The Honjo International Scholarship Foundation Scholarship for Foreign Students supports non-Japanese citizens who are enrolled in or applying to a master’s or doctoral programme at a graduate school in Japan. Any research field and any Japanese graduate school may qualify, and applicants apply directly to the foundation without university pre-selection. About ten scholarships are available for 2027. The award begins with the recipient’s graduate studies; the guideline gives April 2027 as the payment start for spring entrants, while fall 2027 entrants may also apply. The 2027 application window opens on 1 September 2026 and closes on 31 October 2026.
Benefits & funding
- ¥230,000 per month for a one- or two-year degree period.
- ¥210,000 per month for a three-year degree period.
- ¥180,000 per month for a four- or five-year degree period.
- The stipend does not need to be repaid and is paid for the shortest standard period required to complete the degree.
- A travel grant for attending an international conference may be available under the foundation’s rules.
- Tuition and the initial cost of travelling to Japan are not covered.
- Other scholarships generally cannot be held at the same time, except the MEXT Scholarship, the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students, the JSPS International Fellowship, an approved JST Fellowship, or a JICA scholarship.
Eligibility
- Applicants must not hold Japanese citizenship. Non-Japanese citizens of every nationality may apply, including from abroad.
- Applicants must be enrolled in or applying to a master’s or doctoral degree course at a graduate school in Japan for entry in spring or fall 2027.
- Applicants still completing a bachelor’s degree may apply if they will sit the entrance examination for spring or fall 2027 entry; the award funds graduate study only, never undergraduate study.
- More than 12 months must remain until graduation.
- Master’s applicants must begin the course by age 30; PhD applicants must begin the course by age 35. The foundation states that there are no exceptions.
- Professional graduate-school students are normally ineligible, but they may apply if they can submit a research plan.
- Applicants need basic conversational Japanese, and the interview is conducted in Japanese.
- Applicants must plan to use their career to serve their home country, support international friendship, attend foundation events, and join the alumni network.
- All research fields are eligible. No work-experience or gender requirement is stated.
Can you apply?
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Eligible nationalities
USA · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Cuba · Haiti
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Jamaica · Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · South Korea · North Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Western Sahara · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
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Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Read the 2027 guideline and confirm every eligibility condition before the application window opens.
- 2Sign up for the online application system, complete the application form, and submit it between 1 September and 31 October 2026.
- 3Upload a face photo, undergraduate transcript, the designated research proposal in Japanese, a signed or sealed recommendation letter, proof of admission or enrolment when available, and a research-plan video of up to two minutes.
- 4Submit the application online. Save the issued application number and the generated PDF application because results are announced by application number.
Program timeline
2027 application guideline published
Aug 1, 2026
Online applications open at 11:00
Sep 1, 2026
Application deadline
Oct 31, 2026
Document-screening results announced
Jan 31, 2027
Interview examination in Tokyo or by video call
Feb 9, 2027
Final results announced
Mar 31, 2027
Scholarship payments begin for spring entrants
April 2027