2021 Volume 27 Pages 35-48
After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, many Japanese language schools in Japan experienced unexpected changes. While the numbers of foreign students from China and Korea sharply declined, there was a significant increase in both Vietnamese and Nepalese students. This radical adjustment was attributed to the enthusiastic promotion of these schools recruiting applicants from the latter two countries. This paper aims to examine the vital roles played by both international education agencies in Nepal and Japanese language schools in Japan in terms of Nepalese student recruitment to Japan. In Nepal, more than 1,000 international education agencies have helped Nepalese students to study abroad. They also run Japanese language centers that provide basic language training required for school admission in Japan. The agencies look for prospective candidates who can apply to their partner schools through these centers. Thus, registering in these Japanese language courses serves as a first step toward undertaking study in Japan, because Japanese language training in Nepal is entirely synchronized with the four admission periods (April, July, October, and January) in Japan. The recruiting campaign, however, is more extensive. A few months before their expected date of departure, the staff and/or Japanese language teachers from Japan visit Nepal to hold seminars and interview each applicant. This semi-formal process is the platform for double-checking the students’ Japanese language proficiency, the purpose of their study, and financial status. As they visit Nepal, it makes it possible for them to recruit more students through face-to-face conversations. This grassroots promotional campaign by the Japanese business partners is designed to bridge the informational gap between the agencies and the schools in Japan regarding Japan. This paper concludes that although international education agencies have served an intermediary role in bridging Nepalese students and partner schools abroad, the partner schools in Japan have also significantly engaged in school promotion campaigns and student recruitment in Nepal, contributing to cultivating a new international education market.
