to accept foreign students to study and we will be able to realize our dreams.

Clemens, 42, Germany

The delay right now is already an ordeal. Like I partly mentioned before, I have no own apartment anymore and live at my mother’s place which is rather challenging after living on my own for almost 20 years. Plus it is straining nerves and resources. I had to throw away almost everything I owned, all my appliances, furniture and lots of other possessions.

Davide, 46, Italy

Each delay weighs heavily both financially and in terms of the time required to learn the Japanese language

Emily, 26, USA

I have been interested in the Japanese culture and language for quite some time. Having the opportunity to study Japanese in Japan would mean having the immersion needed to truly experience the language. Studying online is not the same as having a conversation in a cafe, museum, or park that would inevitably happen if I were studying in Japan.

To Government Officials

The international students are young people who have been preparing to study in Japan for a long time, and many of them have already been granted student visas and are waiting for the borders to open.

Many other countries are accepting foreign students or making efforts to accept them with precautions in place while people wanting to study in Japan are still stuck in limbo.

With the suspension of new arrivals for almost a whole year, since April 2020, with a brief exception for October through December, the plight of overseas students is increasing. Without a timeline being announced as to when they will be able to come to Japan, they are stuck in their home countries waiting for news and their lives remain on hold. We hope you will take a look at the students stories, understand the difficulties they are facing and announce when they will be able to enter Japan again.

To the Japanese Media

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, an entry ban has been put in place, affecting all foreing student-visa holders for most of 2020 and 2021. However, the immigrations bureau continues accepting student visa applications and issuing Certificates of Eligibility without any indication of when students will actually be able to enter the country. To try and understand the reality of this long-lasting situation for students, we conducted a questionnaire among international students overseas who are waiting to enter Japan. The responses we have received clearly show the stress students are suffering as a result of the uncertainty about when they will be able to enter Japan and start their studies. Many other countries are accepting international students and students are forced to give up on their dream to study in Japan and switch to other countries like China or Korea instead or cancel altogether. Having these insights made us feel the need to convey the difficulty international students are facing to the Japanese society and government. We hope you will take a look at what the students have to say and share their stories to raise awareness of their plight.