High School Students Who Traveled Abroad in the Past Year: More Girls Than Boys, Yet Most Do Not Travel!
According to a survey by Wakamono Research on high school students' overseas travel, 19.7% of high school girls traveled abroad in the past year, mostly due to school trips, study abroad programs, or family living overseas. Conversely, 80.3% of high school girls who did not travel abroad cited economic reasons.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 11:05 (33 min after Collected)
Overseas travel is one of the keywords that can "change one's values" in life.
During long holidays such as Golden Week or summer vacation, people travel abroad to witness world heritage sites, experience traditional cultures, or set foot on sacred places they've seen in movies and dramas.
Experiencing a unique environment abroad can have an impact on one's life thereafter.
So, to what extent are high school students, who are spending their impressionable years, traveling abroad?
Wakamono Research, a marketing information site targeting teenagers and current high school students (https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/), conducted a survey titled "Have you traveled abroad at least once in the past year?" targeting high school girls and boys nationwide. We will introduce some of the results here.
=================================================================================
[To companies]
Surveys on teenagers and Generation Z, like this article, can also be conducted for your company's products and services.
- We want to utilize the real voices of teenagers and Generation Z for product development.
- We want "trending data" that can be used for PR.
- We want to create projects that attract media attention.
Wakamono Research can design a consistent process from "survey → article creation → media exposure."
In fact, there are cases where PR utilizing survey data has led to media coverage and SNS spread.
Shall we design a "trending survey" together?
▶ Achievements and inquiries here
contact@wakamono-research.co.jp
▶ Wakamono Research Inc. HP
https://wakamono-research.co.jp/
[20% of high school girls traveled abroad in the past year, most often for school trips]
First, looking at the survey results for high school girls nationwide,
19.7% answered "yes."
This result indicates that approximately one in five high school girls has experienced overseas travel, which seems a relatively high number given the recent depreciation of the yen and rising prices.
The most common responses from high school girls who answered "yes" were related to "school trips":
"My school trip was abroad."
"I went to Korea for a school trip."
"I went to Taiwan for a school trip."
"I went to Australia for a school trip."
In recent years, an increasing number of schools have chosen overseas destinations for school trips, suggesting that the barrier for younger generations to experience overseas travel has lowered compared to before.
The most common destination seems to be Taiwan, due to its proximity (a few hours from Japan), budget-friendliness, and good security.
Furthermore,
"Because I applied for a study abroad program."
"I went to Australia to study abroad."
"I participated in an overseas dispatch training program."
These responses indicate that overseas experiences are often an extension of school life, and through improving language skills and experiencing different cultures, more young people are considering overseas as a future option.
Behind this trend is the enhancement of study abroad systems and training programs by schools, encouraging a step towards overseas experiences.
Another striking opinion was:
"My brother is studying in Australia, so we went on a family trip."
"Last year, I went overseas for my parents' return home."
"Because my father lives there."
These responses show that visiting a place where family lives abroad is a natural progression, suggesting that overseas places have become much more familiar.
From the perspective of those being visited, even if they are far away, having family visit them can make them feel a closeness and security beyond distance.
The motivations for high school girls' overseas travel in the past year were mainly "school-related" and "family living abroad," with virtually no other reasons.
Casual overseas trips like "Shall we go abroad for a bit?" might still be too early for high school girls.
On the other hand, looking at the reasons given by the 80.3% of high school girls who answered they "did not" travel abroad in the past year, the majority gave realistic answers such as:
"Because I have no money."
"No money."
"It's expensive."
"High costs."
Indeed, for young people with limited disposable income, overseas travel remains a high-barrier option.
Moreover, precisely because high school girls often spend their limited budget on dating friends, fashion, and supporting their favorite idols, overseas travel becomes a low-priority option.
During long holidays such as Golden Week or summer vacation, people travel abroad to witness world heritage sites, experience traditional cultures, or set foot on sacred places they've seen in movies and dramas.
Experiencing a unique environment abroad can have an impact on one's life thereafter.
So, to what extent are high school students, who are spending their impressionable years, traveling abroad?
Wakamono Research, a marketing information site targeting teenagers and current high school students (https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/), conducted a survey titled "Have you traveled abroad at least once in the past year?" targeting high school girls and boys nationwide. We will introduce some of the results here.
=================================================================================
[To companies]
Surveys on teenagers and Generation Z, like this article, can also be conducted for your company's products and services.
- We want to utilize the real voices of teenagers and Generation Z for product development.
- We want "trending data" that can be used for PR.
- We want to create projects that attract media attention.
Wakamono Research can design a consistent process from "survey → article creation → media exposure."
In fact, there are cases where PR utilizing survey data has led to media coverage and SNS spread.
Shall we design a "trending survey" together?
▶ Achievements and inquiries here
contact@wakamono-research.co.jp
▶ Wakamono Research Inc. HP
https://wakamono-research.co.jp/
[20% of high school girls traveled abroad in the past year, most often for school trips]
First, looking at the survey results for high school girls nationwide,
19.7% answered "yes."
This result indicates that approximately one in five high school girls has experienced overseas travel, which seems a relatively high number given the recent depreciation of the yen and rising prices.
The most common responses from high school girls who answered "yes" were related to "school trips":
"My school trip was abroad."
"I went to Korea for a school trip."
"I went to Taiwan for a school trip."
"I went to Australia for a school trip."
In recent years, an increasing number of schools have chosen overseas destinations for school trips, suggesting that the barrier for younger generations to experience overseas travel has lowered compared to before.
The most common destination seems to be Taiwan, due to its proximity (a few hours from Japan), budget-friendliness, and good security.
Furthermore,
"Because I applied for a study abroad program."
"I went to Australia to study abroad."
"I participated in an overseas dispatch training program."
These responses indicate that overseas experiences are often an extension of school life, and through improving language skills and experiencing different cultures, more young people are considering overseas as a future option.
Behind this trend is the enhancement of study abroad systems and training programs by schools, encouraging a step towards overseas experiences.
Another striking opinion was:
"My brother is studying in Australia, so we went on a family trip."
"Last year, I went overseas for my parents' return home."
"Because my father lives there."
These responses show that visiting a place where family lives abroad is a natural progression, suggesting that overseas places have become much more familiar.
From the perspective of those being visited, even if they are far away, having family visit them can make them feel a closeness and security beyond distance.
The motivations for high school girls' overseas travel in the past year were mainly "school-related" and "family living abroad," with virtually no other reasons.
Casual overseas trips like "Shall we go abroad for a bit?" might still be too early for high school girls.
On the other hand, looking at the reasons given by the 80.3% of high school girls who answered they "did not" travel abroad in the past year, the majority gave realistic answers such as:
"Because I have no money."
"No money."
"It's expensive."
"High costs."
Indeed, for young people with limited disposable income, overseas travel remains a high-barrier option.
Moreover, precisely because high school girls often spend their limited budget on dating friends, fashion, and supporting their favorite idols, overseas travel becomes a low-priority option.