"Because I love Japan" I asked a foreigner who wants to study abroad about Honne February 15th, 11:59

There is a Peruvian woman who is looking forward to studying abroad in Japan because

she wants to spread the charm of Japanese "special effects" to Central and South America .

She has been unable to enter the country due to border measures due to the spread of the Omicron strain, but she is still waiting to make her dream come true.

Like her, there are more than 140,000 foreigners who want to study abroad in Japan but are unable to enter the country.

What supports their feelings?

What I saw as I proceeded with the interview was "love for Japan."

I asked foreigners who want to study abroad in Japan.

(International Department Reporter Yukari Kondo)

I love Japanese "special effects"!

"I love" special effects "such as Godzilla, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider, and I am aiming to study abroad because I want to learn photography techniques in Japan.

"・ This is Mr. Ponce (31).

In Peru, where Ponse was born and raised, many programs such as Japanese animation were broadcast from the 1970s to the 90s, so Ponse also grew up watching a lot of animation from an early age.

Among them, I was fascinated by "special effects".

Monsters rampaging on the screen.

A hero who defeats it daringly.

Miniature shooting and cool costumes.

I was fascinated by all of the "special effects".

I want to spread the appeal of "special effects" to Latin America

Ponce's thoughts on "special effects" didn't stop there.

At the age of 21, he launched a fan club to send information on "special effects" in Spanish to people in Latin America.

Its name is "Tokusen".

I wanted as many people as possible to know the charm of "special effects" and "Sentai Hero".

Ponce holds a cosplay show of "Squadron Hero" at anime events held in Peru, Ecuador, and the United States with his fan club friends, and an online event inviting Japanese actors.

It is said that the number of followers of the fan club, which was about 20 when it was first launched 10 years ago, is now about 20,000, mainly in Central and South America.

I want to take "special effects" by myself

Through these activities, Ponce became even more enthusiastic about "special effects," and eventually became a dream to get a job at a TV station and create a special effects program that would be broadcast in his home country and Latin America. ..

Mr. Ponse

"In Japan, the program of" Sentai Hero "is broadcast every Sunday, and parents and children watch it together."

Since there was no such program in my home country of Peru, I also wanted to create a program that parents and children could enjoy together.

In the future, Ponse started an internship at a TV station in Miami, Florida, in order to gain experience at a TV station in order to learn "special effects" techniques in Japan.

I was planning to go to Japan last July.

However, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, Japan continues to have restrictions on new entry by foreigners.

Mr. Ponce is unable to enter Japan.

I want to go to Japan, but

Ponce, who quit his internship to go to Japan, once searched for a full-time job to earn income while waiting for entry into Japan.

However, full-time work is often required to continue working for more than 6 months, and Mr. Ponce is not working full-time so that he can go to Japan at any time.

However, as the period during which she cannot study abroad in Japan is prolonged, she is becoming unable to draw a vision for her future.

Mr. Ponse

"I think that special effects technology is unique to Japan. I still want to learn that technology. However, I'm thinking about getting a job at an American TV station while I don't know when I can go to Japan. If you are hired, I think you will give up studying in Japan. "

I love big leaguer Otani

As I continued to interview, I was able to talk to an American man who was taking classes at a Japanese university online.

The man's name is Scott Schramel (25).

He is a fourth year student at the University of Minnesota in the United States, studying economics.

It was Shohei Ohtani of the Major League Baseball Angels who got him interested in Japan.

He has been fond of watching baseball since he was little.

In 2018, when Otani challenged the Major League Baseball with dual wield throws, it was time for him to enter college.

I was fascinated by Otani and wanted to know even a little about Japan, which I had never known before, so I started learning Japanese in a university class.

In that process, he gradually became interested in Japanese professional baseball, and in the future he worked in the major leagues and became more motivated to scout Japanese players like Otani.

I want to intern at professional baseball / Hiroshima Carp

Mr. Schramel

"When I started studying Japanese baseball, I liked watching the plays of Kaito Kozono and Seiya Suzuki of Hiroshima Carp. Maeda, who belongs to the big league Minnesota Twins that I love. Kenta was also active in Carp, wasn't he? "

Mr. Schramel, whose names of Japanese players appear without stagnation.

I decided to study abroad in Japan because I wanted to do an internship at Hiroshima Carp.

However, the planned exchange program at a university in Hiroshima Prefecture was canceled twice in 2020 and 2021 due to the influence of the new Corona.

Still unable to give up studying abroad in Japan, Mr. Schramel was preparing to study abroad at a university in Tokyo, where he was looking for exchange students, while taking classes online with the aim of studying abroad from spring.

Cancellation of the third exchange program

However, last October, I received an email from the person in charge of the exchange program at the University of Minnesota, where Mr. Schramel attends.

"We have decided to cancel all exchange programs in Japan for the spring semester of 2022."

Mr. Schramel turned white and immediately called the person in charge.

She asked, "Don't cancel the exchange program," and "I want you to wait a little longer because the situation may change," and the school agreed to wait.

Then, in early November, the Japanese government announced that it would resume entry to foreign students after the infection had subsided.

Mr. Schramel once said, "I can finally go to Japan," but after that, it turned out that the application for a Japanese visa would be done in stages.

I found out that I couldn't apply for a visa in time for admission in the spring, and the university advised me to give up studying abroad in Japan.

Schramel says she is worried about her career after graduation.

Mr. Schramel

"I think it will be difficult for a Japanese professional baseball team to find an internship as it is. I still know whether I will go to Japan after graduating from university or look for a job as a baseball player scout in the United States. not"

For foreigners to realize their careers

Professor Hiroshi Ota of Hitotsubashi University, who is familiar with international student policy, talks about the current situation in Japan as follows.

Professor Hiroshi Ota of Hitotsubashi University

"This situation is damaging Japan's national interests. International students choose study abroad destinations not only for studying but also for their future lives. Some people settle down, so they are the "egg of human resources" in Japan's future. Now they have lost the opportunity to accept these people. In Japan, young foreigners study in Japan. And I think we need to respond so that we can realize our future career. "

The Government of Japan has exceptionally allowed foreign students to enter the country from the end of January, which is judged to be of high public interest and urgency, regarding measures to suspend new entry of foreigners as a measure against the border of Omicron stock. increase.

In addition, the government will consider raising the upper limit of the number of immigrants, which is set at about 3,500 per day, and shortening the number of days to wait at home or stay at accommodation facilities after entering Japan. I'm in a hurry.

On the other hand, according to the Immigration Bureau of Japan, the number of foreigners who wish to study abroad in Japan but are unable to enter Japan is 147,800 as of October 1, 2021.

How can we accept international students who may live in Japan in the future with us while paying attention to domestic infection control measures?

I would like to continue to cover the matter.

International Department Reporter

Yukari Kondo

Joined in 2009

After working at Morioka Station, Osaka Station, and International Broadcasting Station,

interviewed foreign students who are currently in the corona