October 2024
April 2025
October 2025

For reference

Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI[Fusion Science]
Application Guidelines
Contents
I.

Outline: Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies
p. 2

II.

Five-year Doctoral Program: Application Procedures and Important Notes
p. 3

III. Three-year Doctoral Program: Application Procedures and Important Notes
p. 15
IV. List of Faculty Members
p. 26
The following Application Guidelines in English are provided for the purpose of non-JapaneseApplicants' convenience only. In the event of any inconsistency between the Japanese Application
Guidelines and the English version, the Japanese version shall prevail.
Applicants have to require to obtain a booklet of Application Forms. Please contact the address
below to ask for a booklet or any further information.

[Contact Information]
Student Affairs Section, Academic and Student Affairs Division
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
Shonan Village, Hayama, Miura, Kanagawa 240-0193 JAPANE-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp
Telephone number +81-46-858-1525/1526

1

Ⅰ. Outline: Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies

Admission Policy<What SOKENDAI expect of our grad students>
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, seeks students who have a strong interest in
research, who constantly hone their abundant intellect and sensitivity with the aim of conducting researchthat will open up a new era, while taking a “bird's-eye view” of the entire field of study, and who have the will
and enthusiasm to be active on the international stage.
<Basic policy for the selection of our grad students>
In selecting students for admission, SOKENDAI places importance on basic academic ability and logicalthinking ability to actively promote research in the cutting-edge 20 research institutes affiliated to SOKENDAI.
In order to properly judge such abilities, various selections will be made according to the respective fields ofspecialization.
About SOKENDAI

https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/features/
Faculty Directory
https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/faculty-directory/index.html
Coursehttps://www.soken.ac.jp/en/education/curriculum/course/

Requirements for Graduation
https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/education/curriculum/requirement/
Degree: Apply to Doctor (Katei-Hakase)https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/education/degree/doctor/index.html

2

Ⅱ. Five-year Doctoral Program: Application Procedures and Important Notes

1

Number of Students Accepted
Number of Students Accepted
ProgramApril Admission

October Admission

Informatics

Around 8

A few

Statistical Science

Around 2

A few

Particle and Nuclear Science

Around 6

A few

Accelerator Science

Around 2

A few

Astronomical Science

Around 5

Fusion Science

Around 3

A few

Space and Astronautical Science

Around 4

A few

Molecular Science

Around 7

Materials structure Science

Around 2

Polar Science

Around 2

Basic Biology

Around 5

A few

Physiological Sciences

Around 3

A few

Genetics

Around 6

A few

Integrative Evolutionary Science

Around 3

A few

Total

2

A few

58

Qualifications for Application

Applicants must fulfill one of the following conditions
Applicants who are not required to have qualification screening;(1) Applicants who have graduated or are expected to graduate from a Japanese university specified in Article
83 of the School Education Law by the preceding month of enrollment.
(2) Applicants on whom a Bachelor’s degree has been conferred or are expected to be conferred by thepreceding month of enrollment in accordance with Article 104, Paragraph 4 of the School Educational Law.
*1(3) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete 16-year course of school education in aforeign country by the preceding month of enrollment.
(4) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete 16-year course of school education in aforeign country by taking the correspondence courses provided by a school in said foreign country while
residing in Japan by the preceding month of enrollment.
3(5) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete a program in an educational institute in Japan
designated separately by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, that provides
programs of a foreign university within the 16-year school education of said foreign country, by thepreceding month of the enrollment. This applies solely to those who have completed 16-year program ofschool education in said foreign country.
(6) Applicants who have been conferred or are expected to be conferred a degree equivalent to a Bachelor’s
degree by the preceding month of enrollment by completing an educational course of three or more years
in a foreign university or in a foreign educational institute; which shall be evaluated by an organization
approved by a relevant official institution in the country for their education and research activities, orrecognized as so by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The course shall
include a correspondence course which enables students to study in Japan by a university or an
educational institute which is approved by the educational system of the country and satisfy the above
requirements.
(7) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete the specialized course of a vocational school
designated separately by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in accordancewith Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Law, Article 155, paragraph 1, item 5 (limited toprograms for which the term of study is four years or more, and which satisfies the standards determinedby the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) on or after the date determined by
the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or by the preceding month ofenrollment.
(8) Applicants who are designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology inaccordance with Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Law, Article 155, paragraph 1, item 6(i.e., Ministry of Education Notification number 5, 1953) *2
Applicants who are required to have qualification screening before the general application can besubmitted;(9) Applicants who fulfill any of the following provisions (a) to (c) below, and have been recognized by
SOKENDAI as having acquired the specified credits with excellent results;(a) Applicants who have completed 15-year course of school education in a foreign country by the end of
preceding month of enrollment,(b) Applicants who have completed 15-year course of school education in a foreign country by taking thecorrespondence courses provided by a school in said foreign country while residing in Japan,(c) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete a program in an educational institute inJapan designated separately by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,
that provides courses of a foreign university within the 15-year school education of said foreign country,
by the preceding month of the enrollment. This applies solely to those who have completed 15-year
course of school education in said foreign country.
(10) Applicants who have been or will have been enrolled in a Japanese university specified in Article 83 of the
School Education Law for at least three years by the end of preceding month of enrollment, and have been4

recognized by SOKENDAI as having acquired the specified credits of said university with excellent results.
(11) Applicants who have entered a graduate school other than SOKENDAI in accordance with the Article 102,
paragraph 2 of the School Education Law, and have been recognized by SOKENDAI as having theappropriate academic ability to follow the content of graduate coursework.
(12) Applicants who have been recognized as having academic ability equivalent to a university graduate or
higher by the individual screening of Admission Qualifications of SOKENDAI, and attain the age of 22 by
the end of preceding month of enrollment. *3*1

Applicants to whom the provision (2) above applies are those on whom a Bachelor’s degree has been

conferred or is expected to be conferred by National Institute for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancementof Higher Education (formerly, National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation).
*2

Applicants to whom the provision (8) above applies are those who have graduated or are expected tograduate from a university under Old University Ordinances, or Daigakko under orders for organization and actsof establishment of government ministries or agencies.
*3

Applicants to whom the provision (12) above applies are those who have graduated or are expected tograduate from junior college, technical college, vocational school, other schools, Japan campus of foreign
university, foreigners’ school in Japan and other educational institutes, and who have been recognized by
SOKENDAI as having academic ability equivalent to a university graduate or higher by individual screening.
If you have any questions regarding the qualification for admission, please contact the Student Affairs Section(E-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp or telephone no.: +81-46-858-1525/1526) in advance.
3

Qualification Screening for Application

Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (9) to (12) in “2 Qualifications for Application” are required
to submit the following documents to the Student Affairs Section by the designated deadline. Application
documents shall be withheld until the qualification screening is completed.
(1) Documents Required for Qualification Screening for Application(a) Application for Certifying Applicant’s Qualification (Attached Form 7-1)(b) Application documents (as described in “5 Application Documents” below)
Examination fee, however, should be paid after application qualification is approved.
(c) Other documents required by this program. For details, please contact to Program office.
(a), (b) and (c) above must be submitted all together.
(2) Application Period for Qualification Screening
First round
Second round

Application Period
October 2024 Admission
June 3 (Monday) to
April 2025 Admission
June 6 (Thursday), 2024
April 2025 Admission
November 5 (Tuesday) to
October 2025 Admission
November 7 (Thursday), 2024

The application must arrive no later than the last day of the application period without fail.
It must be received during 09:00～12:00, 13:00～17:00 on weekdays of the application period.
5(3) Procedure for Qualification Screening
The complete set of application documents should be sent by postal mail in a commercially available
envelope (33cm x 24cm) with the prescribed label in the booklet pasted. Please be sure to send it byregistered express mail. Applicants should write “Application Documents and Application for Certifying
Applicant’s Qualification Enclosed” in red ink on the face of the envelope. The application must reach
SOKENDAI no later than the last day of the application period.
(4) Result of Qualification Screening for Application
The result of Qualification Screening for Application shall be notified prior to the application period.
Applicants who have been approved by the screening should send in the payment for the examination fee
in accordance with Form 8. After remittance is completed, please submit Form 8 on which the remittancereceipt is attached.
4

Application Procedure

Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (1) to (8) in “2 Qualifications for Application” are required tosubmit the following documents to the Student Affairs Section by the designated deadline.
(1) Application Period
First round
Second round

Application Period
October 2024 Admission
June 27 (Thursday) to
April 2025 Admission
July 3 (Wednesday), 2024
April 2025 Admission
December 5 (Thursday) to
October 2025 Admission
December 11 (Wednesday), 2024

The application must arrive no later than the last day of the application period without fail.
It must be received during 09:00～12:00, 13:00～17:00 on weekdays of the application period.
(2) Application Method
In principle, the complete set of application documents should be sent by postal mail in acommercially available envelope (33cm x 24cm) with the prescribed label in the booklet pasted.
Please be sure to send it by registered express mail. The application must reach SOKENDAI no later
than the last day of the application period. Please note that application documents will not be accepted byany parent institute or program office.
Mailing address:
Student Affairs Section, Academic and Student Affairs Division
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
Shonan Village, Hayama, Miura, Kanagawa 240-0193 JAPAN
Telephone number +81-46-858-1525/1526
5

Application Documents
Please read through the “Important Notes”．The course subjects and the faculty members beforehand. Also,
application forms must be completed with a black or blue pen or ballpoint pen (erasable pens are notacceptable).
6

(1) Application form and admission ticket for the examination (Form 1-A)
Please attach two identical photographs (4.5cm by 3.5cm taken within the past three months, upper
body, full-faced with no hat) on Form 1-A. Please read through the application guidelines and sign yourname in agreement with the contents.
(2) Academic transcripts (original)(a) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (1) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit academic transcripts from the undergraduate school. In case any of the credits wasapproved after transferred to the undergraduate school, academic transcripts from the technicalcollege or other college are also required.
(b) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (2) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit all the academic transcripts concerning the Bachelor’s degree.
(c) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (3) to (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application”
must submit the academic transcripts from the foreign undergraduate school.
(d) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (10) to (12) in “2 Qualifications for Application”
must submit the academic transcript from their final academic background.
(3) Certificate of (expected) graduation (original)(a) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (1) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit the certificate of graduation from the university which a Bachelor’s degree has been
conferred from.
(b) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (2) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit the certificate from National Institute for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement ofHigher Education (formerly, National Institute for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation).
(c) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (3) to (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application”
must submit the certificate of (expected) graduation from the foreign undergraduate school.
(d) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (10) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit the school-certificate, and applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (11) and (12)in “2 Qualifications for Application” must submit the certificate of graduation of their final academic
background.
(4) Statement of Purpose (Form 2)
Applicants who apply to a second-choice program must copy and prepare the form for the secondchoice program separately.
(5) Examination fee of 30,000 yen
For payment details, please refer to Form 8. MEXT scholarship students do not have to bear theexamination fee, therefore certificate of MEXT scholarship student status is required.
(6) Recipient’s address labels (Form 9)
Applicants who live outside Japan must contact the Student Affairs Section in advance. [E-mail:gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp](7) Confirmation Letter regarding the Applicability of the Specific Categories for Compliance with Article7

25(1) and (2) of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Form10)
Applicants residing in Japan must submit Form 10. Please refer to the simple check flow chart (*) tocomplete the form. For details, please contact the Research Coordination Section. [E-mail:kenkyo@ml.soken.ac.jp]* https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/file/tokuteiruikei-E.pdf(8) Application for language request for the examination of major subjects (Form 11)(9) TOEFL/TOEIC/IELTS score
Please select how to submit your English score on Form 13-1. Refer to “Important Notes for Applicants”.
(10) LETTER PACK PLUS
We will send Admission ticket for the examination by "LETTER PACK PLUS." Please purchase"LETTER PACK PLUS" at the post office in Japan. Applicants who live outside Japan must contact theStudent Affairs Section in advance. [E-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp](11) Curriculum Vitae (Form 1-2)
Only for international applicants and Japanese applicants who have received their education outsideJapan(12) Documents certifying the applicant’s research abilities, such as thesis, research reports and othermaterials are also accepted, if applicable.
Applicants who apply to the second-choice program must submit another set of copy of the documents
for the second-choice program separately.
(13) Permission for Studying While in Employment (Form 6)
Applicants who are currently employed full-time are required to submit Permission for Studying Whilein Employment (Form 6). In case the permission cannot be obtained or the applicant intends to resign
before enrollment, s/he may submit a statement of reason sealed by her/himself. In this case, “Letter of
Permission to be enrolled while employed” or “Certificate of Resign” must be submitted at the time ofadmission.
(14) A copy of Residence Card (international applicants residing in Japan) or
A copy of passport (international applicants residing outside Japan at the time of application)
Notes:i.

Incomplete documents shall not be accepted. No documents shall be returned.

ii.

In case the applicant’s name has changed after marriage etc., a copy of family register should be
attached.

iii.

Form 2 is also downloadable at our website

https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/application_info/fusion/index.html
iv.

Application documents should be written in Japanese or English. If you submit the certificate neither
in Japanese nor English, please also attach the certificate in Japanese or English.

v.

Applicants who are (were) in the doctoral or master's program must submit a transcript of the doctoralor master's program. Applicants who have graduated from a doctoral or master's program must submit
a certificate of graduation. Applicants who have withdrawn from the doctoral or master's program must8

submit a withdrawal certificate.
6

Screening Procedures
The screening will be conducted based on submitted application documents and results of academic tests.
For the details of the screening methods for this program, please refer to “Important Notes for Applicants”.
If you apply to more than two programs, please note that screening is conducted individually, and the date orvenue may differ depending on the screening.

First round
Second round

October 2024 Admission
April 2025 Admission
April 2025 Admission
October 2025 Admission

Examination Date
Subsequent 2 days between August 20 (Tuesday) and August
23 (Friday), 2024
Subsequent 2 days between January 14 (Tuesday) andJanuary 17 (Friday), 2025

Note: Detailed information about the time and place of the examination will be provided with theadmission ticket for the exam. In case the ticket shall not be delivered one week prior to the date of
examination, please contact the Student Affairs Section. Please see the following website for the delivery
schedule of admission ticket.

https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/application_info/fusion/index.html
Venue of the examination
Program

Location and Directions

Fusion Science< The examination will be conducted online.>
National Institute for Fusion Science322-6, Oroshi-cho Toki-city, GIFU

7

509-5292

Announcement of Results
First round
Second round

Notification
October 2024 Admission
April 2025 Admission
April 2025 Admission
October 2025 Admission

Mid-September 2024
Late February 2025

Further details will be sent to applicants.
Results will be mailed to the successful applicants. Announcement of results will be made on the SOKENDAI
website (https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/general_admission/result/index.html), however, results shallbe confirmed by mailed notification. Inquiries regarding the results by telephone or other means will not be
responded to.
8

Admission Procedures(1) Admission period is scheduled as below:
Late September 2024 for the enrollment of October 2024
Early to mid-March 2025 for the enrollment of April 2025
Late September 2025 for the enrollment of October 2025
Successful applicants must complete the admission procedures during the prescribed period. Further
9details will be notified to successful applicants separately.
(2) Fees required for admission are as follows.
Entrance Fee: JPY 282,000
Tuition Fee for six months: JPY 267,900
Student Insurance Fee for five years: JPY 5,750(Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research)
Note:(a) In case the entrance or tuition fees are revised at the time of or during enrollment, the revised fees
shall be applied from the date of revision.
(b) Entrance fees shall not be refunded under any circumstances once the payment is made. Premiumfor the student insurance, however, may be refunded only if applicants decline the admission by the
cut-off dates as blow:
September 30, 2024 for the enrollment of October 2024
March 31, 2025 for the enrollment of April 2025
September 30, 2025 for the enrollment of October 2025
(3) Applicants who are currently employed full-time should submit a “Letter of Approval” issued by the employer
that acknowledges the enrollment while employed. Resignation certificate must be submitted if you resign
before you enroll at SOKENDAI.
(4) Applicants who are enrolled at a school other than SOKENDAI at the time of application (not including
applicants who will have graduated/completed the school before you enroll at SOKENDAI) must submit thecertificate of withdrawal from said school.
(5) Foreign nationals are strongly advised to acquire a student visa unless a particular reason would prohibit
them from doing so. Detailed information on how to acquire this type of visa is available on the SOKENDAI’s
website: http://www.soken.ac.jp/en/campuslife/international/immigration/
9Long-term course system
Long-term course system is a planned course of study for a certain period of time beyond the standard
period of study upon request from the student, who has an occupation or other circumstances. For further
information, please contact the Educational Affairs Section.
E-mail: kyomu@ml.soken.ac.jp, or Fax: +81-46-858-1632

10

General Notes(1) Before applying and taking the entrance examination, applicants should read through “Important Notes forApplicants”.
(2) Submitted documents shall not be returned. No changes or alternations to the submitted documents will be
accepted after filing.
(3) Admission might be revoked in case of any false entry or act of dishonesty on application documents andother documents.
10(4) Applicants who wish to transfer to SOKENDAI from other graduate school must contact Student Affairs
Section before the last day of the application period.
(5) Applicants with disabilities who require special consideration at the examination and after enrollment areadvised to inform SOKENDAI three months prior to the application period.
(6) Applicants should inform the Student Affairs Section if they wish to withdraw their applications.
(7) In case the applicant has changed the mailing address after submitting the application documents, please
inform the Student Affairs Section of the change.
E-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp, or Fax: +81-46-858-1632(8) Students are not allowed to simultaneously register at other universities while studying at SOKENDAI.
(9) For applicants with foreign nationality, if your name contains characters from your native language, thesecharacters may be replaced with the Roman alphabet for administrative purposes.
(10)Please be sure to check our website for any changes in the method of admission selection due to the impact
of new coronavirus infection or other factors.
11

Security Export Control
Based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (*), SOKENDAI has established regulations andconducts examinations for the provision of technology and the acceptance of researchers and students. For
this reason, if it is deemed that there is a risk of falling under regulations, you may be required to change
your desired education or research content. Security Export Control regulations has nothing to do with
passing or failing the entrance examination. Please consult the program office for further details.
* https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/anpo/englishpage.html

12

Privacy Policy(1) Any personal information including applicant’s name and address submitted to SOKENDAI as part of theapplication documents shall be used during the application process such as applicant/examination
procedures, notification of results and admission procedures. After enrollment, personal information shallalso be used for student affairs (school register and course registration), student services (health care,tuition exemption and scholarship application, and career support) and administrative purposes ofprocessing payments for entrance and tuition fees.
(2) Personal information obtained in the screening process such as examination results, shall be used for
aggregate analyses of examination results and research for use in the screening process.

11

Important Notes for Applicants to Fusion Science Program(Five-year Doctoral Program)
Graduate students in the Fusion Science Program will learn about fusion science from the basics to the leadingedge level to conduct experimental and theoretical research on plasma confinement for the early realization offusion reactors, theoretical and simulation research using supercomputers, and fusion engineering research.
Fusion science is such an interdisciplinary major field that all undergraduate education can be found useful.
This course invites students who have a broad perspective as well as a willingness to explore research themesin depth.
1. Research field selection
Applicants are to choose a program consulting the description of the research contents of our faculty memberson this guideline, along with our website (https://soken.ac.jp/en/about/), and state the name of the division within
the program you have chosen (you may write your first and second choices). If you are not sure which supervisor
to work with at the point of submitting an application, you may decide after enrollment, so please indicate"undecided". It is also accepted to visit the institute before applying to learn about the contents of our researchand education programs. Those who wish to do so may contact the office below.
You may apply for up to two programs at the same time, and the second choice can be chosen from the
Astronomical Science Program, the Space and Astronautical Science Program, the Molecular Science Program,
the Materials Structure Science Program, the Basic Biology Program, the Physiological Sciences Program or
the Integrative Evolutionary Science Program. However, since the selection process is conducted for eachprogram, please be aware of the examination schedules and venues when applying for two programs.
2. Selection Method
Screening is conducted by examining submitted documents, results of written examination (day one) andinterview (day two).
1) Paper screening: transcripts and other supplemental materials2) Written examination (day one):
Test
Subjects
EnglishDateSpecialsubjects

13:30 – 16:30 (3 hours)

Description of examination and remarks
Submit an official TOEIC (IP test also acceptable) certificate with ascore of 586 or higher (or score report in case of IP test) or an official
TOEFL-iBT score report with a score of 61 or higher. Scores within
two years of the last day of the application period will be consideredvalid.
There will be questions from classical mechanics, electromagnetism,statistical thermodynamics, mathematics, electrical engineering, fiveof them in total. Applicants are to choose three questions out of theabove and answer.
(It is not allowed to bring anything other than writing materials.)

Applicants who acquire the score of 586 in TOEIC or higher or the score of 61 in TOEFL-iBT or higher in12the last three years from the first day of the examination may be exempted for the written English test by
the following procedure.
Submit Form 13-1 in the application (use the Form sheet inserted additionally, not the Form sheet boundin this book) and the original of one of the following documents. The submitted original document will be
returned by the day of the examination, after being photocopied.
・In the case of the TOEFL score, submit the original TOEFL Official Score Report.
・In the case of the TOEIC score, submit the original TOEIC Official Score Certificate (group examinations
such as IP tests are not acceptable).
Be advised that if the applicant fails to submit the original TOEFL Official Score Report or the original TOEIC
Official Score Certificate or the submitted score does not satisfy the requirement, he or she will not be
considered for admission, even having sent the Form 13-1.
3) Interview (day two):
Applicants are asked to explain their motivation for application and hopes and plans after entering the school.
3. Criteria for the admission decision
The admission decision is made by comprehensively considering application documents, results of written
examination, and interview.
4. In case of emergency
1) When the schedule and/or the details of the examination are determined to be changed due to some disasters
or extraordinary weather, the information will be informed on the website of Department of Fusion Science. In
some cases, the information will be directly informed to the applicants by phone from the number 0572-58-2042.
2) When the examination cannot help being postponed, the examination dates will be rescheduled as follows.
Dates for the postponed examination

Dates for the ordinary examination

Subsequent 2 days between August 21 (Wednesday) andAugust 20 (Tuesday) and August 21 (Wednesday), 2024

August 23 (Friday), 2024

January 14 (Tuesday) and January 15 (Wednesday), 2025

Subsequent 2 days between January 15 (Wednesday) andJanuary 17 (Friday), 2025

5. Financial support
There is a program to partially support students with admission or tuition fees. Please inquire for further
information.

13

6. Contact details for inquiries
Graduate Student Affairs Section
Research Support Division
National Institute for Fusion Science,
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
Oroshi-cho 322-6, Toki-city, Gifu
509-5292 Japan
TEL: +81-572-58-2042, 2843

FAX: +81-572-58-2603

E-mail: daigakuin@nifs.ac.jp
URL: https://soken.nifs.ac.jp/en/

14

Ⅳ. Three-year Doctoral Program and Important Notes

1

Number of Students Accepted
Number of Students Accepted
ProgramApril Admission
Anthropological Studies

Around 4

Japanese Studies

Around 3

Japanese History

Around 3

Japanese Literature

Around 2

Japanese Language Science

Around 3

Informatics

Around 12

A few

Statistical Science

Around 6

A few

Particle and Nuclear Science

Around 1

A few

Accelerator Science

Around 1

A few

Astronomical Science

Around 1

A few

Fusion Science

Around 2

A few

Space and Astronautical Science

Around 3

A few

Molecular Science

Around 5

A few

Materials structure Science

Around 1

A few

Global Environmental Studies

Around 2

Polar Science

Around 1

A few

Basic Biology

Around 3

A few

Physiological Sciences

Around 6

A few

Genetics

Around 2

A few

Integrative Evolutionary Science

Around 1

A few

Total

2

October Admission

62

Qualifications for Application
Applicants must fulfill one of the following conditions
Applicants who are not required to have qualification screening;(1) Applicants who hold or are expected to obtain a Master’s degree or a Professional degree by thepreceding month of enrollment.
(2) Applicants on whom a Master’s degree or a degree equivalent to a Professional degree has been15

conferred or is expected to be conferred in a foreign country by the preceding month of enrollment.
(3) Applicants who have completed the correspondence courses provided by a school in a foreign country
while residing in Japan, and have been conferred or are expected to be conferred a Master’s degree ora degree equivalent to a Professional degree by the preceding month of enrollment.
(4) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete a program in an educational institute inJapan that provides courses from a foreign graduate school within the school education system of said
foreign country, and that is designated separately by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology, and have been conferred or are expected to be conferred a Master’s degree or a degree
equivalent to a Professional degree by the preceding month of enrollment.
(5) Applicants who have completed a course at the United Nations University and have been conferred orare expected to be conferred a degree equivalent to a Master’s degree by the preceding month ofenrollment, in accordance with the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Law, Article 156,Item
4.
(6) Applicants who have completed a course of study at a school in a foreign country or an educational
institute that has graduate school in a foreign country or the United Nations University, and have passed
or will have passed the examinations and screening equivalent to those specified in Article 16-2 of theStandards for Establishment of Graduate Schools (1974 Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Ordinance Number 28), and who have been or will have been recognized by SOKENDAI as having
academic abilities equivalent to those who have a Master’s degree.
Applicants who are required to have qualification screening before the general application can besubmitted;(7) Applicants who have graduated from a university and have been or will have been engaged in researchat a university or a research institute for at least two years by the preceding month of the enrollment, andhave been recognized by SOKENDAI as having academic ability equivalent to or superior to those whohave a Master’s degree or a Professional degree based on said research achievement.
(8) Applicants who have completed 16-year course of school education in a foreign country or 16-year courseof school education by taking the correspondence courses provided by a school in a foreign country while
residing in Japan, and thereafter, have been or will have been engaged in research at a university or a
research institute for at least two years by the preceding month of the enrollment, and have beenrecognized by SOKENDAI as having academic ability equivalent to or superior to those who have a
Master’s degree or a Professional degree based on said research achievement.
(9) Applicants who have been recognized by SOKENDAI as having academic ability equivalent to or superior
to those who have a Master’s degree or a Professional degree by the individual screening of Admission
Qualifications of SOKENDAI, and attain the age of 24 by the end of preceding month of enrollment.
If you have any questions regarding the qualification for admission, please contact the Student Affairs Section(E-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp or telephone no.: +81-46-858-1525/1526) in advance.

16

3

Qualification Screening for Application(1) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (7) to (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application” arerequired to submit the following documents to Student Affairs Section by the designated deadline.
Application documents shall be withheld until the qualification screening is completed.
(2) Applicants who wish to apply under the provisions (7) to (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application” arerequired to submit the following documents for screening to be recognized as “having academic ability
equivalent to those who have a Master’s degree or a Professional degree”. An interview may be
conducted if necessary.
(a) Documents Required for Qualification Screening for Application(ⅰ) Application for Certifying Applicant’s Qualification (Form 7-2)(ⅱ) Application Documents as specified in "5 Application Documents”.
Examination Fee, however, should be paid after the application is approved.
(ⅲ) Other documents required by this program. Please consult Program office for details.
(ⅰ)(ⅱ) and (ⅲ) above should be submitted all together. Please note that applicants might be asked
to submit other documents by the program.
(b)

Application Period for Qualification Screening

First round
Second round

Application Period
October 2024 Admission
June 3 (Monday) to
April 2025 Admission
June 6 (Thursday), 2024
April 2025 Admission
November 5 (Tuesday) to
October 2025 Admission
November 7 (Thursday), 2024

The application must arrive no later than the last day of the application period without fail.
It must be received during 09:00～12:00, 13:00～17:00 on weekdays of the application period.
(c)Procedure for Qualification Screening
The complete set of application documents should be sent by postal mail in a commercially available
envelope (33cm x 24cm) with the prescribed label in the booklet pasted. Please be sure to send it byregistered express mail. Applicants should write “Application Documents and Application for Certifying
Applicant’s Qualification Enclosed” in red ink on the face of the envelope. If the application documents
do not fit in an envelope, they may be sent in a box. However, even in this case, please send the
documents by traceable mail. The application must reach SOKENDAI no later than the last day of theapplication period.

(d)Result of Qualification Screening for Application
The result of Qualification Screening for Application shall be notified prior to the application period.
Applicants who have been approved by the screening should send in the payment for the examination
fee in accordance with Form 8. After the remittance is completed, please submit Form 8 on which theremittance receipt is attached.

17

4

Application Procedure

Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (1) to (5) in “2 Qualifications for Application” are required tosubmit the following documents to the Student Affairs Section by the designated deadline.
(1) Application Period
First round
Second round

Application Period
October 2024 Admission
June 27 (Thursday) to
April 2025 Admission
July 3 (Wednesday), 2024
April 2025 Admission
December 5 (Thursday) to
October 2025 Admission
December 11 (Wednesday), 2024

The application must arrive no later than the last day of the application period without fail.
It must be received during 09:00～12:00, 13:00～17:00 on weekdays of the application period.
(2) Application Method
In principle, the complete set of application documents should be sent by postal mail in acommercially available envelope (33cm x 24cm) with the prescribed label in the booklet pasted.
Please be sure to send it by registered express mail. If the application documents do not fit in an
envelope, they may be sent in a box. However, even in this case, please send the documents by traceable
mail. The application must reach SOKENDAI no later than the last day of the application period. Please
note that application documents will not be accepted by any parent institute or program office.
Mailing address:
Student Affairs Section, Academic and Student Affairs Division
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
Shonan Village, Hayama, Miura, Kanagawa, 240-0193 JAPAN5

Application Documents

Prior contact with the prospective supervisor of your choice is required in order to apply.
Please read through the “Important Notes for Applicants” beforehand. Also, application forms must be completedwith a black or blue pen or ballpoint pen (erasable pens are not acceptable).
(1) Application form and Admission Ticket for the Examination (Form 1-B)
Please attach two identical photographs (4.5cm by 3.5cm taken within the past three months, upper body,full-faced with no hat) on Form 1-B. Please read through the application guidelines and sign your name inagreement with the contents.
(2) Academic transcripts (original)(a) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (1) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must submit
the academic transcript from the graduate school or the Professional graduate school, and that from theundergraduate school. In case any of the credits was approved after transferred to the undergraduate
school, academic transcripts from the technical college or other college are also required.
(b) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (2) to (6) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit the academic transcript from the graduate school in said foreign country (a Master’s degree or a
Professional degree) and that from the undergraduate school concerning the Bachelor’s degree.
18

(c) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (7) to (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit the academic transcript from their final academic background.
(3) Certificate of (expected) graduation (original)(a) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (1) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must submit acertificate of (expected) graduation from the graduate school which a Master’s degree or a Professional
degree has been conferred from.
(b) Applicants who intend to apply under the provision (2) to (5) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit the certificate of (expected) graduation from the foreign graduate school.
(c) Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (6) to (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application” must
submit a certificate of graduation of their final academic background.
(4) Summary of Previous Research Experience (Form 3)(5) List of Research Presentations and Publications (Form 4)(6) Research Proposal (Form 5)
Applicants who apply to a second-choice program must copy and prepare the form for the second-choiceprogram separately.
(7) Examination fee of 30,000 yen
For payment details, please refer to Form 8. MEXT scholarship students do not have to bear theexamination fee, therefore, a certificate of MEXT scholarship student status is required.
If not applicable, specify “None” and submit the Form.
(8) Recipient’s address labels (Form 9)
Applicants who live outside Japan must contact the Student Affairs Section in advance. [E-mail:gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp](9) Confirmation Letter regarding the Applicability of the Specific Categories for Compliance with Article 25(1)and (2) of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Form 10)
Applicants residing in Japan must submit Form 10. Please refer to the simple check flow chart (*) tocomplete the form. For details, please contact the Research Coordination Section. [E-mail:kenkyo@ml.soken.ac.jp]* https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/file/tokuteiruikei-E.pdf(10) LETTER PACK PLUS
We will send Admission ticket for the examination by "LETTER PACK PLUS." Please purchase "LETTERPACK PLUS" at the post office in Japan. Applicants who live outside Japan must contact the Student Affairs
Section in advance. [E-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp](11) Curriculum Vitae (Form 1-2)
Only for international applicants and Japanese applicants who have received their education outside Japan(12) Two copies of Master’s thesis
Applicants who have (or are expected to obtain) a Master’s degree or a Professional degree are required
to submit the Master’s thesis. Specify “Master’s thesis” on the upper-right corner of the front page in red ink.
Applicants who apply to the second-choice program must submit another set of copy of the Master’s thesis
19

for the second-choice program separately.
(13) Two copies of academic publications (if any)
Applicants who apply to the second-choice program must submit another set of copy of the academic
publications for the second-choice program separately.
(14) Permission for Studying While in Employment (Form 6)
Applicants who are currently employed full-time are required to submit Permission for Studying While in
Employment (Form 6). In case the permission cannot be obtained or the applicant intends to resign before
enrollment, s/he may instead submit a statement of reason with her/his signature.
(15) A copy of Residence Card (international applicants residing in Japan), orA copy of passport (international applicants residing outside Japan at the time of application)
Notes
i.

Incomplete documents shall not be accepted. No documents shall be returned.

ii.

In case the applicant’s name has changed after marriage etc., a copy of family register should be
attached.

iii.

Form 3, 4, and 5 are also downloadable at our website.

https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/application_info/fusion/index.html
iv.

Application documents should be written in Japanese or English. If you submit the certificate neither
in Japanese nor English, please also attach the certificate in Japanese or English.

v.

Applicants who are (were) in the doctoral program must submit a transcript of the doctoral program.
Applicants who have graduated from a doctoral program must submit a certificate of graduation.
Applicants who have withdrawn from the doctoral program must submit a withdrawal certificate.

6

Screening Procedures

Screening will be conducted based on submitted application documents and results of academic tests. For
details of the screening methods for this program, please refer to “Important Notes for Applicants”.
If you apply to more than two programs, please note that screening is conducted individually, and the date orvenue may differ depending on the screening.
First round
Second round

October 2024 Admission
April 2025 Admission
April 2025 Admission
October 2025 Admission

Examination Date
Subsequent 2 days between August 20 (Tuesday) andAugust 23 (Friday), 2024
Subsequent 2 days between January 14 (Tuesday) andJanuary 17 (Friday), 2025

Detailed information about the time and place of the examination will be provided with the admission ticket
for the exam. In case the ticket shall not be delivered one week prior to the date of examination, pleasecontact the Student Affairs Section. Please see the following website for the delivery schedule of admission
ticket.

https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/application_info/fusion/index.html

20Venue of the examination
Program

Location and Directions

Fusion Science< The examination will be conducted online.>

National Institute for Fusion Science322-6, Oroshi-cho Toki-city, GIFU 509-5292

7

Announcement of Results
First round
Second round

Notification
October 2024 Admission
April 2025 Admission
April 2025 Admission
October 2025 Admission

Mid-September 2024
Late February 2025

Further details will be sent to applicants.
Results will be mailed to the successful applicants. Announcement of results will be made on the SOKENDAI
website (https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/general_admission/result/index.html), however, results shallbe confirmed by mailed notification. Inquiries regarding the results by telephone or other means will not be
responded.
8

Admission Procedures(1) Admission procedures period is scheduled as below:
Late of September 2024 for the enrollment of October 2024
Early to mid-March 2025 for the enrollment of April 2025
Late of September 2025 for the enrollment of October 2025
Successful applicants must complete the admission procedures during the prescribed period. Further
details will be notified to successful applicants separately.
(2) Fees required for admission are as follows.
Entrance Fee: JPY 282,000
Tuition Fee for six months: JPY 267,900
Student Insurance Fee for three years: JPY 3,620(Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research)
Note:(a) In case the entrance or tuition fees are revised at the time of or during enrollment, the revised fees
shall be applied from the date of revision.
(b) Entrance fees shall not be refunded under any circumstances once the payment is made. Premiumfor the student insurance, however, may be refunded only if applicants decline the admission by the
cut-off dates as blow:
September 30, 2024 for the enrollment of October 2024
March 31, 2025 for the enrollment of April 2025
September 30, 2025 for the enrollment of October 2025
(3) Applicants who are currently employed full-time should submit the “Letter of Approval” issued by the21

employer that acknowledges the enrollment while employed. Resignation certificate must be submitted if
you resign before you enroll at SOKENDAI.
(4) Applicants who are enrolled at a school other than SOKENDAI at the time of application (not including
applicants who will have graduated/completed the school before you enroll at SOKENDAI) must submit thecertificate of withdrawal from said school.
(5) Foreign nationals are strongly advised to acquire a student visa unless particular reason would prohibit
them from doing so. Detailed information on how to acquire this type of visa is available on the SOKENDAI’s
website: http://www.soken.ac.jp/en/campuslife/international/immigration/
9Long-term course system
Long-term course system is a planned course of study for a certain period of time beyond the standard
period of study upon request from the student, who has an occupation or other circumstances. For further
information, please contact the Educational Affairs Section.
E-mail: kyomu@ml.soken.ac.jp, or Fax: +81-46-858-1632

10

General Notes(1) Before applying and taking the entrance examination, applicants should read through “Important Notes forApplicants”.
(2) Submitted documents shall not be returned. No changes or alternations to the submitted documents will be
accepted after filing.
(3) Admission might be revoked in case of any false entry or act of dishonesty on application documents andother documents.
(4) Applicants who wish to transfer to SOKENDAI from other graduate school must contact Student Affairs
Section before the last day of the application period.
(5) Applicants with disabilities who require special consideration at the examination and after enrollment areadvised to inform SOKENDAI three months prior to the application period.
(6) Applicants should inform the Student Affairs Section if they wish to withdraw their application.
(7) In case the applicant has changed the mailing address after submitting the application documents, please
inform the Student Affairs Section of the change.
E-mail: gakusei@ml.soken.ac.jp, or Fax: +81-46-858-1632(8) Students are not allowed to simultaneously register at other universities while studying at SOKENDAI.
(9) For applicants with foreign nationality, if your name contains characters from your native language, thesecharacters may be replaced with the Roman alphabet for administrative purposes.
(10)Please be sure to check our website for any changes in the method of admission selection due to the impact
of new coronavirus infection or other factors.
11

Security Export Control
Based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (*), SOKENDAI has established regulations and22

conducts examinations for the provision of technology and the acceptance of researchers and students.
For this reason, if it is deemed that there is a risk of falling under regulations, you may be required tochange your desired education or research content. Security Export Control regulations has nothing to dowith passing or failing the entrance examination. Please consult the program office for further details.
* https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/anpo/englishpage.html

12

Privacy Policy(1) Any personal information including applicant’s name and address submitted to SOKENDAI as part of theapplication documents shall be used during the application process such as applicant/examination
procedures, notification of results and admission procedures. After enrollment, personal information shallalso be used for student affairs (school register and course registration), student services (health care,tuition exemption and scholarship application, and career support) and administrative purposes ofprocessing payments for entrance and tuition fees.
(2) Personal information obtained in the screening process such as examination results, shall be used for
aggregate analyses of examination results and research for use in the screening process.

23

Important Notes for Applicants to Fusion Science Program(Three-year Doctoral Program)
Graduate students in the Fusion Science Program will learn about fusion science from the basics to the leadingedge level to conduct experimental and theoretical research on plasma confinement for the early realization offusion reactors, theoretical and simulation research using supercomputers, and fusion engineering research.
Fusion science is such an interdisciplinary major field that all undergraduate education can be found useful.
This course invites students who have a broad perspective as well as a willingness to explore research themesin depth.
1. When preparing application documents, please consult the Application Guidelines. Applicants must contact
the academic advisor they wish to work with prior to applying in order to discuss the contents of his or her future
research.
You may apply for up to two programs at the same time, and the second choice can be chosen from the
Astronomical Science Program, the Space and Astronautical Science Program, the Molecular Science Program,
the Materials Structure Science Program, the Global Environmental Studies Program, the Basic Biology
Program, the Physiological Sciences Program or the Integrative Evolutionary Science Program. However, since
the selection process is conducted for each program, please be aware of the examination schedules and venues
when applying for two programs.
2. Selection Method
Paper screening and interview
1) Paper screening: transcripts, Master’s thesis and its supplemental materials2) Written examination: An English essay examination is given.

(Test time: 1 hour and 30min, day one.

Applicants are not allowed to bring anything other than a computer for an internet connection.)3) Interview: Applicants are questioned mainly about his or her past studies and plans for future research(approximately 30 minutes per applicant, day two).
4) Schedule: The details of the examination schedule will be informed by postal mail together with the admission
ticket.
3. Please take note of the following regarding the interview.
In the interview, applicants are required to have a presentation for 10 minutes using a PC to outline their Master’stheses, past studies and contents of the research they intend to conduct. The presentation must be conducted
either in Japanese or English. Please submit a copy of the presentation file to the address below by the day
before the interview.

244. Criteria for evaluation of interview
We comprehensively evaluate the applicant’s motivation for research, professional knowledge, creativity,
expressive ability and aptitude as a researcher.
5. Criteria for the admission decision
The admission decision is made mainly based on evaluation of the written examination and interview, while
examining submitted documents as well.
6. In case of emergency
1) When the schedule and/or the details of the examination are determined to be changed due to some disasters
or extraordinary weather, the information will be informed on the web site of Department of Fusion Science. In
some cases, the information will be directly informed to the applicants by phone from the number 0572-58-2042.
2) When the examination cannot help being postponed, the examination dates will be rescheduled as follows.
Dates for the postponed examination

Dates for the ordinary examination

Subsequent 2 days between August 21 (Wednesday) andAugust 23 (Friday), 2024

August 20 (Tuesday) and August 21 (Wednesday), 2024
January 14 (Tuesday) and January 15 (Wednesday), 2025

Subsequent 2 days between January 15 (Wednesday) andJanuary 17 (Friday), 2025

7. Financial support
For those in the three-year doctoral program, there is an “Assistant Researcher” system that provides a certain
amount of monthly allowance to reward the students’ contribution to research. There is also a program topartially support students with the admission fee.
8. Contact details for inquiries
Graduate Student Affairs Section
Research Support Division
National Institute for Fusion Science,
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
Oroshi-cho 322-6, Toki-city, Gifu 509-5292 Japan
TEL: +81-572-58-2042,2843

FAX: +81-572-58-2603

E-mail: daigakuin@nifs.ac.jp
URL: https://soken.nifs.ac.jp/en/25

Ⅳ. List of Faculty Members

Please see the websites below for course subjects and the faculty members.
Program: Fusion Science

https://soken.nifs.ac.jp/en/about26