YAN

23, China

What is your education level?

High School

What is your current (or most recent) job?

Unamployed

When did you apply to come to Japan originally?

April 2020

Why does studying in Japan mean so much to you?

I regretfully missed the opportunity to go to university in Japan and paid a huge price in my youth. I thought I would end up with a mediocre life, but God gave me the opportunity to make up for it in Japan. I put all my hope and passion into making my dreams come true in a foreign land! .
The vision of my parents and the expectations of my grandparents all converged on me. My parents were no longer young, my grandparents were already old, and the uncertainty of my future terrified me and my parents. I would like to put pressure on them so that they would not betray their expectations and mine again. I sincerely hope that the Japanese government will allow me to study in Japan as soon as possible.

How do you think that as a student in Japan that you will add benefit to Japan society?

First of all, we fully comply with the Japanese government’s request not to move around, not to use public transportation, and not to increase an already serious epidemic.
Secondly, our arrival will bring some help and boost to the Japanese society and economy. Moreover, we are all young, naive, and energetic like the sun, and we can bring joy and fun to the elderly in Japan.
With the experience of studying in Japan, I would like to become a “bridge of friendship between China and Japan”, spread the positive energy of Japanese society and people, clear the misunderstandings between the two countries, deepen exchanges, and realize the common prosperity of China and Japan.

What will it mean to you if there is another delay for students to be able to come to Japan?

I worked as a chef for five years, but quit my job to go to Japan to study

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.