Today, an ever-increasing number of students—including Japanese students—choose Malaysia as their study-abroad destination for degree acquisition. However, research on international students’ mobility from developed to emerging countries has been inadequate. In this study, the educational experience and transition from education to work of Japanese students in Malaysia were examined qualitatively and analyzed using the SCAT analysis. This research revealed a new paradigm of international students’ mobility from “central” to “peripheral” countries; “escape” or “drop out” students—a type common among Japanese students in Western countries—were not found in this study. Instead, the characteristics of education in Malaysia, peripheral perception of non-Western education, existence of different language worlds, and an outlook of transition from education to work have been revealed, which differentiate education in Malaysia from other higher-education destinations. The findings are beneficial for Japanese high-schools and universities that send students abroad, especially in the post-COVID-19 era, where it is difficult for students to go to countries with high tuition and living costs.
