The number of foreign students studying in Japan -- mainly at universities and vocational schools -- has reached more than 64,000, the Education Ministry said Wednesday.

This figure marks a 15 percent rise over last year.

A ministry report showed that as of May this year there were 64,011 foreign students in Japan, 8,256 more than the same period last year.

Ministry officials attributed the increase, which constitutes the biggest annual rise in the past 10 years, to measures such as an expansion in the amount of scholarship money available, one-time allowances given to students coming to Japan at their own expense, and simplified immigration procedures.

The total included 32,297 Chinese -- up 25 percent over last year -- 12,851 South Koreans and 4,189 from Taiwan.

The report stated that the University of Tokyo, with 1,939 foreign students, had the most overseas students among Japanese universities, followed by Waseda University and Nagoya University.

According to the study, short-term foreign students -- who stay in Japan for less than a year mainly to learn the Japanese language and culture -- numbered 5,082, up 28 percent from last year.

In the 1980s, the ministry set a target of 100,000 foreign students in Japan by the beginning of the 21st century. The numbers of overseas students rose steadily throughout that period, and in 1990 the annual increase stood at 32 percent.

This increase slowed, however, in the wake of Japan's recession and the wider economic crisis in Asia, the ministry officials said.