The Iwatani International Student Scholarship (岩谷国際留学生奨学助成) is run by The Iwatani Naoji Foundation, a public-interest foundation in Tokyo. It supports privately financed students from East and Southeast Asia taking natural-science master’s or doctoral degrees at Japanese graduate schools.
Scholars get a monthly stipend and meet regularly with the foundation’s Japanese scholars; the foundation works only in Japanese. The 2027 guidelines are due in mid-November 2026, so the rules below come from the 2026 round.
Benefits & funding
- ¥150,000 a month, not repayable unless the award is withdrawn for cause (such as false statements).
- Paid from 1 April to the standard end of the degree, at most two years; it stops in the month the degree is awarded.
- Travel to scholar meetings, plus one conference-presentation trip during the award.
- Year one: five compulsory meetings, one a two-night trip. Year two: progress reports every two months and at least one visit.
Eligibility
- Nationals of: China, South Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
- Privately financed and in Japan on a student visa; not a Japanese government (MEXT) scholar on 1 April 2026.
- On 1 April 2026, living in Japan and enrolled in, or admitted to, a master’s or doctoral program.
- Engineering, science or agriculture; medicine and pharmacy excluded.
- Under 30 (master’s) or under 35 (doctoral) on 1 April 2026.
- No other scholarship or research funding from April 2026, except university awards under ¥100,000 a month.
- No plans to leave Japan for exchange or short-term study during the award.
- Everyday conversational Japanese.
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
China · South Korea · Mongolia · Taiwan · Cambodia · Indonesia · Laos · Malaysia · Myanmar · Philippines · Singapore · Thailand
+ 1 more
Vietnam
Residence required
Japan
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Download the round’s guidelines and forms from the scholarship page, posted around mid-November.
- 2Prepare the file in Japanese, including a research plan and a handwritten self-introduction.
- 3Ask your academic supervisor for the recommendation letter.
- 4Submit through the foundation’s web application system between 1 and 20 December.
- 5If shortlisted, interview in Japanese in early February; those offered a place return a signed pledge by the end of February, after which withdrawal is not allowed.
Program timeline
Mid-November 2026
2027 guidelines expected
Applications
Dec 1, 2026 to Dec 20, 2026
Document results
Late January 2027
Interviews, then results
Early to mid-February 2027
Stipend expected to start
Apr 1, 2027