Japanese Government Scholarship Students
Application for the Japanese Government Scholarship
The Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology – Japan (MEXT), or "Monbukagakusho") funds the following programs to enable international students to come and study in Japan. Please visit the MEXT website for more details.
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/06032818.htm
- Undergraduate Students
- Research Students
- Japanese Studies Students
TUFS Japanese Studies Students Course Guide for 2025 (Japanese only) - Teacher-Training Students
TUFS will not accept Teacher-Training Students in 2025.
How to apply for these programs:
- Apply from overseas
(1)Recommendation by the Embassy
Applicable Programs: Undergraduate Students / Research Students / Japanese Studies Students / Teacher Training Students
Contact: The Japanese diplomatic missions (the Japanese embassy or the consulate general) of your home country(2)Recommendation by a University
Applicable Programs: Research Students / Japanese Studies Students
Process: The university you attend must be a partner institution of TUFS with which TUFS has concluded the student exchange agreement. Your university recommends you directly to MEXT as a candidate for the MEXT Scholarship.
Contact: Student Exchange Division of your university. Again, your university must be a partner institution of TUFS. - Application by Privately Financed International Students residing in Japan and attending TUFS
Contact: Student Exchange Division, TUFS
MEXT funded International Students at TUFS
The Japanese Language Center for International Students, TUFS (JLC-TUFS) offers various types of lessons to meet the diverse levels of Japanese language ability and needs of Undergraduate Students, Research Students, and Teacher Training Students. The grantees of the MEXT scholarship are placed into the Japanese language training program in JLC-TUFS for 1 year for Undergraduate Students and for 6 months for Research Students (the Japanese language training is not mandatory for those who are going to enroll in a program which does not require any Japanese). Upon completion of the language training they will be placed at a university in Japan for advanced education.
Japanese Studies Students can enroll in School of Japan Studies in TUFS; Research Students can enroll in School of Language and Culture Studies, School of International and Area Studies, School of Japan Studies or Graduate School of Global Studies in TUFS. If you wish to enroll in such programs in TUFS, please first contact the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country. Note that if you wish to enroll in TUFS as a MEXT funded Research Student, you must pass the primary screening conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country and then receive a Letter of Provisional Acceptance from TUFS. Please read the following information carefully.
For those who wish to enter TUFS under the Research Students Program
(Recommendation by the Embassy)
When you pass the primary screening conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country, you need to contact TUFS directly to obtain a Letter of Provisional Acceptance. Once you receive a Letter of Provisional Acceptance from us, you can move on to the secondary screening conducted by MEXT. In order to obtain a Letter of Provisional Acceptance, you need to select one TUFS professor who you wish to be mentored by. His/Her research field must match your area of study. Please refer to the following websites to find the professor of your preference.
Then contact Global Admissions Office (GAO) to submit a set of documents that you have submitted to and returned by the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country all with a confirmation seal stamped. You can submit the documents either by designated website.
- [MEXT funded / Privately Financed International Research Students]
List of Research Advisors and Acceptance Criteria
https://www.tufs.ac.jp/documents/admission/specialstudent/ukeirekijun.pdf - Undergraduate program
- Postgraduate Program
Researchers list
https://www.tufs.ac.jp/english/research/researcher/people/
Documents to be submitted to TUFS
- The following documents you have submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country
- Copy of a Passing Certificate of the First Screening issued by the Japanese diplomatic mission
- Application Form for Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship
- Field of Study and Research Plan
- Academic transcript for all academic year of university attended
- Certificate of graduation or degree certificate of the university attended
- Recommendation letter from the president/dean or the academic advisor at the current or last university attended
- Abstracts of theses (*Only if submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission)
- Certificate of language proficiency (*Only if submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission)
- Recommendation letter from the present employer (*Only if submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission)
-
Medical Certificate
*All of the documents returned to you from the Japanese diplomatic mission should be stamped with a confirmation seal.
- Other documents requested by GAO
Contact
Global Admissions Office (GAO), TUFS
[For inquiry and to submit documents by e-mail]
Email: gao@
*please add “@tufs.ac.jp” after “gao@”.
[Application website]
https://business.form-mailer.jp/fms/cefdf2d4145949
※Valid during the application period only.
Your documents will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. If you are accepted, we will send you a Letter of Provisional Acceptance.
The entire process of the application for the MEXT Scholarship is described as follows;
You pass the primary screening conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country.
Contact GAO, TUFS.
- Contact GAO by website
Fill out the necessary information to the website(valid during the application period only), attach the necessary documents and contact GAO.
Documents to be submitted- The following documents you have submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country
○Copy of a Passing Certificate of the First Screening issued by the Japanese diplomatic mission
○Application Form for Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship
○Field of Study and Research Plan
○Academic transcript for all academic year of university attended
○Certificate of graduation or degree certificate of the university attended
○Recommendation letter from the president/dean or the academic advisor at the current or last university attended
○Abstracts of theses (*Only if submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission)
○Certificate of language proficiency (*Only if submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission)
○Recommendation letter from the present employer (*Only if submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission)
○Medical Certificate
*All of the documents returned to you from the Japanese diplomatic mission should be stamped with a confirmation seal. - Other documents requested by GAO
- The following documents you have submitted to the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country
- In case you cannot contact GAO by the website, contact GAO by e-mail.
If you are accepted, TUFS will send you a Letter of Provisional Acceptance by airmail.
Then submit the Letter of Provisional Acceptance to the Japanese diplomatic mission of your home country.
You will move on to the secondary screening conducted by MEXT.
Note
Some of the applicants contact us at the last minute before the deadline. It takes time to review your documents and decide whether to issue a Letter of Provisional Acceptance or not. It is highly recommended to contact GAO as soon as you pass the primary screening so that we have sufficient time to assess your application.