On the surface, Japan appears to be succeeding in its push to internationalize higher education. While international student enrollments are declining in several major Anglophone destinations, Japan reached a record 336,708 international students in 2024, a 20.6% increase year over year. At this pace, the Japanese government’s goal of hosting 400,000 international students by 2033 looks increasingly achievable.
Yet enrollment growth tells only part of the story. Inside universities, leaders continue to navigate structural challenges that complicate how internationalization works in practice.
Internationalization in Japan goes beyond recruitment
For many Japanese universities, internationalization now extends far beyond recruiting students from abroad. Institutions are expanding English-taught degree programs, revisiting admissions requirements, and attempting to standardize English language testing policies across departments.
Progress varies widely. Even within the same institution, approaches to admissions and language assessment can differ by faculty or program. This uneven implementation reflects the complexity of Japan’s higher education system, where national incentives for internationalization exist, but decision-making authority remains decentralized at the institutional and departmental level.
What university leaders say about internationalization
These dynamics are explored in Japan Rising: Higher Education at an International Inflection Point, a new research paper based on interviews with senior leaders at national and private universities across Japan. The study shows that while commitment to internationalization is widespread, execution often depends on governance structures, institutional culture, and long-standing approaches to English assessment.
English language testing at the center of the challenge
English language testing plays a central role in Japan’s internationalization efforts. Japan remains one of the world’s largest English-testing markets, with exams such as EIKEN and TOEIC deeply embedded across education and employment.
Universities increasingly emphasize communicative English skills as essential for global engagement and international study. At the same time, legacy testing practices continue to influence student behavior and institutional policy, particularly where test scores signal employability in the domestic job market.
Interviewees described a persistent disconnect between assessment and outcomes. Communicative English often aligns with study-abroad preparation and international programs, while test-oriented English remains closely tied to domestic employment pathways. Students navigate competing incentives, and universities work to align admissions criteria, classroom instruction, and labor-market expectations.
A potential role for modern English proficiency tests
The Duolingo English Test (DET) offers one possible way forward. Designed to measure practical language ability while reducing cost and logistical barriers, the DET helps universities align admissions more closely with real-world English use while reaching a broader and more diverse pool of international applicants.
For institutions seeking to balance accessibility, rigor, and relevance, modern digital-first English proficiency tests can support internationalization goals without reinforcing outdated testing norms.
What comes next for Japan’s internationalization strategy
Japan’s internationalization momentum is real and measurable. The next phase depends on whether policy ambition is matched by institutional alignment—across governance structures, admissions processes, and English language assessment.
How universities navigate these challenges will determine whether today’s growth evolves into a durable and coherent internationalization model for Japanese higher education.