MEXT Scholarships

2026 MEXT Scholarships by “Embassy Recommendation”
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for:

Research Students Scholarships(for graduate studies)
Undergraduate Students Scholarships
Specialized Training College Students Scholarships

Introduction

The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles accepts applications for Japanese Government scholarships from candidates who are U.S. citizens and reside in or attend universities in Southern California* and Arizona only.

Please read the Application Guidelines for detailed information on the four types of MEXT Scholarships we administer.

If, after reading the Application Guidelines, you have further questions, please contact:

MEXT Scholarships Desk
350 S. Grand Ave., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tel: (213) 617-6700, ext. 336
Fax: (213) 617-6728
mext@ls.mofa.go.jp

If you are a U.S. citizen but do not live or study in our jurisdiction (Southern California* and Arizona), please click here to find the Consulate General of Japan to which you can apply for a MEXT Scholarship. If you are not a U.S. citizen (including foreign student or permanent resident) please inquire about MEXT through the Embassy of Japan in the country of which you have citizenship. Click here for a list of Japanese Embassies and Consulates.

About 7,500 Americans studied abroad in Japan during the 2016-2017 academic year. This includes exchange program participants, students with various scholarships, and privately financed students. For an introductory guide on studying in Japan, please see https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/doc/Library/StudyAbroadGuide_Spreads.pdf.

(*Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties)

Scholarships

NOW OPEN – 2026 scholarships

We are now accepting applications for the

2026 Research Students Scholarship (for graduate-level studies)
2026 Undergraduate Students Scholarship
2026 Specialized Training College Students Scholarship.

Please click on the links below to find the new Application Guidelines (in English and Japanese), Application Form, Certificate of Health, Recommendation Form, and other relevant documents for each scholarship.

(For your planning purposes, please remember that successful applicants do not start study in Japan until the following year, i.e. ten to sixteen months after application.)

■Research Students Scholarship (for program beginning in April 2026 or in September/October 2026) - APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN

Application Guidelines and Forms: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap-stopjus-applications-research.html
Helpful checklist for avoiding common mistakes:Checklist

■Undergraduate Students Scholarship (for program beginning generally in April 2026) - APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN

Application Guidelines and Forms: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap_stopj-applications_undergraduate.html
Helpful checklist for avoiding common mistakes:Checklist

■Specialized Training College Students Scholarship (for program beginning in April 2026) - APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN

Application Guidelines and Forms: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/smap_stopj-applications_specialized.html
Helpful checklist for avoiding common mistakes:Checklist

Important Notes for Research Students, Undergraduate Students, and Specialized Training College Students scholarship applicants:

1. Submission of documents - Applicants from Southern California and Arizona submit their completed applications (all by hardcopy), with all the necessary documents, by the deadline, to this address:

          MEXT Scholarships Desk
          Consulate General of Japan
          350 S. Grand Ave., Suite 1700
          Los Angeles, CA 90071 U.S.A.

2. Deadlines – Completed applications must be received by: Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
    (Please note the 3:30 p.m. deadline for our receipt of complete applications.)

3. Exams – In-person written examinations are required of invited applicants and are according to the dates below. (The Consulate General sends invitations by email after evaluating application materials.)

Research scholarship (for academic programs conducted in Japanese) Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Research scholarship (for academic programs conducted in English) (No exam)
Undergraduate and Specialized Training College scholarships: Thursday, June 26, 2025

4. Interviews – Applicants invited for this step in the selection process must appear in Los Angeles for the interview on a date, to be determined, in the latter half of June.

5. In other matters of the application, please consult the Application Guidelines in the above links.

Upcoming scholarship program

2026 Japanese Studies Students Scholarships

Applications are to become available by early January, 2026. So, please check back here later for the new application materials and deadline. Until then, use the links below for information only.

■Japanese Studies Students Scholarship (for program beginning in Japan in Sept./Oct. 2025) - APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSED

Application Guidelines & Forms
Helpful checklist for avoiding common mistakes: Checklist

Important Notes regarding the Japanese Studies Students scholarships for those applying through the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles:

1. Submit your completed applications (all by hardcopy), with all the necessary documents which are listed in the Application Guidelines & Forms, by the deadline, to this address:

          MEXT Scholarships Desk
          Consulate General of Japan
          350 S. Grand Ave., Suite 1700
          Los Angeles, CA 90071 U.S.A.

2. Complete your application according to the Application Guidelines, using the 2025 forms and other documents, and referring to the Checklist. Select your preferred universities from the list provided in the “Course Guide of Japanese Studies Program” (2025).

3. Deadline (received by): Friday, February 14, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
(Please note the 3:30 p.m. deadline.)

4. Examinations and interviews: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

5. Interviews: TBD, approx. late February 2025

6. In other matters of the application, please consult the Application Guidelines in the above link.

*Exams and interviews take place at the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, unless determined otherwise later, and applicants selected for further consideration must attend in person on the prescribed day.

Attention Scholarship Applicants

All application procedures for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarships are conducted through Japanese embassies/consulates in participating countries or through institutions of higher education in Japan. There is no fee to apply.

Please be aware that there has been a scam in which Japanese government scholarship applications have been solicited through third party websites requiring an application fee. Please note that organizations or individuals who charge application fees have no relation with the Japanese Government.

For general information about Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships, please contact our Consulate General directly or visit: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/ Open a new window .

Studying in Japan and Other Scholarship Programs

There are other ways to study in Japan and other scholarship programs. For information, please visit:

“Study in Japan: A Guide for U.S. Students” by the Embassy of Japan is a new, introductory guide.
“Study in Japan” by Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) is a thorough, regularly updated guide.
“Scholarships for Study in Japan” by JASSO links to a pamphlet listing three different kinds of scholarships.

For further information, please contact the Scholarships Desk.