Number of Japanese Language Learners in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea Reaches 8 Million ―Joint Survey by Dentsu Inc. and the Japan Foundation―

 

Dentsu Inc. in collaboration with the Japan Foundation conducted a survey on Japanese language learners in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea—regions with high repeat visitor rates among inbound tourists. The findings were presented at the "Multilingual ICT Promotion Forum" held in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, on December 20.

Dentsu Inc. has focused on revitalizing regional tourism by targeting overseas Japanese language learners, launching the industry-academia collaboration "Easy Japanese Tourism Research Group" in August this year. That same month, it published a survey estimating the number of Japanese language learners in Taiwan at around 2 million. This time, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, similar surveys were conducted in Hong Kong and South Korea, presenting comparative results across the three regions. A total of approximately 8 million people across the three regions are currently learning Japanese, and over 60% of those with Japanese learning experience expressed a desire to speak with Japanese people in Japanese during their travels to Japan.

This survey includes self-learners who study using the internet, television, radio, and other media. In South Korea, an estimated 16.3% of men and women aged 18-64 (4.93-6.54 million people) are currently learning Japanese. In Hong Kong, the figure is similarly estimated at 9.7% (350,000-520,000 people). Combined with the previously surveyed Taiwan (12.8%, 1.7-2.4 million people), this clearly shows high enthusiasm for Japanese language learning across each region.

Furthermore, the proportion of people who answered they could speak Japanese at least a little was also high in each region. The results showed that if three people gather, there is a 70-80% probability that one of them can speak Japanese.

Furthermore, those with Japanese learning experience had a higher rate of visiting Japan than those without. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, over 50% had visited Japan two or more times, clearly showing that Japanese learners form the core of repeat visitors.

In all regions, over 60% of Japanese language learners expressed a desire to speak Japanese when visiting Japan, while the percentage of Japanese people wanting them to speak English remained around 15% in each region.

 

Yohei Arakawa, Chair of the Easy Japanese Tourism Research Group and Professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, stated the following.

According to the 2015 Survey of Overseas Japanese Language Education Institutions published by the Japan Foundation, the number of Japanese language learners has decreased by about 10% compared to three years ago, totaling 3.65 million. This figure represents only learners enrolled in educational institutions and was significantly influenced by factors such as changes in educational curricula in several countries. Furthermore, the educational institution survey counted a large number of high school students and younger learners, making it less suitable for focusing on potential visitors to Japan. A separate survey was needed to examine Japanese language learners from a tourism perspective.

This joint survey by the Japan Foundation and Dentsu Inc. is significant as it reveals the scale and trends of individuals learning Japanese independently outside of educational institutions. Hospitality using "Easy Japanese" is expected to gain attention, particularly for visitors from East and Southeast Asia, including Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, who form the core of inbound tourists to regional areas.

Related Link: Easy Japanese Tourism Research Grouphttp://yasashii-nihongo-tourism.jp/