Japan is ranked first in Asia for students who want to study abroad in a ranking recently released by a higher education search portal, ​educations.com​.

For the second year in a row, they used ​student survey responses​ to  highlight key factors in the international student’s journey. Over 30,000 students revealed that their priority when selecting a university or school is its location. Other priorities like cultural experiences, high quality teaching, achieving career goals, and language learning provided a framework for ranking the countries based on publicly available data.

From its unique manga and anime literature, to its flower arranging and traditional tea ceremonies, to its obsession-worthy cuisine, Japan is a country rich in culture and its language is fascinating for many students!

Read on to find out why a trip to Japan should be on any language-learners bucket list.

Exploring the Japanese culture

Japan scored first in Asia overall, and also ranked first for students who want to have an adventure​ as well as to experience a new culture or lifestyle. According to the report, “If you’re looking to study in an urban, thriving, and technologically advanced place that has thousands of years of history, tradition, and culture, Japan will deliver!”.

Japan is a country known for their steep cultural traditions and customs, which are inevitably intertwined with the language. Learning Japanese in combination with the cultural norms of the native speakers allows you to comprehend the language on a deeper level.

Living in Japan while you study Japanese will teach you things like the cultural importance of cherry blossoming, traditional dance “Awaodori” and New Year traditions in Japan. A familiarity with the cultural concepts and environment in which the language developed is crucial for achieving a high level of understanding.

In the best traditions of quality teaching

It also ranked first for ​access to quality teaching​. Japan is home to world class universities, such as The University of Tokyo, Kyoto University and Osaka University. An interesting fact is that Japan has produced the most non-Western Nobel Prize winners in the fields of physics, chemistry, and medicine.

Honing your language skills through work

Japan ranked second in achieving career goals which comes as no surprise given the many opportunities in the world’s third largest economy. This makes Japanese an important language for those pursuing a career in business, tech, or finance. Working in Japan can further help strengthen your professional vocabulary, expand your network by introducing you to new people, and make you feel more included in society.

As an international student, you should be aware of a popular Japanese concept “baito” which most of the time means part-time job. Baito is a common type of employment among the locals. For international workers, a list of suitable employers can include an international company, NGOs and the service industry. Teaching English or your native language is also a common practice for foreigners.

Getting a work experience in Japan will also benefit your knowledge of the Japanese workplace culture, which is critical if you plan to live and work in the country for the long term.

Whether you intend to visit Japan for duration of the language course, or you have long-term plans, immersing yourself in the language group’s native culture is one of the best ways to take your language skills to the next level. Do not forget that when you travel abroad to learn a new language, you learn so much more!