October 2024
April 2025
October 2025

For reference

Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI[Physiological Sciences]
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. The course subjects and the faculty members
p. 27
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.
1

Five-year Doctoral Program: Application Procedures and Important Notes

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 is 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.
(5) Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete a program in an educational institute in Japan3

designated separately by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, that provides
courses of a foreign university within the 16-year school education of said foreign country, by the preceding
month of the enrollment. This applies solely to those who have completed 16-year course of school
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 tocourses for which the term of study is four years or more, and which satisfies the standards determined by
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 of enrollment.
(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 beenrecognized 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 102,4

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 apply are those on whom a Bachelor’s degree has been

conferred or are 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 apply 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 apply 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 Qualifications for Application” below)
Examination fee, however, should be paid after application qualification is approved.
(c) Other documents required by this program. For details, please contact to the program office.
(a), (b) and (c) above must be submitted all together.
(2) Application Period for Qualification Screening(Only for the applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (9) to (12) in “2 Qualifications forApplication”)
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, Form 8 on which the remittance receipt is
attached should be submitted.

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.
(Note)
Before submitting, please be sure to fill in and enclose all the necessary documents.
Please allow enough time to send the application documents, giving consideration to mail delivery
conditions and the case of insufficient documents.
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

6

5

Application Documents
Please read through the “Important Notes for Applicants” beforehand. Also, application forms must becompleted with a black or blue pen or ballpoint pen (erasable pens are not acceptable).
(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, however, they need to submit a certificate of MEXT scholarship student status.

7(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 Article
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) TOEFL/TOEIC/IELTS score
Please select how to submit your English scores on Form 13-1. Refer to “Important Notes forApplicants”.
(9) Request for “Hakase (IGAKU)”
Please select whether you are willing to request for the doctoral degree “Hakase (IGAKU)” or not on
Form 18.
(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 havereceived their education outside Japan)(12) Documents certifying the applicant’s research abilities, such as thesis, research report and othermaterials in which research capabilities are indicated.
Applicants who apply to a second-choice program must submit another set of copy of the documents
for the second-choice program separately.
(13) Letter of Recommendation
Applicants intend to apply under the provision (1) to (8) in “2 Qualifications for Application” are notrequired the Letter of Recommendation, and who intend to apply under the provision (9) to (12) in “2Qualifications for Application” shall refer to “Important Notes for Applicants”.
(14) 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 instead submit a statement of reason with her/his signature.
(15) 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 be8attached.
iii.

Form 2 is also downloadable at our website.
https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/application_info/ps/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.

Applicants who are (were) in the doctoral or master's program must submit a transcript of the doctoral or
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 must submit a withdrawal
certificate.

6

Screening Procedures

Screening will be conducted based on submitted application documents and results of academic tests. For thedetails 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
August 20 (Tuesday) and August 21 (Wednesday), 2024
January 21 (Tuesday) and January 22 (Wednesday), 2025

(Note) Detailed information about the time and venue 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/ps/index.html
Venue of the examination

7

Program

Location and Directions

Physiological Sciences

・The entrance examination will be conducted through the Internet remotely.
National Institute for Physiological Sciences
38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, 444-8585
Seven-minute walk from Higashi-Okazaki Station (Nagoya Railway, Meitetsu).

Announcement of Results
First round
Second round

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

Mid-September 2024
Mid-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.

98Admission 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
details will be notified to successful applicants separately.
(2) Fees required for admission are as follows.
Entrance Fee: JPY282, 000
Tuition Fee for six months: JPY267, 900
Student Insurance Fee for five years: JPY5,750(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.
Premium for the student insurance, however, may be refunded only if applicants decline theadmission 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 must submit the “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 obtain a student visa unless a particular reason would prohibit
them from doing so. Detailed information on how to obtain 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

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 shallbe 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) If there is any change for SOKENDAI admissions, we will announce on SOKENDAI website. Please makesure SOKENDAI website.

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 Physiological Sciences Program(Five-year Doctoral Program)(1) Applicants are advised to have a close discussion with a prospective professor regarding the contents of
their research before submitting their application documents.
Applicants can apply to the second-choice program from Astronomical Science, Fusion Science, Spaceand Astronautical Science, Molecular Science, Materials structure Science, Polar Science, Basic Biology,
Genetics or Integrative Evolutionary Science, if the application period, the doctoral program, and theenrollment period are the same. Please note that screening is conducted individually, and the date orvenue may differ depending on the screening.
(2) Applicants should fill in the name of their desired professor in the “1st-choice of supervisor” column of the
Application Form (Form 1-A). Only a first-choice professor may be selected for Physiological Sciences
Program. (Filling in a second-choice professor is invalid).
(3) Applicants may include information on the content of their research to date in the “Statement of Purpose”(Form 2).
(4) For applicants who intend to apply under (9), (10), (11), and (12) of section Ⅱ-2, “Qualifications forapplication” on pages 3-5:(a) Those who intend to apply under (10) are advised to submit a letter of recommendation from theircurrent or most recent supervising professor or the head of their department.
(b) Those intend to apply under (9), (11), or (12) are advised to submit a letter of recommendation frompersons who can give an appropriate opinion on applicants’ research capabilities, if possible. Applicants
who intend to apply under (1) through (8) do not need to submit a letter of recommendation.
(5) Those who have graduated from a Japanese university program in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Veterinary medicine (limited to those whose minimum duration of study is 6 years) or those whohave a master's degree in medical science at a Japanese university can request for the doctoral degree“Hakase (IGAKU)”, if they completed the prescribed credits in SOKENDAI. (In this case, the standard
program term is 4 years.)(6) Selection Method:(a) Document screening(b) Written examination (refer to (8) on the next page)(c) Interview (refer to (9) on the next page)(d) English ability*Written examination and the interview will be conducted through the Internet remotely.
(7) English ability will be assessed as follows:(a) Japanese applicants
When you apply to Physiological Sciences Program, enclose the original of their TOEIC Official Score
Certificate or TOEIC Institutional Program (IP) Score Report. Please note that the tests must be taken
within two years before the date of the examination. If it is impossible for you to obtain the score12

record by the application period, you should submit the score record to Student Affairs Section,
Academic and Student Affairs Division, SOKENDAI by the deadline (first round: Friday, August 2,
2024, second round: Tuesday, January 14, 2025). (Not e-mail)(b) Non-Japanese applicantsApplicants are required to have obtained the following score(s) by the time of application. If it is
impossible for you to obtain the score record by the application period, you should submit the score
record to Student Affairs Section, Academic and Student Affairs Division, SOKENDAI by the deadline(first round: Friday, August 2, 2024, second round: Tuesday, January 14, 2025). (Not e-mail)・TOEFL PBT: 550 or higher
・TOEFL iBT: 80 or higher
・TOEIC: 730 or higher
・IELTS: 6.0 or higher
Applicants whose native language is English and who have graduated or expected to be graduatedfrom universities through classes and instruction in English may be exempted from submitting theEnglish test score.
(8) Important notes for the written examination:
・The written examination (essay) will last up to 90 minutes.
・The written examination will be conducted remotely via Zoom web and e-mail. The applicant will receivea password-locked question sheet file and an answer sheet file by e-mail by the day before theexamination. The applicant will receive the password for the sheets by e-mail or Zoom when theexamination starts.
・At the end of written examination, the answer sheets should be submitted via email within 20 min.
(9) Important notes for the interview:
・The interview will last up to 20 minutes.
・The interview will be conducted remotely via Zoom web. For 10 minutes, the applicant will explain thecontent of previous research (or, for applicants with no previous research experience, the content of his or
her program(s) of study), reason for applying, and research ambitions. The applicant will use his or her
own computer and software such as PowerPoint for the presentation. Note that applicant will not beallowed to use devices other than his or her own computer or to distribute supplemental materials forpresentations.
・In the remaining time, the committee members will ask questions about the content of the applicant’s
submitted documents and of his or her presentation.
(10)Other notes:
・The applicant can take the examination at home or in some other place as long as the space is isolated,
and the contents of the examination are not leaked to a third party.
・The examiner record during the examination, and video recording will not be used for any purpose otherthan the examination.
・The applicant and examiner will make a Zoom test on the day before the examination.
13

(11)Criteria for grading, evaluation and admission decision:<Criteria for grading and evaluation>
Applicants will be graded on a scale of A to C on their overall performance, which will be determined on
the basis of the content of their submitted documents, written-test results, and interviews.
<Criteria for admission decision>
Acceptance will be determined in terms of overall performance, which will be determined on the basis ofgrading and evaluation for submitted documents, written tests, and interviews.
(12)Financial support for newly enrolled students:(a) Japanese students
Physiological Sciences Program has been employing all Japanese graduate students (except for
those receiving Research Fellowship for Doctoral Course Students (DC) provided by Japan Society
for the Promotion Science) as Research Assistants (RAs) (at an annual salary of 1 million yen).
Physiological Sciences Program has been employing an extremely high-score student as RA at anannual salary of 1.7 million yen, and a high-score student at an annual salary of 1.4 million yen.
Additionally, for new students (except those who have received an enrollment-fee waiver), funds
equivalent to the amount of their enrollment fees will be paid by the Scholarship Fund of National
Institute for Physiological Sciences.
(b) Non-Japanese students
Excellent students who wish to enter the 5-year Doctoral Program at National Institute forPhysiological Sciences (NIPS) are eligible to apply for two types of NIPS Scholarship. The first typecovers the same as described for MEXT scholarship.
The second one covers the following:・Admission fee (282,000 yen, only once at the time of admission)
・A half of annual tuition fee
・Salary for Research Assistant job (1,400,000 yen per year, about 116,600 yen per month)
All other students are supported as follows.
・Admission fee (282,000 yen, only once at the time of admission)・Salary for Research Assistant job (1,000,000 to 1,400,000 yen per year, about 83,300 to 116,000
yen per month)(13)Questions regarding the items in this section may be addressed to:
Graduate Student Affairs Section
International Relations & Research Cooperation Division
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585
Phone: +81 564 55 7139
Fax: +81 564 55 7119
Web site: http://www.nips.ac.jp/eng/graduate/14

Ⅲ. Three-year Doctoral Program: Application Procedures 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 take a Master’s degree or a Professional degree by the preceding
month of enrollment.
(2) Applicants on whom a Master’s degree or a degree equivalent to a Professional degree has been
conferred or is expected to be conferred in a foreign country by the preceding month of enrollment.
15

(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 question 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” are required
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 (8) in “2 Qualifications for Application” are required
to submit the following documents for screening to be recognized as “having academic ability equivalent tothose who have a Master’s degree or a Professional degree”. An interview will also be conducted, if
necessary.
(3) Applicants who wish to apply under the provision (9) in “2 Qualifications for Application” above shall bescreened as follows:
Program
Physiological Sciences(a)

Procedure
Screening will be conducted based on the submitted documents. An interview
and written examination (English) may be added, if necessary.

Documents Required for Qualification Screening for Applicationi.

Application for Certifying Applicant’s Qualification (Form 7-2)

ii.

Application Documents as specified in “5 Qualifications for Application”

Examination fee, however, should be paid after the application is approved.
(i.) and (ii.) above should be submitted all together. Please note that applicants might be asked to submit
other documents by the program.
(b)

Application Period regarding Qualification Screening(Only for the applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (7) to (9) in “2 Qualification forApplication”)
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

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.

17

(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 complete payment for the examination fee
accordance with Form 8. After the remittance is completed, Form 8 on which the remittance receipt is
attached should be submitted to Student Affairs Section.

4

Application Procedure

Applicants who intend to apply under the provisions (1) to (6) 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.
(Note)
Before submitting, please be sure to fill in and enclose all the necessary documents.
Please allow enough time to send the application documents, giving consideration to mail delivery
conditions and the case of insufficient documents.
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

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,18

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.
(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)
The certificate must state conferment of the Master’s degree or the Professional degree.
(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)
Applicants who do not have any, please specify “None” on Form 4 and submit the form.
(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 30,000yen
For payment details, please refer to Form 8. MEXT scholarship students do not have to bear theexamination fee, however, they need to submit a certificate of MEXT scholarship student status.
(8) Recipient’s address label (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 (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]
19

* https://www.soken.ac.jp/en/admission/file/tokuteiruikei-E.pdf(10) TOEFL/TOEIC/IELTS score
Please select how to submit your English scores on Form 13-2. Refer to “Important Notes for Applicants”.
(11) 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](12) Curriculum Vitae (Form 1-2, only for international applicants and Japanese applicants who have received
their education outside Japan)(13) Two copy of Master’s thesis
Applicants who have a Master’s degree or who have submitted the Master’s thesis should submit two copiesof Master’s thesis. Please specify “Master’s thesis” on the upper-right corner of the front page in red ink.
Applicants who apply to a second-choice program must submit another set of copy of the Master’s thesis
for the second-choice program separately.
(14) Applicants who have any publication of scientific paper or treatise should submit two copies of the
publication.
Applicants who apply to a second-choice program must submit another set of copy of the publication for thesecond-choice program separately.
(15) Letter of Recommendation
Applicants may submit the Letter of Recommendation from persons who are appropriate to evaluate theapplicant’s academic ability. The letter must be sealed up by the writer.
(16) Permission for Studying While in Employment (Form 6)
Applicants who are currently employed full-time are required to submit Permission for Taking the Entrance
Examination (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 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.
(17) 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/ps/index.html

iv.

Application documents should be written in Japanese or English. If you submit the certificate neither inJapanese 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.
20

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

First round
Second roundExamination Date

August 20 (Tuesday) and August 21 (Wednesday), 2024
January 21 (Tuesday) and January 22 (Wednesday),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/ps/index.html
Venue of the examination

7

Program

Location and Directions

Physiological Sciences

・The entrance examination will be conducted through the Internet remotely.
National Institute for Physiological Sciences
38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585
Seven-minute walk from Higashi-Okazaki Station (Nagoya Railway, Meitetsu).

Announcement of Results
First round
Second round

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

Mid-September 2024
Mid-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 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
21

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 theemployer 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 those
who will have graduated from/completed the school before you enroll at SOKENDAI) must submit thecertificate of withdrawal from said school.
(5) Foreign nationals are strongly advised to obtain a student visa unless a particular reason would prohibit
them from doing so. Detailed information on how to obtain 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(1)

General Notes
Before applying and taking the entrance examination, applicants should read through “Important Notes
for Applicants for Applicants”.

(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.
22(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)If there is any change for SOKENDAI admissions, we will announce on SOKENDAI website. Please makesure SOKENDAI website.

11

Security Export Controls
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.

23

Important Notes for Applicants to Physiological Sciences Program(Three-year Doctoral Program)(1)

Applicants are advised to have a close discussion with their desired professor regarding the contents of
their research before submitting their application documents.
Applicants can apply to the second-choice program from Astronomical Science, Fusion Science, Spaceand Astronautical Science, Molecular Science, Materials structure Science, Global Environmental Studies,
Polar Science, Basic Biology, Genetics or Integrative Evolutionary Science, if the application period,
doctoral program, and enrollment period are the same. Please note that screening is conducted individually,
and the date or venue may differ depending on the screening.

(2)

A letter of recommendation is not necessarily required in applying for this program. Applicants may submit
a letter of recommendation if a person can give an appropriate opinion on their research capabilities.

(3)

Selection Method:(a)Document screening: Screening will be conducted regarding the content of each applicant’s transcript
and associated materials.

(b)Interview: A 30 minutes interview will be conducted, mainly regarding the research performed by theapplicant to date and the content of his or her anticipated future research.
*The interview will be conducted through the Internet.

(c)
(4)

English ability

English ability will be assessed as follows:(a)Japanese applicants
When you apply to Physiological Sciences Program, enclose the original of their TOEIC Official Score
Certificate or TOEIC Institutional Program (IP) Score Report. Please note that the tests must be taken
within two years before the date of the examination. If it is impossible for you to obtain the score recordby the application period, you should submit the score record to Student Affairs Section, Academic
and Student Affairs Division, SOKENDAI by the deadline (first round: Friday, August 2, 2024, second
round: Tuesday, January 14, 2025). (Not e-mail)(b)

Non-Japanese applicantsApplicants are required to have obtained the following score(s) by the time of application. If it is
impossible for you to obtain the score record by the application period, you should submit the score
record to Student Affairs Section, Academic and Student Affairs Division, SOKENDAI by the deadline(first round: Friday, August 2, 2024, second round: Tuesday, January 14, 2025). (Not email)・TOEFL PBT: 550 or higher
・TOEFL iBT: 80 or higher
・TOEIC: 730 or higher
・IELTS: 6.0 or higher
Applicants whose native language is English and who have graduated or expected to be graduatedfrom universities through classes and instruction in English may be exempted from submitting the24English test score.
(5)

Important notes for the interview:(a)An interview will last up to 30 minutes.

(b)

The interview will be conducted remotely via Zoom web. For 15 minutes, the applicant will explain thecontent of previous research (or, for applicants with no previous research experience, the content of
his or her program(s) of study), reason for applying, and research ambitions. The applicant will use
his or her own computer and software such as PowerPoint for the presentation. Note that the applicant
will not be allowed to use devices other than his or her own computer or to distribute supplemental
materials for presentations.

(c)

In the remaining 15 minutes, the committee members will ask questions about the content of theapplicant’s submitted documents and of his or her presentation.

(6)

Other notes:
・The applicant can take the examination at home or in some other place as long as the space is isolated,
and the contents of the examination are not leaked to a third party.
・The examiner record during the examination, and video recording will not be used for any purpose otherthan the examination.
・The applicant and examiner will make a Zoom test on the day before the examination.

(7)

Criteria for grading, evaluation and admission decision:
Criteria for grading and evaluation: Applicants will be graded on a scale of A to C on their overall
performance, which will be determined on the basis of the content of their submitted documents andinterviews.
Criteria for admission decision: Acceptance will be determined by overall performance, which will beassessed based on the contents of their research to date, the submitted documents, and interview.
Financial support for newly enrolled students:(a)Japanese students
Physiological Sciences Program has been employing all Japanese graduate students (except for
those receiving Research Fellowship for Doctoral Course Students (DC) provided by Japan Society
for the Promotion Science) as Research Assistants (RAs) (at an annual salary of 1,000,000 yen).
Physiological Sciences Program has been employing an extremely high-score student as RA at anannual salary of 1.7 million yen, and a high-score student at an annual salary of 1.4 million yen.
Additionally, for new students (except those who have received an enrollment-fee waiver), funds
equivalent to the amount of their enrollment fees will be paid by the Scholarship Fund of National
Institute for Physiological Sciences.

(b)

Non-Japanese students
Excellent students who wish to enter the 3-year Doctoral Course at NIPS are eligible to apply for two
types of NIPS Scholarship. The first type covers the same as described for MEXT scholarship.
The second one covers the following:・Admission fee (282,000 yen, only once at the time of admission)25

・A half of annual tuition fee
・Salary for Research Assistant job (1,400,000 yen per year, about 116,600 yen per month)
All other students are supported as follows.
・Admission fee (282,000 yen, only once at the time of admission)・Salary for Research Assistant job (1,000,000 to 1,400,000 yen per year, about 83,300 to 116,000
yen per month)(8)

Questions regarding the items in this section may be addressed to:
Graduate Student Affairs Section
International Relations & Research Cooperation Division
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585
Phone: +81 564 55 7139
Fax: +81 564 55 7119
Web site: http://www.nips.ac.jp/eng/graduate/26

Ⅳ. The course subjects and the faculty members
Physiological Sciences Program*Regarding E-mail, please replace (at) with @.
Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology【 Assoc. Prof. TATEYAMA, Michihiro 】 Dynamic aspects of structure-function relationship and regulation
mechanisms of ion channels and receptors
Membrane proteins such as ion channels and receptors are sophisticated elements which play critical roles in the brain
function. To elucidate the functioning mechanisms we approach their dynamic structural rearrangements and the regulation
mechanisms by combined techniques of molecular biology, electrophysiology and optophysiology. We also conduct
research using genetically modified mice towards the functional significance of ion channels and receptors in the brain
function.
TATEYAMA, Michihiro TEL : +81-564-55-7832 / E-mail：tateyama(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Structural Biology (Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems)【Prof. MURATA, Kazuyoshi】 Three-dimensional structural analysis of biological macromolecules using cryoelectron microscopy
We investigate three-dimensional (3D) structure of biological macromolecules, such as large protein complexes,
membrane proteins, and virus particles, by using cryo-electron microscopy and single particle analysis. We also elucidate
the 3D structure of bacteria and organelles by using cryo-electron tomography. Our research goal is to understand biological
functions from molecular structure. URL: www.nips.ac.jp/struct
MURATA, Kazuyoshi

TEL: +81-564-55-7893 / E-mail:kazum(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Cell Structure【Prof. FURUSE, Mikio*】【Assoc. Prof. IZUMI, Yasushi】Molecular mechanism of epithelial barrier function andparacellular transport
We seek to clarify the molecular basis of epithelial barrier function and paracellular epithelial transport, both of which arerequired for homeostasis of the body fluid compartments. Our research focuses on tight junctions and their related structures.
We characterize the function of the cell-cell junction-associated proteins that we identified by a combination of morphological,
molecular biological and physiological techniques using cultured epithelial cells, mice and fruit flies.
FURUSE, Mikio TEL：+81-564-59-5277 / E-mail：furuse(at)nips.ac.jp
IZUMI, Yasushi TEL：+81-564-59-5279 / E-mail：yizumi(at)nips.ac.jp*Applicants who wish to enter the 5-year Doctoral Program with Prof. FURUSE Mikio as a supervisor are advised to have aclose discussion with him in advance.

Division of Cardiocirculatory Signaling (Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems)【 Prof. NISHIDA, Motohiro 】 【 Assoc.Prof. NISHIMURA, Akiyuki 】 Elucidation of the molecular mechanism
underlying maintenance and transfiguration of cardiovascular homeostasis
We are studying the mechanism underlying adaptation and maladaptation of the cardiovascular system against
hemodynamic load through focusing on TRP Ca2+-permeable channels as a regulator of excitation-transcription couplingand GTP-binding proteins as senescence-inducible redox sensors, using in vivo and ex vivo cardiovascular analyzing
systems and chemical principles-based biological techniques.
NISHIDA, Motohiro TEL：+81-564-59-5560 / E-mail：nishida(at)nips.ac.jp
NISHIMURA, Akiyuki TEL：+81-564-59-5563 / E-mail：aki(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Molecular Neuroimmunology【 Prof. MURAKAMI, Masaaki* 】 【 Assoc.Prof. HASEBE, Rie 】 Molecular mechanism of the development of
autoimmune diseases regulated by gateway reflex
Prof. MURAKAMI and Assoc. Prof. HASEBE found a novel concept for neuro-immune interaction, “The Gateway Reflex”,
by studying the mechanism of how IL-6 and autoreactive CD4+ T cells induce the tissue-specific autoreactive immune
diseases (Cell 148, 447-, 2012, JEM 219, e20212019, 2022 etc). Six Gateway Reflexes have been found so far. In the
Gateway Reflex, environmental stimulations such as gravity, pain, stress, light, and microinflammation activate the specificneural pathways, which induces accumulation of autoreactive CD4+T cells to induce inflammation around the specific blood27

vessels of the tissue possessing blood barrier (e.g. the central nervous system or retina). The mechanism of how the
Gateway Reflex increases vascular permeability has been addressed by the concept of “IL-6 amplifier” (Immunity, 50, 812,
2019, Immunity, 29, 628-, 2008). The research goals of Division of Molecular Neuroimmunology are, 1. to discover novel
Gateway Reflexes, 2. to elucidate molecular mechanism including the details of neural pathway related to the Gateway
Reflexes, 3. to elucidate molecular mechanism of inflammation induced by IL-6 amplifier.
HASEBE, Rie TEL：+81-564-55-7729/ E-mail: hasebe(at)nips.ac.jp*Prof. MURAKAMI, Masaaki cannot accept students as a supervisor. Assoc.Prof. HASEBE, Rie accepts them instead anddiscusses the research with Prof. MURAKAMI, Masaaki as well.

Division of Homeostatic Development【Assoc.Prof. NARUSHIMA, Madoka】Reorganization of neural circuits in development and recovery after neural
injuryNeuronal networks are dynamically reshaped by experiences during early postnatal life. The similar neural reorganization
is observed after neural injury. What happens at the level of neural networks including synaptic formation and function during
postnatal development and recovery after neurological damage? To address these questions, we study the rodent central
nervous system with especially focusing on glial functions. Major research techniques applied in our laboratory include invivo two-photon microscopy, slice patch clamp electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry and molecular biological
techniques. In order to explore the possibility that immature features of neural circuits reemerge during the recovery period
following neural injury, we study on the mechanisms underlying the reorganization of neural circuits using various animalmodels.
NARUSHIMA, Madoka TEL：+81-564-55-7854 / E-mail：narumado(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Visual Information Processing【Prof. YOSHIMURA, Yumiko】 Circuit mechanisms underlying information processing and functional development
in visual cortex
We are studying the properties of neuronal circuits underlying visual information processing in visual cortex, and thedevelopment of the circuits based on experience-dependent and synaptic target recognition mechanisms. To this end, weare conducting electrophysiological analyses combined with optogenetics and laser photolysis of caged glutamate in rodent
slice preparations and morphological analyses using transsynaptic viral tracers. In order to relate the properties of neuronal
circuits to visual functions, we are also investigating the visual responses of cortical neurons in rodents withelectrophysiological techniques and 2-photon Ca2+ imaging.
YOSHIMURA, Yumiko TEL: +81-564-55-7731 / E-mail: yumikoy(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Biophotonics (Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems)【Prof. NEMOTO, Tomomi】【Assoc. Prof. ENOKI, Ryosuke】 Quantitative analysis of neural functions and biologicalrhythm by cutting-edge optical technologies
We aim to explore new principles of physiological functions by developing innovative optical bioimaging. Utilizing the latest
laser, optical, and material technologies, our goal is to observe and manipulate living specimens with high speed and superhigh resolution without causing damage. Through quantitative visualization analyses, we aim to uncover the molecular andcellular mechanisms responsible for the functions of the central nervous system and organs, such as signal transmission,
biological rhythms, and hibernation. We also promote the development of various models using cells, organs, and animals
for disorders such as cancers, diabetes, and plants.
NEMOTO, Tomomi
ENOKI, Ryosuke

TEL：+81-564-59-5257 / E-mail：tn(at)nips.ac.jp
TEL：+81-564-59-5258 / E-mail：enoki(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Multicellular Circuit Dynamics【Prof. WAKE, Hiroaki】 Physiological function measurement and manipulation of multicellular circuits in the central
nervous system
The Multicellular Circuit Dynamics Division aims to elucidate the physiological functions of the multicellular circuit
dynamics, which consists of neurons and glial cells in the central nervous system, that contribute to higher brain functions.
We aim to examine the physiological functions of glial cells that modify the neural circuits activity that ultimately lead tobehavior output for mice and to link this to pathological conditions. In addition to the visualization technique using two-photon
microscopy, we will further apply our holographic microscopy to biological applications, focusing on the functional
connectivity of neurons and extracting the transcriptomes, and evaluating local neural circuits by using holographic
stimulation and measurement. In addition to those applications, we are stimulating neurons and glial cells to control higherorder brain functions.
28

WAKE, Hiroaki

TEL：+81-564-55-7724 / E-mail：hirowake(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Behavioral Development【Prof. ISODA, Masaki】 Neural mechanisms of social cognition and behavior
The goal of this laboratory is to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition and behavior using macaques.
In particular, we focus on self-other distinction, monitoring of others’ actions, observational learning, and self-othercomparison. For this purpose, we employ various experimental approaches, such as behavioral testing, electrophysiologicalrecording, neuropharmacological intervention, pathway-selective blockade of neural activity using viral vectors, andcognitive genomics.
ISODA, Masaki

TEL：+81-564-55-7761 / E-mail：isodam(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Neural Dynamics【Prof. KITAJO, Keiichi】 The functional role of neural dynamics
The neural activities of humans and other animals show a variety of nonlinear dynamics. We deal with EEG, ECoG, MEG,
and fMRI data in humans. We promote computational studies by data analysis and mathematical modeling based on the
nonlinear dynamical systems theory, information theory, complex network analysis, and statistical machine learning theory
thereby trying to understand the functional role of neural dynamics in perception, cognition, motor, and social functions inrelation to individual differences and pathological conditions. We also develop novel techniques for brain-machine interfaces
and AI based on neural dynamics.
KITAJO, Keiichi TEL：+81-564-55-7751 / E-mail：kkitajo(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping【Prof. TAKEMURA, Hiromasa】 Structural and functional brain mapping of sensory and cognitive system
We investigate structure-function relationship of the brain based on structural and functional neuroimaging using magnetic
resonance facility. While our primary focus is to study and understand healthy human brains, we also perform neuroimaging
studies on animal models as well as and clinical neuroimaging studies on retinal disorders.
TAKEMURA, Hiromasa TEL：+81-564-55-7861 / E-mail：htakemur(at)nips.ac.jp

Division of Multisensory Integration Systems【Prof. SASAKI, Ryo】Neural dynamics of multisensory integration for flexible behaviors
Our goal is to clarify the dynamics of brain networks underling flexible cognitive behaviors and decision-making using nonhuman primates. To achieve this goal, we develop various behavioral paradigms with realistic environment utilizing virtual
reality (VR) technology, and perform computational analysis based on large-scale neural activity recordings and neuralcircuit manipulation applying optogenetics. In particular, we focus on motion systems, spatial navigation systems, balancing
system for risk-reward decisions, and art cognition.
SASAKI, Ryo TEL：+81-564-55-7771 / E-mail：rsasaki(at)nips.ac.jp

Center for Animal Resources and Collaborative Study【Prof. NISHIJIMA, Kazutoshi】 Establishment and characterization of experimental animal models.
Knowledge about animal characteristics and optimization of the breeding environment are indispensable for conducting
scientifically meaningful animal experiments. Center for Animal Resources and Collaborative Study conducts theestblishment of experimental animal models and analysis of hteir characteristics, development of methods of strain
preservation and breeding management suitable for each animal species (especially rabbits), from the viewpoint ofveterinary and experimental animal sciences.
NISHIJIMA, Kazutoshi TEL：+81-564-55-7781 / E-mail：kanish(at)nips.ac.jp

SUPPORTIVE CENTER FOR BRAIN RESEARCH, Section of Multiphoton Neuroimaging【Assoc. Prof. MURAKOSHI, Hideji】 Imaging signal transduction in subcellular structures of living cells by 2photon fluorescence microscopy.
We are working on imaging signal transduction in subcellular structure such as dendritic spine of hippocampal neurons
using 2-photon fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) techniques. By combining
these techniques with optical manipulation techniques such as caged-compound uncaging and optogenetic tools, we are29trying to understand the mechanism of physiological system such as memory system of brain at the level of single synapse.
MURAKOSHI, Hideji Tel: +81-564-55-7857 / E-mail: murakosh(at)nips.ac.jp

SUPPORTIVE CENTER FOR BRAIN RESEARCH, Section of Brain Function Information【Prof. FUKUNAGA, Masaki】Imaging structure and function relationship of human brain by ultra- high field MRI
Magnetic resonance (MR) is an excellent technique for noninvasively observing living organisms' structure, function,
metabolism, and molecular dynamics. In this section, we investigate the structure-function relationship of the human brain
using 3 and 7-tesla ultra-high-field MR imaging and spectroscopy, and develop new imaging techniques to measure
biological parameters. In addition, to understand the diseases through advanced brain imaging, we are participating in multicenter clinical research collaboration projects and promoting the exploration of endophenotypes and biomarkers of
psychiatric disorders based on the analysis of big MR imaging data.
FUKUNAGA, Masaki TEL：+81-564-55-7842 / E-mail：fuku(at)nips.ac.jp

CENTER FOR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR, Section of Viral Vector Development【Assoc. Prof. KOBAYASHI, Kenta】Analysis of brain function using newly developed gene transfer system.
To understand the mechanisms underlying higher brain functions, we need to analyze the roles of specific neuronal pathways
forming the complex neural networks. We succeeded in developing a new gene transfer system to induce transgene
expression in the specific neural pathway by using an adeno-associated viral vector and a novel type of lentiviral vector. We
analyze the physiological functions of specific neural pathways forming cortico-basal ganglia circuits by using our newly
developed gene transfer approach.
KOBAYASHI, Kenta TEL：+81-564-55-7827 / E-mail：kobaya(at)nips.ac.jp

CENTER FOR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR, Section of Sensory Physiology【Assoc.Prof. SOKABE, Takaaki】Molecular mechanisms of sensing
We are clarifying molecular mechanisms of sensing such as thermosensation, nociception and taste sensation by focusingon TRP channels mainly with behavioral, electrophysiological, and molecular biological techniques. We are investigating
fruit flies to seek novel mechanisms of temperature and mechanical sensations and developing new strategies of insect pest
management by seeking novel repellents and insecticides.
SOKABE, Takaaki

TEL：+81-564-59-5287 / E-mail：sokabe(at)nips.ac.jp

Also, you can participate in visiting research divisions.
For the details of research activities, please contact the following
or visit our website. 〔http://www.nips.ac.jp〕
National Institute for Physiological Sciences
Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, TAKEMURA, Hiromasa
TEL：+81-564-55-7861 / E-mail：htakemur(at)nips.ac.jp30