Culture & Education
Japanese Government Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology/MEXT) Scholarships
Research Student Scholarships [2024 applications now accepted]
MEXT will cover entrance examination, matriculation and university tuition fees, and flights to and from Japan, and provide a monthly allowance of between JPY143,000 and JPY145,000 (subject to change). Successful applicants will depart for Japan in April or September/October 2024.
Guidelines and application materials for the 2024 Research Student Scholarships can be downloaded from the Study in Japan website. A full list of application documents is available on page 6 of the 2024 Application Guidelines.
Applications should be submitted by e-mail to the International Cooperation Unit, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 RC96 at Scholarships@dfheris.gov.ie by Friday, 16 June 2023. Please make sure to include your name and “2024 MEXT Research Student Scholarship application” in the subject line of your e-mail. Please combine your application documents as PDFs in the numerical order from 1 to 11 listed on page 6 of the Application Guidelines and keep the total file size per PDF file less than 10MB. If your files are larger than this, they should be sent in separate e-mails.
A written Japanese language examination and interviews for shortlisted candidates are scheduled to take place in person at the Embassy of Japan between late June and early July. These dates may change and shortlisted candidates will be notified individually of the date and time of their examinations and interviews. Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit their original paper application documents and 2 sets of copies to the Embassy on the day of the examinations. Submitted documents will not be returned.
Past examination papers from 2014 to 2016 can be viewed here.
For further information, please contact the Information & Culture Section at culture@ir.mofa.go.jp.
If you are not an Irish citizen and wish to apply for a MEXT scholarship, please contact the Embassy of Japan in your home country.
A report by Research Student Amy Metcalfe on her experiences as a Research Student in Tokyo is available on the Embassy website.
Timeline
| Fri. 16 June 2023 | Application deadline |
| Late June / early July 2023 | In-person examinations (date to be confirmed) |
| Late June / early July 2023 | In-person interviews (date to be confirmed) |
| July 2023 | Notification of results of First Screening conducted by Embassy |
| Until 25 August 2023 | Period for applicants who pass First Screening to contact preferred universities to request provisional acceptance |
| Late September 2023 | Deadline for applicants who pass First Screening to submit a completed Placement Preference Application Form and up to two Letters of Provisional Acceptance to Embassy |
| From October 2023 | Second Screening and university placement conducted by MEXT |
| January – February 2024 | Notification of final selection results and university placement |
| February/March 2024 OR August/September 2024 | Student Visa issued, Pre-Departure Orientation held at Embassy |
| April 2024 OR September/October 2024 |
Departure for Japan |
Undergraduate Student Scholarships [2024 applications now accepted]
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers Undergraduate Student Scholarships to students who wish to study Social Sciences and Humanities OR Natural Sciences at university in Japan under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Programme for 2024.
MEXT will cover entrance examination, matriculation and university tuition fees, and flights to and from Japan, and provide a monthly allowance of JPY117,000 (subject to change).
Applicants must be secondary school graduates or equivalent, and in principle, have been born on or after 2 April 1999. The term of the scholarship is between 4 and 7 years, depending on the field of study, including one year of preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects, if required, provided upon arrival in Japan. Successful applicants will depart for Japan in April OR September/October 2024.
Guidelines and application materials for the 2024 Undergraduate Student Scholarships can be downloaded from the Study in Japan website. A full list of Application Documents is available on page 7 of the 2024 Application Guidelines.
Applications should be submitted by e-mail to the International Cooperation Unit, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 RC96 at Scholarships@dfheris.gov.ie by Friday, 16 June 2023. Please combine your application documents as PDFs in the numerical order from 1 to 9 listed on page 7 of the Application Guidelines and keep the total file size per PDF file less than 10MB. If your files are larger than this, they should be sent in separate e-mails. Please make sure to include your name and “2024 MEXT Undergraduate Student Scholarship application” in the subject line of your e-mail.
Written examinations and interviews for shortlisted candidates are scheduled to take place in person at the Embassy of Japan between late June and early July. These dates may change and shortlisted candidates will be notified individually of the date and time of their examinations and interviews. Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit their original paper application documents and 1 set of copies to the Embassy on the day of the examinations. Submitted documents will not be returned.
Past examination papers from 2014 to 2016 can be viewed here.
For further information, please contact the Information & Culture Section at culture@ir.mofa.go.jp.
If you are not an Irish citizen and wish to apply for a MEXT scholarship, please contact the Embassy of Japan in your home country.
A report by current Undergraduate Student Sean McLaverty in Yokohama is available on the Embassy website.
Timeline
| Fri. 16 June 2023 | Application deadline |
| Late June / early July 2023 | In-person examinations (date/s to be confirmed) |
| Late June / early July 2023 | In-person interviews (date to be confirmed) |
| July 2023 | Notification of results of First Screening conducted by Embassy |
| By end of January 2024 | Notification of final results of Second Screening conducted by MEXT |
| February/March 2024 OR August/September 2024 | Student Visa issued, Pre-Departure Orientation |
| April 2024 OR September/October 2024 |
Departure for Japan |
Japanese Studies Student Scholarships [2023 applications now closed]
MEXT offers Japanese Studies Student Scholarships to Irish undergraduates to study at designated Japanese universities for a period of one year as part of their degree, in order to deepen their understanding of the Japanese language and Japanese culture and affairs.
- Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of application and enrolled as full-time students majoring in fields related to Japanese language and/or Japanese culture when they leave for Japan and return to Ireland.
- Applicants must have majored in fields related to Japanese language and/or Japanese culture at a university for at least one year as of September in the year of departure for Japan.
- Successful candidates are expected to have a level of Japanese ability equivalent to Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2.
- The scholarship covers tuition fees, return airfares to Japan, and a monthly allowance for living costs.
Application information and materials for the 2024 scholarships are expected to be available in December 2023. If you are not an Irish citizen but wish to apply for a MEXT scholarship, you are advised to contact the Embassy of Japan in your home country.
Click here for further information on applying for MEXT scholarships.
For enquiries, please contact the Embassy’s Information & Culture Section at culture@ir.mofa.go.jp.