Japan Internship Program

Benefits & funding

• Both routes include training and internship insurance.
• Online participants receive equipment and connectivity support plus the local-currency equivalent of JPY 1,000 for each activity day, paid after completion.
• In-person participants receive JPY 3,000 for each day of their stay, round-trip economy airfare, travel insurance, visa-cost support, accommodation and utilities, commuting support, and specified local transport.
• Internship activities have no participation fee, but participants cover meals and personal expenses on days off.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be 18–39 on August 24, 2026.
• They must be final-year students or graduates of a university or graduate school; eligible study statuses are final-year bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral enrolment, or a completed bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.
• Applicants need Japanese at JLPT N3 or CEFR B1 level, or sufficient English proficiency.
• Eligible citizenships are: Afghanistan; Angola; Bangladesh; Benin; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Chad; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gambia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Haiti; Kiribati; Laos; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nepal; Niger; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tuvalu; Uganda; Yemen; Zambia; North Korea; Syria; Algeria; Bhutan; Bolivia; Cabo Verde; Cameroon; Republic of the Congo; Côte d’Ivoire; Egypt; Eswatini; Ghana; Honduras; India; Iran; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Lebanon; Micronesia; Mongolia; Morocco; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Samoa; São Tomé and Príncipe; Sri Lanka; Tajikistan; Tokelau; Tunisia; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Vietnam; Zimbabwe; Albania; Argentina; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belize; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Fiji; Gabon; Georgia; Grenada; Guatemala; Guyana; Indonesia; Iraq; Jamaica; Kazakhstan; Kosovo; Libya; Malaysia; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Mauritius; Mexico; Moldova; Montenegro; Montserrat; Namibia; Nauru; Niue; North Macedonia; Palau; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Saint Helena; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Serbia; South Africa; Suriname; Thailand; Tonga; Türkiye; Turkmenistan; Venezuela; Wallis and Futuna; and West Bank and Gaza Strip. Citizens of the People’s Republic of China are excluded.
• Applicants may live outside their country of citizenship, but anyone currently residing in Japan is ineligible.
• Participants must commit to all training and internship dates, want to work in Japan, and not have participated in this project during FY2016–FY2025. Applicants already employed may apply only if they strongly want to change jobs to Japan.
• Students who pass document review must provide proof of enrolment and a recommendation; graduates must provide proof of graduation and a recommendation.

Application process

1. 1
   Read the full application overview on the official intern page; the FY2026 application period is closed.
2. 2
   When a cycle is open, use the unlocked entry button and register an email address.
3. 3
   Open the application-form link sent by email, complete the form, and confirm receipt of the “Application Complete” email.
4. 4
   Successful document-screening candidates attend a first interview with the JIP Office and submit the requested academic, recommendation, and qualification documents.
5. 5
   The Office matches candidates with host companies; selected candidates may complete a second company interview before both sides confirm the match.

Program timeline

1. FY2026 intern applications opened.

   May 1, 2026

2. Application deadline.

   June 30, 2026

3. Online-course final results expected.

   Late July 2026

4. First in-person term final results expected.

   Mid-August 2026

5. Online course, up to 20 activity days and about 80 hours.

   August 24–September 18, 2026

6. Second in-person term final results expected.

   Early September 2026

7. First in-person term, up to 30 business days.

   October 7–November 26, 2026

8. Second in-person term, up to 30 business days.

   November 4–December 20, 2026