How Japan Is Building Future-Ready Universities?

Three forces are pushing Japan to rethink its universities from the ground up.

• Demography: Japan experiences one of the most severe cases of an ageing population. The birth rate is decreasing, thus resulting in fewer domestic students each year. Considering the declining population in Japan, the country is currently undergoing a reduction of its university system through mergers and decreased funding, especially for private institutions. Institutions that fail to attract foreign students or embrace a new method of learning will not survive.
• Economic competition: The status of Japan as an innovator and leader in technological development is threatened. Japan’s international status requires the creation of a workforce capable of competing on the international stage and possessing digital knowledge, language skills, and cross-cultural competence, domains where Japan has not always kept pace with its counterparts around the world.
• Global standards: The Japanese government has made great strides toward improving university performance, fostering global partnerships, and aligning its educational policies with international standards. To be able to attract the world’s best students and faculty members, Japan needs to make its universities more similar to universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, where there is international research, bilingual teaching, and flexibility in administration.

The ¥10 trillion fund stands out; however, other measures in terms of university reforms have preceded it. The Top Global University Project is a funding scheme that seeks to promote the international competitiveness of Japanese higher learning institutions by offering funding to universities that are world-class and innovative and help in the internationalisation process of Japanese universities.

This scheme was carried out under the auspices of MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology). Thirty-seven universities have been selected for financial assistance and internationalisation through the development of new courses, English language instruction, international professors, international research collaboration, and the reformation of the governance system.

The best universities in Japan, including Tohoku University, Hiroshima University, and the University of Tsukuba, will be allowed to enrol additional international students starting from 2026. English language programs will facilitate overcoming any language-related problems that might arise for international students. Moreover, tuition will not be capped from 2024.

The end of tuition caps is particularly significant. Over the years, tuition fees at the national universities in Japan have been fixed by the government, and they were cheap but lacked flexibility. Allowing the universities to determine their own tuition fees gives them the ability to compete on an international scale when hiring top researchers, building world-class facilities, and designing world-class programs.

Japan became one of the first nations globally to develop a national AI education policy. This includes the AI Strategy, which was launched in 2019, and the MEXT certification system on math, data science, and AI education programs that was introduced in 2021.

This strategy stresses that AI development should be human-centred and ensure human dignity while promoting the sustainable use of AI. One of the most important aspects of the strategy is educational reform that aims to produce specialists via dual degree programs in AI and other fields and encourages universities to include data science and AI education classes in their majors.

This is not just policy language. The University of Osaka issued Japanese and English-language guidelines on the use of generative AI for students as early as April 2023, among the first universities in the world to do so formally. Osaka structures its undergraduate AI education into two tiers: foundational AI literacy for all students, and advanced applied AI for students in technical and research disciplines.

Among the 37 universities in Japan’s Top Global University Project, 27 had issued guidelines on the use of generative AI for students and faculty at a higher proportion than most comparable university systems globally.

Japan’s approach to AI in education is notably balanced, not banning it, not leaving it unguided, but integrating it with clear ethical frameworks. That measured approach is producing graduates who understand how to use AI responsibly in professional and research settings, which is precisely what employers in technology, medicine, and public policy need.

One of the most striking signals of how seriously Japan is rethinking education is the launch of Zen University.

Zen University was launched in April 2025 with support from the Nippon Foundation, operating entirely online. It offers on-demand classes combined with local and international fieldwork, as well as internships.

This is Japan’s first fully online degree-granting national university, and its existence represents a fundamental shift in thinking. MEXT has revised longstanding regulations that once limited online degree offerings. Today, up to half of a four-year degree can be completed through certified online courses, with additional discussions underway to further integrate remote and in-person learning credits.

The motivation is both demographic and geographic. Japan’s declining student population is concentrated in cities, but universities exist across the country, including in rural regions with shrinking populations. Online education allows regional universities to reach students they could never previously serve, and allows students in remote areas to access programmes previously available only in Tokyo or Osaka.

The government has introduced new regulations allowing regional universities to collaborate on joint online courses designed to counter Japan’s declining student population, which is projected to fall sharply by 2040.

For decades, the biggest barrier for international students in Japan was language. Almost all undergraduate and many graduate programmes were conducted exclusively in Japanese. The assumption was that international students would learn Japanese first, and many did. But that barrier limited Japan’s ability to attract the world’s best students quickly and at scale.

That assumption is now being actively dismantled.

Tohoku University has committed to introducing an English-language undergraduate course and building a student and research body that is 30% international. This is an undergraduate-level English commitment something that was essentially unthinkable at a major Japanese national university ten years ago.

AI and translation technologies are also making Tohoku’s transformation timely. “Language has been a barrier to researcher mobility,” says executive vice president Asako Sugimoto, “but translation AIs and Japan’s academic governance reforms are changing that.”

Across the Top Global University Project institutions, the number of fully English-taught master’s and doctoral programmes has grown significantly. Fields including computer science, engineering, data science, materials science, and global health now offer English-medium pathways at institutions including Tokyo Tech, Kyushu University, and Nagoya University.

For almost all of the last century, international students were perceived by Japan as a secondary matter, meaning that their presence was welcome yet not at the core of the university’s agenda.

However, this perception has changed drastically since then. Nowadays, international students are considered possible innovators, researchers, and drivers of the economic development of Japan. Furthermore, Japan counted a total of 4 million foreign residents and 866,000 foreign skilled workers, indicating a consistent commitment to attract international talent.

In addition, the strategy of the government is quite clear and straightforward: attract international students, retain the best talent within Japan through post-study employment, and turn some of them into skilled workers that Japan desperately requires due to its ageing population.

This creates a genuine opportunity for international students not just to study in Japan, but to build a career there in a job market that is actively seeking global talent in technology, engineering, healthcare, and research.

Japan’s university transformation is real and accelerating, making the country an increasingly attractive destination for international students looking to study in Japan.

• More English programmes than ever: The number of English-taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes has grown substantially across Japan’s national universities. If language was the barrier stopping you from considering Japan, that barrier is lower than it has been in decades.
• Research opportunities are world-class: Japan’s investment in research through the University Fund and Top Global University Project means that students in STEM, AI, materials science, robotics, and life sciences have access to genuinely world-leading research environments, particularly at Tohoku, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka.
• Post-study work is improving: Japan’s government is actively building pathways for international graduates to stay and work, aligning its immigration policy with its education strategy for the first time at scale.
• The MEXT Scholarship remains one of the world’s best: For students who want fully funded study in Japan, including tuition, airfare, and a monthly stipend, the MEXT scholarship continues to offer one of the most comprehensive packages of any government scholarship globally.
• The culture of innovation is growing: Japan has historically been strong in incremental improvement (kaizen) but slower in disruptive innovation. The university reforms, particularly at Tohoku and through the Top Global University Project, are explicitly trying to change that, embedding entrepreneurship, startup culture, and interdisciplinary collaboration into institutions that were once known for being deeply traditional.

Planning to study in Japan involves much more than choosing a university. Understanding English-taught programmes, identifying scholarships, navigating student visa requirements, planning accommodation, and adapting to a different academic and cultural environment can feel overwhelming without the right support.

My Study Offers, a free global education platform for students, provides end-to-end guidance for students exploring Japan as a study destination. From helping you shortlist the right universities and programmes to assisting with applications, scholarship opportunities, visa processes, and pre-departure preparation, the platform supports students at every stage. With expert guidance and a structured approach, students can confidently make informed decisions and prepare for a successful study journey in Japan.

1. How many international students are studying in Japan right now?

As of June 2025, Japan recorded around 435,200 international students, an 8.2% increase year-on-year, surpassing Japan’s 2033 target of 400,000 students eight years ahead of schedule.

2. What is the Japan University Fund?

A ¥10 trillion government-backed endowment designed to distribute approximately ¥300 billion (US$2 billion) annually to selected universities for research reform, internationalisation, and governance transformation. Tohoku University is the first recipient, committing to 100% international PhD experience, a bilingual campus, and 30% international students and researchers.

3. Can I study in Japan in English?

Yes, and the options are growing. Most major Japanese national universities now offer English-taught master’s and PhD programmes. Tohoku University has committed to introducing English-language undergraduate courses as part of its reform plan. The number of English-medium programmes across Japan has expanded significantly since 2020.

4. How is Japan integrating AI into university education?

Japan introduced a national AI Strategy in 2019 and a MEXT certification system for AI education in 2021. The University of Osaka issued formal AI usage guidelines for students in April 2023, among the first universities globally to do so. Most Top Global University Project institutions now embed AI and data science literacy across undergraduate programmes.

5. What is Zen University?

Zen University launched in April 2025 as Japan’s first fully online degree-granting university, supported by the Nippon Foundation. It offers on-demand classes combined with fieldwork and internships. It is a direct response to Japan’s demographic challenges and the need for flexible, accessible education.

6. Has Japan removed tuition caps for universities?

Yes. Tuition caps were discontinued in 2024, allowing universities to revise their fee structures to remain competitive in the global market. This gives universities more flexibility to invest in international programmes and world-class facilities.

7. Is Japan a good destination for research-focused students?

Yes, particularly in engineering, robotics, materials science, AI, life sciences, and physics. Japan’s Top Global University Project and the University Fund are directing significant resources into research infrastructure. Institutions like Tohoku, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka offer research environments that rank among the best globally in these fields.

8. What post-study work options does Japan offer international graduates?

Japan’s government is actively building post-study work pathways for international graduates. The country has over 866,000 highly skilled foreign professionals currently employed, and immigration policy is being aligned with education strategy to make it easier for talented graduates to stay. Specific post-study visa pathways vary by qualification.