MIRAI is a short-term youth exchange run by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It combines online preparation with a roughly seven-day visit to Japan for lectures, institutional visits, cultural activities and exchanges with Japanese students and experts.
The 2026 program has five groups covering peacebuilding, diplomacy and security policy, economics and business, science and technology, and AI startups. The latest participant application window closed on 31 August 2026.
Benefits & funding
- The Japanese side covers round-trip economy airfare, accommodation and admission fees for scheduled activities in Japan.
- Transport and meals during the program are only partially covered; participants pay for any excluded in-country transport or meals.
- The official call does not provide a cash allowance or cover personal incidental expenses.
- The program includes two online preparatory sessions followed by a seven-day visit to Japan.
Eligibility
- Groups 1–4 accept graduate and undergraduate students. Group 5 accepts graduate and undergraduate students in engineering or information-related fields, plus young IT professionals and entrepreneurs.
- Applicants must be at least 20 years old when traveling to Japan; Group 5 applicants must be between 20 and 30.
- Applicants must be citizens of Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom or Uzbekistan, and must not hold Japanese nationality.
- The public application route is unavailable in France, Hungary and Turkmenistan.
- Applicants must have sufficient English for the program and academic results placing them approximately within the top 20 percent of their faculty or cohort.
- Anyone who has lived in Japan for more than six months or previously joined a Japanese-government-funded program is ineligible.
- Applicants must be physically and mentally able to complete the intensive schedule; country missions may assign applicants to a particular theme group.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia
+ 40 more
Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Kyrgyzstan · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Ukraine · UK · Uzbekistan
Age requirement
≥ 20 yrs
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Application process
- 1Check the relevant Japanese embassy’s MIRAI notice when the next cycle opens and confirm the locally available theme group and selection route.
- 2Where a public route is available, complete the official online application in English by the embassy’s stated deadline; public applications are unavailable in France, Hungary and Turkmenistan.
- 3Upload a valid passport copy, signed Letter of Understanding, signed privacy form, recent headshot and academic transcript or enrollment certificate.
- 4Monitor email for the result; the 2026 Belarus call stated that shortlisted applicants would be invited to interview.
Program timeline
Most recent verified application deadline
Aug 31, 2026
Selection results for the verified Belarus route
Late October 2026
AI startups group visit
Dec 1, 2026 to Dec 7, 2026
Diplomacy and security policy, and economics and business group visits
Dec 2, 2026 to Dec 8, 2026
Peacebuilding, and science and technology group visits
Jan 20, 2027 to Jan 26, 2027