Fully Funded Japanese Government Scholarships (MEXT) 2021

Several competitive scholarships of differing amounts are available for students wishing to study at Hokkaido University. Please see the sections below for the scholarships you can apply for prior to leaving your home country.

Scholarship Amounts:

Undergraduate students ¥117,000/month (*Nov. to Mar. ¥120,000/month)

Research students ¥143,000/month (*Nov. to Mar. ¥146,000/month)

Master’s students ¥144,000/month (*Nov. to Mar. ¥147,000/month)

Doctorate students ¥145,000/month (*Nov. to Mar. ¥148,000/month)

* The stipend for summer and winter is different because a cold region allowance is added in winter.

Students can study at university with a scholarship by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). There are three ways to apply for this scholarship: 1) Embassy recommendation,  2) University recommendation, or 3) Domestic selection

１) Embassy Recommendation

Receive a recommendation from the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your country.  Since application periods differ by countries, those who need an Embassy recommendation should check with the Japanese Embassy or Consular Office in their home countries. Here is a list of the websites for Japanese Embassies, Consulates, and Permanent Missions.

After passing the first screening at a Japanese Embassy, scholarship candidates should contact the Division of International Student Affairs at the graduate school which they wish to enter as soon as possible to ask for a “Letter of Acceptance.” Candidates can find prospective supervisors in the HU’s Researcher Directory and HUSCAP (Hokkaido University collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers).

2) University Recommendation

Students who will be studying in Japan as an international student can be screened and nominated through a Japanese university as a candidate for a Japanese Government Scholarship. The applicant should have an academic record score of 2.30 (out of 3.00) or above from the most recent two years of study and is expected to maintain the same academic standards throughout the course of the scholarship program. In addition, the applicant should satisfy the language level/ability requirements.

1. General

Overseas students who newly come to Japan to study at the Master’s or Doctoral level are eligible to apply. The recipients arrive in Japan in October. The number of recipients is very limited.

2. SATREPS and e-Asia

Applicants should belong to an organization participating in a project adopted by SATREPS or e-ASIA. Overseas students who newly come to Japan to study at the Master’s or Doctoral level are eligible to apply. The recipients arrive in Japan in October.

3. Study-in-Japan Global Network Project

Universities which are entrusted from MEXT as a part of the “Study in Japan Global Network Project” can provide up to 5 scholars. Overseas students who newly come to Japan to study at the Master’s or Doctoral level are eligible to apply. The recipients arrive in Japan in October.

4. Special

The government selects several unique programs geared toward exchange students and gives these programs priority for placement as government scholarship students. Preference is given to students applying to the following programs:

• Global Education Program for AgriScience Frontiers
• Training Program for Global Innovators in Life Sciences (IGP-GILS)
• Global Leadership Program for Cold Region Engineering
• Fostering Leading Researchers to Develop Global Bioresource Platform
• Environmental Conservation Leaders for Post SDGs
• Integrated Science Program

5. Super Global University

During the period of implementation of the “Top Global University Project,” applicants with an academic record score of 2.50 (out of 3.00) or above who have applied to regular graduate programs at Hokkaido University are eligible to apply for a University Recommendation SGU slot.

3) Domestic Selection

Privately financed, full-time postgraduate foreign students, prospective postgraduate students, and full-time prospective fourth-year undergraduate university students (or prospective sixth-year students in the case of medical schools, etc.) who are academically and personally excellent are granted domestic selection scholarships that begin in April. Domestic Selection may not be offered every year.