Number of Students in Japan Needing Japanese Language Support Reaches Record High
The number of students in Japan’s public schools who need support in learning Japanese has reached a record high. According to a report released by the Ministry of Education, the number of students identified as needing language support because they cannot communicate sufficiently in Japanese has risen to 84,759.
The survey, which covered 1,788 education boards nationwide, found that as of May 2025, the number of students requiring Japanese language support in public elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and special needs schools had increased by 15,636 compared with the previous survey in 2023. This means the figure has nearly doubled over the past decade.
Of the students requiring support, 73,313 were foreign nationals, while 11,446 were Japanese nationals. However, despite the growing need, the number of students not receiving support has also increased. A total of 9,699 students who need language assistance, or 11.4 percent, are not receiving any special support. This rate stood at 10.2 percent in 2023.
According to the survey, 75,060 students are receiving Japanese language support under special arrangements. The number of Japanese language instruction assistants has increased to 8,706, while the number of staff providing native-language support has risen to 7,301.
However, the way Japanese language instruction is provided varies widely by region. While cities with large foreign populations have special centers, many municipalities leave the responsibility for providing support directly to individual schools.