Application forms may be obtained by calling or writing the Washington, D.C., office of the Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs, or by downloading the application packet from this Web site as a pdf file. The Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs and a bi-national committee review individual applications and conduct personal interviews. Applications close in late winter and the selection process takes place in May and June for each new group. Applicants are notified in June. Applicants must receive written authorization from their agencies in order to participate in the program.
Course work during the first year takes place in the Washington, D.C., area.
In addition to participating in courses in the Japanese language, history, politics, government, economy and culture, the Fellows work with the Center and the Japanese Embassy to arrange for placements in Japan. The Washington, D.C.-based program demands during the first year do not permit independent study in the home state. At the conclusion of the first year, Fellows participate in two months of language training in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, in order to enhance their language proficiency and confidence in their language skills. Fellows may bring members of their immediate families with them to Washington, D.C., and to Japan. In accordance with the legislation creating the program, Fellows receive allowances for housing and a post allowance to cover the high cost of living in Japan.