TOKYO/SINGAPORE -- Before enrolling in a Tokyo arts college for the April school year, one 18-year-old Japanese woman had expected student life to be full of new encounters combined with rigorous practical training. But instead, the novel coronavirus has forced her to sit at home every day for months in front of her computer taking classes online.

Asia Insight
Lockdown generation: COVID-19 upends Asian students' plans
With university experience on hold, traditional path to success gets a rethink