Recently there has been a video by Japanese Ambassador to India Hiroshi Suzuki went viral in India. “I have one message for Indians, especially Indian youth. Please go to Japan to study and work. If you are a student, it is so easy to get a visa,” Suzuki tells Hindi-speaking Japanese YouTuber Mayo Japan, looking into the camera.
The ambassador’s invitation to young Indians to Japan should come as no surprise, as this group currently makes up less than 1% of the country’s student population. This is in stark contrast to many Western countries, where Indians are among the largest group of international students.
Japan has expanded its reach and relaxed its visa policies to attract more Indian students to its universities. However, a different trend is visible when we look at the educational choices of second-generation Indian migrants, i.e. those already living in Japan. Despite having grown up in the country, they are more likely to leave Japan for higher education than their counterparts in North America, Europe and Australia.
