On Sept. 24, the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education hosted its annual Japan Ryugaku Awards ceremony for Japanese-language schools.
This year’s ceremony marked the 10th iteration of the awards, which were launched in 2012 to lure students back after the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in 2011. The awards are determined by a school network that examines several categories, such as technical and cultural vocational schools, private liberal arts and science departments and public universities. Voting is based on criteria that include the provision of easy-to-understand materials, availability of simplified application procedures and separate tracks for international students, and quality support systems to help students find jobs in Japan. This year, 166 schools — 72% of the association — cast 450 votes for institutions that went above and beyond to help their students.
The awards celebrate these support initiatives, but the closure of Japan’s borders due to COVID-19 cast a shadow over this year’s ceremony. In March 2020, Japan’s entry ban forced thousands to put their study-abroad aspirations on hold. There was a glimmer of hope in October 2020 when Japan decided to let students in, but the ban was reinstated in January for another COVID-19 surge.