Around 20,000 foreign nationals living in Japan did not finish junior high school and only graduated elementary school, according to findings in the latest national census, prompting the government to call on municipalities to reinforce measures promoting night school.
According to the census released in late May, a total of 804,293 people in Japan age 15 and over had only graduated from elementary school or had dropped out of junior high as of October 2020. Of that number, 19,731 — or 2.5% — are foreign nationals.
About 90% of the overall number are now in their 80s or older — likely the result of an outdated education system and the chaos following the end of World War II. The census data also revealed that foreign nationals comprised around 57% of those under 50 who had only graduated from elementary school.