What is Japan educational travel?

Educational travel refers to group tours organized by schools for their students with faculty members as group leaders. These trips have clear learning objectives and usually include visits to local schools, site visits, hands-on activities, and so much more.

Japan has always been a popular destination for overseas educational travel, with its rich culture and abundant learning opportunities attracting students and schools from all over the world every year.

Some students come to Japan to test out their Japanese skills by having authentic conversations with native speakers; some come to Japan to learn about the Japanese culture and the subtle nuances that textbooks cannot capture; some come to Japan to interact and share their ideas with students from another culture and to learn to appreciate the similarities and differences between cultures.

 

Four reasons why you should choose Japan as your destination for educational travel

The number of tourists visiting Japan has increased dramatically since 2012, surpassing 30 million per year in 2018.
After overcoming the difficulties of COVID-19, Japan opened its doors to foreign travelers again in 2022. As a safe and secure destination, Japan is an ideal destination not only for recreational travel, but also for educational purposes.

1Rich in history, culture, and natural scenery

Japan has a long history and its culture is unlike any other. In the past, Japan was heavily influenced by Chinese culture. From its early-modern period (19thC), Japan started welcoming western influences such as western apparel and western cuisine. Through mindfully borrowing elements from other cultures and integrating them into Japanese culture, Japan has managed to reach a perfect balance between eastern and western cultures. Japan has absorbed the best of the west while simultaneously retaining its own unique Japanese culture and preserving uniquely Japanese concepts like “wabi-sabi”.

Japan is an island nation made up of 4 main islands, spanning across different climate zones. Its distinct seasons and varied landscape has given rise to all sorts of beautiful natural scenery and traditional culture. For example, when cherry trees blossom in the spring, Japanese people will host “hanami” (flower viewing) gatherings where they have picnics under beautiful cherry trees with their friends and family.

2High-quality and diverse education

In Japan, education is greatly valued and the country ranks among the best in the world in terms of quality of education. Japan is dedicated to encouraging and promoting both practical learning and academic research in various fields. Whether one wants to become a scholar, a pastry chef or even an anime graphic designer, Japan offers all the learning resources a student could possibly need.

Japan educational travel offers many opportunities for students to visit local schools. Foreign students will be able to interact and make exchanges with Japanese students their age, sharing ideas and gaining global perspectives on different issues.

3Rich and Diverse learning opportunities

Japan offers countless learning opportunities in history, culture, and nature outside the classroom. The Japanese government is dedicated to heritage preservation and 25 of Japan’s cultural and natural sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. By visiting Japan, students can experience in person unique aspects of world history rather than just reading about them in textbooks.

Besides its impressive array of historical sites, Japan also boasts much cutting-edge technology. Japan is famous for its highly advanced industries. Students will have the chance to visit factories, observe their rigorous manufacturing processes, and in some cases even take part in hands-on activities.

Another thing Japan is known for is its disaster prevention. Many people come to Japan to observe its comprehensive risk management procedures which have a proven record of successfully mitigating damage and casualties.

4Safe and secure environment

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. Japan boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world and its political environment is very stable.

Being a developed country, Japan offers top-notch healthcare and the quality of this healthcare has been recognized by many prestigious organizations. Japan is often praised as one of the world’s cleanest countries and many cities in Japan have been ranked amongst the most livable cities in the world.

Japan’s highly-developed public transit infrastructure makes it easy to get around the country. As a popular travel destination, Japan offers different kinds of accommodation at a variety of prices. You will surely be able to find one that suits your needs.


Educational travel in Japan

Japan is a popular destination for educational travel in Asia. In 2017, close to 40,000 people came to Japan for educational travel. More and more schools in Japan are taking part in educational travel and promoting international exchange in their schools.

Changes in the number of host schools for school exchange

Changes in the number of host schools for school exchange

 

Changes in the number of visitors to Japan for educational travel by country / region

Changes in the number of visitors to Japan for educational travel by country / region


Source: Japan’s Ministry of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology