APPLICATION GUIDELINESJAPANESE GOVERNMENT (MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2024
(JAPANESE STUDIES STUDENTS)
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships tointernational students who wish to study for a period of one year at designated Japanese universities as JapaneseStudies Students in order to deepen their understanding of the Japanese language, Japanese affairs and Japaneseculture under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program as follows.
1．QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONSMEXT accepts applications from international students for study in Japan who satisfy the following qualifications
and conditions. Its aim is to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between the grantee’s
country and Japan through study in Japan and who will contribute to the development of both countries and thewider world.
(1) Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An
applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual
nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside ofJapan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanesenationality by the date of their arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status). The First Screening must be
conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of which the applicant chooses the nationality.
(2) Age: In principle, applicants must be born between April 2, 1994 and April 1, 2006. Exceptions are limited tocases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situationor circumstances of the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due todisturbances of war, etc.). Personal circumstances (financial situation, family circumstances, state of health,circumstances related to applicant’s university or place of employment, etc.) will not be considered for
exceptions.
(3) Academic Background: Applicants must satisfy the following three conditions:① Applicants, in principle, must be undergraduates at foreign (non-Japanese) universities at the time of arriving inand leaving Japan;② Those who are majoring in fields related to the Japanese language and/or Japanese culture. Therefore, those whoare majoring in fields of study other than Japanese language and culture and pursuing complementary studies
on Japan (such as engineering, economics, agricultural science, architecture, and art) are ineligible;③ Those who have studied the Japanese Studies at a university for a total period of one year or more as of September
1, 2024. Those who have studied Japanese Studies at another university should submit documents (transcript ofgrades at another university, etc.) which can verify that the applicant has studied Japanese Studies for a total
period of one year or more at the attended universities including current university.
(4) Japanese Language Ability: Applicants must have Japanese language ability sufficient for receiving education
at a Japanese university in Japan.

1(5) Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician attesting thatthe applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.
(6) Arrival in Japan: In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan by the designated period (usually
September or October) between the day two weeks before the course starts and the starting date of the course. If
the applicant cannot arrive in Japan during the specified period for personal reasons, travel expenses to Japan
will not be paid. Excluding cases in which MEXT deems as unavoidable circumstances, the applicant mustwithdraw from this scholarship program if the applicant cannot arrive in Japan by the end of the specified period
above which decided by MEXT or the accepting university.
(7) Visa Requirement: An applicant shall, in principle, newly obtain a “Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic
mission located in the applicant’s country of nationality, and enter Japan with the newly obtained status ofresidence “Student.” Accordingly, even if the applicant already has otherstatus of residence (“Permanent

resident,” “Long-term resident,” etc.), the applicant must newly obtain a “Student” visa and re-enter Japan. The
applicant should be aware that the original status of residence of “Permanent resident” or “Long-term resident”
might not be necessarily granted after the expiration of the status as a MEXT Scholarship student. In case thegrantee comes to Japan without newly obtaining the “Student” visa, the payment of the scholarship will besuspended. Moreover, as the Japanese Government requires pre-arrival tuberculosis screening for some countries,
applicants obtaining a visa shall follow guidance at the Japanese diplomatic mission located in the applicant’s
country of nationality .
(8) Non-Eligibility: Those who meet any one of the following conditions are ineligible. If identified ineligible after
being selected as a scholarship student, he/she must withdraw from the scholarship:① Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees;② Those who cannot arrive in Japan by the last date of the period specified by MEXT or the accepting university;③ Those who are previous grantees of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship in the past (including those
who have withdrawn from the scholarship program after the arrival in Japan). It does not apply to thosereceiving the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students in the past;④ Those who are currently also applying for another program for which scholarship payments will begin in
fiscal year 2024 through a Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship scheme including University
Recommended Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for Japanese Studies Students;⑤ Those who are already enrolled in a Japanese university or other institution with a residence status of“Student,” or who are going to be enrolled, or plan to enroll, in a Japanese university or other institution as a
privately-financed international student from the time of application to the MEXT scholarship program in theapplicant’s country until the commencement of the period for payment of the MEXT scholarship. However,this stipulation does not apply to privately-financed international students who, even though they are enrolled,
or are planning to enroll, in a Japanese university or other institution, verifiably complete their studies andreturn to their home country before the start of the scholarship payment period and then newly acquire the“Student” residence status to come to Japan;⑥ Those who are planning to receive scholarship money from an organization other than MEXT (including agovernment organization of the applicant’s country) on top of the scholarship money provide by MEXT after
the start of the scholarship payment period;⑦ Holders of dual nationality at the time of application who will not be able to verify that they have given up
Japanese nationality by the time of their arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status);⑧ Those who are found to have attempted or actually committed any kinds of cheating prohibited by the2examiner during the written examination of the First Screening.
⑨ Those who change their status of residence of “Student” to any other status after their arrival in Japan.
(9) Return and Continue to Study after the End of the Scholarship Period: Applicants must assure that they
return to their home country by the end of the final month of the scholarship period and continue to study
Japanese language and culture at the undergraduate program of the institution in which applicants were enrolled
at the time of the arrival in Japan. However, if the grantees can keep taking the course of their institution withstaying in Japan, for example, by participating in Double-Degree program or Joint-Degree program with their
institution’s partner universities in Japan, they don’t necessarily have to return to their home country.
If a grantee does not satisfy these conditions, he/she may be ordered to return the entire amount of thescholarship paid during the scholarship period. Those who are uncertain about satisfying conditions
mentioned above should not apply for this program.
(10) Others: MEXT Scholarship will be granted those who are willing to contribute to mutual understanding
between Japan and their home country by participating in activities at schools and communities during theirstudy in Japan while contributing to the internationalization of Japan. They shall also make efforts to promote
relations between the home country and Japan by maintaining close relations with the university attended after
graduation, cooperating with the conducting of surveys and questionnaires, and cooperating with relevant
projects and events conducted by Japanese diplomatic missions after they return to their home countries.
2．PLACEMENT AND STUDY IN JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE AT UNIVERSITIES(1) The study/training is implemented only in the university study courses listed in the “Course Guide of JapaneseStudies Program.” This Course Guide is available from the MEXT’s website.
(2) MEXT, in consultation with the universities concerned, will decide on the university in which each grantee shallbe enrolled by taking into consideration his/her Japanese language ability, the result of written examination andspecialized courses he/she wishes to take (the university may make direct inquiries to the applicant during thescreening process). Objections regarding university placement will not be accepted. If the accepting university
has yet to be determined by the specified period of time (by August 15, 2024), the applicant will be rejected.
(3) The study at universities will be conducted in Japanese.
(4) Specialized Japanese language and Japanese culture study will be divided into the following two courses,
depending on the objective of the study:(a) A course intended mainly to study about Japan and Japanese culture(b) A course intended mainly to improve Japanese language proficiency
The specific course contents vary with each university, but the grantees will take special lectures on Japan,
Japanese culture, and Japanese language and specialized practical study. They might also take classes in thedepartments related to his/her individual major.
(5) A grantee who has completed a specified course at the accepting university will be given a certificate from theuniversity. Please be aware that the purpose of this scholarship program is not to obtain an academic degree. The
grantee, therefore, shall return to the home country by the end of the final month of the scholarship period after
the completion of the course and resume his/her study in Japanese language and culture at the undergraduate
program of their institution which applicants had been a current student at the time of the arrival in Japan.
3However, if the grantees can keep taking the course of their institution with staying in Japan, for example, byparticipating in Double-Degree program or Joint-Degree program with their institution’s partner universities inJapan and obtain an appropriate residence status, they don’t necessarily have to return to their home country. If
a grantee does not satisfy these conditions, he/she may be ordered to return the entire amount of thescholarship paid during the scholarship period.
3．PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIPThe scholarship period is the necessary period for the completion of the accepting university’s study course, whichshould be within one year from October 2024 (or the starting month of the course). If the term start date (enrolment
start date) is on September 1, 2024, the scholarship period will start in September 2024. However, if the term startdate (enrolment start date) is on or after September 2, 2024, the scholarship period will start in October 2024.
Extension of the scholarship period is not permitted.
4．SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS(1) Allowance: After arrival in Japan, 117,000 yen per month will be paid. A supplemental regional allowance of
2,000 or 3,000 yen per month will be added to the monthly scholarship amount for the grantees studying or
conducting research in specially designated regions. Due to the situation of the Japanese Government’s budget,the amount of payment may be subject to change each fiscal year. If a grantee is absent from the university foran extended period, the scholarship shall be suspended for that period.
(2) Education Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be paid by
MEXT.
(3) Travel Expenses① Transportation to Japan: For grantees arriving in Japan during the fixed period stipulated in 1. (6) “Arrival in
Japan,” MEXT stipulates the travel schedule and route, and provides an economy-class airline ticket for theflight from the international airport closest to the grantee’s residence (in principle, the country of nationality) toan international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. The travel schedule change
or route change is not allowed after provision of airline ticket. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense allcosts related to domestic travel from the grantee’s residence to the nearest international airport, airport taxes,
airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within Japan (including airline transit costs),
travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc. The grantee shall also
bear at his/her own expense travel and lodging costs incurred in a third country (a) if the grantee must travel toa third country before coming to Japan for visa purposes because there are no Japanese diplomatic missions in
his/her country or because Japanese diplomatic missions in his/her country are temporally closed, or (b) if there
are no direct flights from the grantee’s country of nationality to Japan. In such cases, MEXT will provide an
economy-class airline ticket from the grantee’s country of nationality to the said third country, and from the third
country to an international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. In principle, theaddress given in the space for “Current address” on the application form shall be recognized as the “residence,”(ifthe grantee plans to move within his/her country of nationality after application, the address given in the spacefor “Your address before departure for Japan” on the application form shall be recognized as the “residence”.).
and the airline ticket will be arranged for a flight from the international airport nearest to that address. Except
for cases when the grantee must travel to a third country to obtain a visa, MEXT will not provide an airline ticket
for cases of travel to Japan from a country other than the grantee’s country of nationality due to the grantee’s
personal circumstances. Moreover, if, due to the grantee’s personal circumstances, the grantee comes to Japan4

outside of the fixed period stipulated in 1. (6) “Arrival in Japan” above, the travel expenses will not be provided.
② Transportation from Japan: Based on the application by the grantee, MEXT will provide an airline ticket to
grantees who shall complete the study course at the accepting university and return to the home country by theend of the final month of the scholarship period (See “3. PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP”) designated by MEXT.
MEXT, in principle, shall provide an economy-class airline ticket from an international airport in Japan used forthe normal route to and from the accepting university to the international airport (in principle, in the country ofnationality) nearest to the returning grantee’s residence. The travel schedule change or route change is notallowed after provision of airline ticket. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to travelfrom the grantee’s residence in Japan to the nearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special
taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within the country of nationality (including airline transit costs), travel
insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc. If a grantee returns to the homecountry before the end of the scholarship period due to personal circumstances, or reasons stated in “5.
SUSPENSION OF PAYMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP”, MEXT will not pay for the returning travel expenses.
If a grantee will also not return to his/her home country by the end of the final month of the scholarship period
or will not resume his/her studies at the undergraduate program of the home institution in which he/she wasenrolled at the time of the arrival in Japan, MEXT will not pay for the returning travel expenses. If the grantees
can keep taking the course of their institution with staying in Japan, for example, by participating in DoubleDegree program or Joint-Degree program with their institution’s partner universities in Japan and obtain an
appropriate residence status, they don’t necessarily have to return to their home country, so that MEXT will not
pay for the returning travel expenses.
5. SUSPENSION OF PAYMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP
Payment of the scholarship will be cancelled for the reasons given below. Should any of the following reasons apply,
the grantee may be ordered to return a part of, or all of, the scholarship paid up to that time. Payment of thescholarship may also be stopped during the period up to the decision on the disposition of the matter:① A grantee is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application;② A grantee violates any article of his/her pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology;③ A grantee violates any Japanese laws and is sentenced to imprisonment for an indefinite period or for a periodof exceeding 1 year;④ A grantee is suspended from his/her university or receives other punishment, or is removed from enrollment;
as a disciplinary action in accordance with school regulations of the accepting university;⑤ It has been determined that it will be impossible for a grantee to complete the study course within the standard
time period because of poor academic grades or suspension or absence from the university;⑥ A grantee came to Japan without a newly obtained“Student” visa, or changed his/her status of residence of“Student” to any other status;⑦ A grantee has received another scholarship (excluding those specified for research expenditures);⑧ A grantee does not return to his/her home country by the end of the final month of the scholarship period anddoes not continue to study Japanese language and culture at the undergraduate program of his/her institutionin which he/she was enrolled at the time of the arrival in Japan (excluding the case when the grantees can keep
taking the course of their institution with staying in Japan, for example, by participating in Double-Degree
program or Joint-Degree program with their institution’s partner universities in Japan and obtain an appropriate
residence status).
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6．SELECTION(1) The Japanese diplomatic missions will conduct the First Screening of applicants by means of examination ofsubmitted application documents, a written examination (subject: Japanese) and interviews.
(2) The date and time of the notification of the results of the First Screening will be specified separately by theJapanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country; the reasons for the results of the screening will not be
disclosed. Those who pass the First Screening will not necessarily be selected as the MEXT Scholarship grantees.
(3) Applicants who have passed the First Screening will be recommended to MEXT. MEXT will conduct the Second
Screening of applicants who have been recommended by the Japanese diplomatic mission, and will select thesuccessful applicants of the Second Screening.
(4) The results of the final selection will be notified on a date separately designated by the Japanese diplomatic
mission in the applicant’s country. The name of accepting university will also be notified to the scholarshipgrantees. Any objections to the decision on the university placement will not be accepted. If the accepting
university has yet to be determined by the specified period of time (by August 15, 2024), the applicant will berejected.
7．APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country by
the designated deadline. The submitted documents will not be returned.

1 CopyDocuments

1 Original

No.

Remarks①

Application Form○

Use the FY2024 Application Form. (See Note 4.)②

Placement Preference Application Form○

Use the FY2024 Preference Form. (See Note 5.)③

Certified academic transcript from theuniversity the applicant is currently
attending○

For all academic years up to the current year ofenrollment. (See Note 6.)④

Document(s) verifying that the applicant
has studied the Japanese language andculture for at least one year.

●

Only necessary for those who cannot verify withthe document ③ that they studied Japanese
language and culture for a total of at least one
year at the university he/she is currently
attending. Indicate the relevant Japanese language
and culture courses on the transcript(s) you
submit.

⑤

Certificate of enrollment○(See Note 7.)⑥

Recommendation letter from the head ofor academic advisor at the university theapplicant is currently attending○

Free format. A sample format is available. (SeeNote 7.)⑦

Medical certificate○

Use the FY2024 certificate form. (See Note 8.)6⑧Certificate of Japanese language ability●

Only in case the applicant can submit a proof
document concerning Japanese-language ability.
(See Note 9.)(Note 1) Documents indicated by the white circle (○) must be submitted by all the applicants. Documents indicatedby the black circle (●) should be submitted only if applicable.
(Note 2) These documents must be written in Japanese or English, or translation in either of these languages should
be attached.
(Note 3) Write the document number, from ① to ⑧ (refer to the numbers in the table above) in the upper righthand corner of the first page for all the documents.
(Note 4) The applicant’s photograph to be attached to the Application Form should be of clear quality, taken within
six months of submission, and printed on paper specially for photographs. The photograph should be 4.5
x 3.5 cm., upper-body, full-faced, no hats. Please write applicant’s name and nationality on the back of
the photograph. The photograph data can be pasted to the Application Form and printed out.
(Note 5) Select preferred universities at most from the “Course Guide of Japanese Studies Program” (available
from the MEXT’s website) and fill out the Placement Preference Application Form with the selected
university names and course code in order of preference.
(Note 6) Mark subjects related to Japanese language and Japanese culture. Those who have studied the Japanese
language and culture for a total of less than one year are not eligible to apply.
(Note 7) Since this program requires that the grantee returns to the home country and continue studies at
the university he/she is enrolled in after the completion of the program (excluding the cases
mentioned in 1 (9)), the applicant needs to discuss his/her study plan after returning to his/her homecountry with the president or his/her academic advisor at the university from the application stage.
(Note 8) If the applicant’s health condition changes (including any serious changes relating to his/her lifeplan) after he/she has submitted his/her health certificate, the applicant need to promptly sharesuch information with the Japanese diplomatic mission since it concerns the acceptance system of
the accepting university and Japanese medical institution.
(Note 9) Only if you have a completed certificate document of Japanese-language ability that shows your nameand level/score, enter necessary information in “19. Japanese language qualifications” of the Application
Form and submit a copy of the certificate. If printing out the certificate from the Internet, print out andsubmit a page showing the applicant’s name and the details of the relevant qualification (level, score, etc.).
The date of issue of the certificate should be no earlier than two years from the date of application to theJapanese diplomatic mission.
8. UNAVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCESIn the event of unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, Japanese Government reserves the right to change orcancel the arrival date, scholarship, and contents of the application guidelines here within, at any time before orafter notification of the results of the final selection.
Unavoidable Circumstances are defined as events whose effects could not reasonably be prevented or controlled
by MEXT or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (including Embassies and Consulate-Generals of Japan) including but notlimited to acts of God, acts of government (including local government, hereafter referred to as government), actsof government authorities (including limitations on travel or immigration enacted by the Japanese Government orother foreign countries’ government due to the event of infectious disease), compliance with law, regulations ororders, fire, flooding and torrential rain, earthquakes, acts of war (regardless of a declaration of war), revolt,7

revolution or rebellion, strike, or lockout.
9．NOTES(1) The grantees need to learn, before departing for Japan, the Japanese language and to acquire information about
Japanese weather, climate, customs, university education, and conditions of the university to attend in Japan, as
well as about the difference between the Japanese legal system and that of his/her home country.
(2) As the first installment of the scholarship payment will not be made from one month to one and a half months
after the grantee’s arrival in Japan, the grantee is recommended to bring at least approximately US$2,000 withhim/her to Japan to cover immediate living expenses and other necessary expenses.
(3) The scholarship payments will be transferred to the bank account of Japan Post Bank (JP BANK) opened byeach grantee after the arrival in Japan. We will not transfer the scholarship payments to other account.
(4) Grantees who have tested positive for infectious diseases including tuberculosis following a medical exam mustbe treated before arrival in Japan. Grantee’s arrival in Japan will not be approved if he/she is not fully recoveredby the time of arrival.
(5) Grantees must enroll in National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) upon arrival in Japan.
(6) It is suggested that grantees acquire a “My Number Card” upon arrival in Japan.
(7)Accommodations:① Residence halls for international students provided by universities: Some universities have residence halls
for international students. The grantees enrolled at such universities may reside at these residence halls undercertain conditions. However, due to the limited number of rooms, some of these facilities may be unavailable.
Expenses relating to accommodations will be borne by the grantee. Some universities might ask the grantees
to pay expenses relating to accommodations in advance of arriving in Japan, please therefore check on thecourse guide regarding the advanced payment of accommodation expenses.
② Private boarding houses or apartments: Those who are unable to find accommodation in the aforementioned
facilities may live in regular dormitories of the university or in private boarding houses/apartments withhis/her expenses.
(8) Please directly ask the attending university in his/her home county whether the earned credits at the study course
in Japan can be recognized as credits in his/her home country or not.
(9) Information regarding the MEXT Scholarship Students (name, gender, date of birth, nationality, accepting
university/graduate school/undergraduate school, field of specialty, period of enrollment, career path after
completion of scholarship, contact information [address, telephone number, e-mail address]) may be shared withother relevant government organizations for the purpose of utilization for international students programs
implemented by the Japanese Government (support during period of study in Japan, follow-up survey,
improvement of the international student system).
Information regarding MEXT Scholarship Students (excluding date of birth and contact information) may be
included in publicity materials prepared by the Japanese Government for promoting the acceptance of8international students in Japan, particularly in order to introduce former MEXT Scholarship Students who areplaying active roles in countries around the world.
These matters are included in the Pledge stipulating rules and regulations which MEXT Scholarship Students
must comply with and submit when they have been granted the Scholarship.
Those who consent to this treatment will be admitted as MEXT Scholarship Student.
(10) If an applicant is judged not to meet the conditions for landing in Japan, he/she may be rejected.
(11)The English texts attached to the Application Guidelines and the Application Form are for complementary use
only. English expressions do not change the Japanese content.
(12) If there are any questions about the content of the written text in the Application Guidelines or any other matters,
applicants/grantees should inquire the Japanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country and follow theirinstructions.
(13) In addition to the regulations stipulated in the Application Guidelines, those that are necessary to implement
the Japanese Government Scholarship programs shall be determined by the Japanese Government.

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