The number of students in Japan¡¯s public schools who need help learning Japanese has climbed to a record high of 84,759 students, according to results of a government survey released Monday.
The survey, conducted by the education ministry, covered 1,788 education boards nationwide and counted students who were deemed to need instruction because they were unable to communicate sufficiently in Japanese.
It found that as of May 2025, a total of 84,759 students at public elementary, junior high, high and special needs schools required support learning Japanese, up by 15,636 from the previous survey in 2023. The figure has roughly doubled over the past decade.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.