The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international teachers who wish to conduct research on school education at designated Japanese universities as Teacher Training Students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program as follows.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
MEXT accepts applications from international students for study in Japan who satisfy the following qualifications and conditions. Its aim is to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between the grantee’s country and Japan through study in Japan and who will contribute to the development of both countries and the wider world.
(1) Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan. The First Screening must be conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of which the applicant chooses the nationality.
2) Age: In principle, applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1986. Exceptions are limited to cases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstances of the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war, etc.). Personal circumstances (financial situation, family circumstances, state of health, circumstances related to applicant’s university or place of employment etc.) will not be considered for exceptions.
3) Academic and Career Background: Applicants must be graduates of universities or teacher training schools and have worked as teachers at primary/secondary educational institutions or teacher training schools (excluding universities) in their home countries for a total period of five years or more as of October 1, 2021. In-service faculty members in a higher education institution are not eligible.
(4) Japanese Language Ability: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan. Applicants must also have the ability to do research and adapt to living in Japan.
(5) Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician attesting that the applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.
(6) Arrival in Japan: In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan by the designated period (usually September or October) between the day two weeks before the course starts and the starting date of the course. If the applicant cannot arrive in Japan during the specified period for personal reasons, travel expenses to Japan will not be paid. Excluding cases in which MEXT deems as unavoidable circumstances, the applicant must withdraw from this scholarship program if the applicant cannot arrive in Japan by the end of the specified period above which decided by MEXT or the accepting university.
PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP
The scholarship period is the necessary period for the completion of the accepting university’s training course, which should be between October 2021 (or the starting month of the course) and March 2023. Extension of the scholarship period is not permitted.
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
(1) Allowance: 143,000 yen per month. A supplemental regional allowance of 2,000 or 3,000 yen per month will be added to the monthly scholarship amount for the grantees studying or conducting research in specially designated regions. Due to the situation of the Japanese Government’s budget, the amount of payment may be subject to change each fiscal year. If a grantee is absent from the university for an extended period, the scholarship shall be suspended for that period.
(2) Education Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be paid by MEXT.
(3) Travel Expenses
① Transportation to Japan: For grantees arriving in Japan during the fixed period stipulated in 1. (6) “Arrival in Japan,” MEXT stipulates the travel schedule and route, and provides an economy-class airline ticket for the flight from the international airport closest to the grantee’s residence (in principle, the country of nationality) to an international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to domestic travel from the grantee’s residence to the nearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within Japan (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage
expenses, etc. The grantee shall also bear at his/her own expense travel and lodging costs incurred in a third country if the grantee must travel to a third country before coming to Japan for visa purposes because there are no Japanese diplomatic missions in his/her country, if there are no direct flights from the grantee’s country of residence to Japan.
MEXT will provide an economy-class airline ticket from the grantee’s country of residence to the said third country, and from the third country to an international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. In principle, the address given in the space for “Your address before departure for Japan” on the application form shall be recognized as the “residence,” and the airline ticket will be arranged for a flight from the international airport nearest to that address. Except for cases when the grantee must travel to a third country to obtain a visa, MEXT will not provide an airline ticket for cases of travel to Japan from a country other than the grantee’s country of residence due to the grantee’s personal circumstances. Moreover, if, due to
the grantee’s personal circumstances, the grantee arrives in Japan outside of the fixed period stipulated in 1. (6) “Arrival in Japan” above, the travel expenses for the trip to Japan will not be provided.
② Transportation from Japan: Based on the application by the grantee, MEXT will provide an airline ticket to grantees who shall complete the training course at the accepting university and return to the home country by the end of the final month of the scholarship period (See “3. PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP”) designated by MEXT. MEXT, in principle, shall provide an economy-class airline ticket from an international airport in Japan used for the normal route to and from the accepting university to the international airport (in principle, in the country of nationality) nearest to the returning grantee’s residence. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to travel from the grantee’s residence in Japan to the nearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within the country of nationality (including
airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc. If a grantee returns to the home country before the end of the scholarship period due to personal circumstances, or reasons stated in “5. SUSPENSION OF PAYMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP”, MEXT will not pay for the returning travel expenses.
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Embassy Recommendation Procedure
Recruitment for those arriving in Japan next October is made between December of the previous year and the following February. The first screening is conducted between January and February by the Japanese embassies or consulates general. As the application process and specific schedule differ according to the country of your nationality, please inquire the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country for details. DO NOT send any application documents directly to MEXT in Japan.
List of Websites of Japanese Embassies, Consulates General
Documents for Application – Embassy Recommendation
Applicants MUST read through the Application Guidelines below and follow the instructions. Application Forms along with a Certificate of Health, and Recommendation Letter should be submitted to the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country. These documents can be printed and filled out by hand, typed out, or filled out with software applications and printed out.
