I got selected but due to my health condition and the program was rigorous (40hrs/week) with no friends/family who can come to check my condition as the doctor said it is better that there should be someone that can look after you even if you live alone ( asked the embassy but they refused to grant a visa even for a few months) . I decided to withdraw. I wasn't able to visit japan so am I considered blacklisted if I wanted to apply again after some years ( when I get better maybe).

Does MEXT matter for status signalling? Or is it mainly for monetary support?

From my feeling of it doesn't status signal a whole lot

I am reading

https://www.waseda.jp/fsci/assets/uploads/2024/11/ApplicationGuidelines_20241105.pdf

page 22 and related

Nationality

We are only able to nominate an applicant who holds one of the nationalities specified by MEXT

(refer to page 22). This year's nationality provisions have yet to be announced (the latest list is

expected to reach to us after the application period closes), however, in the last round, only those

who hold a nationality listed in the MEXT's Countries and regions designated by MEXT (page 22) were eligible for nomination.

How are these countries chosen?

I'm from the Philippines (currently at 10th grade). I want to apply for Japan with a course related to English Languages or Literature. I just want to ask if there are Filipino peeps who were able to be accepted through embassy track or university track, and what tips can you hand out for fellow Filipinos wanting to apply for the scholarship in the future?

I also want to apply for a university that offers start of school within Fall Semester since graduation in the Philippines is around April/May (our school's graduation for Grade 12 is at May), which is ineligible to the March deadline of graduation in the guidelines. But, I don't know if I would be accepted.

I'm a recent college graduate from Bangladesh, and I'm planning to pursue my bachelor's degree in Japan. I’m really interested in applying for the MEXT scholarship, but I need some guidance on a few aspects. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

1.Which Universities Accept MEXT Applications Easily?

I’ve read that some universities may be more accessible for MEXT applicants than others. I don’t have a strict preference for a specific field or subject, so I’m open to suggestions if it increases my chances of getting accepted.

2.Scholarship Alternatives if MEXT Doesn’t Work Out

While MEXT is my main goal, I’d like to know what other scholarship options might be available if I’m not selected. Any tips on alternative funding opportunities would be amazing.

3.Preferred Fields: Environmental Science and Global Business

While I’m open to other fields, my top choices are Environmental Science and Global Business. If anyone has insights on programs or universities in Japan that excel in these areas (especially ones accessible through MEXT), I’d love to hear about them!

4.Tips on the MEXT Application Process

I’d be grateful for any advice on the steps involved in the application process, including any documents, exams, or preparation I should focus on to strengthen my application.

Thanks in advance for any advice! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experience.

Hello. I’ve been struggling how I would present my resume in a proper manner. I want to apply for MS/PhD in Materials Science & Engineering at a good university in japan or in europe. I have a bachelors degree in ceramic engineering and a professional science masters in renewable energy engineering. However, I do not know how to align my degrees and experiences to be able to show that I am sincerely interested in inorganic materials for tissue engineering. I wonder if I am qualified.

I’m looking to get a undergraduate scholarship in japan to study media composition (music for tv, games, etc) and I’m having a hard time finding info around this field when it comes to MEXT. Has anyone here studied music as an undergraduate through MEXT?

Hi! I'm from Spain and I plan on applying to this scholarship for 2026 and I wanted some info about applicants on Spain, when I research about Mext in Spanish I mostly see people from Latin America and I'd like to know experiences from people from my country, I'm mostly interested in knowing how many people apply to it and how many actually get it, I have not much info about it and have seen very few people talking about this on Spain so it'd be great to know about Spanish experiences with this scholarship.

Also I'd like to know if there's someone that applied to the field of study of "Culture and General Education", the very few people I've seen from Spain that got the Mext were from fields of study related to science and technology so I want to know if not being from that field would make me have much less chances of getting it or what. (I'd like to think no but since the only info I have of people getting the scholarship is from people that are studying technology/science then I dunno,,,,)

Hey everyone!

I recently reached out to a professor about being my supervisor for the MEXT scholarship application in Japan, and I just got a positive reply. He said:

"You are welcome to apply for the MEXT scholarship. The selection process is highly competitive, but please apply anyway. When you apply, you can write to me as your supervisor. I would like to have online interviews for you through the selection process."

This seems like a good sign, but I’m not sure what my next steps should be. How should I respond to the professor's email? And what else should I start preparing at this point? Any advice on what to expect in these online interviews would also be really helpful!

Thanks in advance!

I hope everyone is doing great. My question is about recommendation letter, can i apply wih a letter that was issued 7 month before the application period?. As getting newly issued one is a bit challenging for me.

Thanks in advance

Hi, so I'm already a pretty advanced level of japanese, I've studied it for a while, and I am around N2 - N1 level, however I haven't done the JLPT exam yet, and I wouldnt be able to before applying. If I apply, get accepted, but my japanese level is already at the height needed for the course, do they take the results and assess my level from the exam, or would I need to get the JLPT certificate first, and if so, would they make it unnecessary to do the year long japanese foundation course? Or is it mandatory regardless of if you know the language well enough or not?

so, I've applied for the scholarship and I was rejecrejected at the document screening. in the email they sent me they said they couldn't explain why they rejected me and they will not answer any question.

so what mistake could I've possibly done so I can avoid it next time I apply for the scholarship?

and before you ask, yes my documents are complete.

Hey so ill be applying for 2026 mext in undergraduate in Japanese language major.The thing is I'll only have N4 till i apply but i heard alot if people saying u atleast need N1 N2 in order to get selected.Is there anyone who applied for the same with lower Japanese level i would really appreciate hearing their experience and advice. Also in future even if i get the scholarship, i get the degree in Japanese language what can i do with it ? Will i get good jobs ? Should i even choose Japanese language as my major ? It it even worth it ? I would heavily appreciate everyone's response.

Btw im currently in my 12th year of education in india and would be applying next year so i do have quite a bit of time to deeply research and discuss what field of study i wanna choose.

I was wondering if it was possible to get the scholarship for all three courses, I know it's possible to do both undergrad and masters but I was wondering if I could go even further and do a PhD all while being covered by MEXT for, in total 9(?) years?

Just curious if anyone in this subreddit is going to the Welcome Reception on November 16 organized by MEXT. I think it will be fun and people will be gathering from all over Japan. Personally I will be going there from Osaka, hoping to stay in Tokyo for a bit and explore the city.

Hi! First of all- I want to start off with the obvious, I'm aware the second screening is basically a mysterious process that MEXT releases 0 info about and of which we know nothing about criteria for passing or not. I'm very aware, trust me.

My doubts moreso come from the phrasing on the wiki section of this subreddit. The wiki and faq seem to imply that, although not 100% guaranteed, passing to the second screening is a good indicator that you will get the scholarship, and seems to imply very few people fail to secure it if they get their lopa.

However, I also see a lot of contradictory info when reading discussions- such as people saying undergraduate students have a very hard time actually getting the scholarship, for example. Or posts about people who say they've been turned down on the second screening multiple times.

I applied for the STC scholarship so I don't have any LOPA worries but also basically no info, since there's very little data provides by scholarship grantees on it.

I know there's not much to be done because we know nothing of MEXT's processes in the second screening, but I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this- is the wiki and faq's claims that passing the first screening is a good signal to get one's hopes up? Is it perhaps just overly positive wording?

Hello guys, i have a quick query. Has anyone here applied to kyoto university through the mext university track?

I came across a process called AAO and i was wondering if i need to apply through this or can i directly email professors with my research proposal?

Cant upload a screenshot but heres the link: https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/education-campus/education-and-admissions/graduate-degree-programs/how-to-apply/for-graduates-of-overseas-universities

would be great if someone can answer, I'm really confused.

For those that have graduated from or are studying in a college in Japan, how was the process of getting a job there? I've seen different things from different sources, so I want to know from your personal experience. If you had to apply for many different companies, how many got you an interview, if companies go for campus recruiting, etc. Please also specify your major and university if you feel comfortable.

For those who got letter of acceptance from professor, when did you send your initial email? Trying to get a sense of the timeline. Thanks!

Hi i am 23f and i am applying for mext scholarship i tried for the embassy route but i missed the deadline. I am a fresh bachelors graduate waiting for my degree. My major is microbiology. After missing my deadline of embassy route i started emailing professors and tried my luck on university route. I have sent about 53 emails to professors but they either say the lab is full , my university is not affiliated or just doesn’t reply at all and the Univ. route is about to close soon. This scholarship has become my dream now. I consulted someone who was an assistant professor at a university in japan said she applied through embassy route in my country and they rejected her multiple times and that they prefer students who have lots of publications. She said one guy she remembers who got selected wrote a whole book and that i don’t have a chance since the competition is mad high. I am writing review papers now. I don’t know what to do. I emailed almost all universities that appeared when i searched universities in japan for microbiology. I don’t have much time and i cant take gap years please what should i do. I at all cost want this scholarship.

Hi y’all

So I contacted a professor about 8 months back about some clarifications I needed concerning his research paper. He responded quite nicely. Now I want to contact him about joining his lab. Should I mention the fact that I’m the one that emailed him about his research before or I should just leave it out.

Hi everyone!

I’m interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Japan, specifically looking at Tohoku University and Tokyo Tech. However, I’ve noticed both universities seem to offer an integrated Master’s and Doctoral program, but I’m only looking to do a Master’s.

Has anyone here managed to enroll in just a Master’s program at either of these universities, or know if it’s possible to do so? Any advice would be really helpful. Thanks!

Hi!

I'll be applying for Nikkensei this year. Currently, I'm in my second year at university, majoring in Japanese Studies in Czechia. My level is somewhere around N3. Our teacher advised us to try and apply for the Nikkensei scholarship, which I was planning to do anyway. However, many schools seem to want their students to have an N2 Japanese proficiency (for example, Osaka University). I've found bits here and there about how you're expected to have N2 if you apply for this type of scholarship. But we're only supposed to be at N2 during our last year of Bachelor's, which is too late to apply for this scholarship.

My question is - is it really needed to have N2 proficiency to come to Japan under the Japanese Studies scholarship? Or is it possible to get in with a lower level of Japanese? I haven't found any specific answer to this, so if there's possibly someone who could share their own experience, I would genuinely appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Hello. I want to apply at University of Tsukuba as an undergrad, school of interdisciplinary engineering. But, I have zero knowledge about the application procedure and the requirements. What is the minimum requirement for SAT score if they have and the IELTS score requirement?

Hi there! I really wanted to know if there are any Indian students who didn't have extraordinary certifications like national winner of Olympiad or something like that, and got selected by MEXT for undergraduate. I apologise if my post goes against any rule here. Thank you.

Any student from economics & commerce streams, which are hoping to apply masters through MEXT University recommendation pathway? 🙋🏻‍♂️

Hey guys I tried so many times contacting professors to get recommendations and supervision. But I didn’t able to take any favorable results yet. What should I do? Better to wait till next embassy recommendation track? Please guide. Thank you ♥️

I was thinking recently that I don't actually know that much about the essentially, foundation year and was just curious about it. Like do they teach you subject specific terms? Or do you have to study those yourself? Also for physics/engineering but mostly stem in general, how would they even go about teaching all that vocab since there's so much..? Particularly for undergrad, but I'm open to anyone commenting ^^

Hokkaido University's Physics Department accepted applications for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship. It had one pre-screening round, where I had to submit necessary documents, fill out all the forms, write research statement(s), and so on. Further, the potential supervisor (along with other faculties from the department) took an interview (or rather a presentation of my research background and research plan in HU), which went well. My prospective supervisor told me he liked my talk and would do whatever would be possible in his hand.

Now I am confused about the whole procedure of the "University Recommendation" thing. I thought the interview was supposed to be the last step, but it seems, that even with a good interview, things are uncertain.

Can some of you share your experiences regarding the "University Recommended MEXT scholarship"?