From the experience I have by talking with my Japanese friends I recognized, that almost all told me the same. It seems like university in Japan really just is the necessary push for a carreer in a "normal" company, or better say:
To become a real 社会人 (shakaijin), means, a person with a normal regular income and normal life (whatever that means) with a lifelong job in always the same company, where he/she can promote theirselves and get more income from year to year (of course it takes long until you get much - except you are really good).
You know, people, who didn't graduate from university have huge difficulties in Japan to become Shakaijin and quite often end up just as low-paid Freeta, who don't have any more chances to promote theirselves and get more money (of course that's not always the case, either!!).
So, to most people perhaps it's not important, how good the university is, they are attending, BUT that they are at least attending ANY university and be rescued of the danger of becoming just a Freeta with less future chances. That's perhaps one reason why they struggle so much to manage the entrance exams of different universities.
So, of course universities like Waseda, Keio, etc. have a big status in Japan and anyone coming from there will be preferred by companies. But that doesn't mean that someone from a "lower" university shouldn't have any chances.
But as for the studying at the university itself:
It mostly contends of baito, baito, baito and sleeping during the lessons. You know, the fees for studying in Japan are extremely high, even for non-private universities and most parents can't afford paying these, so the students work in part-time jobs A LOT! There are almost no Japanese students who do not do any part-time job besides studying.
And not only for the university fees, but also for going out, clothes, etc. they do part-time jobs.
What does that show us? They're enjoying their university life a lot and don't come to think of studying, until the next exam of course. If you take it real, many students in many countries are like this.
Furthermore, becoming a Shakaijn often (not always) means to a Japanese: Less freedom, because of the tight bond to the company and the duty to sacrifice yourself for it, work overtime, meeting friends less, etc. University life is the only time, where Japanese can be more free as usual, within the high expectations of society.
And it is fact that even universities with a good reputation like Todai are as easy to graduate as a university with no reputation (a Japanese friend told me right the same!!). Of course it depends on the subject, too. Medicine and stuff is difficult wherever you are.
But that's also a funny thing about Japanese universities: To the company a Japanese student later applies to, it really doesn't matter what subject he/she was studying. Whether he/she studied economics or just some languages, whatever... As Uco said, the companies don't care much about the academic skills. Little bit different from our European system, isn't it?
(I'm from Germany, by the way - the country with the maybe most strange universities - at least at the moment with suddenly all changing to Bachelor and Master and just creating chaos *laugh*)
Of course again this doesn't apply to persons who study for example medicine or law.
And of course also in Japan there are people, who try to make something out of the subject they studied, for example, if it was a language, then to work in that other country or at least in a company having international correspondences, etc. Depends on the person, either.
As for you, seems that you'd like to work in Japan, that's why you'd also like to study there, did I understand it right? So, maybe it's really true, any university you chose is quite fine, if you want to just become a normal worker in a normal company. If you'd like to achieve something bigger, well then of course it wouldn't be a big mistake to attend a university with high reputation. Doesn't mean that you HAVE to do that.
Also, it doesn't mean, that all I have said here now is the average and always right. Of course it is not. I still don't know everything about Japan and in just two weeks I'll finally begin to study for a year in Tokyo. So, all I now can say about Japanese universities is what I heard from my Japanese friends or in my Japanese culture lessons.
The rest is maybe up to you. Find it out by yourself. If I were you, I'd maybe really don't care what university in Japan I attend to (at least as long as I can pay it). One fact is, that there isn't really a bad university in Japan, at least not as far as I know.
Another fact is, that you, especially as a foreigner, simply will NEED a university degree to work in a Japanese company in Japan. If the degree is from a Japanese university, it's possible that they'll take you with a kiss on the hand. Depends on your future goals, what you'd really like to do.
Uco, please correct me if I'm anywhere wrong here. Because you are really one of the persons here with the most knowledge and experience about Japan (you're Japanese, if I'm not mistaken now?) :) And I also still have worries about the still standing differences between female and male university graduates, just by the way (maybe I'll ask in another topic).
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