In recent years, the number of international students (Ryugakusei) has been on the rise continuously, hitting a record high. Among them, the majority belongs to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and as a result they become a key component of the Internationalization of Higher Education (IHE) in Japan.

Notably driven by the two common but powerful discourses as ‘aging society’ and ‘knowledge based economy’, the government and HEIs all strive to lure more and best international students. Given that student migrants essentially traverse various boundaries and categories in the spaces of migration with unclear identities both as students (language, degree, exchange students) and workers (irregular, temporary, potential skilled workers) in their destination societies, the way they will be treated varies according to various legal, economic, cultural and political conditions and factors. In the Japanese society, then, how international students are currently viewed?

Are they in a category of ‘wanted and desired’ foreign residents? or otherwise? Are they actually considered as valuable human capital for the Japanese economy? or Are they just being imported as a source of revenue for Japanese universities’ shrunken coffers? or ornaments sort of in order to decorate the big wall of ‘Internationalization of Higher Education’? This paper attempts to critically review the process of recruitment, retention, and settlement of Ryugakusei with a specific focus on foreign students in English-taught programs.

In doing so, this paper seeks to dispel the perceived ambiguity, superficiality, and contradictions in policy directions, objectives, and implementation in Japan’s immigration and IHE policies toward international students.