By Wonsuh Song
In recent years, the number of students pursuing graduate degrees has been steadily declining in Japan. This trend is not confined to Japan alone, but for now, let us focus on the reality of earning a doctorate in Japan and then navigating the so-called “postdoc” phase. There is sometimes a vague assumption that once you hold a doctoral degree, university labs will welcome you with open arms. However, the harsh truth is that a Ph.D. is merely a credential indicating your readiness to begin your journey—it is not an automatic ticket to a secure position.
First, not everyone who completes a doctorate in Japan can move directly into the postdoctoral position of their choice. In highly reputed institutions with generous funding, the competition is fierce. You often need to have some established connection with a lab or a faculty member to even be considered. And even if you do land a postdoc position in a top lab, the hard work has just begun. The postdoc period is a make-or-break time for demonstrating “research competitiveness,” typically measured by your ability to publish in reputable academic journals. If you did not lay sufficient groundwork during your doctoral studies, you will have to work doubly hard in this limited timeframe to produce significant research output—without it, your chances of securing a permanent position plummet.
This challenge is further complicated for women researchers, who face the additional hurdles of childbirth and childcare. I, myself, got married while I was a doctoral student and postponed having children until after I earned my Ph.D., ultimately giving birth to my first child the following year. This timing is critical. The postdoc phase often lasts only two to three years, a narrow window in which you need to establish a robust research track record. But juggling pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare during that same period can make it incredibly difficult to devote yourself fully to research. The resulting career gap can be particularly damaging in a field that places a premium on consistent research output. Thus, for women—whether in Japan or elsewhere—family planning and research planning are deeply intertwined.
Another common option in Japan is becoming a “special researcher” (often referred to as a project researcher), typically hired on short-term contracts to work on specific, externally funded projects. Yet this setup can limit your autonomy: you may find yourself consumed by project-related tasks rather than continuing the research theme you pursued in your doctoral work. If the project does lead to publications in international journals, it can be a boon to your career. But there are many projects where outputs end up as internal reports or specialized that do not translate into journal articles. During this critical period, failing to build your own publication record can severely impede your future career prospects.
Moreover, even if you secure a “special researcher” role at a well-known university, the repeated cycle of short-term contracts can make the path to a permanent position increasingly remote. The reality is that competition is fierce—be it in the U.S., Korea, Japan, or elsewhere—and eventually your value as a candidate is measured by a largely objective metric: your publication record in high-impact, international journals. Hence, having a specific plan to increase the quantity and quality of your journal articles during your postdoc is absolutely crucial.
Given these difficulties, it is not surprising that many Japanese students now hesitate to enroll in doctoral programs. Yet I believe it is essential to underscore the value of a Ph.D. Pursuing a doctorate gives you the rare chance to devote several years to a research topic you find compelling, immersing yourself deeply in intellectual inquiry. Individuals who have truly delved into a field during their doctoral studies are often more adept at tackling problems in different areas later on, owing to the analytical skills and academic insight they have acquired.
I like to emphasize that completing a Ph.D. represents one of the most profound training experiences you can have. Not all of my former colleagues ended up with permanent academic positions, but most grew substantially through their doctoral work and now leverage the ability to identify and solve problems independently—an invaluable skill—in whichever field they have moved on to. In the end, the period spanning your doctoral studies and subsequent postdoc is a time to refine yourself, no matter the specific research field. If you can seize that opportunity to develop both a robust publication record and solid research capabilities, I believe you will eventually find your place—even if the road is a challenging one.
Without doubt, it is a difficult path, but one that holds immense meaning and is well worth the effort. The true worth of a Ph.D. does not lie in an assurance of job security, but in the personal and intellectual growth gained from exploring a topic in great depth. If you aspire to live as a “researcher,” then prove your abilities by diligently publishing papers, carefully plan for milestones such as marriage and childbirth, and map out a concrete road leading from contract-based positions to permanent posts. The journey is by no means easy, but I am convinced that it will yield deeply satisfying rewards in the end.
Wonsuh Song (Ph.D.)
Lecturer at Shumei University / NKNGO Forum Representative
댓글 남기기