Appreciating our education agents in Japan

JAOS stands for Japan Association of Overseas Studies and is a peak body for Japanese education agents. JAOS President Yukari Kato, Councillor Chairman Yasuo Sone, and Executive Secretary Tatsuo Hoshino and other members attended the event, which was hosted by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) in partnership with the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo and Air New Zealand.   

New Zealand’s Ambassador to Japan, Hamish Cooper, said education had played a key role in bilateral relations between Japan and New Zealand over the past 70 years, and this was highlighted in the successful visit by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier this year.  

Yukari Kato, who is also Executive Vice President of Ryugaku Journal,spoke fondly about her experiences living in New Zealand. She also welcomed the opportunity to work with ENZ to feature sustainability-related courses and degrees offered by New Zealand tertiary institutions in Ryugaku Journal Magazine’s September issue.   

Misa Kitaoka, ENZ’s Director of Education based in Tokyo, says this event will be followed by a series of networking events in October 2022, to build on the positive brand that New Zealand has in Japan and connect Japanese stakeholders with New Zealand regions and education providers.   

Prior to Covid-19, JAOS members sent around 6,000 students to New Zealand each year, mostly to secondary schools, followed by English language schools.