The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international teachers who wish to conduct research on school education at designated Japanese universities as Teacher Training Students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program as follows.

Qualification and Condition

MEXT accepts applications from international students for study in Japan who satisfy the following qualifications and conditions. Its aim is to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between the grantee’s country and Japan through study in Japan and who will contribute to the development of both countries and the wider world.

1. (1) Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status). The First Screening must be conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of which the applicant chooses the nationality.
2.  Age: In principle, applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1988. Exceptions are limited to cases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstances of the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war, etc.). Personal circumstances (financial situation, family circumstances, state of health, circumstances related to applicant’s university or place of employment etc.) will not be considered for exceptions.
3. Academic and Career Background: Applicants must be graduates of universities or teacher training schools and have worked as teachers at primary/secondary educational institutions or teacher training schools (excluding universities) in their home countries for a total period of five years or more as of October 1, 2023. In-service faculty members in a higher education institution are not eligible.
4. Japanese Language Ability: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan. Applicants must also have the ability to do research and adapt to living in Japan.
5. Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician attesting that the applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.
6. Arrival in Japan: In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan by the designated period (usually September or October) between the day two weeks before the course starts and the starting date of the course. If the applicant cannot arrive in Japan during the specified period for personal reasons, travel expenses to Japan will not be paid. Excluding cases in which MEXT deems as unavoidable circumstances, the applicant must withdraw from this scholarship program if the applicant cannot arrive in Japan by the end of the specified period above which decided by MEXT or the accepting university.
7. Visa Requirement: An applicant shall, in principle, newly obtain a “Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission located in the applicant’s country of nationality, and enter Japan with the newly obtained residence status of “Student”. Accordingly, even if the applicant already has other residence status (“Permanent resident,” “Long-term resident,” etc.), the applicant must newly obtain a “Student” visa and re-enter Japan. The applicant should be aware that the original resident status of “Permanent resident” or “Long-term resident,” might not be necessarily granted after the expiration of the status as a MEXT Scholarship student. Moreover it should be noted that if the grantee comes to Japan without newly obtaining the “Student” visa, the provision of the scholarship will be stopped. *Please note that when the tuberculosis screening program is being conducted, the nationals of countries designated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will be required to submit a tuberculosis clearance certificate when applying for a visa. (Note) The start date of the tuberculosis screening program for  MEXT Scholarship Students is currently being arranged.
8. Non-Eligibility: Those who meet any one of the following conditions are ineligible. If identified ineligible after being selected as a scholarship student, he/she must withdraw from the scholarship:
   • Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of their arrival in Japan or during the period of the payment of the scholarship;
   • Those who cannot arrive in Japan by the last date of the period specified by MEXT or the accepting
     university;
   • Those who are previous grantees of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship in the past (including those who withdraw from the scholarship program after the arrival in Japan). It does not apply to those receiving the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students in the past;
   • Those who are currently also applying for another program for which scholarship payments will begin in fiscal 2023 through a Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship scheme;
   • Those who are already enrolled in a Japanese university or other institution with a residence status of “Student,” or who are going to be enrolled, or plan to enroll, in a Japanese university or other institution as a privately-financed international student from the time of application to the MEXT scholarship program in the applicant’s country until the commencement of the period for payment of the MEXT scholarship. However, this stipulation does not apply to privately-financed international students who, even though they are enrolled, or are planning to enroll, in a Japanese university or other institution, verifiable complete their studies before the start of the scholarship payment period, return to their home country at the time of the scholarship application, and newly acquire the “Student” residence status and come to Japan;
   • Those who are planning to receive scholarship money from an organization other than MEXT (including a government organization of the applicant’s country) on top of the scholarship money provide by MEXT after the start of the scholarship payment period;
   • Holders of dual nationality at the time of application who cannot verify that they will give up Japanese nationality by the time of their arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status);
   • Those who are found to have attempted or actually committed any kinds of cheating prohibited by the examiner during the written examination of the First Screening.
   • Those who change their residence status to that of other than “Student” after their arrival in Japan.
9. Return and Continue to Work after the End of the Scholarship Period: Applicants must assure that they return to their home country by the end of the final month of the scholarship period and resume their work as a teacher at his/her primary/secondary educational institution or teacher training school. Applicants shall utilize the results of their research on school education in Japan. If a grantee does not satisfy both conditions, he/she may be ordered to return the entire amount of the scholarship paid during the scholarship period. Those who are uncertain about returning and resuming their work after the end of the scholarship period should not apply for this program.
10. Others: MEXT Scholarship will be granted those who are willing to contribute to mutual understanding between Japan and their home country by participating in activities at schools and communities during their study in Japan while contributing to the internationalization of Japan. They shall also make efforts to promote relations between the home country and Japan by maintaining close relations with the university attended after graduation, cooperating with the conducting of surveys and questionnaires and cooperating with all relevant projects and events conducted by Japanese diplomatic missions after they return to their home countries.

PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP

The scholarship period is the necessary period for the completion of the accepting university’s training course, which should be between October 2023 (or the starting month of the course) and March 2025. Even if applicants arrive in Japan in September, 2023, the scholarship period will start in October 2023. Extension of the scholarship period is not permitted.

SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS

• Allowance: After arrival in Japan, 143,000 yen per month will be paid. A supplemental regional allowance of 2,000 or 3,000 yen per month will be added to the monthly scholarship amount for the grantees studying or conducting research in specially designated regions. Due to the situation of the Japanese Government’s budget, the amount of payment may be subject to change each fiscal year. If a grantee is absent from the university for an extended period, the scholarship shall be suspended for that period.
• Education Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be paid by MEXT.

SELECTION

• The Japanese diplomatic missions will conduct the First Screening of applicants by means of examination of submitted application documents, a written examination (subject: Japanese and English) and interviews.
• The date and time of the notification of the results of the First Screening will be specified separately by the Japanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country; the reasons for the results of the screening will not be disclosed. (However, having a certain level of Japanese language proficiency is one of the requirements in order to pass the screening.) Those who pass the First Screening will not necessarily be selected as the MEXT Scholarship grantees.
• Applicants who have passed the First Screening will be recommended to MEXT. MEXT will conduct the Second Screening of applicants recommended by the Japanese diplomatic missions, and will select the applicants successfully passing the Second Screening,
• The results of the final selection will be notified on a date separately designated by the Japanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country. The name of accepting university will also be notified to the scholarship grantees. Any objections to the decision on the university placement will not be accepted. If the accepting university has yet to be determined by the specified period of time (by August 15, 2023), the applicant will be rejected.

Application Document

Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese diplomatic mission in the applicant’s country by the designated deadline.

The submitted documents will not be returned.

1. Application Form
2. Placement Preference Application Form
3. Certified grade transcript for each academic year from the last university/ teacher training school attended The diploma from the last university/teacher training school attended
4. Certificate of employment
5. Recommendation letter from the immediate supervisor at work
6. Medical certificate
7. Certificate of Japanese language ability

Application Guidelines

• Application Guidelines for Teacher Training Students
• Application Guidelines for Teacher Training Students (in Japanese)
• Course Guide of Teacher Training Program（MEXT Site）

Application Forms

• Application Form for FY2023
• Placement Preference Application Form for FY2023

To learn more about the program , click here