Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarships
2026/4/7
MEXT Alumni Personal Experiences
Dr Anna Tatton
Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarship
PhD Student at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, International Christian University in 2022–2025
Downtime during fieldwork in Tokushima, visiting the Udatsu Townscape in Wakimachi
Attending Sapporo Rainbow Pride
I first applied for a MEXT research student (Kenkyūsei) scholarship while I was completing my Master’s degree at SOAS. My application built on my Master’s thesis, which examined the importance of a specific community group for lesbians in Tokyo.
After being unsuccessful in that initial application, I decided to move to Japan to further develop both my Japanese language ability and my understanding of queer communities in Japan through lived experience. During this time, I organized a small queer book club, which would later help shape the focus of my PhD research: an investigation into the role and benefits of community spaces for queer women and trans people across Japan.
I moved to Japan in August 2019, expecting to reapply for the scholarship the following year. However, because my research required visiting multiple locations across Japan, attending community events, and conducting face-to-face interviews, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays. As a result, I spent three years teaching English before I was eventually awarded the MEXT scholarship in September 2022.
I was fortunate to be placed at my first-choice university, International Christian University (ICU) in Mitaka, Tokyo. I chose ICU for several reasons. First, I had identified potential supervisors whose research interests closely aligned with my own. Second, ICU allows three supervisors to serve on a PhD advisory committee. As an interdisciplinary scholar, this meant I could receive guidance from specialists in sociology, anthropology, and gender studies. Finally, ICU’s Center for Gender Studies provided an important institutional base for research in my field.
During my first year at ICU, I focused on language study, enrolling in the university’s intensive Japanese language programme. From May 2023 to November 2023, I then undertook extensive fieldwork, visiting and engaging with community initiatives in twenty queer spaces across Hokkaido, Tokyo, Saitama, Kagoshima, Tokushima, Ehime, Aichi, Kyoto, and Osaka. During this period, I conducted interviews with fifty-nine individuals, which I later transcribed and translated as part of my research analysis.
In my final year at ICU, I was offered the opportunity to work at the Center for Gender Studies as a research assistant. In this role, I helped manage the center’s library, hosted a weekly reading group, and organized my first international conference. These experiences allowed me to gain valuable practical skills beyond my doctoral research.
None of these opportunities would have been possible without the generous support of the MEXT scholarship. During my doctoral studies, I was able not only to deepen my academic research but also to develop key professional skills in grant writing, event organization, and library management. I also strengthened my public speaking abilities through presenting my research at conferences in Kyoto, Kobe, and New York.
The MEXT scholarship provided me with the opportunity to conduct meaningful, community-engaged research while developing the academic and professional skills necessary for my future career. I encourage any individual interested in studying in Japan to take advantage of this opportunity. And, if you are not successful the first time, don’t give up! Identify the weaknesses in your application, strengthen these, and reapply. 頑張ってください！(good luck!)
After being unsuccessful in that initial application, I decided to move to Japan to further develop both my Japanese language ability and my understanding of queer communities in Japan through lived experience. During this time, I organized a small queer book club, which would later help shape the focus of my PhD research: an investigation into the role and benefits of community spaces for queer women and trans people across Japan.
I moved to Japan in August 2019, expecting to reapply for the scholarship the following year. However, because my research required visiting multiple locations across Japan, attending community events, and conducting face-to-face interviews, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays. As a result, I spent three years teaching English before I was eventually awarded the MEXT scholarship in September 2022.
I was fortunate to be placed at my first-choice university, International Christian University (ICU) in Mitaka, Tokyo. I chose ICU for several reasons. First, I had identified potential supervisors whose research interests closely aligned with my own. Second, ICU allows three supervisors to serve on a PhD advisory committee. As an interdisciplinary scholar, this meant I could receive guidance from specialists in sociology, anthropology, and gender studies. Finally, ICU’s Center for Gender Studies provided an important institutional base for research in my field.
During my first year at ICU, I focused on language study, enrolling in the university’s intensive Japanese language programme. From May 2023 to November 2023, I then undertook extensive fieldwork, visiting and engaging with community initiatives in twenty queer spaces across Hokkaido, Tokyo, Saitama, Kagoshima, Tokushima, Ehime, Aichi, Kyoto, and Osaka. During this period, I conducted interviews with fifty-nine individuals, which I later transcribed and translated as part of my research analysis.
In my final year at ICU, I was offered the opportunity to work at the Center for Gender Studies as a research assistant. In this role, I helped manage the center’s library, hosted a weekly reading group, and organized my first international conference. These experiences allowed me to gain valuable practical skills beyond my doctoral research.
None of these opportunities would have been possible without the generous support of the MEXT scholarship. During my doctoral studies, I was able not only to deepen my academic research but also to develop key professional skills in grant writing, event organization, and library management. I also strengthened my public speaking abilities through presenting my research at conferences in Kyoto, Kobe, and New York.
The MEXT scholarship provided me with the opportunity to conduct meaningful, community-engaged research while developing the academic and professional skills necessary for my future career. I encourage any individual interested in studying in Japan to take advantage of this opportunity. And, if you are not successful the first time, don’t give up! Identify the weaknesses in your application, strengthen these, and reapply. 頑張ってください！(good luck!)
