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Contents Introduction

International students are considered a crucial source of international immigrants, and attracting them is seen as an effective measure to alleviate the depopulation and aging population issues in Japan. Previous studies on international students have primarily focused on those who have graduated for various lengths of period, and the mechanisms behind their decisions regarding choice of country may be mixed. This study distinguishes it from more conventional literature on international students’ choices of countries by focusing on students upon graduation. I utilize the data from the 2015-2017 Survey of International Students’ Career and Academic Degrees (SISCAD) and the logit model to conduct econometric analyses. The results indicate that students funded by the Japanese Government Scholarship are less likely to stay in Japan. The ratio of per capita GDP in one’s home country to that of Japan is negatively related to the student’s retention possibility, but this only applies to student groups from countries less developed than Japan. The results of distance also vary among student groups from countries more (or less) developed than Japan: significantly positive for the more developed and significantly negative for the less developed. Those who have secured jobs are more likely to stay in Japan compared to the unemployed. International students from certain specialties and education levels are also found to be more (or less) likely to work in Japan upon graduation. These results can provide insights for the Japanese government to implement effective strategies for attracting international students to work in Japan.