YEARS OF 5

ASIA KAKEHASHI PROJECT 2018-2023 | JAPAN (SPONSORED)

In 2017. the Government of Japan invested in expanding educational exchanges in Asia. The Asia Kakehashi Project was launched by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2017 with the objective of strengthening relations between Japan and 20 other Asian countries. The project provided full scholarships for Asian high school students to live and study in Japan.

AFS Japan had been appointed by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to implement a new scholarship program. The program, called Kakehashi (Japanese for “building bridges”), was initiated to provide full scholarships for 1,000 Asian high school students to study in Japan’s public and private high schools over the next five years.

Over the past five years, through this program, a total of 974 Asian high school students from the following 21 countries had the opportunity to study at 298 high schools in 47 prefectures across Japan.

Bangladesh​ Cambodia​ India​ Laos​ Mongolia​ Pakistan​ Thailand​

Bhutan​ China​ Indonesia​ Malaysia​ Myanmar​ Philippines Turkey​

Brunei​ Hongkong​ Korea​ Maldives​ Nepal​ Sri Lanka​ Vietnam​

AFS India was responsible for recruiting the deserving candidates from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Maldives. Between 2018 – 2022, AFS India expanded the reach to 5 neighboring countries to screen, select and orient the participants and sending parents.

Number of countries

Number of Participants

Number of Schools

Number of Cities 6 145 128 52

Total Students 13 28 28 37 39

The Asia Kakehashi Project has been a resounding success in promoting mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation between Japan and the participating countries. The program has helped to build bridges between people from different cultures and backgrounds and has fostered lifelong friendships and ties.

The program has enabled the participating students to gain valuable experiences, skills, and perspectives, and has turned them into leaders of positive change in their communities. The Asia Kakehashi Project is a shining example of how educational and cultural exchange programs can have a transformative impact on individuals and societies.

‘I firmly believe that participating in an exchange program is one of the most effective ways to advance humanity and develop into a global citizen.’

‘It was a beautiful experience sharing a bond with the people of my school dormitory (Kumon International Jr.-Sr. High School), one of Japan's finest schools.’

Alif-Al-Abdullah,

‘The support that I got from AFS Japan during any problems needs to be appreciated. So, I can say that I'm content with my exchange program in Japan and I'm grateful to AFS for giving this once in a lifetime opportunity to me.’

‘My exchange journey has seen all kinds of phases be it happiness or sorrow. My journey has been more like a roller coaster ride which taught me so many life lessons which I cannot put into words.’

Studying abroad as an exchange student is about sharing your culture, beliefs, values and learning theirs. It taught me life-long lessons and gave me a lot of experiences. Having spent almost a year in Japan during the exchange, allowed me to think out of the box and think deeply about what I desire to achieve in the future.