While apparently there are a lot of efforts in spreading internationalization with a religious fervor in Japan, it is still not uncommon to see a foreigner being watched like an alien from another planet. Japan has just discovered how to use brain power from developing countries and as a result enrollment of foreign students in Japanese universities is on the increase. Again, not all departments are prepared for the task, and for some students coming to Japan is only a cultural exercise.
However, elite universities and university departments with smart professors, even in cities other than Tokyo and Kyoto, do create an atmosphere conducive for foreign students to do science. This includes choosing English for writing one's thesis, conducting seminars in English periodically and publishing research findings in English-language journals. Almost all Japanese journals carry an English summary and progress-minded Japanese scientists publish most of their work in English.
Yet ...
