MEXT Scholarship - applications now open

2025/4/15
The Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - MEXT) offers the following scholarships to Australian Citizens who wish to study at Japanese universities.
 
Category Status
  Undergraduate Category  2026 APPLICATIONS - OPEN
  Research Category  2026 APPLICATIONS - OPEN
  Teacher Training Category  2025 APPLICATIONS - CLOSED
  Japanese Studies Category  2025 APPLICATIONS - CLOSED


- Stories of Former Japanese Government Scholarship Recipients -

            
First Edition   Second Edition
 
 
 

Undergraduate Category (2026 applications)

The Undergraduate scholarship is offered in principle for 5 years, including 1 year of preparatory study of the Japanese language and other subjects. There are opportunities to study in a variety of areas of the Social Sciences and Humanities or Natural Sciences. Benefits of the scholarship include all tuition fees, return airfares and a monthly allowance of 117,000 Yen (amount subject to change). Upon successful completion of their courses, students will be awarded a Bachelor's degree.
 

Please direct enquiries to:
MEXT Scholarship Desk
Telephone: 02 6273 3244
Email: cultural-application@cb.mofa.go.jp
 
Application deadline:
5 PM 3 June (Tuesday) 2025 AEST
 
Please email your application by the deadline above to:
MEXT Scholarship Desk
Email: cultural-application@cb.mofa.go.jp
Subject line: - MEXT 2026 Undergraduate – Full name (first and last)
 

If your application progresses forward in the selection process, you will be asked to post or deliver a hard-copy application to the Embassy of Japan in Canberra in July 2025.

Examination
It is highly recommended that you go over past exam papers before sitting the exams.
https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarship/application/examination/index.html
 
Applicants who wish to major in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities are required to take exams in Mathematics, English and Japanese (3 subjects in total).
 
Applicants who wish to major in the Natural Sciences are required to take exams in Mathematics, English, Japanese, Chemistry and either Physics or Biology depending on your nominated area of study (5 subjects in total).

Those who successfully pass the examinations will be required to undertake an online interview. Shortlisted candidates will be informed of the details at a later date.

Application Instructions and Guidelines
To apply, please read through the READ FIRST Application Instructions and click on the links below to download the necessary documents:

Research Category (2026 applications)

The Research scholarship is offered to those who have the intention of obtaining a master’s, doctoral, or professional graduate degree in Japan. (A six-month Japanese language preparatory course will be offered if deemed necessary). Benefits of the scholarship include all tuition fees, return airfares to Japan and a monthly allowance of 143,000 Yen (amount subject to change).
 
Please direct enquiries to:
MEXT Scholarship Desk
Telephone: 02 6273 3244
Email: cultural-application@cb.mofa.go.jp
 
Application deadline:
5 PM 3 June (Tuesday) 2025 AEST
 
Please email your application by the deadline above to:
MEXT Scholarship Desk
Email: cultural-application@cb.mofa.go.jp
Subject line: - MEXT 2026 Research – Full name (first and last)

If your application progresses forward in the selection process, you will be asked to post or deliver a hard-copy application to the Embassy of Japan in Canberra in June 2025.

Examination and Interview
It is recommended that you go over past exam papers before sitting the exams.
https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarship/application/examination/index.html

All applicants who pass the documents selection stage are required to sit the Japanese language exam in Australia.

Those who progress to the interview stage will be required to undertake an online interview. Shortlisted candidates will be informed of the details at a later date.

Application Instructions and Guidelines
To apply, please read through the READ FIRST Application Instructions and click on the links below to download the necessary documents:

Teacher Training Students Category

MEXT offers scholarships to teachers outside of Japan who wish to conduct research on school education at designated Japanese universities as "Teacher Training Students" under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program.
 
Application documents
・Hard copy application documents must arrive at the Embassy of Japan in Canberra by 5:00pm (AEDT) on Friday 7th February 2025.
・Please download he guidelines and application documents from the link below.
https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap-stopj-applications-teacher.html
・A list of universities and courses which are available for this program can be found at:
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/1423055_00020.htm
・The application form must be typed and two (2) sets must be printed out and submitted.
・Copies of official documents must be certified by a Justice of Peace (JP) or a person who is authorised to certify documents in Australia before being submitted to the Embassy.
・The correct number of copies should be provided and submitted in two separate application sets (1 set of originals and 1 set of copies).  Please do not staple documents. Documents must be printed single-sided only. 
・The recommendation letter must be hand-signed by the recommender (no electronic/digital signatures).
 
Examination & Interview
・Applicants must sit Japanese and English exams and must demonstrate enough proficiency in the Japanese language to pass the initial screening.
・The examinations will be held on Friday 21st February 2025 (Time TBC) at the Embassy of Japan in Canberra and the Consulates-General of Japan in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. 
・Please submit the Exam Location Form (link available below) to indicate your preferred location for your exam.
・For your reference, past examination papers are available at: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarship/application/examination/index.html
Please refer to the past Japanese exams listed under “Research Students”.
・Travel expenses to and from exam venues are borne by the applicant.
・Those who successfully pass the examinations will be required to undertake an online interview in March 2025 (TBC). 

 
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.


Application submission and enquiries
MEXT Scholarship Coordinator
Embassy of Japan
112 Empire Circuit
Yarralumla ACT 2600
Email: cultural-application@cb.mofa.go.jp

 
Please click on the link below to download the Exam Location Form.

Japanese Studies Students Category

MEXT offers scholarships to students outside of Japan who wish to study for a period of one year at designated Japanese universities as "Japanese Studies Students" in order to deepen their understanding of the Japanese language, Japanese affairs and Japanese culture under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program.
 
Application documents
・Hard copy application documents must arrive at the Embassy of Japan in Canberra by 5:00pm (AEDT) on Friday 7th February 2025.
・Please download he guidelines and application documents from the link below.
https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap-stopj-applications-japanese.html
・A list of universities and courses which are available for this program can be found at: https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/1423055_00020.htm
・The application form must be typed.
・The recommendation letter must be hand-signed by the recommender (no electronic/digital signatures).
・Please do not staple or put documents in folders. Documents must be printed single-sided only. 
・Copies of official documents must be certified by a Justice of Peace (JP) or a person who is authorised to certify documents in Australia before being submitted to the Embassy.

Examination & Interview
・Applicants must sit a Japanese exam and must demonstrate enough proficiency in the Japanese language to pass the initial screening.
・The examination will be held in on Friday 21st February 2025 (Time TBC) at the Embassy of Japan in Canberra and the Consulates-General of Japan in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. 
・Please submit the Exam Location Form (link available below) to indicate your preferred location for your exam.
・For your reference, past examination papers are available at: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarship/application/examination/index.html
Please refer to the past Japanese exams listed under “Research Students”.
・Travel expenses to and from exam venues are borne by the applicant.
・Those who successfully pass the examinations will be required to undertake an online interview in March 2025 (TBC). 
 

Incomplete applications will not be accepted.       
   

Application submission and enquiries
MEXT Scholarship Coordinator
Embassy of Japan
112 Empire Circuit
Yarralumla ACT 2600
Email: cultural-application@cb.mofa.go.jp

 
Please click on the link below to download the Exam Location Form.

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