Over the past decade, Japan’s declining birth rate has created challenges in undergraduate student recruitment, particularly for private universities (MEXT, 2023)(1). In response, many institutions have turned to increasing international student
enrolment. This study investigates the social, cultural, economic, and academic factors that push students to study abroad and
pull them toward rural regions of Japan, with a specific focus on why students may choose rural areas over metropolitan
centres. Data was collected through questionnaires (n = 48) distributed to international students from nearby Asian countries
and supplemented by in-depth interviews with a smaller sample. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that a
three-factor model—academic facilities, quality of life (QoL), and access to economic opportunities—offered the best fit,
despite an initial four-factor hypothesis. Among these, QoL emerged as the most significant, with 87% of participants citing
lower cost of living as a major attraction of rural areas. Additionally, 79% believed cultural events were more accessible, and
the same percentage felt rural environments offered better opportunities to improve Japanese language skills. These were
identified as key drivers behind student choices. Qualitative interview data further revealed that, contrary to the survey
responses, institutional ties between Japanese universities and students’ home countries played a significant role in
encouraging rural study. Interviewees also highlighted that the longer admissions acceptance period typical of rural
universities was a decisive factor in their choice of institution.

Textual enhancement (TE) refers to any modification made to written text for the purpose of drawing learners’ visual attention to the target area. Typically, TE is employed to encourage learners to notice specific aspects of language (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, discourse features). However, the current study sought to investigate TE's potential effect on a unique outcome: reading fluency (i.e., speed). N = 132 students at a Japanese university were asked to read two passages (one standard, one textually enhanced) and were assessed on both their reading speeds and level of comprehension. The results indicated that while there was a statistically significant (albeit, slight) increase in their reading speeds of the TE passage (t = 3.78, p < .001, d = .33) there was no significant difference in their comprehension of the two (t = −.60, p = .54, d = .05). Participants were also surveyed regarding their level of consciousness of the enhancements, along with their reactions to the technique. Surprisingly, students’ cognition of the enhancements was partially dependent on group membership: students who were exposed to the enhanced text first were less likely to notice that the two passages were stylistically different, indicating their focus on meaning entirely eclipsed a focus on form.