Of the many consequences of the Tohoku crisis, one of the most disappointing is the fear so many foreigners now have about coming to Japan. Half a million hotel reservations have been canceled, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. In addition to those losses, the number of foreign students planning to study in Japan may also suffer. The loss of foreign students is a serious setback on the road to making Japanese higher education more international.
The government's proposal, announced in 2008, to eventually have 300,000 foreign students in Japanese higher education nearly reached its halfway point last year, with 140,000 students. This year, students are hesitating to come for fear of radiation and continuing aftershocks. Schools have been inundated with queries about the safety of studying in Japan. Many students and programs have already canceled their contracts, but others are waiting to see how events unfold in the next few weeks, since most schools postponed their first day until after Golden Week.
The government and the schools need to reassure those students, their parents and their home schools that studying here will be made safe for them. Part of the reason for delaying classes is to better prepare emergency information and set up facilities in the event of future emergencies. Those plans should be clearly implemented and announced.