Study Abroad: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

The history of study abroad of Japanese students and the reasons for it are complex. There has been a great change in the numbers of students and their reasons for going over the past 200 years. At the current time, the number of students choosing to go abroad from Japan is falling for several reasons, including economic and social, while the number is increasing in other countries. This paper examines the development of study abroad of Japanese from the time of the Meiji restoration to the present day, the reasons for the current fall in interest, and finally, how the students who do go abroad can be supported in their preparation for making the best of their time there.