Scholarships in Japan for International Students

Japan has become a popular destination for international students, with more than 400,000 now studying in the country. Annual tuition at national universities is around ¥535,800, while private universities average about ¥1.1 million. Living costs average about ¥105,000 a month. Fortunately, there are a number of partial or fully-funded Japan scholarships for international students offered by the Japanese government, international organizations and universities. Japanese Government Scholarships for International Students » MEXT Scholarships for Research Students (Graduate) This Japanese government scholarship is for students from countries with diplomatic relations with Japan who want to study at Japanese graduate schools. It exempts tuition, pays round-trip airfare and gives a monthly allowance of about ¥143,000 to ¥145,000. MEXT Scholarships for Undergraduate Students (Bachelor’s) This Japanese government scholarship is for students from countries with diplomatic relations with Japan who want to study at Japanese national universities. It exempts tuition, pays airfare and gives a monthly allowance of ¥117,000. MEXT Young Leaders Program (Master’s) This one-year master’s program at GRIPS is for young public administrators and government officials from participating countries. It waives tuition, pays airfare and gives scholars ¥242,000 a month. Japan Scholarships for Developing Country Students » JDS Scholarship (Master’s and PhD) JDS is a full scholarship for government and target-organization staff, studying in English at Japanese universities. It is open to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Philippines, Kenya, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam. Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program (Postgraduate) ADB-JSP is for citizens of ADB borrowing members who are also eligible for Japan’s development aid. It runs at 27 institutions, 17 of them in Japan, and pays full tuition, a monthly allowance with housing, books, medical insurance and travel. Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship (Master’s) This scholarship is for development professionals from developing countries, at programs on the World Bank’s Window 2 list, including the University of Tokyo, Keio and GRIPS. It pays tuition, a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare plus US$600 per trip, and medical insurance. JFUNU Scholarships for MSc in Sustainability Programme for Developing Country Students (Master’s) The Japan Foundation for UNU scholarship is for students from developing countries admitted to the Master of Science in Sustainability at United Nations University in Tokyo. It pays ¥120,000 a month for up to 24 months, and tuition may also be waived. The Rector’s and Resona Bank scholarships for the same degree pay full tuition and ¥130,000 a month. There is also a separate JFUNU Scholarship for PhD in Sustainability Science. Japanese University Scholarships for International Students » Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) (PhD) Every OIST PhD student is fully funded, whatever their nationality. Financial support starts at about ¥2.6 million a year and rises to about ¥3.6 million, before tax. Campus housing is subsidized, and conference travel is funded separately. Kyoto University International Undergraduate Program (Bachelor’s) Kyoto iUP is a 4.5-year program for non-Japanese citizens, with admission fee waivers and full or partial tuition waivers. Students receive up to ¥120,000 a month during the six-month preparatory course, then merit-based allowances. Tohoku University International Excellence Scholarship (Bachelor’s and Master’s) This new scholarship is for international students enrolling at Tohoku University from 2027 in undergraduate, master’s and professional degree programs. It covers full or half of tuition for about the top third of eligible students in each program. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Tuition Reduction Scholarship APU cuts tuition for international students by 30, 50, 65, 80 or 100% for the standard study period. Only awards of 50% or more meet our funding standard, so check your level before you accept. A separate AP House scholarship covers full dormitory fees for 11 months. The post Top 10 Scholarships in Japan for International Students first appeared on Scholars4DeV.