Your Resource for Expat Living in Japan
Recent Comments
Welcome to TranSenz! My name is Travis and I am a bilingual American expat living in Japan. I’ve been an exchange student here and been stationed here with the US military in the past. Now, I’ve moved back permanently and live and work within the constraints of Japanese society. This blog is my place to share my experiences to help other expats integrate into their host community, or at least make the most out of their time in Japan!
In the blog posts, below, you can find all manner of experiences in Japan, but I’ve also collected some of the most relevant and important contact into a series of guides, linked from the pages below. If there’s something about Japan that you want to know but can’t find here, please leave a note in the comments below and I will be happy to add it to the list.
Enjoy!
Hi Mr Travis,
I want to thank you for all the insights posted here.
I have been shortlisted to take the examination on June 24th. May I know some tips for the exam. I just did a sample paper(Maths B) which I can’t do most of the questions, and the topic of a question isn’t in my syllabus that I have learned. Does the exam sorts out most student? What score should I aim for to stand a chance?
I went through youtube and the studyinjapan website and found some exam questions. But is there any more resources as I have only found 3 years of sample paper on the website.Hopefully I can try to revise as much as I can in two weeks time as I also have a part time job.
Also, may I know what kind of questions they might ask in the Japanese exam. I’ve just started learning three days ago and I have learned all of Hiragana and katakana. Is there any advice on how to learn the Japanese language in a short amount of time
Thanks for the info again, I hope this reaches to you.
Hi Tan Yu Han,
Previously, MEXT made the 2018-2020 exam papers public for studying, too. They have since taken them down, but before they did, I saved all of the materials, so you can find them at the link below for further study.
https://www.transenzjapan.com/tests/
It sounds like you are applying for the undergraduate scholarship and for that, I think the test results are quite important and will play a role in narrowing down the pool of applicants. (Of these, though, I think the Japanese language exams are probably the least important. The subject exams related to your field are more critical. So, given your limited time and lack of background in studying Japanese, I would recommend focusing on the others. There is really no way to learn sufficient Japanese in such a short time to make a difference on the exam.)
Unfortunately, I do not have any resources for studying for these exams other than the past exams, themselves. Since each applicant’s areas of strength and weakness are going to vary, my best recommendation is to find specific sources to study the areas where you are struggling either online or through your high school.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks Mr Travis for the resources.
Hi Mr Travis,
Firstly, I want to say thank you so much for your informative contents. I have some questions, hope you can answer them when you have time
1. Is this compulsory to submit a recommendation letter from my employer/ boss ? Because I would not want my workplace to know I’m apply for scholarship (in unfortunate case I fail, I still want to work there). Also my work is not relevant to my research theme. I plan to get recommendation from headmaster at my alma mater only. Is that ok?
2. I see many JP universities have their own route of application (pay admission fee, upload documents to portal). After the 1st screening, do I have to follow their normal route or can I send emails and docs directly to uni ? Should I contact professor before even apply to Embassy?
Hi Quyen,
Thank you for your kind feedback.
1. If you are employed, then it is mandatory to submit a letter of recommendation from your employer. Part of the reason, as far as I understand, is to ensure that your employer is aware of your plans and does not object, so that MEXT knows that they will not prevent you from accepting the scholarship if you are selected.
2. There is usually a special process to apply for a “Letter of Provisional Acceptance” for Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholars that is different from the standard application process, so make sure that you find information about that process and apply accordingly. (Google “MEXT Scholarship [University name]” and you should be able to find the instructions!).
Networking with professors in advance is a good idea, if possible, but not all will respond to your emails before you pass the Primary Screening. Even if you establish a relationship with a professor, make sure to submit your application according to the university’s instructions after passing the Primary Screening, anyway!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I just wanted to thank you for all your insight into the MEXT application process. I really admire the work you do.
As of this year, I am pleased to share that I am a MEXT recipient. I would not have come very far without your amazing resources. I wanted to be able to share my gratitude for your work by directing people who might be interested to your website. On pharmattable.com, I linked out to you a couple times in an article about my experience with the MEXT application process. I hope that my efforts were not too bold.
With great appreciation,
Nathan
Hi Nathan,
Congratulations on earning the scholarship!
I am glad to hear that you have been sharing your experiences on your site, as well. I got a notification when you posted the articles with the links and checked it out and I’m glad to see someone else sharing information in the space.
I wish you continued good luck with your studies!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear mr. Travis,
Thank you for this website and your books which helped me a lot!
I have a question regarding the MEXT scholarship and the Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (DC2) offered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Research (JSPS). As a MEXT scholar enrolled in the PhD program at a Japanese university, my supervisor recommends me to try to apply or the JSPS DC2 Fellowship. However, if I am not mistaken, MEXT does not allow other scholarships while receiving the stipend from MEXT. When I was reading about the JSPS DC2, it seems to be more of a research grant that also monthly covers some living expenses and travel costs for conferences etc., but it does not pays tuiton fees etc. like a pure scholarship does,
In the JSPS guidelines, it says “留学生においては国費外国人留学生制度による奨学金及び母国の奨学金を受給することは認められません。”, basically JSPS do not allow MEXT scholarship at the same time as the JSPS Fellowship.
So, my question is: can I apply and if I am awarded the DC2, withdraw from the MEXT program and accept the DC2? Or is it a violation to the MEXT program simply by applying for this grant/fellowship (even if the application is unsuccessful)?
Have you heard of MEXT students doing this transition or applying to the JSPS, or other grants/fellowships in Japan?
Thank you for your experience and input on this!
best,
Steven
Hi Steven B.,
I am not familiar with the JSPS scholarships in any level of detail, so I don’t think I can offer any more advice than what you can find in the guidelines already. As far as I can tell, the JSPS fellowship only awards a monthly cost of living stipend. While it is a little more generous than the MEXT stipend, I don’t think it is enough to compensate for the loss of the free tuition, so I don’t particularly see the merit in changing. It might make it easier to secure Kakenhi research grants, though you have to apply separately for those and they are not guaranteed.
I know MEXT would not allow you to receive both at the same time, since there is an overlap in the award (cost of living stipend). The eligibility criteria you quoted also indicate that JSPS would not allow it.
I don’t know about applying with the intent to give up the MEXT scholarship if you are selected. It certainly doesn’t seem like something they would want you to do, but I can’t tell if it is explicitly prohibited.
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to provide more helpful advice.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear mr Travis,
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and thoughts!
I appreciate it very much, and you have been very helpful now and in the past!
I am utmost thankful!
Please have a good day!
best,
Steven
Hello Travis, your blogs are awesome! got to know a lot about MEXT.
my query is, my degree will complete in Sept 2024, so I’m thinking to apply for this year, but the guidelines state that I must have graduated by October which i would have but my convocate would be held a little later. what can I do in this case? I don’t want tp waste a year just cause of a few days.
would a provisional degree certificate work?
Hi Fairy,
You do not need your final diploma to meet the requirements. A letter from the registrar or another official saying that you have met all of the requirements for graduation, specifying the date and stating that the formal diploma will be delivered yet would be fine. That shouldn’t even be considered “provisional” since it would be a certification that you had, in fact, completed all degree requirements.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis!
I have a query related to MEXT scholarship program, Is it possible to do masters without doing a research period (the 6-months)? is there any way I can do masters directly with a scholarship?
Hi Break,
Yes, it’s possible, but it depends on the university. Some universities will require you to pass an entrance exam at the university before they accept you as a degree-seeking student, and that might mean that you have to travel to Japan in person just to take that test while you’re in the application process. Not all universities require an in-person test, though. Some will admit you to the graduate program as a degree student based on document screening and maybe an interview. I recall that Ritsumeikan University used to accept Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship applicants directly as degree students without making them take an extra admission exam.
Another alternative would be to apply for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship. While it is more competitive, almost all applicants start directly as degree students, not as research students.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
University Recommendation – Reasons for MEXT Rejection
Hello Travis!
I applied for the EPIIP Program Special Admission at UTokyo ( https://www.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp/edu/entra/epiip_e.shtml ) and have successfully cleared it!
I will be joining the coming fall and was told that they would nominate me for the MEXT Scholarship too. (University recommendation – Special) (This program I got into has a separate MEXT quota I believe, according to what I could understand from the website)
However, I was also told that “Although most students nominated by the University of Tokyo pass the review, some applications might be rejected.”
Have you heard of reasons why MEXT might reject a candidate after a University selects and recommends them? I am very worried about the “rejection” aspect here.
Also, Is there something that I need to look out for while submitting the application for MEXT? (University has already selected me for the scholarship – they want me to submit a final hard copy of all the documents next week)
If there are certain things I need to watch out for in the MEXT application and supporting documents, any information on them would be highly helpful.
I really want to increase the odds of a successful scholarship from my end as much as possible.
Thank you for your suggestions and assistance in advance!~
Hi Niran N,
Congratulations on getting in to the program and on your nomination for the scholarship!
Yes, it sounds like you were selected for a PGP Program (special program) that has it’s own quota of annual slots. For PGP programs, in particular, once the university has selected you for nomination to MEXT, it is practically certain that you will be selected for the scholarship. I have never heard of someone not being selected in your situation. The only situation I could think of would be if there was some disqualification problem, like if you had been selected by another university for the MEXT scholarship as well, or if you have been deported from Japan in the past. But really, I don’t think any of that would be a problem.
Really, when the university says that some applicants may be rejected”, they are just trying to avoid responsibility if something does go wrong, since they do not have the final decision authority.
Aside from submitting the documents the university requested, the only thing you have left is the (long) wait on MEXT’s bureaucratic processing before the final results in the summer. In the meantime, I think you can safely start preparing for your studies in Japan!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, hope you are doing great, and having fun with the winter, last message from my side I think I could not reach to you through my intentions, thank you for making me aware of the scholarship for MEXT as a non- regular student, as I am an already receiving a fellowship for my PhD from Indian government , I can visit Japan for short term programmed, my subject is education, and I am learning Japanese too for the basic level, I am searching for short term program to attend in Japan with any research grants, kindly help me for an efficient way to search for short term program how to find professors or research scholars working on the same field or related field as mine, I would like to also know, if I am applying as a regular students, how should I prepare for it properly or what kind of eligibility should I focus on so that I can get the scholarship, and if i get the scholarship , will I get any certificate e of proof that I participated in any university for non- regular program because I am not going to receive any degree, kindly reply me, even if I may sound obvious. thank you, Travis.
Hi Merry Ray,
If you’re already receiving a fellowship from the Indian government, you would not be eligible for the MEXT Scholarship.
I do not know of any “programs” for short-term PhD students to come and do research in Japan. The only way I know of would be if a scholar at a Japanese university were to invite you as a visiting scholar/research collaborator. But for that, you’d probably need an existing research relationship with them.
The most effective way to find someone that would be willing to do that would be to reach out through your network.
Alternatively, there may be some universities with visiting scholar programs, though I am not aware of any, personally. If you want to look for those, then I would suggest that you follow the advice in my guides for finding English-taught programs and potential advisors in Japan. I have an article about the subject and you can find links there to my book that goes into the search and evaluation process in much more detail.
Since I do not know of any short-term programs for PhD scholars, there would be no certificate of completion, but you might be able to ask your host to write a letter describing your work.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I believe that I have scavenged all of your university recommendation-related posts for graduate applicants; I am so grateful that you do what you do and are out on the interwebs helping applicants with MEXT. Your content and wisdom has helped me so much. Thank you.
I’m going to be applying for a PGP graduate program through the university recommendation track. The application isn’t available yet, but according to last year’s application guidelines available on the university’s website, it says the same as what you have suggested in one of your articles–that I need a letter of recommendation from a dean or higher. I’m currently trying to determine who would fulfill that requirement on my end because as it’s said in Japanese, they are looking for someone at or above the 学部長 level. The head of my major’s department would probably be willing to write/sign off on a letter of rec for me, but if they don’t count as 学部長・研究科長レベル以上の推薦者, then I ought to go higher up. I was wondering if you think I should email the university directly about this, or if you had any previous experience and have a possible answer.
People who work in the dean’s office of my college (college of liberal arts at my university) are also willing to write/sign off on a letter for me; people in the office include- apart from the main dean- the executive associate dean and senior associate dean for faculty affairs. Otherwise, the head of my two major departments (political science department and Asian studies department) are also able to write/sign off for me. Do any of these people meet the standard of 学部長 in your opinion? To me, it seems like they would. But perhaps I need to just get a direct sign-off from the dean of the college of liberal arts. I will probably email the university about this just in case as well, but I’m not sure they will be able to answer me until it’s too late. Once I graduate (very soon), I don’t think I’ll have access to current resources to get a letter from these people! ): So I’ve got to sort it all out now.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Nadya,
Thank you for your kind words.
Based on the structure you have described, the only person that would be at the 学部長 level would be the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. That is an exact match for what the position of Dean would be in Japan, so it seems like a pretty clear case to me!
An assistant dean, executive assistant dean, head of major, etc., would all be below the level of Dean.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. If 学部長 only equates to the Dean of a college, then I guess that’s what I’ll have to go with! I interpreted that 学部長 could potentially also be someone who is the head of a major’s department, so I had some hope there (haha).
Thanks again and happy holidays.
Hi Travis,
I’m Mexican and I’m 22, so I plan to apply for the scholarship next year, however, I’m unsure about the whole university/high school section of the requirements. My situation is as follows: I enrolled in a university with a double/joint degree program: you study for 2 years to get a TSU or University Superior Technician degree, and after around 2-3 years; you get an engineering degree.
But 2 years ago, because of unforeseen economic circumstances, I had to leave this University after only 2 years, only reaching the TSU, I did finish the semesters necessary for it, but as far as I’ve gathered, this would be something like an associate’s degree, and there’s also the fact that my certificate hasn’t been delivered yet.
So, I don’t know if I should present the certificate and grades record from my high school or get a certificate of some sort from this university even though I didn’t get an engineering degree. And if I sent the ones from high school, should I still mention the University or just leave it out entirely, or perhaps write “withdrawal” in the “remarks” section?
Currently, I have a full-time job so it’s going to be a bit of work to get the documents alone, which is why I’d like some help to decide whether I’m focusing on getting these documents from the University or high school. Or well, it’d be fine if I had to get both too, I just want to know the expected route of action for me, if this isn’t something you can answer, it would also help If you could direct me to the e-mail where these kinds of questions should go.
I’d like to apply for the embassy-recommended scholarship, in the Specialized Training College category, if this helps discern the situation.
This may seem like a silly question, but given my age and birthday, this will be my only chance, so I’d like to get everything right.
Hi Dangli,
I do not have any specific examples of other students in the same situation, so the best I can offer is my own interpretation. For an “official” answer, I think you would be best off contacting the embassy, but on the other hand, I don’t think they’ll answer your question until the application period starts, which might not give you enough time to get the documents you need. So, my best suggestion is to prepare for every possible outcome, as best you can.
I think it is going to come down to what is your status with the university you attended so far. Have you formally withdrawn from the university, or are you on an extended leave of absence? In other words, if you wanted to continue your studies there, would you have to apply from scratch to start in the third year of the program and be accepted again (current status = withdrawn) or could you simply pay the tuition and complete registration to pick up where you left off (current status = leave of absence)?
If you withdrew after completing the two years for the TSU and got the certificate, then I think your high school would be considered your most recent program. In that case, you would not fill in the TSU attendance in tertiary education and your Letter of Recommendation should come from your high school. You could mention the TSU attendance in the remarks section of the application, though, including that you withdrew for economic reasons. For that situation, I would still recommend that you get your transcript and the certificate from the TSU.
On the other hand, if your current status is “leave of absence”, then you would be considered to be “enrolled in an undergraduate program” for the application. In that case, the Engineering Degree would be your current program, meaning that you would need a Letter of Recommendation from that program and would need your transcripts and a certificate of enrollment from the engineering degree program as well as your transcripts and certificate of graduation from the high school. In that case, you would fill in the Engineering Program information in the Tertiary Education section of the application, check withdrawal, and mention in the remarks that you have been on a leave of absebce for economic reasons.
To summarize: The major differences are 1. Whether or not you need the TSU certificate, 2. Whether your Letter of Recommendation should come from the high school or the Engineering degree program, and 3. How to fill in the application form. The deciding factor is your enrollment status (withdrawn or leave of absence) with the engineering program.
If you are unsure, I recommend that you prepare all of the documents in advance so that you can provide the right ones once you confirm with the embassy what they want during the application period:
– Academic transcript and certificate of graduation from high school (required in all circumstances)
– Letter of recommendation from high school (required if your TSU experience “doesn’t count” as a current undergraduate program)
– Academic transcripts from TSU program (probably a good idea to submit in all circumstances)
– Certificate of completion of TSU level of the program (required if you are considered to be “withdrawn” from that program, but a good idea to have in any situation)
– Letter of recommendation from engineering degree (required if you are considered to be on a “leave of absence” from that degree program)
– Certificate of enrollment from engineering degree (required if you are considered to be on a “leave of absence” from that degree program)
If you have all of those documents, then you should be safe, no matter what the embassy decides that you need and you won’t have to try to get any of them on short notice during the application period.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks a lot! Knowing that really helps to make me feel more at ease, I’m fairly sure it was a definitive withdrawal, but as it can´t hurt to make sure, I’ll check that first so I can start gathering the rest of the documents and be prepared when the time comes to contact the embassy.
Once again thank you, I’ll continue to follow the blog’s advice, best regards!
Hello Travis,
I am a music student and I have been working on my research program plan for the past few weeks.
Since I am an art student, I based my plan (draft) on the structure of Lars Martinson’s while reading the comments you provided in one of your extra downloadable documents. I would eventually like to send you my plan so that you may review it (while paying the fee for you to do so), but I am currently reading your second book on MEXT and doubts start to pop in my mind about the validity of my draft.
Even though you mentioned that art students are not supposed to produce new knowledge in their field (in the same way a student in STEMs or humanities would), but rather mix new ideas an styles, the pages about how to research articles and books to make a research question puzzle me. Not only didn’t I see such a question in Martinson’s plan, but it keeps making me confused and doubt what I have written so far. It seems that art students have to walk a fine line between saying that their research will be conducted in a purely practical way and producing some kind of memoir.
If possible, could I write to you in private to explain to you what I have came up with so far and make sure that I am on the right path? I am still working on the plan and I intend to polish it by reading and researching more things about the topic that I want to study, but I feel that I already have narrowed down the subject that I want and the appropriate angle to approach it.
Best regards
Hi Francis,
It is really difficult to reconcile the academic research model to an arts application, so I can understand your struggles. I think I should develop a new article about how to write the Field of Study and Research Program Plan for art/music degrees, but so far Lars’ application is the only successful one I know of, so I don’t have enough of a basis to confidently write an article yet.
Instead of thinking about researching articles and books to make a research question, I think that for art degree, you would be researching different practical techniques and perhaps inspirations and themes. (I’m sorry, I’m really not experienced enough in the field to even give a good example).
If you have a particular university/program in mind, then I recommend that you look at what they require for a culminating project. What will your be and how will it be unique and new?
Instead of conducting research, surveys, or experiments that would help you solve a research question, your individual “research” steps would be the tasks and techniques you need to complete to prepare for that final project. If it isn’t a report, then you don’t need to worry about writing.
I’m honestly not sure that I am the best person to give you advice on developing your “research” plan. If possible, you would be better off talking to a professor who has supervised music students at the Master’s level in your specific area for their feedback on whether or not you are going in the right direction. Once they help you with the idea and contents, I can certainly help with fitting that into the context of the MEXT FSRPP.
As for direct consultation, as a matter of time commitments, I’m afraid that I can only offer in-depth one-on-one feedback through the review service, but I also answer private questions on Patreon from my supporters there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your answer Travis.
If I manage to succeed with my application, I’ll make sure to contact you again if you would like help for an article focusing on fine arts application.
hi Travis
it’s been almost a year since I’m following your contents regularly and I really appreciate them because they helped me a lot.
regarding the second screening I have a question which I will appreciate it if you could help me with.
I know that you have mentioned graduate students who have provided at leat one letter of acceptance are practically certain to pass the second screening unless they have told a deliberate lie or their major is banned or they had criminal records. However I wanted to ask is it possible for us to become rejected in second screening if we have applied for other countries’ scholarship? I mean I may have applied for other countries along with mext but I will not accept them after I have passed the first screening in mext scholarship. so is it possible for them to check us in all countries to know whether we have applied for other programs and reject us based on it ?
also I have to mention something important as well.
I am aware that mext candidates are not allowed to receive any other scholarships equivalent to mext duration and amount. In the application form they asked this question whether we are receiving or applying for other scholarships and if yes they asked us to name them, however I answered this question with a no since I wasn’t simultaneously applying to any other scholarships or receiving any, despite the fact that I have applied for some scholarships 3 months prior to mext. I’m planning to cancel them upon being awarded mext scholarship but do you think they will consider my application form answer as a lie and reject me because of it? I didn’t really mean to answer them with a lie but I reall thought there is no need to mention my previous applications as long as I withdraw from them after gaining mext scholarship. I’m really worried
Hi Sahar Hassani,
I saw your question on another article and answered them there, first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Transenz I’m Annabel from Nigeria.
Please do you know if the results for successful applicants for the primary screening are out? I applied but I don’t know if successful applicants were contacted already or I’m not just lucky. For Nigeria please
The deadline was 29th may I don’t know if the result is out
Hi Annabel,
Unfortunately, since the application timeline for the Embassy’s screening is different in each country, I cannot say for sure what the case is for Nigeria.
However, since it has been nearly two months since the deadline, if you haven’t heard back yet after the initial document screening to be invited to the exams and interviews, then I think there is a good chance that your application was not successful. If you have participated in the exams/interviews, it generally takes a little while after that to release the final results.
Given how much time has passed, I think it would be acceptable to phone the embassy and ask them if results have been released or not.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! First of all I’d like to thank you for all the information in your blog. It made the process of applying and sorting all my documents out (+ writing a research proposal, something I had never done before as it wasn’t required for my degree!) much easier. I’m currently in the middle of the process and had my exams (postgraduate) last week, now I’m waiting to see if I’ll be called for the interview, fingers crossed!
Anyway, something I’ve always been curious about (and I’m sure someone else has asked before but I can’t find anything) is: I know the regular course of action would be apply for a degree (and get accepted of course), but what if you were to fail your entrance exams? What would be expected then? You’d theoretically finish your research and maybe publish a paper?
Thanks in advance for your answer!
Hi Maria,
Thank you for your kind words! I wish you the best for your exams and interview.
If you start as a research student but can’t pass the entrance exam, you can keep trying as long as you are within the original research student period. I have heard of applicants who tried multiple times to pass the entrance exam at their university or those who had to try for entrance exams at another university because they couldn’t pass their own. But I have almost never heard of someone who had to leave at the end of their Research Student period, unless they wanted to.
If that did happen, then you would have to leave at the end of the maximum duration of the Research Student scholarship. You would still have credit for the courses that you took as a research student that you might be able to transfer to another university later, and of course you’d have the results of whatever research you completed. Whether that included a paper or not would be up to you!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
I noticed that each year’s exams are completely different, so I’m worried the tests I will take will include none of the topics I have studied that where in past year’s exams.
If that happens and I end up with poor grades how much do you think that will affect my overall application and will I still be eligible to receive the scholarship?
Hi Roudha,
I assume that you are applying for the undergraduate scholarship.
As far as I know, the exams are an important elimination point in the scholarship application. Since this is a highly competitive scholarship, performing poorly in the exams would likely result in your being eliminated from consideration, so I recommend studying all of the possible fields covered!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I would like to know if my performance during research student period is not good (GPA is below 2 out of 4), can I still continue to master’s program? For your reference, I have passed the entrance examination to start the master’s program in Fall 2022 and my MEXT scholarship extension has been approved by MEXT t0o. However, since I’m not doing well with my studies, I’m afraid that MEXT will revoke my scholarship and ask me to go back to my home country before the master’s program starts in this Fall 2022. Will that thing happen? Thank you.
Hi Michelle,
If your grades were that low at the time of applying for the extension, it likely would not have been approved, but if your grades fall after the extension has already been approved, I don’t think they will revoke the extension.
However, if your grades during the degree program are that low, or if you fail classes and become unable to graduate on time, they may cancel your scholarship at a later time. The good news, though, is it should be a completely fresh start once you are in the degree program!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Hope this communication finds you well as I write to request prompt reply at this very time for timely deliverable of my application.
Sir, I have an interest for choosing Japan for my next destination through the Japanese Government scholarship (MEXT).
But, one of the challenges to completing my application is the question of selecting Universities at most three (3) along with the academic advisors and department of my desire course.
Now, how can i choose universities, advisors and department such that there is no list of university attached to the guideline to make this easy?
Therefore, please also help me with three (3) universities indicating department and advisor for graduate study in STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING.
Best,
Emmanuel Zenegbain
Applicant
Hi Emmanuel Zenegbain,
I have an article – and an entire book! – about how to find the best programs in your field offered in English and the best advisors for you. I suggest you start with the article.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thank you for all the informative content that you post! Just a quick (and perhaps silly) question; Is there truth to what I’ve seen some people post online that you are likely to get rejected for your first time applying, with better chances on the second? I have other backup plans of course, but seeing some people mentioning that is worrisome. Interested to hear your thoughts, thanks!
Hi Tiffany,
I have not heard anyone say that before. I think it may be true if people go into the application not knowing what to expect (or what is expected of them!) and aren’t prepared, but they take a year after that to prepare themselves and submit a better application the second time around.
But if you’re prepared the first time, there is no reason that there would be a prejudice against you just because you’re a first-timer!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, I’m from Pakistan I wanna how to find email address of professors.
Hi Bushra,
I cover searching for professors’ contact information in my book, How to Find your best Degree Program and Advisor for the MEXT Scholarship, but I’m afraid I haven’t described it in detail in any of my articles here, yet.
In general, the best ways are to check the university’s website, including their course syllabi, professors’ or labs’ individual websites, or sometimes just using old-fashioned Google!
Hopefully that is enough to get you started.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
To applying for scholarship the requirements are send to which place .plzz
Hi Shafeeq Ahmad,
I recommend you read my article about the basics of the MEXT Scholarship that covers where to apply/submit your documents.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, hope you’re doing good, my name is Brandon and I just finished your first book on how to apply to the MEXT scholarship! It was of great help and I’m already loking forward to the next 2, but I have a question, something that I did not fully understand.
I want to start as a research student to then move up to Master’s, but when I look up at Universities teaching in English I only see options for Master’s and PhD, maybe I’m missing something or I didn’t understand properly and I would like your help, given that I got a Research Plan already and I might need to do some changes.
Thank you in advance, hope you have agreat weekend.
Best regards.
Brandon Rubio
Hi Brandon,
Thank you for your feedback on the book!
In general, universities do not publically offer the opportunity for students to apply as research students. It’s a status that is mostly unique to MEXT Scholars (or to visiting exchange students from partner universities, etc.)
Once you pass the Primary Screening, you will apply to universities for a Letter of Provisional Acceptance – there should be a specific process for Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship applicants. The university will decide whether they want to accept you directly into the degree program or as a research student first, though you can give your preference in the application form. I recommend that you write your FSRPP for the period that you intend to study. So, if you plan to start as a Research Student then move into the degree, that would be 2.5 years in most cases. You will probably need to adjust the plan later once you actually start your studies and working with your advisor, but that happens with everybody!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, many thanks for the informative sharing! Allow me to ask a question regarding the MEXT application for postgraduate. As part of our Embassy’s requirements, one has to achieve 3.4CGPA to be eligible for application. I did a UK degree transfer program (2 years in my home country and 1 year in UK). Degree award (Second Upper Class) was based solely on my final year result in UK. I would like to know if my grades for the 1st and 2nd year would be taken into account for the CGPA calculation, and if the transcripts for the 1st and 2nd year need to be submitted. Thanks in advance!
Hi Kuchun,
This looks like a requirement from the embassy in your home country, so I can’t say for sure what they will do for the calculation.
For the MEXT grade calculation, it would depend on the nature of your degree program. In general, if you transfer universities, then only the grades earned after the transfer count, though you still have to submit all transcripts. However, if it is a joint or dual degree program offered by both universities (i.e. both universities’ names appear on your final qualification), then the grades from both universities should count in that case.
In any case, you will need to submit grades for all years.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thank you very much for your prompt response! I will let you know in case of good news 🙂
Hi, I read in your book about the Field of Study and Research Program that MEXT won’t accept research students who want to enroll in programs related to the study of Japan, such as Japanese literature, history etc., that are taught in English. Does this mean, for example, that a master of Japanese Studies at Sophia University will not be acceptable, even though it’s completely taught in English and part of the Graduate School of Global Studies? Also, would things change if I could demonstrate decent (but not advanced) japanese ability in the written test?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Mark,
When I wrote the book, the application guidelines included that requirement, but it has since been removed (I am working on a second edition now!), so you no longer have to worry about it as an official MEXT requirement.
In either case, though, “Japanese Studies” should not be among the excluded fields, since it encompasses fields of study that would not require advanced Japanese knowledge to be able to research.
There should be no problem with your application for that program!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Sorry for the double question, I didn’t see my comment anymore after posting it so I thought it didn’t get through.
Thanks for the answer!
Hi Mark,
I get quite a bit of spam on here, so I approve each comment manually (usually while answering it). Sometimes, that means that it takes a while for it to show up. Sorry for the delay!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, I read in your book about the Field of Study and Research Program that MEXT won’t accept research students who want to enroll in programs related to the study of Japan, such as Japanese literature, history etc., that are taught in English. Does this mean, for example, that a master of Japanese Studies at Sophia University will not be acceptable, even though it’s completely taught in English and part of the Graduate School of Global Studies? I also saw some titles of previous MA thesis there, and they were all in English. Also, would things change if I could demonstrate decent (but not advanced) japanese ability in the written test?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Mark,
When I wrote the book, the application guidelines included that requirement, but it has since been removed (I am working on a second edition now!), so you no longer have to worry about it as an official MEXT requirement.
In either case, though, “Japanese Studies” should not be among the excluded fields, since it encompasses fields of study that would not require advanced Japanese knowledge to be able to research.
There should be no problem with your application for that program!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey,
I appreciate the time and effort you put in to making the page about dependent visas. It is very informative. I am learning that it is very hard to bring my wife to Japan with me. I have always wanted to continue to learn the Japanese language in Japan since my time in the Navy there; however, I can not find a school that will sponsor my wife with a dependent visa. I make all my income through a pension so I can very easily support my wife and child there while attending school. So my question is, what school can I attend to learn the language? I am willing to do language school for 2 years and then graduate school ( I have my B.S. this Summer) for two years. You mentioned you know of MEXT scholars that have been able to do language school with their family there on a dependent visa. Can we talk via email so I can learn more about how this can be completed so my dreams of learning and teaching Japanese language and culture can be accomplished? Please help. I have been trying to figure out something for 3 months so far. If possible, can we talk via email?
Sincerly, Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thank you very much for becoming a Patreon supporter!
I saw your question on Patreon and wrote back there first, but I wanted to post the answer here, too, in case it could help others in the same situation:
If you want to bring your wife and child to Japan with you while you are studying Japanese here on a Student residence status, there a several pitfalls to look out for. First, the Japanese language school or university will never directly sponsor a visa for a dependent. They will only assist with the visa for the enrolled student. (Of course, if your wife also enrolls, then she could come on a Student status, too).
If your wife and child are not going to enroll in a Japanese language school, etc, themselves, then you have to come to Japan first on a Student Visa then, after you arrive and complete your residence registration, YOU can be the one to sponsor their visa applications.
However, again, there are complications. If you are enrolled at a Japanese language school, you are not allowed to sponsor a dependent visa for your family members, as I mentioned in the article above. You can only sponsor your dependents if you are a student at a university, college, junior college, or technical school.
So, the best option you would have for studying Japanese in Japan while also bringing your wife and child (assuming they will not also be students, themselves), would be to find a language program taught by a university/college.
Here are a few sites that lists a few such programs:
https://www.jpss.jp/en/feature/japanese/
https://www.shidai-rengoukai.jp/s_courses/english.html
Incidentally, the reason that MEXT Scholars have been able to sponsor their spouses to come to Japan while they were enrolled in the language program was because they were in preparatory programs taught by universities, like the ones on the site above. Since they were enrolled as university students, they were eligible to sponsor dependents.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for writing such detailed information about the MEXT Scholarship program!
I was wondering if you have ever run into the case where an applying student has two bachelor’s degrees, and if so how that affected GPA calculations, especially if only one of the degrees was more relevant to proposed Field of Study.
For context, I completed a standard four-year bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies, and then completed an second two-year bachelor’s degree a few years later in Computer Science. Even though the second degree is a “full” bachelor’s degree, would it be discounted because it was an accelerated program and less than three years in length?
Thank you in advance for any insight on the above case!
Cheers,
Natasha
Hi Natasha,
In general, only your most recent degree will count for the GPA/eligibility calculation, but you will have to submit your grades and proof of graduation from each program you attended.
Even though the Computer Science degree was accelerated, it should still be counted with no problem. As long as it is an accredited bachelor’s degree, the time duration should not be a factor.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks for the quick response!
I was afraid that that would be the case, but it makes sense. In my case, I’m looking to continue my Asian Studies education at a Japanese university. I received a 4.0 GPA (3.0 on the MEXT scale), but graduated with a much lower average from my Computer Science degree (2.28 on the MEXT scale). It’s a bit frustrating to hear that I’ll likely be discounted from MEXT as a result, but I guess it is what it is.
Thanks again for the information,
Natasha
Hello Travis, thanks for the work you’re doing.
I have been placed by MEXT in a national university, I’ll be a research student in the university next April. In the university where I’m placed, the entrance exam is only done once a year in February and start graduate courses by next April 2023. So basically I’ll be a research student for an entire year. I realized that I do not want to spend an entire year by doing nothing special. Is it possible to change my current university to one where there is an entrance exam this year (August) so I that I can start my graduate courses next October?
Hi Obito,
Unfortunately, it is not possible to change your university while remaining at the same level.
The one thing that might be possible, though, would be to apply for a scholarship extension immediately after arrival to move up to the degree program. In general, there is one application period each year, around December, for applicants who will move on to the next level in the following Academic Year, but there is also a special application period for applicants who arrive in April and are looking to extend to a degree program in the fall of the same year.
In that case, you would also have to apply for admission as a fee-paying student to two universities that offer fall admission and pass that application process separately from the MEXT extension. You also need your current academic advisor to support your application to extend and change universities and your advisor needs to write a justification for you to do so, so that might be a challenge to secure, but it is not impossible.
Before you go down that path, though, I would encourage you to think again about the Research Student period. It is not “nothing special” – you can get started taking coursework (then transfer those credits to your degree once you enroll in the formal degree program) and also get started on your research. Having more time to work on the same research project would allow you to conduct a more detailed study, so you could use that time to your advantage, but it is all up to what you choose to do!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I am a recipient of MEXT research student scholarship but after a while, I decide that working in industry may suit me better than research environment.
Is it possible if I may shorten the research student period and not extending it to regular program and thus withdraw from the program, and what may be the procedures involved?
Thank you!
Hi Shana,
If you want to extend your scholarship from research student to degree student, you have to complete a separate application process for that, so as long as you don’t submit that application, there is no “obligation” on you to continue to on to the degree program.
I’m not sure about the procedures for shortening your duration as a research student. I think the best thing to do would be to talk to your academic advisor and the administrative office that handles your scholarship. Of course, you can always withdraw from the MEXT Scholarship partway through, but my understanding is that if you do that, you do not get the MEXT-funded flight ticket home. So, if that ticket is important to you, then I think you should talk to the office to find out how to consider your scholarship to be successfully completed so that you can get it.
I couldn’t tell from your comment whether you plan to work in industry in Japan or another country. If it’s in Japan, then before you decide to withdraw from the MEXT scholarship or complete it early, make sure that you check the immigration implications. You would have to switch to a working residence status in order to stay in Japan, but to do that, you would need a job offer and you would also need to make sure that the job is in a field related to your studies so that you have no trouble converting the residence status.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis! Thanks for the good work as always!
I am currently taking a Master’s Degree program and should graduate next November. I’m planning to take the scholarship when it opens next April.
I read that I can provide a document proofing that I will graduate instead of my graduation degree as long as it’s before the selection results are finalized. Is November before or after said finalization?
Thanks again!
Hi Muhand,
You would have to submit your proof of graduation or certificate of accepted graduation by the application deadline (not the selection finalization), which should be in May or June (it depends on the embassy in your country, so be sure to check their website when the instructions are posted!)
Since you will not have graduated by that time, you should prepare the Certificate of Expected graduation.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply!
So just to make sure, if the proof of graduation that I submit before the application deadline says I will graduate on November/December, is that considered too late of a graduation date!
And a follow-up question: Does the duration of my Master’s Degree matter? As mine is a 1 year Master’s (3 Semesters), and I heard that there are countries that don’t recognize that as valid. Just wondering if Japan is one of them.
Sorry for the questions bombardment.
Hi Muhand,
As long as the completion date for your Master’s degree is before you will arrive in Japan to start your studies, you would be eligible. So, if you can submit a certificate of expected graduation this May/June that says you will graduate in November, that would be no problem.
Japan does accept shorter Master’s degrees. There are even 1-year MBA programs, at least, in the country. So, you don’t need to worry about that!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
first of all, I would like to thank you for your valuable advice. Do you have any information on Mext scholarship second screening results (Ambassy recommendation). They were supposed to announce the results in early february but in my country we have not received any results from the Ambassy.
Hi Obito,
Over the last few days, I have heard from several applicants that they have received their results from their local Japanese embassies. I can’t confirm that all countries have released results, though. Your embassy might still be preparing for that announcement, but if you don’t hear from them by Friday, it might be worth contacting them to ask about the status of the results.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
first of all, I would like to thank you for your valuable advice. first, let me tell you the status of where I am. I was applied to the university-recommended MEXT scholarship. the university has linkage with my previous university where I am graduated. they have launched the project in my previous university and started conducting research projects. I had an interview with the project coordinator and the supervisor and they became interested to come to Japan and working on my master research project with them in their university as well as recommending for the MEXT scholarship. However, while I sending the necessary documents to the project coordinator, I have forgotten to write my name and keywords in the abstract. Do you think that this can have a problem or lead to rejection for the MEXT selection?
Hi Haymanot Yenesew,
Thank you for your kind feedback!
If you forgot to write your name on the abstract but it is part of your application document package and clear that it was your submission, that should not result in your application being rejected.
Writing the keywords is not a requirement, anyway, so that shouldn’t be an issue, either.
I don’t think that kind of minor administrative detail would get you rejected (at most, they might ask you to resubmit a copy with your name on it by email or something like that).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your amazing blog that helps thousands of people across the globe. I just wanted to know a few things.
1) Did anyone get the notification of the final selection and university placement of this year’s embassy recommendation scholarship?
2) Is there any chance that MEXT scholarships will get affected by the pandemic situation right now?
Thanks in advance!
Hi rgb,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
1. As far as I know, nobody has gotten official results yet. I have heard plenty of stories of applicants getting unofficial “results”, such as their universities contacting them to ask if they want to be placed in the Japanese language program or sending instructions about applying for housing, but that’s it, so far.
2. I don’t think the scholarship numbers will be affected, but there is certainly a possibility that recipients might not be able to travel to Japan as planned. Japan’s border has essentially been closed for 2 years now and, while there was an exception for MEXT Scholars for a while, that was suspended late last November, and conversations about a cautious, phased reopening are just resuming now.
In the past, applicants who weren’t able to travel to Japan could still start their studies remotely from their home countries, but they did not get the stipend during that time.
I hope the government will adopt a more flexible border policy soon, but I am still waiting to see any real progress.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
should I be worried that I still didn’t get any unofficial results? should I contact the embassy?
Hi rgb,
No and no. Universities are not supposed to contact applicants about their status or give unofficial results. Some find it necessary to contact applicants before the final results are out in order to complete other administrative procedures (particularly for applicants who will arrive in the spring and start studies right away), but I would say that it is more common that you hear nothing until the final official results are out.
There is no reason to contact the embassy at this point. Official results are not out, so they wouldn’t have any information to give you. Once official results are out in your country, then if you have not heard anything, then that would be time to worry and contact the embassy, but for now, everyone is just waiting.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I am posting to do a follow up to a previous email I sent you (you mentioned that you preferred that I post on the blogs instead of emails). I told you that I wanted to apply to Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku for a music technology program. You told me that you didn’t find the program on their website, my mistake I didn’t send you the proper link or name of program. The actual name is “Creativity of Music and Sound (Musicology and Music Studies)” (https://www.geidai.ac.jp/english/music/special-graduate-courses#CreativityofMusicandSound).
You recommended that I have a level of N2 for the JLPT, but I do not think it will be feasible in the amount of time that I have. I don’t know if you still wanted to verify the requirements on the website (I personally didn’t find any), but I think that, besides my research proposal plan and the semester that I am about to undertake, everything is pretty much set in stone. The language proficiency still makes me worried because it is pretty much the only thing that I have no power over (or at least not enough to get a level N2 in such a small amount of time), so I still wanted to know if there was a risk that I would be rejected at one of the screenings or by Tokyo Geidai (I guess I need to talk with a representative of the latter to get a clear answer).
I know that you said that the embassy takes “the will and motivation to expose oneself to Japan’s culture” into account, and I wanted to know if this could tip the scales were they to consider that my level of Japanese was too low. I want to remind you that I have already taken classes at my university (all of them and I have an average of A for these classes), I have taken tea ceremony classes given by a Japanese organization in my city, I participated at a speech contest made by the embassy in Montreal and, although it maybe is it a bit banal or cliché, I learned how to do handmade ramen noodles and hosted workshops about this at my university (with the department of nutrition). Can this be helpful to convince the committee that I am worthy of the scholarship and that I am serious about learning the language (thus compensating for my lack of proficiency)?
Feel free to refer me to one of your books if you notice that one of my question has already been answered; I know that you prefer that we do the research ourselves (and I totally agree with you), I honestly think that what I am asking has not been covered by what I have read so far. I’ll be working on my research proposal plan in the meantime.
Best regards (and happy new year),
Francis
Hi Francis,
I checked and could not find any specific mention of the level of Japanese language proficiency required for that program on Geidai’s site, either, including in the admissions instructions for international students that were written in Japanese. However, the program itself is taught in Japanese and MEXT’s instructions to Universities for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship is that any students studying in a Japanese-taught program must have the equivalent of N2-level Japanese ability or higher.
For the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, there is no particular requirement to submit proof of language ability in advance, but you will undergo a Japanese language proficiency test during the Primary Screening and if you do not score high enough on that test, you would most likely be eliminated if you were applying to only Japanese-taught programs. (I also don’t know if Geidai would accept the results of that test alone as proof of your Japanese language ability or would request you to show more proof later.)
Unfortunately, if you are eliminated from the application process based on the language test scores, you would almost certainly not have the opportunity to appeal based on your experience with Japanese culture. To be frank, I think that would only matter if all other factors were equal or nearly equal between you and another candidate. I do not think it is sufficient to overcome a lack of a qualification.
You might want to consider applying to Geidai’s Global Arts program which is taught in English and seems to cover many different fields with quite a bit of flexibility. If you can find out in advance whether you would be able to pursue the same studies in English through that program it should offer a much higher possibility for success.
Good Luck and Happy New Year to you as well!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Thank you for your quick and detailed answer. It is somewhat frustrating that the language requirement is so severe. The battle seems to be already lost, but I think I will still apply in case there is a sliver of hope. I do not think I would benefit from applying to the department of the Global Arts as it would somewhat be an unnecessary detour for me: I undertook the bachelor I am currently doing to do what I truly want to do in life and I do not wish to stray from this path. I already wanted to apply Shobi Gakuen Daigaku to do a master degree in Jazz trumpet, but my skills in this instrument are not sufficiently good for now and, if I remember correctly, it is very unlikely to get the scholarship for a private university. I thought I could settle on the music and creativity program from Tokyo Geidai, but it seems that even that is out of my reach…
I guess my best bet would be to perfect my language skills in the meantime (even though it may take a while) rather than spending time on a degree that I will not enjoy. Let me know if you know of a better option, your help is always appreciated.
Best regards,
Francis
Hi Francis,
I’m sorry that the language issue is a challenge for you at this point, but I really don’t think it is severe or inappropriate for the university to insist that you meet a minimum language ability in the language the degree is taught in.
If you’re really focused on doing your graduate studies in this field in Japan, then yes, it might make the most sense to develop your language ability to get to the point that you meet their requirements. Only you can say if it is that important to you and to your future career to study in that particular degree program or find another option in an English-taught program in another country.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Hope you are doing well. First of all, I want to thank you for your helpful blog. My name is Stive.
I would like to ask about the 6 months language study. The university asked me whether I wanna take the 6 months Japanese language or I would prefer to start directly. My question is: If I took the 6 months of language study, shall I pass an exam after the course in order to start my study at the university? I mean to ask if that will influence my enrolment as a research student.
Hi Stive,
If your university requires an entrance exam to start the degree program, you’re going to have to take it at some point, regardless of whether you take the language semester or not. There isn’t always a written or interview exam involved – that depends on each university and graduate school. But when there is, it is required to start the degree program. You would not need it before starting as a research (non-degree) student. So there are several different options. Assuming the entrance exam is required:
If you want to start the degree program directly after arriving in Japan, you would likely need to take the entrance exam prior to arrival (in the case of an in-person exam, that would mean coming to Japan on your own, which isn’t possible at the moment).
If you start directly at the university as a research student (non-degree student), you would take the entrance exam during your research student semester(s).
If you start as a language student and then proceed directly to the degree program, without a period as a research student, then you would take the entrance exam during your language study semester.
If you start as a language student, then become a research student before starting the degree, you would take the exam during your research student time.
The one thing to consider is that the language studies semester counts toward the maximum number of semesters that you can spend as a research student (non-degree student) on the MEXT scholarship before starting a degree. You have a maximum of four semesters if you arrive in April or three semesters if you arrive in October. You would have to matriculate to a degree program before the end of those semesters.
I hope that helps.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis. Thank you for all the information you share with us. I am currently a high school senior and I’m determined to apply for the scholarship for CT(College of Technology) next year.
• I would like to know how much of a role the recommendation letter plays at the time of selection process. In my country, India, rec letter isn’t a thing at least in high schools, especially in goverment schools. That’s why my teachers writting the first rec letter… I don’t know how that will turn out.
• Any helpful info about the curriculum and program details on kōsen.
• Another thing that I would like kindly do is to fill out the current application form, there have been significant changes in the application questions especially the questions, reason about choosing these majors (1st, 2nd 3rd choices) or maybe I think your application was about the graduate program.
I would appreciate if you answer
Hi Sattwatanu Debsingha,
My area of expertise is the scholarship for graduate students, so almost all of the specific comments and articles you will find on this website are about that process (including my comments about the changes in the application form questions). I am not familiar with the curriculum or other details about the Colleges of Technology, so I would recommend researching that on the website of one of the applicable colleges.
I am not sure how much weight is given to the recommendation letter, but it would be in your interest to have as strong a letter as possible – one that highlights your specific accomplishments and characteristics related to the field of study you are interested in, with examples.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis, thank you for all you do. I have a question, can I apply to get LoPA even when I haven’t officially graduated from university?
Like, if I apply for the MEXT scholarship in my third year of university i.e when studying a four year course, will i be accepted? Putting in mind that if I choose to arrive for the October intake, I would have graduated before my arrival in japan. Is it ok for me to apply under such conditions?
A reply will be very much appreciated, thank you.
Hi Paul,
Yes, you can apply for the MEXT Scholarship before you graduate, as long as you will graduate by the time the scholarship starts. It is quite common to do so!
In that case, you will have to submit a Certificate of Expected Graduation instead of a Certificate of Graduation during the application process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I hope you’ve been well!
I posted a query a while ago on this page when I was applying for the 2020/2021 intake (although I forgot which blog post it was on, haha), and back in June this year, they told me that I managed to obtain the scholarship. So, before I rush into my query, I wanted to say a massive thank you for your help! I definitely would not have come this far if I didn’t run into your page and helpful advice.
To give a layout of the situation, the university in Tokyo that will be going to and the Japanese-Consulate in the city I’m currently living in have both said that preparations are underway for my departure. Back in June, I was told that I would receive information about my plane tickets in August. I have less of an idea of when I could be going now that it’s September.
Would you happen to have a rough idea of the situation with the departure of MEXT students for this upcoming September/October semester?
With COVID to consider in this situation, I completely understand that it’s pretty complicated, and I’m happy to wait until they let me know. Since the answer to my first question might not be clear due to the current circumstances, I was wondering if you know how long they typically give notice before we depart for Japan, based on the experience in previous years?
Thanks again!
Sorry I also forgot to mention that I’ll be in the Japanese Intensive Course for the first 6 months, and they’ve already confirmed that they’ll deliver the content through Zoom for the whole course duration – thought it would be worth mentioning this information in case it affects the timeline!
Thanks!
Hi Clarissa,
Congratulations on earning the scholarship! I am very happy to hear that you found this site helpful during your application.
Unfortunately, I do not have any details on MEXT Scholars’ arrival in Japan this fall, only bits and pieces of information.
Right now, borders are closed to new arrivals, except in cases of specific exemptions, which includes MEXT Scholars. I attended a (virtual) presentation by MEXT earlier this summer where they announced that they would be bringing new MEXT Scholars to Japan during the fall semester, starting with students in the language program. The dates were unclear, but I understood that it would likely be some time during the middle of the semester, rather than beforehand.
I suspect the reason that they are focused now on the students in the language program is because they can control the delivery method for that program and ensure that you would be able to continue your studies even during the mandatory quarantine on arrival. (You mentioned in a separate comment that your language program would be entirely on Zoom, so that should make it possible!)
In normal years, applicants get their flight information in August and depart in September (about a month’s notice or less), but because of the COVID-19-induced changes, the past is not a clear indicator anymore. I would hope that you will still have about a month’s notice and that they give you the information soon!
I will share anything new that I learn!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, thanks for the work you’re doing. I’m Nachi, an aspiring undergraduate for international economics and trade. In my country, Nigeria, we were asked to write the examinations which includes Japanese language, English language and mathematics. Please do you think the mathematics is compulsory? I’m not good in mathematics and Japanese language but I’m sure the Japanese shouldn’t be an issue because it’s only testing my ability. Do you think the mathematics is compulsory!? Secondly when will the next undergraduate application start?
Hi Nachi,
Yes, the mathematics exam is compulsory, even if you are applying for a social sciences field. I do not know how much of a factor it is in your selection, though.
The application process typically starts in April/May of each year, so the next start will be in April 2022 for the scholarship to start in April 2023.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello there,
Found your excellent web page here and am using it as a resource to navigate my MEXT-SGU process. Long story short, I secured a MEXT-SGU scholarship out of Tokyo that was supposed to begin in April 2021. I took a leave of absence due to the circumstances (pretty long shot at being able to enter the country from the U.S.) and recently received notice that students like me might be able to enter in time for the fall semester. Details were pretty vague, and even the timeframe “Aug. 18th to the beginning of September” seems ambiguous. Recently it’s been difficult to make contact with either the university authorities in Tokyo, the government, and the embassy nearest me in the U.S. – perhaps the combination of summer holidays, Olympic events, and state of emergencies has hindered communications. The time frame is getting awfully close to the proposed date of departure, and I hesitate to buy a plane ticket, leave my current job in the U.S., etc. without some certainty from MEXT or a visa. I would rather not give up a steady job in the U.S. if I cannot enter Japan, but on the other hand, want to enter soon due to my scholarship timeframe (I’m also trying to reapply for extension of the SGU funding). In general, I am wondering how strict the entry period is (normally, and also currently with all the restrictions) for entering the country as an eligible MEXT student. Is having a valid visa enough? Not sure what modifications are in place as well, and the quarantine details, hotel info, etc. are awfully vague up to this point as well. Pretty sure there are plenty of folks with more complicated situations, but if you can offer my any tips or details, I’d much appreciate it. Thanks!
Hi Ko,
Thank you for your kind words and congratulations on securing a MEXT Scholarship slot through the SGU program!
I agree that in your situation, I would not buy a ticket yet until you have clear instructions about the visa and entry situation.
In general, the Japanese borders are closed to new arrivals, except for people with “special circumstances”. Being a MEXT Scholarship student does count as a “special circumstance”, but last I heard from MEXT, there was no clear time frame on when scholars would be able to come to Japan and there was a possibility that it would be mid-way through the semester.
Right now, there is a 2-week self-quarantine required, (and that applies even to fully vaccinated Japanese citizens) and depending on the country/state you travel from, a variable part of that period might be in a designated facility, and a part might be on your own. There are so many variables right now and the process is not clear at all, though we’re hoping for some attention and clarification once the Olympics are over.
For now, I would recommend that you do not make any plans until you get clear directions from the Embassy/University.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, I’m Naila. I have cleared my first screening in 2020 and got a LOA as well from well known university. I have been waiting for my 2nd screening result. In my country almost 5 to 6 students got their final result and university placement. When I was contact to embassy they said that we should wait almost 2 weeks more. The result is announced in june. But since end of july but I could not received my result yet. On the other hand my professor assign me a work and as well as received a email for housing. I cannot understand why my result ia delayed? Is it delayed due to olympics?
Your blog is very helpful. Im very greatful if you ans my qurey.
Thank you so much.
Hi Naila,
I am sorry to here that you have been left waiting while others have their results. I have heard of a couple of other applicants in similar situations, but unfortunately I’m not sure what the reason is.
However, if the professor and the university are already sending you assignments and housing application information, that is a good sign that they at least got contacted by MEXT earlier in the process and agreed to host you.
I know it must be frustrating, but I recommend continuing to work with the university and also contacting the embassy when the two weeks are up for an update.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, hope you’re doing well.
I was just notified that I had passed the second screening too for the upcoming fall and had to also mail the pledge form.
Although it appears that I won’t make it to Japan anytime soon considering the border restrictions, and to be honest I would rather decline the scholarship and proceed with other programs if I’m not able to be in Japan in a timely manner (especially that they won’t even issue the visa beforehand so you at least have some kind of a piece of mind).
Now I have less than a month to decide, and to be honest I don’t think much will change considering the Olympics and such. So I was wondering whether I would be banned from future participation if I withdrew at this point?
Thank you.
Hi Anony,
Congratulations on passing the secondary screening!
Actually, I attended a presentation by MEXT earlier this week and my understanding is that MEXT Scholars are granted a special exception to the border restrictions, so you should be able to travel to Japan this fall. It might not be in time for the beginning of your studies, but there should be an opportunity.
Right now the borders are closed to new arrivals except in cases of “exceptional circumstances”, and the presenter explained that a MEXT Scholarship counted as exceptional. It sounds like they will start with scholars who are participating in the language training semester, I imagine because it is easiest for them to move without damaging their academic progress.
So, I encourage you not to give up hope. There is still a chance that you will be in Japan soon, though like you said, I would not anticipate any significant changes until after the Olympics.
If you do withdraw from the scholarship, as long as it is before you travel to Japan or start the scholarship activities, it should not hurt your future chances in an official capacity, as far as I know (though the embassy might remember you as the applicant who withdrew at the last minute and be prejudiced against you). If you withdraw after the start of the scholarship, then you would be unable to apply again until three years pass.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Thank you for always guiding us in anything related to MEXT scholarship. Your blog has helped me a lot.
I passed the first screening and am getting prepared for the next one. I saw some comments saying last year’s students weren’t allowed to visit Japan due to Covid-19, so they are having distance education right now. Do you know how is it for MEXT2022 now? Are we going to stay in our own countries or did Japan start to allow students already?
Hi Jale,
Thank you for your feedback! I am thrilled to hear that the blog has been helpful for you.
Except for a brief period from October to December 2020, Japan’s borders have been closed to all new arrivals since about March 2020. So far, there has been no indication of any changes coming, but I suspect they will not open the borders in general until after the Olympics.
When they do open the borders, MEXT Scholars should be one of the priority groups to be allowed in. You might have to start your program remotely, depending on the situation, but I think there is a good possibility that you will be able to come to Japan at the latest partway through the fall semester.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Hope you are doing well. First of all, I want to thank you for your helpful blog which helped me a lot during the process of 2021 MEXT scholarship.
My name is Maryam and I am from Iran. I tried my chance to get 2021 MEXT scholarship through japan embassy and passed the interview stage successfully. We had less than one month time to get acceptance letter from our desired university In Japan. However, the embassy emphasized that we must emailed not more than two professors at a same time. This regulation took a lot of time from me because it took a lot of time for professors to answer my Emails, so I could not manage it to accept in any university, but the embassy made me sure that the MEXT will surly find a university in japan for me and I will not lose my chance for scholarship at all. After 8 months, I was told by embassy that they could not find any university for me. As you know, we tried hard for this scholarship in order to win it. I wonder if there could be any chance for me to save my Scholarship? Should I connect with MEXT myself and explain them my situation or not? And if yes, how should I have to?
Hi Maryam,
I am very sorry to hear about your situation.
I know that even if you are not able to get a letter of acceptance from any university on your list, MEXT will still try to place you at one of the three universities in your Placement Preference Form. But in your case, it sounds like they were not able to do so.
Unfortunately, there is nothing that you can do in this situation that would save your scholarship application from last year. I am afraid that you would have to apply again.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Maryam, and Hello Travis,
Maryam’s post stood out for me because I was in the exact same situation (I am from Colombia). After applying for a third consecutive time, last year I was successful at the interview stage. I was not able to secure any LoAs and after that had to wait 8 full months for MEXT’s final answer, which turned out to be negative. Since the end of last year when it was clear I failed to get any LoAs I was worried since Travis always says you are quite safe IF you pass the interview and get LoAs (So, if you don’t…). But just as in the situation Maryam described, the embassy told me not to worry and that MEXT would surely find an university for me. It turned out they were wrong.
This rejection is especially costly, because I could not apply this year again (in May/June, i was still “pre-selected” for last year’s scholarship). It is kind of ironic because last year I thought it was not the best time to apply but decided to make the effort as it was not a good idea to let the chance pass and in the worst case I could learn from my mistakes and try again. But it turned out that because of that I ended up losing last year’s AND this year’s chances. While I understand this is a case of bad luck, COVID and the dark side of bureucracy coming together, I think it was also quite inconsiderate to make us wait 8 full months in such an unclear situation.
The curious fact for me is that in both cases, both embassies seemed quite sure MEXT could assign us to a university, in my case they even told me no one in my country before had been rejected at that stage. So I wanted to ask Travis: Could it be that something lately is changing in the selection process? Maybe now the universities are stricter with some requirements?
I do not want to end this post without thanking Travis for his work on the blog as his information and kind answers to everybody were kind of my only light about my situation in this dark 8-month period. And Maryam, I wanted to tell you too you are not alone and I really understand your frustration.
Hi Humberto,
Thank you very much for your feedback.
I appreciate your kind words and I am very sorry to hear about your situation, as well.
My understanding of the process is that if you do not receive any LoAs, then MEXT will still contact the universities on your Placement Preference Form and ask them to accept you. The reason you had to wait so long for an answer is that there is a specific time that they do this in the application schedule and they are not going to process your application any earlier than they do the applicants who had LoAs. MEXT’s process is just painfully slow all around.
What seems to have happened this year was that none of the universities were able to accept your application. Actually, looking back to last year when applicants were applying for Letters of Application, there was already a trend for applicants having a harder time getting those letters. A surprisingly high number of applicants received replies that the professor that they had wanted to work with was retiring and there was nobody else in the field – actually, we seem to be in the midst of a wave of professors reaching retirement age all across the country and since the Japanese college-age population is declining, universities are not hiring replacements at the same pace. I think that is one factor both in why many applicants were not able to get LoAs and why MEXT was ultimately unable to place you.
It could also be a factor that professors are less willing to take on international student advisees until they can be sure that you will be able to come to Japan. Since the borders have been closed almost consistently for over a year now, most international students are studying remotely from their home countries. That makes research supervision a lot more challenging and may have resulted in professors being less willing.
So, I do not think it is a matter of universities being stricter with requirements, I think it is a problem of professor availability and willingness to supervise international students. While this probably comes as no comfort to you, this should be a relatively short-term issue once we get past the retirement wave and borders reopen.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis!
Thank you so much for your resourceful posts and email notifications.
I have been shortlisted for the 2022 MEXT Japanese examination for Research students. Do you have any posts that can enlighten us about what the exam entails? In addition, do you have access to the current past questions of the examination for Research students?
Hi Victor,
The official Study in Japan Website has examples of past exams that you can refer to.
The only exams for Research Students are language proficiency exams in Japanese and English.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for all your support and useful information provided to us.
I would like to ask you a question. I submitted my documents for Master’s degree at the Embassy of Japan and they invited me to take an exam on June 27, 2021, my question is that if I have an interview on the same day I take an exam or it’ll be scheduled on the other day? Thank you!
Hi Nasrullojon,
Congratulations on getting passed the document screening and receiving an invitation to the exam!
If they only mentioned the exam in the invitation, then the interview should be held on a different date. Some embassies conduct the exams and interviews on the same date and some separate them and only invited interview candidates who perform well on the exams.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Mr. Travis,
I passed the document screening and received an E-Mail from the embassy where it says “SECOND SCREENING”. They said that the applicants will do the written exam on a specific date. As far as I know, written exam and interview are very important parts of the Primary Screening. Do you think they made a mistake in writing or have I really just passed the primary screening without the exams ? It is for undergraduates.
Thanks
Hi Marko,
I don’t think it’s a “mistake” so much as confusing wording. The document screening, written exams, and interview are all part of MEXT’s “Primary Screening”. But it sounds like the embassy is referring to each of those steps as the “first screening” “secondary screening” etc.
You have not passed the full Primary Screening yet, but getting past the document screening is a huge first step. Congratulations!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, I am Hannah.
I am currently working in an establishment that is not related to my field of study. Can skip putting my work experience in my application form? Thank you. BTW, your articles has been really helpful. Thanks again.
Hi Hannah,
Thank you for your kind words.
If you are working full time, you should indicate that in your application form. It will not hurt you that your work is not related to your field of study. (It certainly looks better than having an unemployment gap!)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello
Thank you for you blog it helped me a lot
I would like to get some helps about the field of studies which they ask about PAST AND PRESENT field of studies.
I’m aboute to get my bachelor’s degree in accounting and management like my present field and i have no others filed to describe as a past field.
i Want to get more information about this point
Thank you.
Hi Movas,
I have an article all about how to write the Field of Study and Research Program Plan that should help you find the answer to your question.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I want to tell you that here in Morocco the MEXT is not valable this year, and nothing show if it will be on the hands next year. And in what concerning studies I want to know the answer, and thank you.
Hi Widad Nouar,
I am sorry to hear that the scholarship was not available for you this year. I hope this is a temporary issue due to the pandemic and that it will be available again next year!
I’m afraid I didn’t understand your question about concerning studies. Could you clarify what you meant?
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I am a currently Filipino Undergraduate student. I intend to apply for the 2022 Undergraduate Scholarship. It seems that the Undergraduate guidelines released for this year are the same as last year (with very minor changes), and my documents are nearly complete. I would like to ask your opinion however since I have not taken the IELTS or TOEFL or any kind of English proficiency exam. Do you suggest that I submit a “Certificate of English as a Medium of Instruction” in lieu so I can prove my English proficiency and therefore increase my chances?
Hi Zac,
It can’t hurt to submit a certificate like the one that you described, but I would not expect it to make a significant difference in your chances.
You should take an English language proficiency test during the Primary Screening and that would be used to measure/prove your ability for the official evaluation.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, I have received the MEXT scholarship university recommendation for UG, from national univ. and they have asked to go back to my home country and return back with student visa. I live in Japan as dependent and done my schooling.
How this works? does it mean I am already awarded for MEXT, is there any alloted slot for national univ. what if i am unable to travel due to covid. Request your guidance. Thx
Hi Ram,
Congratulations! It sounds like you either received a PGP category scholarship. In general, the only way to get an undergraduate MEXT scholarship is through one of the (few) pre-approved PGP programs. In these programs, MEXT has already pre-approved the universities for a certain number of scholarship slots each year, so once the university nominates you to MEXT, you are essentially guaranteed to get the scholarship.
Also, if you are living in Japan already, then in general, you do need to leave the country once, apply for the special type of Student Visa for MEXT Scholars, then return. However, since Japan is not allowing new international visitors in at the moment (last I heard, the policy for MEXT scholars was still to be decided separately), that seems particularly risky. I would recommend asking the university if there is any exception to allow you to change your residence status while in Japan, due to travel restrictions from COVID-19.
When does your degree start? If you are starting in the fall, you may have a little time for the border situation in Japan to improve, but if it is a Spring 2021 start (in another week or so!) it would be urgent to check now.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for the reply. My semester starts in fall. Few more clarifications.
1. What is PGP, is there any difference “Top General University”?
2. Regarding visa, is the COE to be obtained for MEXT scholar or just the student visa stamping, if so how long will it take to get the visa?
Appreciate your response.
Hi Ram,
1. PGP and Top Global University scholarships are completely different. A university does not need to be a TGU in order to get a PGP program approved. A PGP program is a specific degree program, usually with a limited set of eligibility, approved by MEXT for three years to have a specific number of scholarship slots available. The University does all the selection in that case and once students are nominated they are almost guaranteed to be accepted.
I considered that your scholarship type could also be TGU, but for that type, you would not necessarily need to leave Japan and apply for a new visa, as far as I understand, so that is why I thought you must be in a PGP program.
2. MEXT Scholars do not need a CoE. There is a special approval process for you. I am not sure how long the visa application process takes for MEXT Scholars, but I think it is under two weeks. Hopefully someone else with direct experience can add a comment with the answer!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis, this helps. I shall update the out come and share our experience.
Hi I am Amrita
I am basically Nepalese but living in Japan on dependent Visa. I am BBA graduate and have 2.3 years of working experience in Nepal. Presently, I am looking for MBA courses here in Japan in English medium.
My query is to know whether should I get back to Nepal to apply MEXT scholarship or can I apply from Japan as well?
I would appreciate you if you can answer my question. Thank you.
Hi Amrita,
You can start your application while living in Japan, but you would need to return to your home country during the application process and stay there for at least a few months before the start of the scholarship.
The MEXT Scholarship is typically for applicants who are newly planning to travel to Japan (although the “Top General University” category scholarship is also for students who are already living in Japan, so you might want to target universities where that is available). If you apply via the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, you are going to have to visit the Japanese embassy in your home country during the application process for the test, interview, etc., and also when you apply for your visa.
IF you apply for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, they are going to want to see that you are planning to return to your home country, regardless of the outcome of the scholarship application, at least 2+ months before the start of the scholarship, in general. (Of course, by that time, you would already know they outcome, so you could change your plans, as necessary).
To sum up, in most cases, you are not supposed to be applying from within Japan, but you can do so.
I hope that helps.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz