University of Tokyo MEXT Scholarship 2027 in Japan

About the scholarship

The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship via University Recommendation at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Science funds international students entering as new Master's or Doctoral students in October 2027. The award exempts tuition, pays a monthly stipend, covers economy airfare, and guarantees first-year accommodation in a UTokyo International Lodge. The 2027 cycle is announced — the school's official page was updated on 8 October 2026 — but UTokyo also flags that MEXT has signalled the University Recommendation (General Category) may be discontinued from AY2027: this round may be the last of its kind, so apply now.

Eligibility

• Entering October 2027 as a new Master's or Doctoral student at the Graduate School of Science, having completed the school's admission application (Special Selection for International Applicants).
• A national of a country with diplomatic relations with Japan; Japanese nationals are ineligible (dual nationals only if renouncing Japanese nationality before arrival).
• Born on or after 2 April 1992; GPA of 2.30+ on the MEXT scale.
• Field of study related to prior university study and researchable at UTokyo.
• Language: English at CEFR B2+ (e.g. TOEFL iBT 72+, IELTS 5.5+), prior English-medium education, or JLPT N2+.
• Not residing in Japan at application; not applying for any other AY2027 MEXT programme; no concurrent Japanese-government scholarship.

Benefits

• Monthly stipend — AY2027 amounts not yet fixed; as a reference the official page quotes AY2026 figures of ¥144,000 (Master's) / ¥145,000 (Doctoral), plus small regional top-ups.
• Enrolment and tuition fees exempted.
• Economy-class airfare to Japan on arrival and back on completion (under MEXT route rules; domestic travel, taxes, insurance and baggage are the recipient's).
• Guaranteed first-year room in a UTokyo International Lodge (~¥50,000/month Kashiwa, ~¥70,000/month Komaba).
• Period: Master's Oct 2027 – Sep 2029; Doctoral Oct 2027 – Sep 2030; extension only via rigorous MEXT examination.

Documents required

1. MEXT application form (double-sided print)
2. Field of Study and Research Plan
3. Recommendation letter from the dean or above, addressed to the President of the University of Tokyo, on university letterhead, wet-signed (no digital signatures)
4. Passport photo (4.5 × 3.5 cm, within 6 months)
5. Official transcripts of the last degree and current programme, plus a grading-system explanation if it is not on the transcript
6. Language-ability proof (test score or medium-of-instruction certificate)
7. Graduation-thesis abstract, official (expected) graduation statement, passport copy
8. All documents in English or Japanese (other languages need Japanese translation); A4, double-sided

How to apply

1. Complete the admission applicationGraduate School of Science Special Selection for International Applicants, and identify a prospective supervisor.
2. Upload all MEXT documents as PDFsvia the school's designated online form before the 30 October 2026 deadline (now closed) — email submissions are not accepted.
3. Confirm the automated confirmation email
4. Wait for resultsSchool nominees notified mid-Feb 2027; university selection April 2027; final MEXT decision announced to grantees June 2027 (tentative).

FAQs

Verified 31 Oct 2026 via s.u-tokyo.ac.jp (official MEXT page updated 8 Oct 2026) and brightscholarship.com (30 Oct 2026 deadline; Graduate School of Science only; possibly the final University Recommendation round) (corrected 31 Oct 2026 — application period 15–30 Oct 2026 JST per the official University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science page; no extension found).