Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarships

This award is offered on an annual basis to those with a minimum of a bachelor's degree, under the age of 35, who wish to continue their studies in Japan. The scholarship is offered for both research and taught postgraduate courses. With regard to a taught course, any additional entry requirements specified by each particular university must be met. No knowledge of Japan or the Japanese language is necessary.

Grantees can pursue research or study in any field as long as it is related to their field of expertise or previous study. It can be difficult, however, to place students who wish to study visual and performing arts. Candidates are encouraged to establish contacts with Japanese academics in their field when applying for the scholarship.

Scholarships are tenable from either April or October each year. Those leaving in April will hold their award for a minimum of two years, whilst those departing in October will hold theirs for a minimum of 18 months. The Japanese Government provides return air fare, school fees and a monthly grant of ¥150,000 (subject to change).

All enquiries should be directed to:

MEXT Postgraduate Scholarships
Japan Information and Cultural Centre
Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly
London W1J 7JT
E-mail:scholarship@ld.mofa.go.jp

 

 

• Eligibility
• Scholarship benefits
• Term of Scholarship
• Application Process
• Selection
• Placement and Education at University
• Fields of study

Nationality:Applicants must have British nationality. Applicants with a nationality other than British should contact the Embassy of Japan in their home country. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application will not be eligible.

Age: Applicants must be under the age of 35 as of April of the year they wish to depart for Japan.

Academic Background: Applicants must be university graduates or those who will graduate from a university or college by March or September of the year they wish to depart for Japan.

Study Area: The study area must be within or related to the field that the applicant has previously studied (or is now studying).

Japanese Language: A pplicants do not need to have any knowledge of the Japanese language unless they wish to study subjects such as Japanese literature, law etc.

Health: In view of the expected psychological challenges due to cultural and environmental changes, mental as well as physical health is an essential prerequisite.

Arrival in Japan: Applicants must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of April or between the 1st and 7th October.

• Military personnel and military civilian employees registered on the active list are ineligible.
  
  
• The Scholarship may be cancelled if grantees fail to arrive in Japan by the appointed date.
  
  
• Applicants who have been awarded a Japanese Government Scholarship in the past will not be selected as Grantees unless they have had a few years of research or teaching experience after returning to their home country. However, former "Japanese Studies" scholarship students may apply for admission to the MEXT Postgraduate Programme once they have completed their undergraduate programme after returning to their home countries.
  
  
• Applicants who are already enrolled in a Japanese university are not eligible to apply.
  
  
• Applicants who have been awarded another scholarship which coincides with the term of the Japanese government scholarship are not eligible.

• University matriculation and tuition fees paid.
  
  
• Allowance: ¥150,000 (subject to change) per month will be given to each Grantee during the term of his/her scholarship, with the understanding that the Scholarship will be suspended if the Grantee is absent from university for a lengthy period of time.
  
  
• Return airfare to Japan
  
  
• School Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be exempted.
  
  
• 6-month Japanese language course (if deemed necessary by the university)
  
  
• Help finding accommodation

Applicants may choose one of the following two categories:

1. Two years from April to March. Including 6 months study of the Japanese language, to be given to those whose knowledge of the language is deemed insufficient to pursue their studies.
   
   
2. One year and a half from October to March. Including 6 months study of the Japanese language, to be given to those whose knowledge of the language is insufficient to pursue their studies.

Applicants should complete and submit the prescribed application forms (these usually become available to download from this webpage from April of each year) along with university transcripts from each academic year, a certified photocopy of degree certificate if already graduated or a letter from the university stating expected date of graduation if not, as well as two references. As part of the application documents, candidates will have to submit a detailed research proposal or explanation as to why they have selected a particular taught course.

The Embassy of Japan in London will select preliminary candidates by inviting short listed candidates to interview. Those who have been selected as preliminary candidates will be recommended to MEXT through a screening committee. Final selection will be made by MEXT after the university placement has been confirmed.

• In principle, applicants who wish to pursue such fields of study as Japanese linguistics, Japanese literature, Japanese history, Japanese law etc., will not be selected as Grantees unless they have sufficient knowledge of the Japanese language to follow these courses.
  
  
• As part of the preliminary selection, an assessment test in Japanese will be given to all applicants. Candidates may also opt to take an English examination, in which case the highest result will be forwarded to MEXT.

Candidates recommended for a scholarship will be required to gain admission as a research student or regular student at a university in Japan. In some cases MEXT will help with the placement. Final placement confirmation will be made by MEXT after consultation with the universities concerned. No objection by the Grantee can be made regarding the university placement.

A Grantee whose knowledge of the Japanese language is insufficient will be placed on a 6-month language training course upon arrival in Japan.

A Grantee whose knowledge of the Japanese language, at the time of application, is recognised by MEXT as sufficient to conduct his/her studies may be placed at a university without a preparatory course in the Japanese language.

Humanities and Social Sciences: Literature, History, Aesthetics, Law, Politics, Economics, Commerce, Pedagogy, Psychology, Sociology, Music, Fine Arts, etc

Natural Sciences: Pure Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Fisheries, Pharmacology, Medicine, Dentistry, Home Economics, etc.

* Students majoring in medicine or dentistry will not be allowed to carry out clinical studies by conducting medical examinations or performing operations, unless they are permitted by the Minister of Health and Welfare under the provisions of the Japanese laws concerned.

** Fields of study must be one of those available at Japanese universities. Traditional entertainment arts, such as kabuki and Japanese dancing, as well as practical training given by factories or companies is excluded.

Information on The Great East Japan Earthquake

This information relates to students currently in Japan and is purely for the reference of prospective scholarship applicants.

Please note that there will be no change in the future with regard to Japan accepting students from overseas.

Japan is facing an unprecedented crisis in the form of the recent earthquake and tsunami and an accident at a nuclear power station. However, with the support of the international community, the Japanese people are making every effort to tackle this situation and are determined to get through this ordeal. The Government and people of Japan are extremely grateful for the assistance received from the United Kingdom.

Measures to help foreign students

The Government of Japan requests universities and other educational establishments to give due consideration to overseas students who have been affected by the earthquake.

In concrete terms, to help such students pursue and graduate from their studies, all universities and educational institutions are urged to take appropriate measures such as utilising schemes for financial help and safeguarding students' psychological well-being.

Some universities and other educational establishments are changing the times of year when they will accept in Japan foreign students on Japanese Government scholarships. For more detailed information, please refer to the following websites provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology:

http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houdou/23/03/1303884.html (Japanese)
http://www.mext.go.jp/english/news/1304086.html (English)

(Please note that, on the above websites, as well as links to the websites of organizations providing assistance to students in Japan, there are also links to the websites of the Tokyo Institute of Foreign Studies and Osaka University giving earthquake-related information in various languages.)

In addition, the Government of Japan has adopted special measures to extend the period of validity of re-entry permits for students who need to extend their stay in Japan. Also, the procedure for obtaining visas for students who have left Japan temporarily without obtaining re-entry permits has been simplified.

For information on travel to Japan provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/saigai/tohoku.html

Nuclear accident

With regard to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, the Government of Japan is doing its utmost to stabilise the situation, giving full attention to the safety and security of the people in the surrounding area. It is committed to providing the international community with speedy and accurate information with the maximum transparency, including that concerning monitoring operations. In assessing the unfolding situation, the Government requests that care be taken to avoid being deluded by comments gleaned from unreliable reports and other sources. Detailed information concerning the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant can be obtained from the following websites:

Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet:
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/index-e.html
IAEA: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html
Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency: http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/index.html
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/incidents/index.html
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology:
http://www.mext.go.jp/english/topics/1303717.html
Meteorological Agency: http://jma.go.jp/jma/en/2011_Earthquake.html
Important Information from Japanese Government:
http://eq.wide.ad.jp/index_en.html

Importance of ensuring the secure movement of people and goods

Advice concerning travel to and from Japan has been issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in the form of press releases declaring that there are no restrictions on travel to and from Japan. There is also a bulletin from the World Health Organization (WHO) stating that, at the present time, the WHO does not advise a general restriction on travel to and from Japan. Thus, there is currently no scientific basis for asserting that the screening of international passengers or shipments moving to or from Japan is necessary. It is essential to remain calm as action taken on the basis of rumours can hinder the movement of people and goods and have an adverse impact on normal economic activities. This in turn will give rise to major problems from the viewpoint of supporting and rehabilitating the victims of the disaster and reconstruction.

Safety of water and foodstuffs

(1) Regarding certain vegetables as well as milk produced in the area around the stricken nuclear plant in which radiation levels above legal limits have been detected, action banning their transportation has already been taken in accordance with the relevant domestic laws.

(2) Since the earthquake, the normal operations of the fishing industry in the area of the stricken nuclear reactor have ceased. Meanwhile, according to the results of monitoring conducted on 23 and 24 March at Choshi port, either no radiation was detected or that in evidence was below the maximum legal level. (Chiba prefecture: http://pref.chiba.lg.jp/suisan/press/2010/housyanousuisan22-2.html)

(3) With regards drinking water, its quality in Tokyo has already improved and restrictions on giving it to infants have been lifted. (Concerning the legal radiation limit of 300 bequerels per litre for adults and 100 bequerels per litre for children, it is noteworthy that, if one drank this water constantly for a year, the amount of radiation to which one would be exposed would be equal to that naturally present in the atmosphere over the same period.)

(4) The Government of Japan will continue to strive to disseminate speedy and accurate information concerning the situation at the nuclear facility and the measures taken there.