The Justice Ministry will impose new regulations on Japanese-language schools in October to ensure students who enter Japan to learn the language do not spend the majority of their stay working instead of studying.
The change was implemented after one applicant raised the ministry's eyebrows by asking about setting up a school that would be in session for just half a year, presumably so students could use the longer holiday period to work.
Under current student visa conditions, students can work up to 40 hours a week when their schools are on holiday and 28 hours when they are in session. Although there were previously no rules on how long a school should be in session, the new rule will require schools to be in session for at least 35 weeks a year.