The government plans to set up a public-private council tasked with discussing how to increase the number of young people going overseas, according to sources. The government intends to urge educational institutions and companies to create an environment in which young people will find it easier to go abroad.
The envisaged council will consist of officials from relevant government bodies such as the Japan Tourism Agency and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, as well as representatives of the economic sphere and the travel and education industries, among other groups. The council will be launched as early as fiscal 2019, and will generate concrete measures.
For instance, the government is considering asking universities to regard students who go overseas during a school term as having attended classes or to offer them credit if they meet certain conditions so they can travel when plane tickets are inexpensive.
The government also plans to improve a system that supports students studying abroad, as well as one that allows young people to participate in internship programs at private overseas companies.
The travel industry will promote the creation of practical travel programs such as those that facilitate volunteering overseas. The government will also provide support to encourage travel agencies nationwide to develop such programs.
The government plans to start working on measures to counter a serious decline in the number of young people going overseas.
The number of Japanese nationals departing the country has been increasing on the whole, up from 16.69 million in 1996 to 17.12 million in 2016. However, by age group, the number of those in their 20s dropped from 4.63 million to 3 million over the 20-year period.
Reasons for the decline are thought to be an increasing number of young people who are budget-minded or have a waning interest in overseas travel.
Under these circumstances, the government has launched an expert panel to discuss measures to support young people traveling overseas. As a senior official of the JTA said, "Such a situation could hinder efforts to develop talented people who can play an active role globally."
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