The Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship is your best chance for a fully-funded graduate degree in Japan.
Please Refer to the Updated Article for 2022!
The application guidelines for 2022/2023 are now available and I have written an updated article for that year. Please refer to the new article: How to Apply for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship in 2022/2023.
Application Guidelines for the 2022 MEXT Scholarship
MEXT released the application guidelines and forms for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship on April 16, 2021. This year, the application schedule has returned to the normal timeline after the COVID-19 disruptions in 2020.
If you have applied for the MEXT Scholarship in past years, or studied application guidelines from past years, including on this site, you’ll remember that the application process was disrupted and delayed in 2020. This year, however, everything is back to the normal schedule.
If you have only seen the disrupted schedule from 2020, here are the major revisions you need to be aware of:
- The Primary Screening at the embassies is back to the normal schedule. Check the website of the Japanese embassy in your country for specific details on application deadlines, but the primary screening process is once again between May and July in 2021.
- The Deadline to apply for Letters of Acceptance from universities is August 27. In 2020, the deadline was in November, but it has returned to the normal schedule.
- The deadline to submit the final Placement Preference Form and Letters of Acceptance will be around late September. Again, see the embassy’s website for specific details for your country.
- The maximum Number of Letters of Provisional Acceptance remains 2. Starting in 2020, applicants are only allowed to be in contact with two universities at a time to request Letters of Provisional Acceptance and the maximum number of letters you can receive is two. This number has not changed this year.
- Secondary Screening and Placement Results will be in January 2022. This is back to the normal schedule.
- Spring and fall arrivals are possible again. Because of the delays last year, only fall arrivals were possible in 2021. However, for 2022, applicants can once again start their studies in Japan in either the spring or fall semester.
Aside from the change to the maximum number of Letters of Provisional Acceptance, all the 2020 changes have reverted to the normal schedule.
What this Article Will Cover
Want a step-by-step guide to the application process, including how to develop your application strategy? Click here to learn more about the first book in the Mastering the MEXT Scholarship ebook series.
Whether you are applying for the MEXT scholarship for Research Students for the first time, or whether you are a veteran applicant, this article will explain everything you need to know for the application process. I will also include links to other, relevant articles that will help you along your way. I will cover the following topics, so if you’re already familiar with a particular section, please feel free to skip ahead.
- Available degree levels and programs
- Scholarship benefits
- Eligibility (*Separate article, linked below)
- Where, when, and how to apply
- What you need to submit
- Application timeline
This article is focused on the MEXT scholarship for Graduate Students (a.k.a. Research Students, in MEXT’s terms). There is also an application process for Undergraduate Students, but I will not be discussing that in this article. Undergraduate applicants can find this year’s guidelines on the official Study in Japan website.
What Degree Programs are Available?
MEXT uses the word “research student” to refer to all graduate level students. You can apply for any of the following programs:
- Non-Degree Student (also called “Research Student” at most universities)
- Master’s Degree Student
- Doctoral Degree Student
- Graduate-level Professional Degree Student (MBA, JD, etc.)
There are two reasons that applicants apply as a “Non-Degree” student (Research Student). The first, and most common, is many applicants start as a non-degree student for their first semester, only. During that time, they start preparing their research for their thesis, take some courses to catch up on their academic work, and also take the entrance exam that is required to officially start the program. In this case, a “Non-Degree” student is like being a “Pre-Graduate” student. You are just in that position short-term before applying for the degree (and simultaneously applying to extend your MEXT scholarship to cover the full degree).
The second reason to apply for a “Non-Degree” student status is if you are already enrolled in a degree in another country and want to come to Japan for a short amount of time to conduct research for your thesis or dissertation at your home university. In that case, you would not plan to earn a degree from a Japanese university.
Fields of Study
You should apply for the field of study that you majored in at university or its related field. If you plan to change fields, you need to be able to show a clear and compelling relationship between your past studies and what you will study in Japan. It is up to you to explain the connection and convince your reviewers!
Your field of study also has to be available at the graduate level at a university in Japan in a language that you speak. If you can find at least one graduate program taught in English in Japan, you will be fine.
Programs that require practical training, such as performing arts or programs that require technical training at a factory or company are not permitted. You can study Japanese performing arts from an academic perspective, so long as no practical performance training is required.
Finally, for medical or dental fields, you would not be able to participate in any clinical training until you receive the relevant licenses from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. License exams are only in Japanese and involve significant technical language. This essentially means that you would need native-level fluency in Japanese.
MEXT Scholarship Benefits
- Exemption from paying tuition, entrance examination, and matriculation fees.
*You may be required to pay entrance examination fees in advance, if your MEXT scholarship award is not yet confirmed at that time, but the fees would be refunded to you after you are selected for the scholarship - Monthly stipend:
- Non-Degree Students: JPY 143,000/month
- Master’s Degree/ Professional Degree Students: JPY 144,000/month
- PhD Students: JPY 145,000/month
- (Undergraduate Students: JPY 117,000/month)
- Cost of Living Adjustment: JPY 2,000 – 3,000 in selected areas, due to high cost of living or seasonal adjustments for winter utilities, etc.
- International flight ticket from your country of residence to Japan. Note: only the international portion of the ticket is covered. You are responsible for all domestic travel costs in your home country and in Japan, plus the airport usage fees and fuel surcharges, etc. MEXT will only arrange travel from your country of residence, not from a third country.
- International flight ticket from Japan back to your country of residence upon successful completion of the scholarship. The same conditions apply as for the flight to Japan. Additionally, you must travel by the date specified by MEXT. You will not receive a flight ticket home if you lose the scholarship due to your own actions.
Scholarship Period
The maximum Scholarship period is:
- Non-Degree (research) students: Up to 24 months, from arrival in Japan until March 2024. The maximum duration of 24 months is only available if applicants arrive in April 2022, since the end date is fixed. If you arrive in the fall semester and your university’s semester starts on September 1, 2022, you will get 18 months of stipend (including September), but if the university semester starts on September 2 or later, your scholarship stipend will start in October 2022 and you will be eligible for a maximum of 17 months.
- Master’s Degree or Professional Degree Students: 24 months
- Doctoral Degree or Doctoral-level Professional Degree Students: 36 months
*For doctoral students in 4-year programs in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, or pharmacy, the duration would be 48 months.
For students in degree programs, you may also participate in a 6-month preparatory Japanese language program prior to the start of your degree. This program is designed to help you learn basic, survival Japanese, so it is primarily for students with little to no language ability. It is not designed to teach academic Japanese sufficient to study a degree program in that language. If you are assigned to this program, the six months will be covered by scholarship (as a non-degree student) prior to your degree. For students applying as non-degree students, these six months are part of your maximum 24 months!
As of the time of writing in 2021, your scholarship stipend only applies after you arrive in Japan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, borders in Japan have been closed to new foreign national arrivals in general since spring 2020 and remain closed as of April 2021. Since MEXT scholars have not been able to come to Japan during that time, MEXT has not been paying their scholarship stipends. (Students have still been able to start their studies online and have been able to receive the tuition exemption during that time). If you cannot travel to Japan for the start of your degree due to COVID-19 and border closures, then your stipend would be paid from your date of arrival in Japan through the end of your degree, only.
In that case, please look for separate instructions from MEXT when it becomes possible to travel to Japan again.
It is possible to apply to extend the scholarship if you advance to the next level degree (from Non-Degree Student to Master’s or Doctoral Degree or from Master’s to Doctoral Degree). However, you cannot extend your time as a Non-Degree (Reseach) student and you cannot extend the scholarship period if you fail to complete the degree within the time limit above.
Who is Eligible?
I have published a separate article that covers the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship eligibility requirements for 2021/2022.
In addition to these requirements, you should also pay attention to any additional eligibility requirements established by the Japanese embassy in your country. You will have to meet all sets of requirements in order to apply!
Where and When do you Apply?
You apply at the Japanese embassy or consulate that serves the area where you live. You can find the list of Japanese embassies or consulates around the world at:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html
I recommend using a Control-F search on that page to find your country. It may not be listed under the region of the world that you are used to.
While I will give the general application deadlines below, each embassy or consulate sets its own deadlines, so be sure to check the embassy or consulate webpage for specific application instructions. Your embassy or consulate will explain exactly what you have to submit and how. For example, in 2021, some embassies are accepting submission by email, since applicants are unable to travel and the postal service has been impacted. Please be sure to check the details for your specific embassy or consulate!
Your embassy or consulate may also have additional eligibility restrictions (such as additional GPA requirements in your home country’s system) or required paperwork (for example, pre-screening procedures) that you can only find on their website.
Application Timeline
| Step | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Submit application to embassies | April – May, 2021 | See the website of the Japanese embassy in your country for specific deadlines, requirements, and submission methods! |
| Primary Screening | May – July, 2021 | Includes review of submitted documents, language proficiency tests, and interview. |
| Apply to Universities for Letter of Acceptance | July – August 27, 2021 | August 27 (Japan time) is the deadline to apply to universities, not the deadline for them to get back to you. |
| Submit letters of acceptance and Placement Preference Form to Embassy | Late September 2021 | See the website of the Japanese embassy in your country for specific deadlines! |
| Secondary Screening and University Placement | October 2021 – February 2022 | |
| Notification of Results | February 2022 | |
| Arrive in Japan | April 2022 or September / October 2022 |
What you Have to Submit
Each of the documents below is required by MEXT. However, embassies may ask for additional documents and may ask for each document at a different time (for example, you may not be required to submit all of the documents with your initial application), so again, be sure to check the specific instructions for your embassy!
For each document below, you will need to submit one original as well as two photocopies and they must be numbered in the top right corner. I will include direct download links to MEXT’s documents where available. Keep in mind that these are the documents for the 2022 Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship Application for Graduate Students, if you are applying for any other kind of scholarship or at any other time, do not use these links!
I will be posting separate articles soon about the Application Form for this year (in the meantime, here is my guide to the form from 2020, which is nearly identical) and about the other required documents. Be sure to subscribe to my MEXT scholarship mailing list to be the first to know when those articles are posted! I will also send you a sample completed application form as a special bonus.
- Application Form with attached photograph* (Fillable PDF format from the Study in Japan website)
As a special thanks to mailing list subscribers, I will send you a sample of the completed application form that you can use as a guide!
Click here for my article about how to complete this form.
*The photograph must be clear, without shadows, no more than 6 months old, show your upper body, facing forward with no hats (except religious head coverings), and be 3.5 cm wide by 4.5 cm tall. The photograph must be printed on photo paper with your name and nationality written on the back, and pasted to the form. Never use staples to attach a photo!
- Placement Preference Application Form (Fillable PDF format from Study in Japan website).
Click here for my article about how to complete this form.
- Field of Study and Research Program Plan (Word format from Study in Japan website)
Click here for my article about how to complete this form.
- Academic transcript for each academic year of university education attended, issued by your university or national government. The transcript(s) must show the grading scale, all grades earned in each course, and the year in which classes were taken. If you are enrolled in, or have already graduated from, graduate school, you must submit your transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate programs. If you transferred universities or studied abroad, you will likely also be required to submit your pre-transfer transcript or the transcript from your study abroad university.
*If you are still enrolled in a degree program and will graduate before the end of the screening process, they you will also be required to submit your final transcript for that program when it is released.
- Certificate of graduation or degree. A copy attested by an official at the university will be accepted as an original. Do not submit your original diploma as submitted documents will not be returned to you!
*Certificates of graduation are required for all university degrees earned in the past.
*Applicants who have not yet graduated must submit a certification of expected graduation, instead and must submit the final certificate of graduation later once they have completed the program and graduated.
- Recommendation from the president, dean, or your academic advisor at the most recent university where you are/were enrolled in a degree program. There is a sample template available (PDF format) on the Study in Japan website, but I do not recommend you use it, since a freeform letter can be accepted, instead. Just make sure that your freeform letter covers the questions indicated in the template. The template letter is from previous years and includes out-of-date instructions that say that the letter has to be submitted in a sealed envelope. That is no longer a requirement, though your recommender can choose to submit it sealed if they want. Remember, though, that you need to submit one original and two copies, so if your recommender does prefer to seal their letter in an envelope, be sure to ask them in advance to also make two photocopies of the letter and include them in the same envelope.
*In 2021, some embassies are calling for applications to be submitted by email, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they may ask for recommenders to submit their letters of recommendation directly to the embassy by email. Be sure to check the instructions on the website of the Japanese Embassy where you will apply for specific instructions in your case!
*If you have already received a letter of recommendation in a sealed envelope by the time you are reading this and there is only a single original in there, please ask your local Japanese Embassy for guidance about what to do. They may instruct you to submit just the one original or may ask you to open the letter and make copies. This varies from country to country.
- Medical Certificate (also called the Certificate of Health in some cases) completed by a medical doctor (PDF format from Study in Japan website)
*Please check the website of the Japanese Embassy where you will apply to see if they have specific instructions about this form. In some countries, they do not request this form at the start of the Primary Screening and only ask applicants to submit it later in the process. Be sure to check the requirements for your country!
- Abstracts of graduation theses or published articles, if available
*If you have not written a graduation thesis or completed a similar graduation project (e.g. there is no thesis requirement for your degree), please contact the Japanese Embassy where you will apply to check what you should submit. In some cases they may say that you do not need to submit anything, but in others, they will ask you to submit an abstract of another major paper or presentation instead. If you have not written your thesis yet but will write one later, you can still submit an abstract before the thesis is complete, if your topic bas been determined.
*You should also submit abstracts of all of the published works that you listed in your application form.
- Certificate of language proficiency (English or Japanese), if you have any. Typically, this refers to language proficiency tests, but if you do not have test scores but have other certificates of proficiency, such as a letter from your university attesting to your English language ability, you can submit those certificates, instead. This is an optional item, so if you do not have any scores or certificates you can still apply, unless otherwise indicated by the Japanese Embassy where you will apply. In most years, you will take language proficiency tests during the Primary Screening process that will be used for your official evaluation. However, due the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries have cancelled those tests and made submission of proficiency test scores mandatory, instead. Please refer to the embassy where you will apply for specific details in your case.
*If you have mentioned language proficiency test scores in your application form, you should be sure to submit copies of those scores.
*No original is required for this item, only 3 copies are needed.
*Even if the embassy does not require you to submit proficiency test scores, there is a chance that Japanese universities will ask you to do so when you apply for Letters of Provisional Acceptance (Note: The article is from last year, so the dates are different. I will be updating it soon). It is a good idea to check in advance if the universities that you want to attend will require scores or not, if you can.
- Recommendation letter from present employer, if employed. The same sample format can be used as for the letter of recommendation from your university, but as mentioned above, I do not recommend that you use the template!
- Photograph(s) or digital audio recordings of applicant’s works, if applying for fine arts or music programs.
Be sure to check with the Japanese embassy or consulate in your home country! They may have additional requirements or may require the documents above at different times during the process.
The embassy or consulate is also your only source of information about the application deadline and the means of submitting the application!
Good luck with the MEXT scholarship application in 2021/2022! If you have any questions I didn’t cover, let me know in the comments, below!
Be sure to sign up for my mailing list below to be the first to find out when new articles about the scholarship are available, too.
Want to know more?
My book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship describes the scholarship in detail, including the purpose and coverage, the eligibility criteria, how to develop a successful applicant mindset, and how to craft your application strategy for the greatest chance of success!
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If you want to show your support but Patreon is out of reach, I’d appreciate it if you say hi in the comments below to let me know if you appreciate these posts and what, if anything, you found helpful. You can also find me on social media at the links at the top of this page, but to be honest, I am not on there often so the best way to reach me is in the comments!
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Hi Travis
If we notarize documents, does the date matter?
I got mine notarized in January and i’m wondering if i will re-issue them in regard of the date
Hi Fulvio,
It depends on the document. If you are talking about academic records (i.e. documents that don’t change), then I think it is fine if the notarization is old. However, if you were talking about family records, like marriage certificates, etc., that could change (not relevant for the MEXT Scholarship, just giving an example), then the Japanese government typically requires that records have been issued within 3 months for Japanese records or 6 months for records from overseas. In that case, you would need a more recent notarization.
However, in your case, considering the documents required for the MEXT Scholarship, I think the January documents should be fine!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I am currently doing an internship. I have just completed one month of the internship. So is it required to obtain an employer recommendation letter?
Thanks!
Hi Sub,
An internship does not count as employment, so it would not be necessary. But if you think they would be willing to write you a positive letter, you can always include one. I don’t think it will make much of a difference, but it can’t hurt.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Hello again! I’m not sure if you remember me, but I’m the one who always has really weirdly specific questions for you. My apologies in advance for incredibly long comments below.
I hope you’re doing well! Thanks again for all your continued updates and assistance. Because of your email saying the new forms were available, I could download the new application forms (the UK Embassy still hasn’t updated anything yet…) and start filling them in.
In my last comment, I asked about the research plan, and if I should write it in English or Japanese (since the programme I really want to enter is taught in both, though primarily in English). I decided to go with Japanese since my research is Japanese art history and I will need to use Japanese a lot. My teachers at my Japanese language school in Osaka have been helping correct it, so I’m not overly concerned about it, though it is a bit above my actual level of Japanese fluency (I did scrape by with JLPT N2 last year though). However, I’d still like your opinion on my overall research plan, so I was considering sending you my English research plan and attachments for you to look over. Would that be weird, if I’m sending them to the embassy in Japanese?
Also, as I said above, I am in a graduate school prep course in Osaka, and am set to graduate in March 2023. I ended up listing it in my academic record in the “remarks” section, as it wasn’t completed between high school and university, so it didn’t really fit as “secondary education”. I also emailed the embassy to ask if I need a letter of recommendation from my prep school, as the application asks for letters of recommendation from your last/current university, and my school isn’t a uni. They simply said “wait for the new application guidelines and follow those” which was…rather unhelpful. I have asked my former professor from my MA to write for me, but should I have someone at my language school write for me as well, just in case, and send in two letters? I’m going to send my transcript and expected completion certificate as well, just to make sure I meet the eligibility requirements, if nothing else.
Finally, for the question saying at which diplomatic office you will apply for a visa, should I put London or Osaka? Or London/Osaka? I live in Osaka and should I get the scholarship, I would prefer to start school in April 2023, right after language school graduation (though I ticked the box saying April or September is ok). With the cost of everything these days, and Corona, I’d rather not fly back to London after graduation and then risk not being able to reenter the country in April, but I’m not sure if staying would be allowed, since it says in the guidelines that current students in Japan are eligible for the scholarship if they finish school and then go home before coming back. Thoughts?
Thanks again for all of your help! It is greatly appreciated, as always.
Best,
Sara
Hi Sara,
I remember you, but I don’t particularly remember your questions being odd 🙂
I would still be happy to review your Research Plan. I can look over the English version for content review and then you can apply any changes that you find appropriate to the Japanese version. I can also look over the Japanese version and offer suggestions, if you don’t mind my comments being in English! The only difference is that since you already have teachers from your Japanese language school looking over it, I don’t think the second-pass language review would be useful. I am sure their Japanese is better than mine!
If you are interested, please send me a message through the form on the coaching page. I will see that message with a priority alert and will get back to you as soon as possible.
Since the language school doesn’t count as a degree program, you should not need to submit any documentation or letters of reference from that program. Only degree program documentation is required. However, if you want to obtain a letter of reference from that program and submit it as an extra document, it certainly cannot hurt. The worst they can do is ignore it.
For the diplomatic office, I think you will have to fill in Osaka at this part of the application and assume that you will have to make a trip back to London when it comes time to apply for your visa. You may be able to negotiate the specific process with them later, once you have been selected for the scholarship, especially if you have an April start, but for this point in the application, I think it would be better to stick to the expectations.
You should also assume that you will have to fly back to London to participate in the interview during the Primary Screening this summer, unless you get lucky and it gets moved online!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Sara,
One quick follow-up. I said that you should not have to provide any documentation from your Japanese Language School, but that was not completely true. You will have to provide a certificate of the program end date. One of the eligibility requirements is that anyone who is currently studying in Japan must provide proof that they will complete their studies and plan to return to their home countries prior to the start of the MEXT Scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply, especially as it’s the weekend/Golden Week!
Of course, after posting here yesterday, the embassy in the UK updated their website. I apparently have to send things visa PDF, with candidates selected for interviewing handing over paper documents at a later point. They also said interviews and exams will be held in person at the end of June, so as you said, I expect I will have to fly back for those, if selected. I must confess, I’m very nervous about that, with the ongoing pandemic and worries about something going wrong and not being allowed back in the country. But there’s not much I can do about it.
I will go ahead and reach out via the coaching form later today, and will send the English version. I tried to follow your guidelines in your book as much as possible, so hopefully it will be mostly ok. After that, I might also utilise your other service and ask you to review my application for completion, etc., but I’ll get to that later.
Thanks again for all of your help.
Best,
Sara
Hi Sara,
I saw your email (before this comment). Golden Week means that I have a little more time to work on coaching projects since the day job is off for most of the week 🙂
I understand your concerns with traveling in this environment. I have a trip to the US for work at the end of the month and I’m nervous about that too. But it looks like the trend is toward opening borders and I don’t see any indication that they would close down again now that we’ve made this much progress. It’s just going to be a minor headache with all the paperwork and, of course, keeping safe and infection-free on the long flights. . .
I look forward to working with you on the review soon.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I would like to use your coaching services for this year’s process but I am not sure which one I need. I would like help in constructing the thesis proposal, making it acceptable for MEXT considerations, as that was my problem last year.
Thank you for your advice
Hi Augusto Arvelo,
Thank you very much for your message!
I offer two coaching services:
1) A review of your complete Field of Study and Research Program Plan
2) A review of your application to make sure all documents meet the requirements (including feedback on the essay questions in the application form).
It sounds like 1) above would be most appropriate for you. In that review, I make sure that your research proposal covers all the expected content and proposes a research topic and process in a clear and compelling way. (However, please understand that I cannot comment on how appropriate your research topic is to your particular field, since I am most likely not an expert in the field. If you are having trouble developing a research question, in general, I recommend consulting with an academic professional in the field, instead.)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, Thank you for your wonderful Blog and Thank you for your hard work to put into creating this Blog and helping us out, How are you?, I’m fine ,Hope you are Doing well, here’s My Question about Calculating months of schooling,
Chronically in my home country, the Years of schooling starts from July and ends In April,Due to Covid we did Graduated in June(in a delay of Two months),so
Do I have to Include those two months? Or The Standard Academic Year which is from July to April.
I hope you Reply soon,
Also, In which week in the month of April the applications are opened?
Thank You, Travis
Hi Praveen,
Each full school year counts as one year, regardless of the number of months that you actually attended school or when you graduated. So, July-April would count as one year and July-June would also count as one year.
The only time you would use the “months” section would be if you attended less than a full year. For example, if you graduated one semester early.
As for the start of the application process, it isn’t consistent from year to year. It could start any time in April!
When it starts, typically, MEXT will release the guidelines first, then after a few days (or sometimes longer), the embassies in various countries around the world will post their instructions specific to that country.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis.
Hi Travis,
Hope you are doing well. Thank you for creating these amazing blog posts as well as writing the book. Both have helped me so much in understanding the MEXT process more, and I’m sure it will continue to do so.
I just wanted to confirm something regarding this line on this post where you say : “If you are still enrolled in a degree program and will graduate before the end of the screening process, then you will also be required to submit your final transcript for that program when it is released.”
As I write this, I am in my 5th semester of undergraduate study and will have finished my third year by the end of the screening process, in June 2022. This means that I will not have my academic transcript for 4 years ready by then. I will have only graduated by May 2023, the plan being to arrive in Japan by September 2023.
In this case, will I be considered not eligible to apply for MEXT this year, or will just the transcript of 3 years be enough to get through the documentation screening process, and have the complete transcript be submitted when I receive them?
I would very much appreciate some insight into this situation, since I would have to change my plans accordingly.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Ashwath,
Thank you very much for your kind comments!
As long as you will graduate by the time you start your studies in Japan, then you are eligible to apply. They will evaluate you based on the grades on your transcript at the time of application, even if it is only 5-6 semesters.
After you graduate, they will ask you to submit your final transcript and I think you will have to continue to meet the eligibility requirements at that time, so be careful to keep your grades up even after the application!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I hope you are well. I did not pass the embassy interview even though my application was strong. Now i am thinking about applying for the university recommendation but i checked a few universities websites and they have a nationality require for the general programs i.e. applicants from countries designated by MEXT. I am from the UK and the UK is not on the list. However i read your university recommendation guide and you state general applications have no nationality requirement.
I hope you can clear up the confusion.
Best Regards,
Nauman
Hi Nauman,
In the past, the General Category applications had no nationality restrictions, but at least 75% of nominees from any university had to come from Priority Countries. At that time (when I wrote my last article about the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship), it was possible for universities to have as many as 8 General Category slots (a university with 8 slots would be able to nominate 2 students from non-Priority countries).
Since then, however, slots have been reduced significantly and now the maximum number of General Category slots is 3. That means it is mathematically impossible to have 75% of applicants be from Priority Countries and still have slots available for students from a non-Priority Country.
I am updating my articles about the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship and will make that clear.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
I Hope you are doing well. Sincere thanks for all your kind help and support through your blogs.
Please I have a question, it may seem particular, as it is more linked to financial aspect.
In fact, I would like to know if it happened that a mext grantee rented money (the one he supposed to bring with him to Japan to cover immediate needs and expenses) from his home country, please is there any bank system in Japan Which will allow him later to refund a such rented money out of his monthly stipend?
In order say, will a grantee be permitted to send money from Japan to his home country in order to refund an amount he rented in the meantime to cover his immediate living expenses in Japan?
Best regards
Peter
Hi Peter,
Yes, it is possible to make an international bank transfer from Japan to another country. You can also use online payment systems like Paypal or Transferwise, etc., which might have lower fees.
MEXT will not prohibit you from sending money from your stipend back to your home country to pay back what you have borrowed.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Sincerely hope that you are doing well.
Please I have some questions to ask to know more about.
1) is TOEFL scores a strict requirement for MEXT scholars before they could be able to move to graduate program at Universities after the language preparatory education?
If yes, please will it be possible for a MEXT scholar to take the language proficiency test in Japan if in the meantime he wasn’t able to take it in his home country?
2) for a grantee who arrives in the fall (october), how long does it take for him to start receiving the scholarship stipend? Will it take a too long time before?
Once again, thank you for your kind support toward everyone of us.
#Jo
Hi Jo,
1) TOEFL scores are not required for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, but some universities may ask for them when you apply for a Letter of Acceptance. If your embassy or a university that you are applying to asks for the scores, though, you would be required to submit them and would need to have them in hand as of the time of the application deadline.
2) Typically, you do not receive your first scholarship payment until two months after you arrive, since it takes some time to process all the paperwork so that they can start to pay you. I remember for students that arrived at my university in the fall semester (usually mid-September for that university), they would receive their first two-months portion of scholarship (October and November payments) in mid-to-late November. So, we always recommended that applicants have about 200,000 yen (about $2,000 US Dollars) or equivalent in cash when they arrive in Japan to cover their expenses until that time.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I wanted to ask if the letter of recommendation has to be from the Head of the department or is it okay if I get it from one of my professors? Also, how much is the letter of recommendation going to affect my chances of getting selected? Thank you for this amazing post, by the way, these really help me a lot!
Hi Suchana,
Thank you for your kind words!
For the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, your letter can come from your academic advisor, the head of your department, or the dean. (For the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, it would have to be the Dean or someone higher.)
In my experience, the Letter of Recommendation is not a particularly significant factor in comparison to the Field of Study and Research Program Plan or your grades, etc. Almost everyone has a great letter of recommendation, so there is very little room for that to make a difference between applicants!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Hada here with some update. Some of the scholars start receiving their results from the embassy this week! I believe it’ll be rolling out soon to other countries too. I’m not exactly sure when we’ll receive ours since we’re currently on lockdown here (again) but it’s a good sign regardless. Also, some undergraduates scholars and previous cohort postgraduates will also be travelling to Japan this month.
Thank you again for providing these guides and answering all of my questions. Do stay safe for both you and your family. Hopefully, you guys get vaccinated in the Inaka area soon! Though the Olympic situation is a complicated one.
Hi Hada,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback and update. You were the first one to write to tell me that results had started to come out, but I have heard from a few others, since, too, so it sounds like they are spreading quickly.
I hope you get your results soon, too!
I am surprised to hear that some previous scholars will be traveling to Japan this month! As far as I knew, the borders are still closed. Do you know if they are making a special exemption for MEXT scholars? In any case, that’s terrific news.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis,
Thanks,! I hope to hear from the embassy soon too. Regarding the scholars travelling to Japan, I think around last week, a newsletter was shared that the Japanese government will resume accepting new government-sponsored international students namely MEXT. Some scholars also shared that their school has contacted them and that they will most probably be able to arrive in Japan, as special permission will be given to MEXT scholars.
Hi Hada,
Thank you for sharing. That is great news indeed and should be encouraging to everyone else here!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi!
I have applied for the MEXT scholarship in Jordan, they say that the exams will be held between June 20 and June 25, 2021 in the Japanese Embassy in Jordan. I am currently, working and I have the opportunity to travel for one week to Dubai with my work. I am afraid if I made it into the first sieving I won’t be able to attend the exams.
Unless I can go to the Embassy of Japan in UAE.
Hi H,
You would need to be able to go to the Japanese embassy in Jordan on the date they designate for the exams. You will not be able to take them at a Japanese embassy in another country.
I recommend that you contact the embassy about your situation to see if they have any advice and also look into the possibility of whether it would be possible to change your work trip date, if necessary.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis
Please I am applying for the Embassy recommended…and my School is asking me for the address to be written on the transcript and I think it should be the Embassy…if I am right
Hi VICTOR Ayodeji Alalade,
I saw you had asked the same question on another article and I answered it there first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for the guide.
I applied last year and was rejected before the interview process.
I wish to ask if choice of subject has any bearing on my eligibility.
I inputted a particular field in theoretical physics as my target subject. I was wondering if MEXT preferred the more practical sciences. (It may have been any other part of my report of course, maybe my motivations wasn’t written well or how I can contribute to society after my degree)
–
I guess another question I have is about this. If I fail the application process, is there any way to ask for how I can improve for next year?
Hi Zhang Jia Hao,
Your choice of subject can have an impact in some cases, but it depends on how well you do in persuading the reviewers that your field is valuable.
First, I should say that for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, sometimes the embassy works with the local government to determine specific fields that they want to focus on and those fields are prioritized. So, it can happen that an application that gets rejected by the embassy could pass the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, where there is no bureaucratic interference.
If that happens, it is out of your control, but in my experience, it is more common that there is a problem on the applicant’s side. For example, not doing a good enough job of explaining the academic and practical outcomes of their research proposal, etc.
Unfortunately, there is never any way to get official feedback on why your application was rejected by the embassy. They will not offer advice on how to improve, either.
I offer a paid review service for applications and FSRPPs and I can offer my feedback through that, if you are interested, but I would recommend that you first try to see on your own if there is anything you can do to improve your application.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I have submitted my application for the MEXT Postgraduate Scholarship and i have a question about the health certificate. When i showed my Physician the CoF she was filling in all the tests necessary to complete the form but realized the AST GOT is not routinely tested on the national health service. so she wrote on that box not tested and in the comments section wrote not routinely tested. Although everything else was normal and she ticket the YES box.
Do you know think this will affect my application?
Best Regards,
Nauman
Hi Nauman,
They may ask you to get the test and resubmit the form, but as long as you are able to do so, it should not negatively affect your application chances.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis
All my greetings to you and thank you for the love that you show us by being available everytime to help us.
I was having some problems with leaving a comment on this article. It’s mentioning since high time that my comment is awaiting moderation or something like that.
As I can say it, i’m a mext 2021 scholarship applicant and above all my struggles, I wasn’t able to get a single LoA. Then the cultural affairs officier of my home embassy invited me to update the PPF and forward it to him so that he will forward my application documents to Tokyo, this was last January. And I did it as he said. Last February, i reached out to him to know how the selection process will be and he told me that my documents are with MEXT and MEXT will contact my preferred Universities to request them my acceptance, and invited me to wait till June for the final results notification. Till now, I got no news from the embassy again, and this may confirm that I’ve successfully passed the second screening. But in such situation where the final results are not yet given and here in my home country, 2022 application has been opened and will be closed next may 28th, I’m too much confused. As I’m not eligible for this 2022 application as you’ve explained it (because final results are not yet given), I’m asking myself how the situation will be if next June (and this is not my prayer nor my wish at all), the final results come and are negative. It means I have to wait till 2023 before I’d be able to reapply. I’ve too much struggled in this my 2021 application process, I’ve paid all my attentions to it, I swear. I apologise, if there is any directive, please give me so that I’ll know how I will proceed.
Best regards
#Prince
Hi Prince,
I have been getting more comments on here each day than I can reply to, that is why there are over 100 still waiting moderation! I am trying to answer them as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the situation is just as you said. Since you do not have the results of the 2021 application process, you are not eligible to apply for 2022. At this point, the only reason I can think of that your application would be rejected would be if all of the universities in your Placement Preference Form refused to accept you.
If that happens and your application is unsuccessful, then your next opportunity would be to apply for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2022, which should start in the fall this year (the timeline is different for each university, so I recommend you check the site of the university that you want to apply to). Your next chance to apply for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship would be the scholarship for 2023.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis. I sincerely hope that you are doing very well and that the entire family too is fine.
Ok here in Benin Republic (West Africa), we are also doing well.
It’s been a while I was reaching out to you about my MEXT 2021 Scholarship application and all the struggles I was facing about the LOAs.
I’m well pleased to announce you that last Thursday, my home embassy notified me that I’ve successfully passed MEXT second screening and that I’m placed at my first choice University on my PPF. I’m over happy Travis, just can you image my situation without a single LOA along the process? I was totally confused, disappointed and hopeless; but finally I got accepted.
But some days before the final results notification, I tried to mail my Prospective Academic advisor (though I knew it was not an appropriate way) just for a greeting and self introduction. He replied me and thanked me for my interest into his Lab and added that he is looking forward to see me in Japan and that I should contact him with no hesitation if I come to Japan. Till there, I didn’t know if he knows something about my scholarship application yet or not; and then I asked him if previously he knew something about my 2021 MEXT scholarship application for their University and graduate school ( if he knew something about MEXT contacting their Graduate school about my acceptance or not). He still replied saying he will ask one of the University Officier about that. But he didn’t get back to me before the final results announcement by my home embassy, and till now.
Some questions:
1) Will I mail him once more and let he know about my successful application?
2) if I decide to operate some changes concerning my research proposal, can I start doing it now before travelling to Japan or I can do that only with the Professor’s permission.
Once more thanks Travis for all your kindness towards we the MEXT scholarship Applicants through your availability to help us any time in this long application process by replying all our questions.
And I hope we will meet very soon in the land of the arising sun.
#Prince
Hi Prince,
Thank you for your comments. We are all doing fine here!
Congratulations on passing the Secondary Screening and getting placed at your first-choice university! It’s great to hear that you were placed there even though you hadn’t been able to get an LoA. I’m sure that will come as a relief to future applicants, as well!
When you contacted your professor previously, he may have known, but universities and professors are not supposed to contact you about the results of the scholarship until after the official announcement from MEXT, so he may have been delaying his reply. Since you now have the final results, I think it would be a good idea to contact him again.
1. Yes, I think it’s a good idea to contact him and tell him that you have the official results and have been placed at his university and that you look forward to working together.
2. You can also ask him at that time if he had seen your current research proposal. As the conversation progresses, let him know that you are thinking about making some updates to it and make sure that you ask his advice before committing to any changes. Ultimately, your advisor will have to approve your research proposal anyway, so you cannot move forward without his agreement.
I hope to meet you in the future here in Japan!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Sorry for reaching out to you once more.
As you suggested, I called my Academic advisor about my successful application and then asked him if he’d seen my current research proposal yet.
He firstly congrats me for my successful application. But for what concern the research proposal, he didn’t say anything about it in his reply, he just told me that he’s looking forward to seeing me in Japan next October and invited me to well prepare my stay in Japan. He even told me that he will help me to find my apartment house in Japan. Just he mentioned nothing concerning the research proposal.
Another thing I’m not well understanding and I want to know please.
In the file attached to my embassy mail of the final results, I can see that my statut at the University is Master course (degree student) as I filled it in my application form. And it’s mentioned that the term of japanese preparatory education will be from 2021/10 to 2022/3; The term of specialized education will be from 2022/04 to 2024/03 AND THE TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP WILL BE FROM 2021/10 TO 2023/3
It’s like the scholarship period will end before the specialized education period? Please I don’t understand. And if it’s so, will I later apply for an extension of the scholarship, or I’m just considered as non degree student for the moment, though it’s specified that I’m placed as regular student.
#Prince
Hi Prince,
It’s good to hear that your advisor was so supportive! Even if he wasn’t willing to talk about your research proposal yet, there is plenty of time to work on that once you arrive in Japan. You should have the opportunity to meet and discuss it while you are in the language program, too.
For the term of scholarship issue, during your semester in the Japanese preparatory education, you will be considered a Research/Non-Degree student, and the maximum term of scholarship under that status is 18 months for a scholar who arrives in the fall, as you will. However, it sounds like the university is prepared to accept you directly as a degree-seeking student after the language program, starting in April 2022. You will need to complete a scholarship extension application shortly after your arrival to extend your scholarship to cover your master’s degree, and in that case, the scholarship period for the master’s degree should be 2022/4-2024/3. Your university should be in contact with you after your arrival with more information about that application process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hey travis, so I am preparing for my research plan, I intend to apply as a non degree research student, I have 2 questions if you don’t mind.
1/ DO I need to mention that I want to upgrade to master’s degree after 6 months ? and when I get accepted in the entrance exam of the university and become a master’s student is the research job done or do I have to study for the master degree and at the same time prepare the research program?
2/ so like I said before I want to upgrade to a master degree, so in my research plan do when I write about my research steps and timeline for each step do I put in mind that I have 2 years like in the master’s degree and I create the timeline according to that?
Thanks a lot I appreciate you helping a lot of students reaching their dreams and I hope.
and good luck
Hi Dan,
Thank you for your kind words!
If you plan to start as a research student for one semester and move in to the Master’s degree, then I recommend that you write one research plan for the entire period of your studies (research+master’s). So, my answers will be based on that:
1. Yes, you should write that you will continue your research into your master’s degree and that you anticipate starting that degree in the second semester of your studies.
2. Your timeline should cover 2.5 years, counting both the research student time and master’s degree.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I have a specific question about the Certificate of Health i just noticed it now. I doubt it will cause a problem. When my Physician was filling in the form under section 4 it says if none of these illness contract please check none which my Physician ticketed. However next to each illness there is empty box and above that is a tick box. Do you think this will cause a problem.
Best Regards,
Nauman
Hi Nauman,
As far as I can tell from your description, your physician filled out the form correctly.
If none are applicable, the physician should have only ticked that one box.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I appreciate your work, your articles are helping me so much so thank you for your efforts.
I am currently preparing my documents and I have some concerns.
1- Do I have to include the X-ray chest image with the health certificate?
2- Should I convert the grades into GPA?
3- Is it ok to fill in the health certificate by hand? (Doctors do these kinds of paperwork by hand usually).
4- Do I need to be very specific in writing my research plan? I have not yet completed my degree to start choosing what research theme I want to do.
5- You said that we should submit one original and two copies of each document, but you also tell us to keep the originals for ourselves because the embassy will not return them, can you address this, please?
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Hi Bassel,
Thank you for your kind words!
1- No, you do not need to submit the image.
2- No, they will do that at the embassy. I recommend doing it for your own reference, but it is not required.
3- Yes, the doctor should fill it in by hand.
4- Yes, you need to propose specific research, including your research question, research methodology, and expected outcomes. My article about the Field of Study and Research Program Plan should give you an idea of what is expected.
5- With some documents, such as your transcripts, it should be possible to get multiple originals. For documents like your Certificate of Graduation, if you cannot get your university to issue multiple original documents, then you should get a certified copy made and submit the certified copy as the “original” to the embassy. They will accept a copy that has been certified by the university as an original.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for the information.
I have one more question concerning the eligibility.
My current GPA is below 2.30/3.00. However, the grades are only for the first year of university. Does that make me not eligible? (I believe that my grades will be much higher in the second and third year, which will -obviously- increase my GPA average).
Hi Bassel,
They will calculate your GPA based on all of the grades available at the time you apply. So, if you improve your grades in the second and third year, that should bring up your average so that you meet the eligibility criteria. You do not need to meet it with each year’s grades individually.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thank you so much for this blog, this has helped me understand the scholarship process and made me less anxious about it so thank you so much. Now, i’ve gotten the form for undergraduates and i’m currently filling it but i have some questions ( and they’re a lot lol) first of all, there are always some vital things that are mentioned in the application form that catch the attention of the embassy or whoever is reviewing it so i wanted to ask some of the things that aren’t obvious but actually matter, although i have tried making my application form look as impressive as possible there are still things that might just help even more. Also, the written tests, does an individual compulsorily have to pass them all to be able to move on to the next stage, mathematics especially because i’m actually very good at english and i’m confident i can come out with a pass based on my level of Japanese but i’m not so good at mathematics. another question i have is whether i have to apply to the Japanese university now or when i get the scholarship OR while i’m undergoing the 6-month program to learn Japanese. I would appreciate it a lot if i get a response. Thank you
Hi Adura,
I have never been part of the review panel for undergraduate applications, so I don’t have direct experience, but I would say that the most important part of your form is likely the questions where you describe why you chose your majors, your trigger for your interest in Japan, and how you think you can contribute to Japan and your home country in the future. You should have a common theme that runs through all of these questions and leads to a clear approach to contributing to society in the future.
For the tests, I think that rather than a “passing grade” it is more of a competition with the other applicants. There are a limited number of scholarship places available, so the reviewers are going to use this as an opportunity to reduce the number.
Since you are applying for the undergraduate scholarship, you will not apply directly to a university in general, unless you are applying for Direct Placement.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for the continual updates and helpful information on your blog, it’s been a lifesaver.
I’m from Sydney Australia and I wish to apply for the Embassy recommendation for the research MEXT scholarship (wishing to pursue a masters in education). I have a few questions regarding that.
The first is that if I do receive the scholarship for a kenkyuusei, I would technically be a ‘non-degree’ research student studying at a postgraduate school, is that right? And in order to become an official Master’s degree student at a specific university, I would need to undergo and pass that university’s specific entrance exam, is that correct? Will I need to undertake and pass the entrance exam for postgraduate studies ASAP? Do I only have 2 attempts to take the exam as the length of a non-degree research student seems to be 2 years, and entrance exams in Japan seem to be held only once a year. Do you have a recommended path to take from a MEXT non-degree research student to an officially university recognised research student?
The second question I have is in regards to the medical certificate, will I need to send in x-ray films and blood test results to prove that I’m healthy? If MEXT requires measurements of certain blood tests in IU units instead of U units and my doctor is unaware of how to convert it, should I just specify it is out of U instead of the IU written in the medical certificate form?
The third question I have is about academic advisors. My university in Sydney does not assign a specific “academic” advisor for my course. They only do so with students who are failing to keep up in terms of grades- the academic advisor is there to guide them and help provide advice to raise their grades. These academic advisors are also in a generalised department – I study a degree that relates to languages but the department for my academic advisor falls under a broad faculty which includes- architectural studies, arts, humanities, etc. In this case I’ve asked some of my language professors/lecturers/tutors to write me a letter of recommendation, but will these be accepted by MEXT – as they are not officially an “academic advisor” per se. Would they have any way of finding out that they aren’t “official” academic advisors? Would submitting a letter of recommendations from professors (not officially recognised as the academic advisor) in the department lead to a disqualification? What should I do if I can’t get my hands on a direct letter of recommendation from the dean of the university or the academic advisor from my department?
My fourth question is, do you know of a specific way I should layout these documents when I send them to the embassy or (if I fail, to the university). Should I put them all into one envelope and send it? Should I use paper clips to separate them? Should I put certain documents in different envelopes, folders or plastic sheets? What size, colour, material do you recommend? Is it okay if some documents are folded (in half to fit into the sending envelope)?
My final question is that, recently I’ve failed a course in university, which may set me back to graduate in Early May of 2022 instead of December 2021. The research I wish to pursue in Japan would be a masters in Education (preferably in English), it seems that most postgraduate schools that offer this start in April. If I choose the “September/October option” only in the application form, would that eliminate my chances of being accepted? If I choose the option for both (April and/or September), I risk the possibility of not being able to make it if I was called to go to Japan in April, as I’m unsure whether I have to retake my failed course. However, I’m currently getting my results re-evaluated for the course that I’ve failed so I’m uncertain whether or not I will have a delayed graduation (I will find out whether I have failed my course long after the submission of the Embassy Application for MEXT). That being said, in the possibility that I have failed and I have been called to go to Japan in April the course will most likely be conducted online, so I would be able to undertake it online in Japan. But would MEXT allow me to do that? What should I do? What would you recommend? I would like to pursue my postgraduate studies ASAP.
I’m sorry for asking so many questions, but if you could provide me your advice it would mean so much to me!
Best regards,
Ann
Hi Ann,
As a kenkyuusei, it is possible to start either as a non-degree student or as a degree student – it is up to the discretion of the university. You might also spend your first semester in an intensive Japanese language program and take the entrance exam while there, so that when you start at your university, it would be as a degree student. For the vast majority of students, passing that entrance exam is not a big deal. Your advisor should be able to give you more advice on it.
For the medical certificate, you do not need to send the x-ray films and the blood test results, but you must have them done and your doctor must write the results in the medical certificate.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure about converting the units for blood tests, but your doctor should be able to determine what is appropriate.
For your university, is there nobody that overseas your degree progress and offers advice on selecting courses within your degree? Or perhaps a thesis advisor? That would be what MEXT means by “academic advisors”. If there is no such person, then a department head would be best, but if that is not possible, then at least a professor that you have taken multiple classes with could be an alternative.
For sending your documents, first, you should number and order them as described in the application guidelines. I recommend putting them in order inside a single document protector with the original followed by the two copies, form-by-form, with each group held together by a paperclip – never use staples for anything. I also recommend that you find an envelope large enough that you do not need to fold your documents.
You must finish your current degree before traveling to Japan, so if you select an April arrival as a possibility and do not graduate until May, you would be disqualified. I recommend selecting a September/October arrival. Remember, this is your arrival, not your matriculation date. You might spend the first semester in the Japanese language program or as a kenkyuusei, then start the degree in the following April, which would be perfect for the university’s schedule.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Thanks for all the work you do with this blog.
Concerning the “abstract of presented paper” as part of the application documents, is there a format for this?
Thank you,
Unimke from Nigeria.
Hi Unimke Adie,
No, there is no format for the abstract, it can be in whatever format you think is appropriate.
I recommend about one-half to a full page that covers your research problem, methods, and conclusions.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, brother this is Abraiz.y question is regarding sample of 2021 graduate scholarship admission form.
Will you upload or share a sample form in order to prevent mistake in application forms.
Thank you in advance .
Hi Abraiz,
I’m sorry for the late reply.
Yes, if you sign up for my mailing list, I will send you a sample of the application form right away. I didn’t have it ready when you first commented, but it is available now!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I would like to ask you about one of my doubt.
Recently I got Letter of acceptance from Kyushu University for PhD program in April 2021.
I applied as a privately financed students.
Can I apply for Embassy process for MEXT since I got my letter of acceptance.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Thanking you
Jai
Hi Jai,
Unfortunately, no, you cannot use a Letter of Acceptance as a fee-paying student to apply for the MEXT Scholarship. In fact, already being accepted to a program and planning to enroll can disqualify you, as I discuss in my article about eligibility.
If you want to apply for the MEXT Scholarship, you would have to turn down the offer of acceptance you have now and apply from scratch, following the required procedures for the scholarship application, but I really cannot recommend that course of action.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! Regarding original copies of documents you say “A copy attested by an official at the university will be accepted as an original.”
Does this mean that the official must sign the copies? I apologize if I misunderstood.
Hi Jamal,
Yes, your understanding is correct. It would have to be signed by an official at the university to show that it is a true copy.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey there!
I was going through this year’s application and came across a section where we have to write down our previous publications. Do you have any idea how to structure the abstract? Also if I currently have a paper under review by the publisher, would it count as a valid entry to that section?
Hi Nikhil Dubey,
In the application form, you would just list the publication details, not the full abstract. You should attach the abstract as a separate document. There is no set format for it, but about one half to one full page is usual and it should describe your research question, methods, and conclusion.
If you have a paper under review, I would list it, just be sure to indicate at the end that it is “(in publication review)” or something similar.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks for your hard work. I bought your first ebook and I have found it invaluable when it comes to working on my application. On this, is there a recommended word limit for the three motivation questions on the form? I have written about as much as you have on the mailing list sample, but I am unsure if I should be writing more.
Thanks,
Euan
Hi Euan,
Thank you for your kind words.
In most cases, I think you should fill the space give for the essay questions. In my sample form, I used a graphic editing program to insert my answers, so the font is smaller than it would be on the actual form, but I think that is about the length of answer that will fit in most cases.
Of course, don’t add words just for the sake of making your answer longer, but do use the space you have to make a compelling argument.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for this guide! Do you know if we are limited to just the one letter of recommendation?
Hi Hannah,
You should submit one academic letter of recommendation from the last university you attended as well as one letter of recommendation from your current employer, if employed.
Submitting more will not particularly help you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I would like to know what the font and size for the pdf forms should be. I am having trouble fitting the years ( for example 2008) in the form, they just don’t fit. Everything is fine. I need to know if Helvetica size 11 font is acceptable.
Thank you SO much for your help
Hi Noor,
I’ve heard of a few people having trouble with the font size, though I have not been able to replicate the problem. If you can change the font, then it is acceptable to shrink it so that it fits in the box.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Dear Travis
While I was reading this new post, I decided to contact the embassy to ask at least about whether I passed the secondary screening or not. I wanted to apply again in case of being rejected. The embassy told me as usual that they haven’t been informed about anything from MEXT yet and this shows that maybe our documents are still under progress and I can’t reapply before the announcement of the results Now I feel so depressed. I still don’t know anything about my results I’m in a complete vague darkness and I’m not able to reapply either. I don’t know what to do. Please help. 🙁
Hi Aida,
The embassy is never going to give you any information before the release date. There is nothing to be upset or depressed about.
You have made it all the way to the final confirmation process. Yes, MEXT’s process is painfully slow, but that is not a reflection on your application, it’s the same for everyone. It is extremely rare that anyone’s application gets rejected at this stage.
You should be hearing good news soon, but for now all you can do is to wait.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis!
I really want to thank you for this amazing site. It helps me a lot. I’m from Turkey and I’m an English teacher obsessed with Japan from my childhood haha ^^, So this year I’m planning to apply MEXT scholarship programme as non-degree student. I’ve been searching through your site what can I choose as department and find some universities and programmes suitable with me. Now I’ll try to follow the other steps. I guess most of applicants are engineers and some other scientific people so probably i won’t get it. But no worries. I’ll try anyway. Arigatouu gozaimas for your helps.
Gülce
Hi Gülcihan ÖZGENÇ,
Thank you very much for you kind words and feedback!
Even if you’re going up against engineers and scientists, do not give up hope! If you can show that your research will produce benefits for society, you have just as much of a chance as they do. I think MEXT recognizes the value in educating a future teacher who will go back to their home country and become and advocate for Japan to their future students.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I hope you are well. the Scholarship for UK Nationals has been opened. I am a little confused on what they mean here. This taken from their website.
Application files (1), (3), (8) and (9) if applicable should be saved in the order of the numbers specified in the Application Guidelines (see 9. Application Documents) in a PDF file, except (2) Placement Preference Application Form and (7) Medical Certificate (or Self-Assessment Medical Report) separately.
I assume they want the pdf files for document forms 1, 3, 8 merged into one single pdf?
best regards,
Nauman
Hi Nauman,
I agree with you – 1, 3, 8, (9 if applicable) should be merged into a single file.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I really appreciate your effort.
I would like to ask you please: what if there’s no program taught in English in Japan? What should I do? BTW My Japanese level is intermediate, would that be enough alongside the 6-months preparatory language program?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Anas,
I have another article about how to find programs taught in English in your field that might help. To be honest, I have never found a field that wasn’t offered in English in some way in Japan.
If you want to apply for a program taught in Japanese, you would have to have the required Japanese ability level before starting the application. The 6-month language program after you arrive is designed to help people with little to no Japanese ability get the minimum level of language to be able to survive day-to-day life. It will not get you to the level to be able to study in Japanese.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I would like to ask you about one of my doubt.
Recently I got Letter of acceptance from Kyushu University.
I applied as a privately financed students.
Can I apply for Embassy process for MEXT after getting letter of acceptance
Looking forward to hearing from you
Thanking you
Jai
Hi Jai,
If you plan to apply for the MEXT Scholarship, you are going to have to reject that offer of acceptance that you received as a privately financed student, unfortunately. You cannot use it for the scholarship.
One of the disqualification criteria for the scholarship is “Applicants who are already enrolled at a Japanese university or any other institution (including Japanese language schools in Japan) with a residence status of “Student” at the time of application or who will enroll in a Japanese university or any other institution prior to the start of the scholarship award period.” So, you cannot have an active acceptance offer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply
I am currently in my native place, and I am not in japan.
I have not yet received my student visa.
I just received my letter of acceptance.
And also I have to pay my fee myself.
So can’t I apply for mext despite of these conditions?
Looking forward to hearing from you
Hi Jai,
The MEXT Scholarship is something you apply for before you are accepted to a university in Japan, not afterwards. In fact, already being accepted to a university in Japan and planning to enroll can disqualify you from the scholarship.
There are some rare cases where universities might be able to nominate you to the scholarship after you enroll, under the Top Global University scholarship category, but in most cases, in order to be eligible, you would have to refuse your current acceptance, cancel your enrollment, then apply again from scratch for the MEXT Scholarship.
However, I really cannot recommend that course of action since there is no guarantee that you would be able to get the scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks Travis
About recommendation letter, my Prof write for me a general one and it does not cover the questions indicated in the template!
Is that ok?
Hi Sulaiman,
It is not necessary to cover all of the items in the template example, but the letter should mention that the professor is recommending you for the MEXT Scholarship. If it does that, then it should be acceptable.
Of course, more specifics and covering the items in the template is probably better, if possible, but it is not a strict requirement.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thanks for your various articles, as they have greatly helped me to browse through all this information.
I have a question regarding my degree. I have asked my embassy as well and waiting for their reply, but I wanted to ask you in case you have heard from someone in a similar situation.
I am pursuing an Integrated 5 year degree, at the end of which I will receive both B.S and M.Sc degrees. However, I had few doubts regarding how I should fill this information in the preliminary form.
As I am in my fourth year now, what should I mention in the master’s degree grade, or should I say anything there? As I am mainly applying for Ph.D. (non-degree), having a master is essential. Would the Japanese universities recognize the degree, or would it disqualify me?
Hi Niket,
Thank you for your kind words!
In your case, assuming that you do not receive either degree until you finish the 5 years, I would recommend that when you fill in the application form, you leave the tertiary education/undergraduate blank, fill in your degree information in the tertiary education/graduate under Masters and check that you are expected to graduate. You can explain the system in the “Remarks” field at the bottom.
You should also include a certificate of expected graduation for the Master’s degree (the conclusion of the whole program) as well as the grades for all years of your studies.
There should be no problem with universities or the embassy recognizing the degree in that situation.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, thank you for the mail and guidelines, please l will like to know if l apply a Master’s course if l would be selected and if l would still be categorized as a research student for example if l DOA course like MBA , secondly l like to know if there is anyone who is a next scholar in this to help me guide me in my research plan, l am still confused on the field of study my undergraduate was business education, l have a background in business and education, am thinking of applying for educational psychology or MBA or intercultural communication please help me out thank you.
Hi Miriam,
All graduate studies fall under the MEXT Scholarship for “Research Students”, but there is another definition of “Research Student” at the university level. Universities use the term to refer to non-degree students. Whether you start as a non-degree student for a semester before starting your degree or start right away as an MBA student is up to the university.
It sounds like you do not have a clear goal for your research or graduate studies yet, and I think it is important that you establish that before you think about applying. One of the important parts of the MEXT Scholarship is to have a clear practical goal – something that you want to do to contribute to society after your studies – and a research goal that supports it. You need both to be able to make a compelling case in the application process, so I suggest you focus on your goals, first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello. Hope you doing good.
I have a query. In the name section you said the name should be as it is as in the passport. But I didn’t got my passport yet!! So I can’t fill this scholarship form? Is it necessary to have a passport for filling the form?
Hi Nahid syed,
It is not mandatory to have a passport to fill in the application (though you will need one before you study in Japan, of course!).
If you do not have a passport, then you should fill in your name as it appears in English in another official government document, such as a birth certificate, driver’s license, national ID, etc. Your passport should match those documents when it is issued.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for your awesome job. I have learned many things from your article. I am from Afghanistan, unfortunately, the Japanese Embassy has not announced MEXT Scholarship for afghan applicants yet.
Hi Nasrollah Rajaei,
Thank you for your post.
I checked again today and it looks like the embassy in Afghanistan still has not posted guidelines. On the Japanese version of the site, I found the guidelines for 2018, but that’s it.
You might want to consider contacting them to see if they plan to hold the application process this year and ask when the guidelines will be posted.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz