• Eligibility
• Application Materials
• Scholarship Amounts
• Japanese Proficiency
• Number of Applicants and Recipients
• Other Questions

Eligibility

Are there any restrictions on nationality?

No, there are no restrictions on nationality. (However, those with Japanese nationality are not eligible.)

Can I apply even if my status of residence in Japan is not College Student?

Only those with College Student status may apply.

How can I find out whether my department, faculty or research subject makes me eligible?

If your research subject is in business administration or a field directly related to human health (such as medicine, dentistry, 
pharmacology, biology, nutrition, physical education, or engineering), you are eligible to apply, regardless of the specific department or faculty with which you are affiliated. (Describe your research subject in the 研究内容 section of the application form.) If you are still unable to determine your eligibility on your own, contact us via our website. Provide full details of your research subject.

Am I ineligible to apply if I am not majoring in business administration?

Eligibility extends to a broad range of fields related to business administration, including economics. If you are from a developing country where business administration is not an established discipline, "international relations" is also acceptable.

I am a biology major pursuing plant and animal studies. Am I eligible to apply?

You can apply if your studies are applicable to human health. On the Scholarship Application Form, you must explain how they are applicable.

I am majoring in engineering. Am I eligible to apply?

You can apply if your studies are in an area "directly related to medicine/pharmacology." Eligible areas include, for example: human medical engineering such as development of testing/analysis devices, biomaterials engineering, development of optical devices, radiation (therapy/diagnosis), and robotics; biopharmaceuticals, genomic data analysis, and other areas of bioinformatics; computational sciences, drug discovery. In your Scholarship Application Form, please be sure to state clearly how your studies are related and applicable to medicine/pharmacology. You will be ineligible if the relationship is unclear.

I am majoring in agriculture. Am I eligible to apply?

You can apply if your studies are directly related or applicable to medicine, pharmacology, or nutrition.

Can research students also apply?

No, research students cannot apply. You must be currently enrolled as a regular student to be eligible.

Is it possible to apply before I am officially matriculated into my undergraduate/graduate degree program?

No, you must be enrolled in an official degree program as of April of the application period and able to furnish a student registration certificate along with your application form.

Can undergraduate (bachelor's degree) students apply?

First- and second-year undergraduate students are not eligible to apply. Third- and higher-year undergraduate students are neither eligible to apply, except for those with particularly excellent academic records, such as those with straight A's.

I am a new applicant and will graduate from my current program in the fall of 2024. Can I apply for scholarship for half a year? 

No, you can not. We do not provide new applicants with scholarship for half a year. Eligibility is limited to applicants who will be enrolled throughout the payment period (April 2024 - March 2025). However, if you plan to continue to graduate school after graduation, and can submit a letter of acceptance or other proof of admission together with your scholarship application documents, you are eligible to apply. However, this is only permitted in cases where you have been engaged in discussions with your prospective supervisor and he/she is able to write a letter of recommendation that includes comments on both your personality and your research plans.

I am a fiscal 2023 scholar and will graduate from my current program in the fall of 2024. Can I apply for scholarship for half a year?

If you are a fiscal 2023 scholar enrolled in fall and scheduled to graduate (within the standard period for completion) in fall 2024, you may apply for a renewal of half a year. Make sure to circle the option "半年間の継続希望" on page 1 of the Application Form. In this case, you can not receive another scholarship.

I may not be able to graduate within the standard period for completion. Can I still apply?

Students taking advantage of an extended enrollment system, students who remain in a program past the standard period for completion (including doctoral program students past the standard period for completion), and students unlikely to complete their studies within the standard period for completion are ineligible.

Scholarship recipients will have their scholarship cancelled if their graduation is delayed after they were selected as recipients.

Is there an age limit?

You must be 38 years old or younger as of April 1, 2024.

Am I eligible to apply even if I already have a scholarship from another organization?

Yes, provided that the scholarship in question allows you to accept other scholarships and the sum total received from other scholarships during the scholarship period is less than 1.8 million yen. Please submit a document copy that shows the name of the granting organization, the amount of scholarship, and period covered. However, you are not eligible if organizations provide any salary, e.g. JRA (Junior Research Associate Program).

I plan to participate in an academic exchange program. Can I still apply?

Those who plan to leave Japan for a total of forty days or more (including the departing date) for exchange program, homecoming visit, traveling, attending online classes from outside Japan, or other reasons (i.e. not being based in Japan) during the period covered by the scholarship are ineligible.

 

Application Materials

Is the mail deadline the postmarked date or the date by which my application has to arrive at the Foundation?

For both new and renewing applicants, your mailed application must arrive at our office by 3:00 p.m. on the deadline date for mail submission. Only applications sent by mail are accepted. Please note that the deadline for online submission of application documents through the Application Support System on our website is 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date for online submission. Be sure to send a hard copy of your application documents by mail after submitting them on online.

How can I obtain information on application procedures?

The Foundation website includes a scholarship guide and other related information. You can also download application forms designated by the Foundation directly from the website. Please note that application forms are different for new and renewing applicants, as well as for the medical fields and the business fields applicants. Your application will be ineligible if you do not use the correct form.

As of when should I provide information on the institution currently attended ③ (所属機関)?

The information you provide for institution currently attended, year level, and other aspects of your studies and life should be correct as of April 2024.

Does my application need to be handwritten?

The application must be handwritten by the applicant. Your application will be disqualified if all or any part of the application is typed, handwritten by someone other than yourself, or written with an erasable ballpoint pen.

How should I fill out Section ④ (学歴・職歴) of the application?

Provide your academic data from the last school attended in your home country to the school you are currently attending, in chronological order beginning with the oldest data at the top and leaving no gaps in the chronology (include any Japanese language schools attended and any universities attended as a research student). Also provide details on any work experience you have.

I just matriculated and haven't yet compiled an academic record at the graduate school I now attend. Is an undergraduate transcript acceptable?

Yes, you may submit a transcript of the undergraduate institution from which you graduated.

I just matriculated and haven't yet compiled an academic record at the university I now attend. Is a high school transcript acceptable?

Yes, you may submit a transcript of the high school you graduated from in your home country.

Does the transcript have to be an original? Do you accept copies?

You may submit a copy.

The transcript from the graduate school that I am currently attending shows only pass/fail information. Will that be acceptable?

No. As specified in the program guide, this transcript must provide course titles, credits earned, grades or other evaluations of student performance, and explanations of what the evaluations mean. Transcripts with only pass/fail information will not be accepted. Send a transcript that is current as of the most recent year for which level evaluations or grade evaluations were made.

Are transcripts written in the language of my home country accepted?

Yes. If it is difficult to obtain a transcript written in Japanese or English, you may submit a transcript written in the language of your home country. Please note that, as specified in the program guide, submit the most recent transcript with course titles, credits earned, grades or other evaluations of student performance, and explanations of what the evaluations mean. (Pass/fail records alone are not acceptable.) At least one year's worth of academic transcripts are required. If your most recent transcript only covers half a year, submit the one from the previous year as well.

I completed studies at a Japanese language school before entering my current university. Should I submit a transcript from the Japanese language school?

No, transcripts from Japanese language schools are not accepted. Please submit a transcript (copy accepted) from the high school you graduated from.

I transferred to my current university from a vocational college. Should I submit a transcript from the vocational college?

No, transcripts from vocational colleges are not accepted, regardless of the type of vocational college. Please submit a transcript (copy accepted) from the high school you graduated from.

I transferred to my current university from a junior college. Should I submit a transcript from the junior college?

No, transcripts from junior colleges are not accepted. Please submit a transcript (copy accepted) from the high school you graduated from.

What does 外国人留学生担当部署・担当者名 on the application form refer to?

Write the name of the administrative department (such as the student affairs office) in charge of scholarships at the university or graduate school where you are enrolled, together with the name of the contact person. In the contact telephone number box (連絡先電話番号), write the direct number of the relevant department. (Write the general reception phone number if you do not know the direct number.) In the contact email box (担当者メールアドレス), write the email address of the contact person. If this section is left blank, your application will be disqualified. The contact information of your laboratory are not acceptable.

Do recommendation letters need to be handwritten as well?

Typewritten recommendation letters are acceptable. Use the Excel form downloadable from our website and be sure to have the recommender place his/her signature in the 氏名 (ご署名) section. (A signature that is typed, stamped or handwritten by any other person will cause you to be disqualified.)

If I do not have a designated supervisor, who should write the letter of recommendation?

Please have the head of your faculty or the person responsible for your studies at your faculty/graduate school write the letter of recommendation. The recommender shall be the person who undertakes responsibility for classes you major in or for your research guidance. The letter of recommendation should be written by the person who will take responsibility for guiding you in your research activities.

Do you accept application forms completed in English?

Application forms completed in English will be accepted but must be accompanied by a Japanese translation of all English entries, including proper nouns. In such cases, the forms completed in English must be handwritten by the applicant. If you are able to fill out sections of the form in Japanese, we encourage you to do so.The Japanese translation need not be handwritten. No specific format or structure is required for the Japanese translation, but make sure to separate the translation corresponding to each page of the application form, and print it on single-sided paper (no both-side printing). Please note that your application will be disqualified if there are any unnatural and unintelligible expressions, mistranslations, large omissions, translated content that is not contained in the original text, or other inaccuracies in the Japanese translation. Also, in the Japanese translation, character limits for the sections on "Future Aspirations (Future Aspirations and Progress of the past one year)" (将来の抱負{将来の抱負とこの1年の進捗}), "Research Subjects (Research Subject, Progress of the past one year and Research Plan for fiscal 2024)" (研究内容{研究について、この1年の進捗と今年度の計画}) and "Progress and Achievements over the past one year" (過去1年の成果及び活動) still apply, and you are required to clearly indicate the character counts. 

The sections for "Future Aspirations (Future Aspirations and Progress of the past one year)" (将来の抱負{将来の抱負とこの1年の進捗}), "Research Subjects (Research Subject, Progress of the past one year and Research Plan for fiscal 2024)" (研究内容{研究について、この1年の進捗と今年度の計画}) and "Progress and Achievements over the past one year" (過去1年の成果及び活動) have grid lines for Japanese characters. How should I proceed if I’m completing these sections in English?

Simply ignore the grid lines. No limitation is placed on the number of alphanumeric characters when you complete them in English. In the Japanese translations, however, please make sure to stay within the predetermined limit on the number of characters and clearly indicate the character counts.

I currently have no specific research subject. What should I write in the section for "Research Subjects" (研究内容)?

Write about a research theme that you wish to pursue and how you would pursue such research (within 800 characters).

I'm receiving practical training at a hospital and have no research subject. What should I write in the section for "Research Subjects" (研究内容)?

Write about what you are learning through the practical training and what you would like to accomplish medically in the future (within 800 characters).

What should I do if I have no particular "Progress and Achievements over the past one year" (過去1年の成果及び活動) to report?

Please report any achievements or advancements over the past one year, including not only presentations at academic conferences and papers submitted for publication, but also other achievements in your studies, activities contributing to the community, and so forth. If you had few achievements and advancements last year, you should not apply.

What should I write about papers in the section "Academic conference presentations, papers accepted for publication, etc." (学会発表、論文掲載の研究実績) on page 10 of the application form for medical fields?

Please write the "author's name," "article title," "journal name," "volume number," "start and end pages," "year of issue (Gregorian calendar)," "peer-reviewed or not," "IF," and "DOI (Digital Object Identifier)." Also, write the principal three authors' names for a paper coauthored by several people. Other authors' names can be omitted. When they are omitted, please write the total number of authors omitted and indicate where the applicant is among them using an ordinal number.

Under "Have you applied for other scholarships/research grants?" (他奨学金・研究助成金の併願状況), how should I enter one-off payments?

When entering your information online, select "Annual amount" and enter the total yearly amount. On the Scholarship Application Form, in a blank space enter words such as "once-off" to explain the type of payment. If explanations are needed for other items on the form, enter them in blank spaces and mark them for attention using sticky notes.

Where are the required 5 spaces to write the reference number?

Please refer to the STEP04 of the “Application Process” section in the Scholarship Guide or the Application Support System. In addition to these five spaces, you must also write the reference number on the envelope containing your letter of recommendation, the envelope in which you send your Scholarship Application Form, and all other envelopes used in the application.

 

Scholarship Amounts

How are scholarship amounts determined?

Scholarships of 2 million, 1.5 million or 1 million yen are granted based on documents submitted and candidate interviews, as evaluated by our selection committee. Those who already receive scholarships from other sources will receive 500,000 yen.

Will it affect the selection process if I win another research grant, or earn income from a part-time job?

The selection process is not affected by income earned as a TA, RA, in part-time work, or received as a research grant. However, if your Application Form fails to show how you are meeting your tuition and living expenses, such as where details of your income and expenses are not provided or your stated income does not match your expenses, or lacks reasonable explanation for such failure, your application will be disqualified. Therefore, please accurately describe your current situation. You are ineligible to apply if you plan to do a long-term paid internship during the scholarship period.

Can I receive the Foundation's scholarship if I receive another scholarship? If I can, does the amount of the other scholarship affect the amount by which the Foundation's scholarship is reduced?

You can receive the Foundation's scholarship provided the sum total received from other scholarships during the scholarship period is less than 1.8 million yen. The Foundation's scholarship will be reduced to 500,000 yen, regardless of the amount of the other scholarship.
You cannot receive the Foundation's scholarship at the same time as receiving benefits under the Japan Science and Technology Agency's Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation, the MEXT's University Fellowship Founding Project for Innovation Creation in Science and Technology, or other similar programs/projects.

How do you distinguish between a scholarship and a research grant?

All funds to support living expenses and those with no specified purpose of use (such as purchasing materials directly required for research) are considered "scholarships," even if they are called "research incentive grants," "research focus support funds" or the like.

Are exemptions from admissions fees and tuition considered "other scholarships"?

No, they are not.

Is income from a part-time job or a teaching or research assistantship considered "other scholarships"?

No, it is not.

Are "scholarships provided as loans" considered "other scholarships"?

No, they are not. Only scholarships from the government, foundations, or other institutions that do not have to be repaid are considered "other scholarships."

 

Japanese Proficiency

Am I eligible regardless of my Japanese proficiency?

Yes. However, your Japanese proficiency (assessed in light of the length of your stay to date in Japan) may affect your evaluation as a candidate. A lack of enthusiasm for Japanese, such as failure to speak any Japanese at all during the interview, will be detrimental to your evaluation.

Is it possible to be interviewed in English?

While interviews are normally conducted in Japanese, they may be conducted in English if you arrived in Japan recently. Please note that you will be interviewed in Japanese if your application has been prepared in Japanese. Accordingly, be sure to prepare your application in English if you cannot speak Japanese. Even if you are interviewed in English, efforts to speak in Japanese, such as giving a simple self-introduction, will be evaluated positively.

 

Number of Applicants and Recipients

How many applicants are there in a typical year?

There were 342 applicants in fiscal 2023 and 227 in fiscal 2022. 

How many individuals receive scholarships?

We plan to grant scholarships to around 90 individuals in fiscal 2024. We granted 86 scholarships in fiscal 2023 and 74 in fiscal 2022.

 

Other Questions

I do not know my reference number. What should I do?

Your reference number will be issued upon completion of the online submission process.

Is my application complete once I have submitted online?

No, your application is not yet complete. Write the reference number issued upon online submission in the required five spaces (refer to STEP04 of the “Application Process”) on your application documents, and promptly mail all the documents together to the Foundation. In addition to these five spaces, you must also write the reference number on the envelope containing your letter of recommendation, the envelope in which you send your Scholarship Application Form, and all other envelopes used in the application.

I'm worried that my application hasn't reached your office. Can you provide confirmation of your receipt?

We receive many applications every year and cannot respond to questions concerning whether or not individual applications have been received. If necessary, please send your application by Letter Pack, registered mail or some other means that allows you to track its delivery status.

May I bring my application to your office in person?

No. Please submit applications by mail. Any application brought in person to our office or sent by fax or email will not be accepted.

When and where will the interviews be conducted?

Interviews will be conducted between late June and early July in Osaka or Tokyo (tentative). You will be asked to travel to the venue at the time indicated. If you cannot come to the interview venue, you will be ineligible.

When will I be contacted about an interview?

Applicants will be contacted directly by email in late June. Please note that you have not been selected if you have not been contacted by the end of June. We ask that you refrain from contacting us concerning selection decisions.

I'm a renewing applicant. Should I complete the scholarship application form and submit all required documents as a new applicant does?

Yes. All applicants should complete the scholarship application form and mail it to the Foundation, along with the application materials specified in the program guide. Applicants for a half-year renewal should follow exactly the same process.