The number of Vietnamese students in Japan has grown 12-fold in the last six year, fast approaching the numbers held by Chinese students in the country.

Vietnamese students now make up nearly a quarter of international students in Japan, lagging behind the Chinese, who account for 41 per cent of foreign students.

Japan has been aggressively recruiting students from Southeast Asian countries to bolster economic ties.

Japanese companies have increasingly set up businesses in Southeast Asia looking to capitalise on a growing middle class and consumption in the region.

(Photo courtesy of Bloomberg)

Keisuke Kobayashi, a representative at the Japan External Trade Organisation told Bloomberg that Japanese companies in Vietnam were looking for highly-skilled, educated employees who could bridge the language and cultural gaps between the countries.

The Japanese government has offered a number of scholarships to Vietnamese students, but many parents with high hopes are also sending their children to Japan through high-cost migration agents.

Japan is Vietnam’s second biggest investor, spending a total of $US42.5 billion in direct investment as of March this year.