Ryugaku Journal report reveals latest trends in Japan’s ELT market

A recent report published by Ryugaku Journal*, one of Japan’s largest study abroad agents, has shed light on the latest trends in Japan’s ELT market including growing interest in the UK as a study abroad destination.

The report was based on a survey of Ryugaku Journal’s customers (enquirers and conversions) in 2017.

Key findings from the report:

• For the fourth year running, Canada was by far the most popular study destination accounting for 36% of all students. There was strong growth for Australia which overtook America as the second most popular country.  Meanwhile, the number of students choosing the UK was up 20% on the previous year making the UK the 4^th most popular destination.
• Young learner (elementary school to high school) enquiries were up 12% on 2016. This was the seventh successive year of growth for this cohort.
• The number of high school students studying abroad increased for the 5^th year running with the total number up 20% on 2016.
• There was 4% growth in the number of working professionals studying abroad with marked increases for the over 60s (+80%) and 40s (+27%) cohorts. Short-term programmes continue to be the favoured choice for professionals with more than half taking courses of less than 8 weeks in length.

After several years of decline it is encouraging to see a large increase in the number of students choosing the UK.  Ryugaku Journal had predicted that 2017 would see further decline as a result of Brexit but this hasn’t materialised. That said, competition is intense and the UK’s market share remains relatively small in comparison to Canada, Australia and America.  It is worth noting that the popularity of Australia and Canada has grown significantly in recent years thanks largely to positive perceptions of these countries as safe and welcoming destinations.

The report reflects wider market trend of consistent growth in the young learner cohort.  This growth can be attributed to a host of factors including English language education reforms at Primary School, government/industry support for study abroad through the Tobitate Ryugaku Scholarships supporting high school students, and increased awareness of the importance of gaining study abroad experience from a younger age.  

In terms of the working professional market, expansion here is being driven by multiple factors which include the forthcoming 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games - these events are boosting interest in English language study among seniors/retirees who are keen to work as volunteers/interpreters at these events.  Another driver is the recent tourism boom (annual visitor numbers have grown from 13m in 2014 to 28m in 2017) which has exposed a shortage of English speaking staff in the service industry.  Meanwhile, a recent government drive to raise the profile of life-long learning is also encouraging professionals to seek study opportunities outside of their regular work.

UK English language schools are encouraged to note these trends and to be aware that demand for English language programmes is predicted to grow in the coming years.  Schools wishing to capitalise on this upturn should be aware that students/influencers place a high price on face-to-face engagement, meaning regular visits to Japan to meet prospective students/influencers directly is key to winning in the market.  It is also important to note that English language students tend to use study abroad agents so it’s important to build and maintain strong relationships with local agents who can provide counselling in the local language.  

If your school is not currently recruiting from Japan but would like learn more about the market and the opportunities here, please contact Hal Parker (hal.parker@britishcouncil.or.jp).

* Ryugaku Journal caters to all ages and levels of study, though the vast majority of its enquiries are for short and long-term English language programmes. Given the size of Ryugaku Journal’s customer base this report provides a useful indicator of trends in Japan’s wider ELT market.