JAPANESE GOVERNMENT （MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT） SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2011（RESEARCH STUDENTS）

MEXT （Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology） offers
scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as
research students under the Japanese Government （MEXT） Scholarship Program for
2011 as follows:

1.FIELDS OF STUDY

Fields of study must be subjects which applicants will be able to study and research at
Japanese universities.

Keep in mind, however, that a student who majors in medicine, dentistry or welfare
science will not be allowed to engage in clinical training such as medical care and
operative surgery until he/she obtains a permit from the Minister of Health, Labour
and Welfare under applicable Japanese laws. Majors in traditional entertainment such
as Kabuki and classical Japanese dances, or in subjects that seek practical training in
specific technologies or techniques at factories or companies are excluded.

2.QUALIFICATIONS

（1）Nationality:

Applicant must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with
the Japanese government. This applies at such times to stateless persons, too.
Applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application will not be eligible.

Applicant screening will be made at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate
Generalhereinafter referred to as the “Japanese legation”） in the country of
Applicant’s nationality（except where two or more countries are attended by the same
Japanese Embassy/Consulate General）.

（2）Age:

Applicant must have been born on or after April 2,1976.

（3） Academic Background:

Applicant must be a graduate from a Japanese university or have academic ability
equal or superior to that of a Japanese university graduate. A person will be deemed
to have academic ability equal or superior to that of a university graduate, if he/she

[1] has completed or will complete a 16-year school curriculum in a foreign country
（or an 18-year school curriculum if he/she desires to enroll in a doctoral course in the
field of medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, or pharmacy which is founded on a 6
-year department or faculty）; or

[2] is or will be aged 22 or older and has taken an individual entrance
qualification
examination and has been judged by a graduate school as being equal or superior in
academic ability to a university graduate （or 24 or older if he/she desires to enroll in a
doctoral course in the field of medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, or pharmacy
which is founded on a 6-year department or faculty）.
Note: Eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification
requirements for admission to a Japanese graduate school. As a general rule, a person
who has completed a doctoral course may not apply unless he/she seeks to obtain a
degree.

（4）Major Field of Study:
Applicant should apply for the field of study he/she studied at the previous university
or any related field. Applicant must choose a field on which he/she can receive
education and perform research at the university of his/her choice.

（5）Japanese Language:
Applicant must be willing to learn the Japanese language, interested in Japan and
enthusiastic about deepening his/her understanding of Japan after arriving, and
capable of engaging in study and research while adapting himself/herself to life in
Japan.

（6）Health:
Applicant must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue study at
university.

（7）Arrival in Japan:
Applicant must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of
April 2011, or within two weeks of the date set by the receiving university for the
beginning of the semester （in principle, in September or October）. Travel expenses
will not be provided if the Applicant chooses to travel to Japan before this set period.

（8）Visa Requirement:
Selected Applicants must obtain a College Student （ryuugaku 留学） visa prior to his
arrival in Japan. Applicants who are already in Japan under a visa other than College
Student are required to change it to College Student by the end of the month
preceding the start of the scholarship. Applicants who change their resident status to
any status other than “College Student” after their arrival in Japan will immediately
lose their status as a Japanese government scholarship student.

（9）
Any applicant who meets any or all of the following conditions is not eligible. If
identified after the start of the scholarship period, the applicant will be required to
withdraw from the scholarship:
1: The Applicant is an active member of the military or a civilian employed by the
military at the time the scholarship period is due to begin.
2: The Applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the dates set by the receiving
university
3: If the Applicant was a grantee of a Japanese Government Scholarship in the past.
Unless he/she has had at least three years of research or teaching experience
between the completion of the first scholarship and the start of the second
scholarship period. This exclusion will not apply to a research-student applicant, who

（i） as an international student in Japan received training in Japanese studies at a
university but graduated from his/her home university, or who （ii） was an international
student in Japan under the Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for
the Students in Science and Engineering Departments.
4: The Applicant is currently enrolled in a Japanese university under the resident
status of “College Student,” or if he/she plans to enroll at a Japanese university as a
privately-financed international student between the time of application for this
scholarship and the time the scholarship period is due to begin.
5: The Applicant is already the recipient of a scholarship from an organization
（including a governmental organization in his/her country of origin） other than the
Japanese government （Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- MEXT）.
6: The Applicant, considered a “future graduate” and selected as such, is unable to
graduate within the pre-set date or unable to fulfill graduation requirements.

3.TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP

The term of scholarship will differ as follows depending on the course a grantee takes
in Japan:
（1）
In a case where Grantee will enroll as a research student, non-degree student, or
auditor, etc. （hereinafter referred to as “Research Student”） after coming to Japan:
[1] If Grantee comes to Japan in April 2011, his/her scholarship will be payable for 24
months from April 2011 through March 2013;
[2] If Grantee comes to Japan in October 2011, his/her scholarship will be payable for
18 months from October 2011 through March2013.
（In either case, the above-mentioned term of scholarship includes a 6-month
Japanese language training period for grantees who require such training）
（2）
If Grantee enrolls in a master's course, doctoral course, or professional graduate
course after coming to Japan, regardless of the time of his/her arrival in Japan the
scholarship will be payable for a period necessary for Grantee to complete his/her
regular course （standard course term）. （Plus a 6-month Japanese language training
period for Grantee who needs such training.）
If Grantee desires to proceed to a regular graduate course from a Research Student
course, or to a doctoral course from a master’s course or a professional graduate
course, he/she may have the term of his/her scholarship extended upon successful
examination by MEXT provided that he/she has outstanding academic achievement
that meets certain criteria. （Grantee as Research Student cannot have the term of
his/her scholarship extended. If Grantee proceeds to a higher level of education
without receiving approval for an extension of the term of the scholarship, the
scholarship will be cancelled. He/she may, however, proceed to a higher level of
education or continue with his/her study as a privately-financed student.）
Please note, however, that proceeding to a regular graduate course from a Research
Student course is subject to period- related restrictions. Application for extension of
stay will not be accepted in the following cases:
[1] Grantee desires to move on to a master’s course in a Natural Science field, but is
unable to proceed to a regular course by the last day of the 24th month counted from
the month of arrival in Japan;
[2] Grantee desires to move on to a master’s course in a Social Science field, but is
unable to proceed to a regular course by the last day of the 25th month counted from
the month of arrival in Japan;
[3] Grantee desires to move on to a doctoral course in a Natural Science field, but is
unable to proceed to a regular course by the last day of the 13th month counted from
the month of arrival in Japan;
[4] Grantee desires to move on to a doctoral course in a Social Science field, but is
unable to proceed to a regular course by the last day of the 24th month counted from
the month of arrival in Japan;

4.SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS

（1）Allowance:
Under the fiscal 2010 budget, each grantee will be provided monthly with 152,000 yen
（Research Student course）, 154,000 yen （students enrolled in a Master’s program or
a professional degree program）, or 155,000 yen （students enrolled in a doctoral
program） （an additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be provided to
those undertaking study or research in specially designated regions）. However, these
amounts are subject to change depending on the annual budget of each year. The
scholarship will not be paid to a grantee who takes a leave of absence or is long
absent from his/her university.
Scholarship will be cancelled for a grantee in the following cases. Furthermore, if
scholarship payments were made during the period the following cases applied, the
grantee may be ordered to return scholarship payments received during that period.
[1] If any of his/her application documents is found to be falsely stated;
[2] If he/she is in breach of his/her pledge made to the Minister of
MONBUKAGAKUSHO（MEXT）;
[3] If he/she is subjected to disciplinary action, such as expulsion or removal from
register, taken by his/her university or the preparatory Japanese-teaching institution;
[4] If it becomes definitive that the grantee will not be able to complete his/her
course within the standard course term because of his/her poor academic
achievement or suspension;
[5] If his/her resident status of “College Student” as provided for in Paragraph 1-4
of Appendix to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act changes to any
other status;
[6] If he/she is provided with another scholarship （except for a scholarship
designated for research expenses）; or
[7]If he/she proceeds to a higher level of education without receiving approval for
an extension of the term of the scholarship.

（2）Traveling Costs
[1] Transportation to Japan: Each grantee will be provided, according to his/her
itinerary and route as designated by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the
international airport closest to his/her place of residence to Narita International
Airport （or following the itinerary normally used by the university where the grantee is
placed）. Expenses such as inland transportation from his/her place of residence to
the nearest international airport, airport tax, airport usage charges, special taxes on
overseas travel and travel expenses within Japan will be borne by the grantee （the
place of residence of the grantee shall in principle be the address stated in the
application form）. Air travel from a country other than the grantee’s nationality will
not be covered, nor travel to Japan before April 1, 2011.
If the grantee comes to Japan to obtain admission to a university, he/she will not be
provided with traveling cost to Japan.
[2]Transportation from Japan: The grantee who returns to his/her home country
within the last-payment month of his/her scholarship will be provided, upon
application, with an economy class air ticket for a flight from Narita International
Airport （or following the itinerary normally used by the university where the grantee is
placed） to the international airport closest to his/her place of return.
Note:Insurance premiums for travel to/from Japan shall be borne by the grantee. The
airport the grantee departs from or returns to must be an airport of the country of
his/her nationality.
[3]School Fees: Fees for matriculation, tuition and entrance examinations at a
university will be paid by the Japanese government. If the grantee moves on to higher
education as a nonregular student, he/she will pay for entrance examinations.

5. SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION
（1）
In cooperation with the governments of the applicants’ countries the Japanese
legation will perform primary screening of applicants by means of submitted application
documents, written examinations and interviews.
（2）
Written examinations will be English and Japanese tests. The Japanese examination
must be taken by all applicants. and the English by those who wish.
（3）The following policy will apply to each screening:
[1]Application documents: Must show that the applicant obtained academic
achievement higher than a certain level at the university he/she last graduated from,
and state the applicant’s desired research program in a detailed and concrete manner.
[2] Written examination: Must show that the applicant obtained scores better than a
certain level either in Japanese or English.
[3] Interview: Must reveal that the applicant has a clear sense of purpose relating to
his/her study in Japan and has gathered information about Japanese universities.
Interview must also reveal that the applicant has sufficient Japanese or English
language ability to communicate with his/her adviser in Japan. If the applicant desires
to study a subject that requires higher Japanese language proficiency, Interview must
reveal that the applicant has a considerable degree of Japanese language proficiency.
（4）
Results of the primary screening will be notified on the date separately designated by
the Japanese legation.
（5）
Each person who has passed this primary screening is required to contact directly the
Japanese university of his/her choice and make the utmost effort to obtain admission
as a graduate student or research student, or a letter of provisional acceptance as a
research student （hereinafter referred to as “Admission”） by the end of August.
（6）
Each candidate must submit to the university of his/her choice a set of the same
documents as those submitted to the Japanese legation （application, academic
transcript of the university attended, research program, all with a confirmation seal of
the Japanese legation affixed, and a certificate of the primary selection issued by the
Japanese legation）. Additional documents may have to be submitted upon request of
the university.
（7）
MEXT will conduct a secondary screening based on the results of the primary
screening conducted by the Japanese legation, and select as national scholarship
grantees those applicants who have found recipient universities. Therefore, applicants
who have passed the primary screening at Japanese legation are not necessarily
accepted as scholarship grantees.
Note 1: A written Japanese examination must be taken by all applicants. In addition,
an English examination will be provided to those who wish. The result of these
examinations will provide a basis for determining each applicant’s language ability and
will be reflected directly in the screening.
The result of the written Japanese examination will continue to be used as reference
data for Japanese-language teaching due to be provided upon applicants’ arrival in
Japan.
Note 2: For example, if an applicant with limited proficiency in Japanese desires to
pursue fields of study such as Japanese linguistics, Japanese literature, Japanese
history, or Japanese laws ―fields that require sufficient knowledge of the Japanese
language ― he/she will not be selected as a grantee unless there is a very special
situation.
An applicant who desires to conduct fieldwork abroad at the time of application will
not be selected, either.
Note 3: Applicants who passed the secondary screening and who do not receive from
MEXT a notice of their acceptance by a university by the end of July 2011 will
automatically be disqualified.
If an applicant is notified of his/her selection as a substitute grantee, he may be
designated as a definitive grantee as early as by the end of July in the event that any
one of the selected grantees is known to be failing because of his/her declination or
any other event.

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