Foreign students in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, a popular destination for overseas students
In Fukuoka, now the third largest in Japan following Tokyo and Osaka, the number of foreign students has gradually increased over the past few years. Chinese students account for the largest share, approximately 79%, followed by students from South Korea and Taiwan. Students from 88 countries and areas are now studying in Fukuoka.
Sources: “Survey on International students in Japan,” Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan for 2002-2003
JASSO survey data for 2004-2008
Source: Data of the Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Japan (2007)
Of foreign students graduating from Japanese universities or graduate schools in 2006, approximately 70% of these students remain in Japan: 29.3% found jobs in Japan and 39.5% proceeded to advanced education courses. The number of foreign students who remain in Japan after completing their education courses is increasing every year, exceeding 22,000 nationwide in 2006. Many are employed in Japan (based on data of the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)).
In terms of job roles, translation/interpretation accounts for 33%, followed by sales/marketing for 15%. Meanwhile, the number of students engaged in information processing has dramatically increased nearly sevenfold in four years.