Funds foreigners for master's, doctoral, or professional graduate studies, and 'research student' non-degree programs in Japan. Applied via two routes: Embassy Recommendation (apply through the Japanese embassy/consulate in your home country, usually in April/May each year, involving exams and interviews) or University Recommendation (for specific programs, some universities can directly nominate students). MEXT is extremely generous — it covers everything and the stipend (~¥144,000/month) is enough to live modestly in Japan since there's no tuition. Knowledge of Japanese is not required for many English-taught graduate programs.

Covers a 5-year program: 1 year of intensive Japanese language training followed by a 4-year bachelor's degree. Undergrad MEXT students typically study in Japanese (hence the mandatory language year). The scholarship covers all tuition, a monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare. Students sit competitive exams and interviews at their local Japanese embassy/consulate.

MEXT-funded program for mid-career professionals from selected developing countries in specific fields such as governance, public policy, and business. YLP participants spend about a year studying at Japanese universities and gain exposure to Japanese policy and management practices. It's a non-degree program designed to develop future leaders in the public and private sectors.

The Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) offers scholarships to selected self-funded international students already enrolled in Japan. The JASSO Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students provides a modest monthly stipend and is often applied for after you enroll, typically via university nomination. It is not full funding, but a helpful supplement for self-funded students. JASSO also has a scholarship for short-term exchange students (~¥80,000/month for 3–12 months).

Many Japanese national and private universities offer tuition waivers or reductions of 30%, 50%, or 100% for top-performing international students based on either need or merit. Private universities like Waseda and Keio have multiple internal scholarships covering 25–100% of tuition. Many Japanese professors also have grant funding (JSPS/Kakenhi grants) and can directly support international PhD students as research assistants — always inquire with prospective supervisors.

The University of Tokyo offers several special scholarships for international students, including a generous stipend for PhD students in the Graduate School of Science. UTokyo also has the PEAK undergraduate scholarship for its English-medium undergraduate programs. Being admitted to UTokyo significantly increases your access to various internal and external scholarship nominations.

Funded by Rotary Japan for international students already studying in Japan, the Yoneyama Scholarship provides a substantial monthly stipend for graduate and undergraduate students. Applications are typically made via university nomination after you enroll. It's one of Japan's most well-known private scholarships and the stipend is comparable to MEXT levels, making it particularly valuable for self-funded students who did not receive MEXT.

A collaboration between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan, offering full scholarships to citizens of ADB's developing member countries to pursue a Master's degree in economics, management, science, or technology at designated universities in Asia and the Pacific — including the University of Tokyo and Hitotsubashi University in Japan. The scholarship covers everything: stipend, tuition, housing, and return airfare.