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Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study in Japanese universities.　The scholarship students are recruited and selected in two ways: embassy recommendation or university recommendation. Prospective international students who wish to study at University of Tsukuba can apply for the scholarship by one of the two ways.


Embassy Recommendation

To be a candidate of this category, applicants need to apply through the Japanese Embassy or Consulate (hereinafter referred to as "Japanese Embassy") in the applicant's country at first, and pass their first screening. The application schedule differs according to the country in which the Japanese Embassy is located, and the categories of student status ("RESEARCH STUDENT", "UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT", "JAPANESE STUDIES STUDENT" and "TEACHER TRAINING STUDENT"). Applicants are advised to check websites of MEXT and the Japanese Embassy in their home country for the details.


Applicants for this scholarship as a "RESEARCH STUDENT" are required to obtain a "Letter of Provisional Acceptance" issued by Japanese universities. Only those who passed the first screening are eligible to contact a prospective academic advisor during the period stated in the MEXT's guidelines to request the letter. The contact information of faculty members can be searched on TRIOS. Please be advised that your potential academic advisor will no longer accept your request for a Letter of Provisional Acceptance after the deadline.


In addition, applicants should notify the Division of Student Exchange office that they have reached out to their potential academic advisor and requested a Letter of Provisional Acceptance. The email address of the Division of Student Exchange will be provided by the embassy to those who passed the first screening.


Those who received the letter must submit it to the Japanese Embassy to proceed to the second screening of MEXT.


AY 2026 Application Schedule for MEXT scholarship (embassy recommendation)

  • Around April-July, 2025
    Call for applications opens at each Japanese Embassy / FIRST SCREENING at the Japanese Embassy
  • Until September 1
    Request a LETTER OF PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE to Japanese universities
  • Around September-October
    Receive a LETTER OF PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE from the university. It must be submitted immediately to the Japanese Embassy.
  • November or after
    SECOND SCREENING at MEXT
  • Around January-March, 2026
    Notification of the final result from the Japanese Embassy to the candidates
  • April or October, 2026
    Enrollment at the university

University Recommendation

Candidates of this category are nominated to MEXT through university selection. This recommendation way is consisted of two different types, "General Program" and "Special Program" as follows.


General Program

General Program is a type of selection in which a university selects overseas applicants seeking admission to its master's or doctoral programs as scholarship candidates to MEXT. No restrictions are placed on applicants' research fields but the nationalities of applicants are limited to only those designated by the MEXT. It must be noted that the maximum number of recommended candidates is very few, annually limited to only 3 candidates.


The application process for the university recommendation must always go through the applicant's prospective academic advisor. First of all, applicants are required to contact their prospective academic advisor via email to ask if they can be recommended as MEXT scholarship candidates. If the academic advisor is willing to recommend the applicant as a candidate for university selection, they will discuss further procedures.


After the application guidelines of the MEXT scholarship is published around mid-November, please get your documents ready as per the instructions by the prospective academic advisor.


AY 2026 Application Schedule for MEXT scholarship (University recommendations, General Program)

  • Around November-December 2025
    Application period
  • Around January-February 2026
    University's internal selection
    Nomination to MEXT
  • Around June
    Notification of the final result
  • October
    Enrollment at the university


Special Program

University of Tsukuba selects candidates for programs particularly adopted by MEXT for its University Recommendation Scholarship, Special Program. Some programs take only "RESEARCH STUDENT" while others take "UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT".


Since the Special Program is provided only for degree students, the applicants are required to pass the entrance examination of each program to be eligible for application. Please check the program website to obtain relevant information about the entrance examination.


List of Special Programs for University Recommendation AY 2025 (as of Jan, 2025)

Graduate Level


Undergraduate Level