The Government of Japan is offering scholarships to Indian students for the academic year 2025 under the Japanese Government MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology) Scholarship programmes. These scholarships are available for undergraduate, college of technology, and specialised training college courses.

Fields of Study

Social Sciences and Humanities:

Law, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese Language, Economics, Business Administration.

Natural Sciences:

Subjects include Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, various Engineering fields (Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, etc.), Agricultural Studies, Hygienic Studies, Medicine, and Biology.

Application Process

Undergraduate Category:

Applicants must send their application forms to the Embassy of Japan in New Delhi or the Consulates of Japan in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

College of Technology and Specialised Training Categories:

Applications for the College of Technology category should be sent to the Embassy of Japan or the Consulates in Chennai and Kolkata.

Applications for the Specialised Training College category should be sent to the Embassy of Japan or the Consulate in Kolkata.

The deadline for submitting application forms is May 27, 2024.

Eligibility Criteria

Nationality:

• Applicants must be from a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan.
• Dual nationality holders with Japanese citizenship must renounce their Japanese nationality by the time of arrival in Japan.

Age:

Applicants must be born on or after April 2, 2000.

Academic Background:

Applicants must have completed 12 years of schooling or equivalent outside Japan by March 2025 (or August 2025 for those enrolling in the autumn term).

Language Proficiency:

Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese and have an interest in Japan. Studies will generally be conducted in Japanese.

Health:

A health certificate confirming no physical or mental conditions hindering study in Japan is required.
Arrival in Japan:

Applicants must be able to arrive in Japan between April 1 and April 7, 2025, or as specified by the accepting university for the autumn term.

Visa Requirement:

Applicants must obtain a “Student” visa from the Japanese diplomatic mission in their country and enter Japan with this status.

Preparatory Education and University Study

Selected students will undergo a one-year preparatory course in the Japanese language and other necessary subjects. Upon completing the preparatory course and passing the entrance examination, students will be placed in a university designated by MEXT. The academic year begins in April and ends in March the following year, with all classes conducted in Japanese unless otherwise specified.

Placement

Direct Placement

Eligibility and Enrollment:

Applicants choosing “Social Sciences and Humanities” with sufficient Japanese language proficiency, as judged by MEXT, can be placed directly into a university without undergoing preparatory education.
This option is also available to applicants in any field of study who demonstrate sufficient Japanese language skills.

For undergraduate courses that do not require Japanese language proficiency at enrollment, applicants may directly enroll without preparatory education. This is known as “direct placement.”

Enrollment can begin either in the spring term (arriving in April 2025) or the autumn term (arriving in September or October 2025), depending on the university’s academic calendar.

University Placement Decision:

MEXT will decide on the universities for eligible direct placement applicants in consultation with the relevant university. This decision will consider the applicant’s preferences and their performance in the first screening.

The university will evaluate the applicant’s academic achievements (such as high school grades) and determine if they have the necessary language skills for undergraduate courses in Japanese or English, often verified through language proficiency tests like the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Some universities may also conduct interviews or additional examinations.

Consultation Period:

The consultation period for direct placement will be from the conclusion of the second screening until February 28, 2025. If the university agrees to accept the applicant, they will enroll under direct placement. If not, the applicant must complete the preparatory educational course before university enrollment.

Scholarship Duration

For Grantees At Preparatory Educational Institutions:

The scholarship period is five years, from April 2025 to March 2030, including one year of preparatory education in Japanese language and other subjects upon arrival in Japan. For those majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or a six-year pharmacy course, the scholarship lasts seven years, until March 2032.

Note: If the university term begins in the middle of the month, the scholarship will not cover that month. For example, if the autumn term starts between September 2 and September 30, 2025, the scholarship period will begin in October 2025.

For Direct Placement Grantees:

The scholarship period is four years, starting from the time of enrollment at the designated university. For those majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or a six-year pharmacy course, the scholarship lasts six years.

Scholarship Benefits

Allowance:

Grantees will receive 117,000 yen (approximately Rs 62,796) per month. An additional regional allowance of 2,000 yen (Rs 1,073) or 3,000 yen (Rs 1,610) per month is provided for those studying or conducting research in designated areas.

The amount may change annually depending on the Japanese government’s budget. If a grantee is absent from the university or preparatory institution for a prolonged period, the scholarship will be suspended during that time.

Education Fees: