Conditions
- Research students: a bachelor's degree and born after a set date (about 35 years old).
- A clear research plan and a potential supervisor at a Japanese university (acceptance requested after the first screening).
- Language: Japanese or English depending on the university; the embassy runs language tests.
- Good health, with the MEXT medical form.
Usual timeline
- April–May: embassy announcement and application (varies by country).
- June–July: first screening, language tests, interview.
- August–September: find a supervisor and obtain a provisional acceptance letter.
- January–February: final MEXT decision; departure in April or October.
Dates are approximate and change yearly — check the official site and the opportunity page here.
Motivation letter
The research plan is the heart of the file: background, question, method and timeline in two pages.
Tie it to a specific Japanese research group and cite its papers.
The email to the supervisor: short, with the plan summary and your CV, stating you are an embassy candidate.
Common mistakes
- A generic plan without a method or a link to a Japanese lab.
- Mass-emailing dozens of professors with the same text.
- Missing the medical form or required signatures.
- Assuming Japanese is always required; many graduate programmes are in English.
Tips from winners
- Search Japanese university researcher databases and write to those whose work matches your plan.
- Watch your country's Japanese embassy page from March; dates differ.
- Prepare for the Japanese test even if optional; it raises your ranking.
