Are Japanese Universities Good?

Are Japanese universities any good? As someone who has spent years studying and working in them, I have to say it depends. Your goals and which of the almost 800 universities you’re considering are obvious major factors.

I know, what a disappointing answer! But most things in life are just not that simple. Hopefully, I can help get you on the right track to finding one that suits your needs. 

If you’re thinking of studying abroad in Japan, it’s important to know about the school you have in mind. There is a wide qualitative gap from the tip of the spear-National Universities on down to the bottom of the barrel. 

Choosing wisely is important

Often, Japanese business practice is to put on the best face possible, fake or not, and keep the bad behind the curtain, hidden to the customer. In this case, that’s you. 

You’ll find study programs for foreign students all across the continuum. Especially if you’re intent on working in Japan, you need to do some digging.

Some programs may be worthwhile, setting you up for a successful career not available back home. Others are simply money-making funnels for that school, leaving you working in the same retail sector you’d be in had you not gone abroad. I’ve seen it happen! Fine if that’s your thing, but I have a feeling most come to Japan for other opportunities.

Your experience at a Japanese university can go in many directions. However, there are some ways to separate the bad apples. If Japan is your destination of choice, hopefully these ideas will get you on the right path.

Overview of Japanese universities

Sources I’ve found differ for the total number of universities in Japan, but the total is somewhere in the high 700s. Although I’ve heard often that universities struggle to find enough students, according to Statista, the number of institutions has been slowly rising year-by-year since 2012. 

There are 3 main types of universities in Japan; National, Public, and Private. National universities are the most prestigious and tend to have the highest educational standards. As such, these are the most difficult to get into. Talking to students at high level private universities, some will tell you a national university was their first choice, had they passed its school’s entrance exam.

Most Japanese universities are private, and these are generally a more likely option for both domestic and foreign students to get into.

There is a lot of interpretation in the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) guidelines for universities to govern their activities internally. This makes it difficult to know the quality of institution you’re considering attending.

Do your homework

This should go without saying, but the first and most obvious step is to research your target school as much as you can. Doing it all over again, I’d start with the following.

ONE: Get in contact with the university’s advisor if you haven’t done so. Tell them about your goal for studying abroad and ask whether they think their university can help you achieve it. Any “good” advisor will say “yes”, but how they answer after that is what’s really important. Do they have reasons, details and examples that show this? Or is it just a vague sales pitch?

Any good program should have a clear plan to get you from points A to B on your career path, and the university’s contact person should be able to articulate this clearly. No excuses.

TWO: Education is like any other product you buy. Get student reviews if you can, but remember, no matter the school, there is always going to be someone with a complaint. It’s like reviews on Amazon -even with good products, someone’s arrives broken. Except in this case, we’re not spending $10-20 on a piece of plastic.

To get started, iAgora conveniently shows student reviews. You can search by city or by keyword although you may not find reviews for every university.

THREE: Find out where the university ranks nationally. There are various ranking resources online, and each will give you different statistics. However, looking at these will give you a ballpark understanding of where the school is in the national pecking order.

UniverityGuru is particularly useful because you can see a school’s ranking using several outside sources. These side-by-side comparisons will give you some idea of a school’s standing.

Advisors, rankings and reviews are a starting point. From there, you can go a bit further.

Reputation matters

Serious students as well as employers care a lot about the university’s brand. I’m generalizing a bit, but if you have hopes of working in Japan down the road, this is all the more reason to choose a university with a good reputation.

You may know a Japanese student or teacher at your university, or in your community. If so, ask them about the school in Japan you’re considering. Especially if they are from that area, they will be able to tell you if the school carries a good reputation or not. If they’re from a different area and still know of the school in question, that’s a good sign. If they don’t, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s still worth your time to ask.

Non-academic considerations

If you’re somehow fortunate enough to visit the school before you deciding, there are a couple things to observe. Paying attention to these will help you enjoy your time in Japan outside the classroom.

Location

Location is likely a factor for anyone considering studying abroad. What kind of setting do you see yourself in?  When you look at Google Map’s satellite image of Japanese cities, you can get a distorted impression. Overhead views will look like that any flat ground is developed and in a way this is true.

However, when you zoom in, you notice in some areas developed land is not endless rows of buildings. It’s actually rice farms with small groupings of houses interspersed. I’ve worked in an area like this. My in-laws live in an area like this. It’s nice if you’re looking for relaxation. Something tells me, that doesn’t describe most university students looking to experience Japan.

Yes, it’s well known for its public transportation, but downtown Tokyo or Osaka is very different from the outer Okayama city suburbs. Living in a place like that is the reason I got a driver’s license. At any rate, you should ask yourself how important convenience and access is.

University culture

It’s important to know a lot about the university you are considering. What kind of culture does the school have? Are people there forward thinking? Or is that university still maintaining rules carried over from high school, like restrictions on hair dying? These things may or may not affect education, but more likely could affect the quality of your experience, which for some is the main reason for going abroad.

Since universities in Japan have a lot of freedom to govern themselves, the culture of one university can differ from the next. Universities, especially lower level private ones, may shape their image to attract certain types of students. After all, without a solid reputation, they need some kind of selling point.

Maybe you’ve experienced something similar in your home country. Nevertheless, there is a certain kind of showmanship that is a salient feature of private Japanese universities and corporate Japan as a whole. 

Contrast in cultures

An example of how differing school atmospheres might affect you as an international student goes like this:

University “A” might tailor itself as a sports school with former Olympian coaches, where students go for the sole purpose of playing sports and graduating themselves off to career of oblivion. If so, you can expect fewer students will show less interest in meeting and talking to international students like you. I have seen this firsthand for years.

Maybe you’re an athlete and you’ll fit right in. Those who are not will be disappointed, stuck in their situation. Those around you don’t relate and aren’t interested. The university is focused on correcting the behavior of students lacking in discipline and who only care about sports.

By comparison, imagine enrolling at University “B” that is known for policy studies, economics, biology or what have you. Learning is more likely to be a larger priority for those around you. Consequently, you’ll be surrounded by engaged and curious students, and this will have a knock on effect on your own learning.

At university A, you’re more likely to get fed a cheesy mantra that loosely translates to “we never give up”. Or required to give mandatory greetings to every teacher you walk past on campus -super awkward by the way. Maybe the president is the kind of guy who sees his school as a small country, and himself as the dictator.

You could get a “board chairman” rather than a dean, who’s more concerned with regimented behavior than learning. He will drag faculty and students to unnecessary assemblies, with audience members asking “sakura shitsumon”, so he can build his cult of personality.

The experience you should get

If it sounds like I am speaking from experience with the above example, I am. And occurrences like those mentioned are not universal among bad schools. Still, the good institutions are the ones breaking away from the old-fashioned “the way it’s always been done” style of thinking. Rather than trying to fit everyone into a box, they encourage an exchange of ideas.

“University A” could take on other forms but the important point is that it aims to mold people rather than promote their growth.

In Summary

The considerations mentioned above are things you’d likely do when deciding what university to attend back home as well. However, they’re worth repeating since it’s easy to forget basics while getting caught up in the allure of studying abroad.

I hope this post has been helpful for anyone who is thinking of studying in Japan. You can read bit more about aspects of Japanese universities that may be difficult for international students.

Do you want to study at a Japanese university but don’t speak Japanese? Why not learn about a few good programs for International Students taught in English?