University of Tokyo - 2025 University Recommended Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship - General

A key aspect of graduate education at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Science (GSS) is that education is closely linked to research. Through the graduate school curricula, students learn how to carry out research effectively from faculty members who are active at the frontlines of research, thus enabling students to conduct advanced and creative research themselves.

The overall goal of graduate education at the GSS is to develop and enhance the capabilities of researchers and educators possessing originality and ingenuity to conduct pioneering research at the frontlines of various scientific fields, act as core members of international and interdisciplinary research projects, and through their research and other activities, meet the needs of the industrial community and society at large.

Qualifications

(1) Number of Places

The number of applicants to be nominated by the Graduate School of Science to the University of Tokyo, as well as the number to be subsequently nominated by the University of Tokyo to MEXT, shall be finalized after the application period has closed. In the last round (application for 2023 entrance) each Graduate School was allowed to nominate at most one applicant, and the University of Tokyo was allowed to nominate at most three applicants to MEXT.

(2) Eligibility

International students with outstanding academic records (*1) who wish to enter Japan in October, 2024 as a new student (*2) to study in the Master's or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science.

• (*1) Applicants who have already graduated from their latest degree program should have a final grade point of 2.30 or higher, while current students should have a grade point of 2.30 or higher for their current courses, and both should be expected to maintain the same academic standards during the course of the scholarship program.
  * Grade points shall be calculated according to a formula specified by MEXT.
  Furthermore, students must meet one of the criteria given under "(7) Language Proficiency" given.
• (*2) Please refer to (11) Non-eligibility 5. to confirm your eligibility.

(3) Nationality

We are only able to nominate an applicant who holds one of the nationalities specified by MEXT.
This year's nationality provisions have yet to be announced (the announcement is expected to reach us after the application period has closed), however, in the last round, only those who hold a nationality found on MEXT's list of Priority Nationalities were eligible for nomination.

Also, applicants must have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are ineligible. However, Japanese nationals that reside outside of Japan at the time of application, holding dual nationality with another country, and plan to renounce their Japanese nationality before arrival (equivalent to the time when they enroll as a student at a Japanese university), may apply.

(4) Age

In principle, applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1989.

(5) Academic background

Applicants must have the necessary qualifications to be admitted to the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo as a Master's or a Doctoral Program student.

(6) Field of Study

Applicants should apply for the field of study that they studied at their previous university or a related field. Applicants should select a field that they are able to research at their chosen host university in Japan.

(7) Language Proficiency

Applicants must meet one of the language requirements in either English or in Japanese as described:

• English
  1. Holds an English proficiency test score equivalent to B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale (e.g. TOEFL iBT 72 or above, IELTS 5.5 or above).
     * To see what counts as "B2 or above on the CEFR scale", please refer to the CEFR Equivalency Chart.:
     To see the CEFR Equivalency Chart, please click here.
  2. Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is English that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master's Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.
• Japanese
  1. Has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) with a score of N2 or higher.
  2. Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is Japanese that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master's Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.

(8) Health

Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue their studies in Japan.

(9) Arrival in Japan

Applicants must, in principle, be able to arrive in Japan by a date specified by the accepting university which in principle shall be within two weeks before or after the first day of the semester (October 1) in the year specified by the accepting university.

If applicants cannot arrive in Japan by the date specified, they must withdraw their application unless under unavoidable circumstances as deemed by MEXT. Furthermore, if applicants travel outside of the period specified above due to personal reasons, the cost of travel will not be paid.

(10) Visa Requirements

Applicants must enter the country with the resident status of "Student", having obtained the visa anew prior to traveling to Japan. The visa is to be issued by the Japanese embassy or consulate in the applicant's country of nationality. Those who already have another residency status (permanent resident, long-term resident, etc.) will be required to return to their country of nationality, change their status to that of "Student" and then travel to Japan. Note that there is no guarantee that an application to change your resident status back to that of "permanent resident" or "long-term resident" etc. will be approved once you have completed your time as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship recipient.

Applicants should be aware that the scholarship will be cancelled if he/she arrives in Japan without a newly obtained "student" visa.

Scholarship Benefits

(1) Allowance

The amounts of monthly stipend for AY2025 have yet to be determined. As an example, the monthly amounts for AY2024 will be presented below. (These amounts are subject to change depending on the size of the annual fiscal budget each year, commodity prices, etc.)

• AY2024 actual amounts:
• 144,000 yen/month (for a student of a Master's Program), or 145,000 yen/month (for a student of a Doctoral Program)
• (an additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be added to those students undertaking study or research in some designated regions of the country).

The scholarship will not be paid to a recipient during a leave of absence or a long absence from his or her university.

(2) Traveling Costs

① Transportation to Japan: Recipients awarded travel allowance will be provided, according to the itinerary and route designated for them by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to their place of residence to one of the international airports of Tokyo (Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND)) (or an international airport the recipient's host university normally uses). Please note that the cost of transportation from the recipient's residence to the nearest international airport; airport tax and surcharges; other special local taxes incurred by travelling; local travel expenses within Japan (including any costs if transferring by air); travel insurance premiums; baggage and unaccompanied baggage; are the sole responsibility of the recipient. MEXT or the university will provide an economy class air ticket to Narita International Airport (NRT) or the closest international airport to the university from a third country through which the applicant obtained their "Student" visa, if Japan does not have an overseas diplomatic establishment in their country of nationality. However, any costs incurred in travelling to the third country, travels within the third country and cost of accommodations incurred is the sole responsibility of the recipient.The recipient's residence is taken to be the current address given in the application. However, if a change of address is known beforehand (limited to within the recipient's home country), residence will be taken as the latter. Moreover, an air ticket will not be provided if the recipient travels to Japan from a country other than that of their nationality. Air tickets will not be provided for travel from a third country for any reasons other than for obtaining visas.

② Transportation from Japan: In principle, MEXT will issue airline tickets to recipients who return to their home country within the final month of the scholarship period as specified in "2. Period of Scholarship" above upon application following their graduation from university or completion of their research. Recipients will be provided with an economy class air ticket for a flight from Narita International Airport (or an international airport the recipient's university normally uses) to the international airport closest to their place of return (in principle, within their home country). Please be aware that costs incurred for transportation from the recipient's residence to the nearest international airport in Japan; airport tax and surcharges; other special local taxes incurred when travelling; local travel expenses within Japan (including any costs if transferring by air); insurance premiums for travel to Japan; sending baggage as well as unaccompanied baggage; are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Recipients who return to their home country before the end of the scholarship period for personal reasons or because of items as stipulated in 4. Suspension of Scholarship Payment will not be provided with return airfare.

Note: Traveling expenses will not be included in the travel allowance if a recipient decides to remain in Japan (for example; continuing the education at a higher level or entering employment in Japan) after the period of scholarship ends and temporarily leaves Japan.

(3) School Fees

Enrollment and Tuition fees will be exempted.