Application for the 2026 Government of Japan MEXT Scholarship at the University of Tokyo has been announced for international students to study in Japan.
The MEXT Scholarship 2026 is a fully funded award that covers the tuition fees of selected students and also provides them with annual stipends worth ¥1,774,000 ($11,328) per year while also covering the full tuition fees at the University of Tokyo.
This post is an insight into the details, requirements, benefits, required documents, and the method of application for interested applicants.
Japan Government MEXT Scholarship Summary
- Host Country: Japan
- Study Abroad: Study in Asia
- Category: Postgraduate Scholarships | Masters Scholarships | PhD Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: All Countries
- Reward: Full Scholarship | $11,328 per year
- Deadline: October 31, 2025.
Japan Government MEXT Scholarship Details:
Applications for the University Recommended Japan Government MEXT Scholarship 2025/2026 for International Students are now open.
Also known as Todai, the University of Tokyo is Japan’s highest-ranked university and has a plethora of programs available in English, mostly at graduate level.
In the scheme of the MEXT Scholarship with University Recommendation, each Japanese university will conduct the preliminary selection and recommend their candidates to MEXT. All prospective applicants’ first contact must be the university/graduate school where they wish to study.
Japan Government MEXT Scholarship Requirements:
To be considered for the MEXT Scholarships, you must:
- Be International students with outstanding academic records
- have already graduated from your latest degree program should have a final grade point of 2.30 or higher, while current students should have a grade point of 2.30 or higher for your current courses, and both should be expected to maintain the same academic standards during the course of the scholarship program.
- meet the English Language Proficiency criteria
- have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government.
- be born on or after April 2, 1990.
- apply for the field of study that they studied at their previous university or a related field. Applicants should select a field that they are able to research at their chosen host university in Japan.
- be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue their studies in Japan.
- in principle, be able to arrive in Japan by a date specified by the accepting university which in principle shall be within two weeks before or after the first day of the semester.
Japan Government MEXT Scholarship Duration and Reward
- Enrollment and Tuition fees will be exempted.
- Monthly Allowance: 144,000 yen/month (for a student of a Master’s Program), or 145,000 yen/month (for a student of a Doctoral Program)
- an additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be added to those students undertaking study or research in some designated regions of the country.
- Recipients awarded travel allowance will be provided, according to the itinerary and route designated for them by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to their place of residence
- MEXT will issue airline tickets to recipients who return to their home country within the final month of the scholarship period
- For a recipient who will enroll in a Master’s Program or Doctoral Program, the scholarship will be payable for the standard period of time necessary for the recipient to complete his or her program (standard course term), starting from October 2023.
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- Master’s Program = October, 2025 – September, 2027 (2years)
- Doctoral Program = October, 2025 – September, 2028 (3years)
Required Documents for Japan Government MEXT Scholarship 2026
To apply, candidates must be ready to submit the following documents;
- Application Form
- Field of Study and Research Plan
- Letter of recommendation from
- An official transcript from the last university attended (at undergraduate or graduate level).
- If you are currently enrolled in a university (at undergraduate or graduate level), please submit an official transcript of the last degree program (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD) that you have graduate from, as well as an official transcript of your current degree program.
- Passport-type photo taken within the last 6 months (4.5 x 3.5 cm, upper-body, full-faced, without a cap)
- Proof of language ability certifying that one of the Language Proficiency
- Abstract of graduation thesis
- Official statement of (expected) graduation of the last university attended.
- A copy of the student’s passport (The page with photo).
How To Apply for Japan Government MEXT Scholarship (Step by Step)
Candidates interested in applying for the Japan Government MEXT Scholarship should note the following;
- Click on the link below to visit the scholarship application webpage
- Submit an admission application for entering the Master’s/Doctoral Program.
- Submit the required documents for MEXT Scholarship after completing their admission application.
- These documents must be written in either Japanese or English. They must be created in A4 format using software such as MS Word and must be printed double-sided (duplex printing). A document written in any other language must be accompanied with a Japanese translation.
- Submitted documents will not be returned.
- An application passed the submission deadline is not acceptable.
- An application will not be considered unless all application forms and necessary documents are completed correctly and all accompanying documents are complete.
