The S. Nakayama Memorial Scholarships are direct awards from the International University of Japan for newly enrolling master’s and PhD students. Recipients study in person at IUJ’s residential campus in Minamiuonuma, Japan.
IUJ selects recipients competitively during admission and gives priority to excellent academic performance. Scholars are expected to engage with the local community, understand Japanese society, develop leadership, and contribute internationally after graduation.
Benefits & funding
- Nakayama 100 Premium waives ¥250,000 of the ¥300,000 admission fee, waives full tuition, and pays ¥100,000 per month. Full tuition is ¥3,200,000 per year for two-year master’s programs, ¥3,900,000 for one-year master’s programs, and ¥1,650,000 per year for PhD programs.
- Nakayama 100 waives full tuition without the premium admission-fee waiver or monthly stipend.
- Nakayama 90, 70, 50, and 30 waive the corresponding percentage of tuition. For two-year master’s programs, the annual amounts are ¥2,880,000, ¥2,240,000, ¥1,600,000, and ¥960,000; for one-year master’s programs, they are ¥3,510,000, ¥2,730,000, ¥1,950,000, and ¥1,170,000.
- For PhD programs, the annual amounts for the 90, 70, 50, and 30 tiers are ¥1,485,000, ¥1,155,000, ¥825,000, and ¥495,000.
- Each award initially covers one year. Strong academic performance can support renewal for a second year, and PhD recipients may receive a further extension for year three.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be newly enrolling students admitted to an eligible IUJ master’s program or one of IUJ’s three-year PhD programs.
- Master’s applicants normally need a bachelor’s degree or an eligible equivalent route; PhD applicants need the preparation required for admission to the PhD program.
- Applicants to the 1-year MBA must have at least three years of full-time work experience obtained after their bachelor’s degree; five or more years is preferred.
- Applicants to the 1-year IPPP must hold a bachelor’s degree and have at least five years of professional experience in government or the public sector.
- IUJ considers both domestic and international applicants, regardless of nationality. Non-Japanese recipients must hold Japan Student Visa status to receive the scholarship.
- Excellent academic performance receives priority. The 100 Premium and 100 tiers are reserved for candidates judged highly capable during screening.
- Recipients are expected to participate in the local community and normally live in IUJ dormitories; program-specific admission requirements still apply.
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Application process
- 1Check IUJ’s current admissions and scholarship guidelines when the September 2027 admission cycle opens.
- 2Create an account in IUJ’s online application system and select “Non-Sponsored” as the sponsorship status.
- 3Complete the degree application first, then complete the scholarship section in phase two of the online application.
- 4Submit every required document and the application fee by the deadline for the relevant admission route and intake.
Program timeline
Published international master’s application deadlines for September 2026 admission.
Dec 10, 2025, Feb 12, 2026, and Apr 15, 2026
Published domestic master’s application deadlines for September 2026 admission.
Jan 22, 2026, Mar 24, 2026, and May 28, 2026
Admission decisions were released by route and intake; direct scholarship awards were announced with admission decisions.
Jan 23, 2026 to Jun 29, 2026
September 2026
IUJ schedules applications for September 2027 admission to reopen; no exact opening day is published.