As discussed in Part 1 of this two-part series, the skills and international outlook of  kikokushijo, or returnee students, make them ideal candidates to play a key role in Japan’s current efforts to globalize. However, kikokushijo often struggle to re-acculturate to Japan upon their return and have been overlooked by policymakers.

What most kikokushijo share is an experience abroad that forever influences the core of who they are and what they hope to become. The kikokushijo profiled here may not be representative of the majority of returnees, but they do highlight the potential that can be unlocked within individuals lucky enough to have the chance to live overseas and, crucially, receive the right support on their return to Japan.

'Unique perspective': Keio University student Kentaro Kawahara (center left) visits a local school in Sudan with his father's medical aid NPO, Rocinantes. Kawahara spent a total of five years of his childhood in Africa and his father still lives in Khartoum. | NAOYUKI KAWAHARA