The University of Tokyo Scholarship is one of the best opportunities available for international students to study in Japan. This scholarship provides fully funded master’s and PhD programs for outstanding international students recommended by UTokyo to MEXT. The scholarship covers tuition fees, enrollment fees, a monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare. In this article, we have explained everything you need to know about the University of Tokyo Scholarship 2027, including its benefits, eligibility criteria, required documents, and a detailed step-by-step application process to help you apply successfully.
Founded in 1877, the University of Tokyo is the oldest and largest of Japan’s national universities. The University of Tokyo, also known as UTokyo, is internationally recognized for its strong academic programs, advanced research environment, and global collaborations across science, engineering, humanities, medicine, public policy, environmental studies, and many other fields.
The MEXT Scholarship with University Recommendation is different from the Embassy Recommendation route. In this category, applicants do not apply through the Japanese embassy first. Instead, the University of Tokyo conducts the preliminary selection and recommends selected candidates directly to MEXT for final approval.
For this scholarship, the first contact should be the University of Tokyo graduate school where the applicant wishes to study. The application period, procedure, documents, and eligibility requirements may vary depending on the graduate school, so applicants must carefully check the official instructions of their chosen UTokyo graduate school.
University of Tokyo Scholarship Summary
- Level of Study: Master’s, PhD
- Institution: University of Tokyo
- Study Destination: Japan
- Program Duration:
- Master’s Program: 2 years
- Doctoral Program: 3 years
- Focus Areas: Fields offered by the relevant graduate school at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo Scholarship Deadline
The deadline for the University of Tokyo MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship varies depending on the graduate school.
For example, the Graduate School of Science has listed the application period for the 2027 University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship from October 15 to October 30, 2026.
Other graduate schools may follow different schedules. Applicants should check the official website of their intended graduate school at the University of Tokyo before applying.
University of Tokyo Scholarship Coverage
The University of Tokyo Scholarship provides the following benefits:
- Full tuition fee exemption
- Enrollment fee exemption
- Monthly stipend
- Round-trip airfare
- Opportunity to study at the University of Tokyo
- Access to UTokyo’s academic and research environment
- Support for international study in Japan
The monthly stipend for AY2027 may be confirmed later by MEXT. As a reference, the AY2026 monthly stipend amounts were:
- Master’s students: 144,000 yen per month
- Doctoral students: 145,000 yen per month
An additional regional allowance of 2,000 yen or 3,000 yen per month may be added for students studying or conducting research in designated regions.
Eligibility Criteria for the University of Tokyo Scholarship
To qualify for this scholarship, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Applicants must be international students.
- Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan.
- Applicants must not hold Japanese nationality at the time of application.
- Applicants must have outstanding academic records.
- Applicants must usually have a GPA equivalent to 2.30 or above on the MEXT scale.
- Applicants must be expected to maintain strong academic performance during the scholarship period.
- Applicants must apply for a master’s or doctoral program at the relevant graduate school of the University of Tokyo.
- Applicants must have the academic background required for admission to the chosen master’s or doctoral program.
- Applicants must apply in a field they studied previously or in a closely related field.
- Applicants must meet the language requirements of the chosen graduate school.
- Applicants must be physically and mentally fit to study in Japan.
- Applicants must obtain a student visa before entering Japan.
- Applicants must be able to arrive in Japan during the period specified by UTokyo or MEXT.
- Applicants must not be applying for another MEXT Scholarship program at the same time.
- Applicants must not plan to receive another scholarship from the Japanese government or Japanese government-related organizations after the start of the MEXT scholarship.
- Applicants must intend to pursue a regular degree program.
Language Requirements
- Applicants must meet the language requirements set by the relevant graduate school. Depending on the program, applicants may be required to prove English or Japanese language ability.
- For English, applicants may need a score equivalent to CEFR B2 or above. For example, some UTokyo graduate schools mention TOEFL iBT 72 or IELTS 5.5 as examples of CEFR B2 level.
- For Japanese, applicants may need JLPT N2 or higher, depending on the graduate school and program.
- Applicants who completed their previous degree in English or Japanese may be able to submit a language-of-instruction certificate instead of a test score, if accepted by the graduate school.
How to Apply for the University of Tokyo Scholarship?
Please follow the application instructions below to apply for this scholarship:
- Visit the official University of Tokyo MEXT Scholarship page.
- Choose the graduate school and program you want to apply for at UTokyo.
- Check whether your chosen graduate school accepts applications for the MEXT Scholarship through university recommendation.
- Carefully read the eligibility criteria, language requirements, documents, and application deadline.
- Contact the relevant graduate school or prospective supervisor if required by the program.
- Prepare your admission application for the master’s or doctoral program.
- Prepare the MEXT Scholarship documents, including the application form, research plan, academic transcripts, recommendation letter, and proof of language ability.
- Submit both the graduate school admission application and the MEXT scholarship application through the method specified by the graduate school.
- The graduate school will conduct preliminary screening.
- Selected applicants will be nominated by the graduate school to the University of Tokyo.
- The University of Tokyo will conduct its internal selection and recommend selected candidates to MEXT.
Required Documents for University of Tokyo Scholarship
Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
- MEXT Scholarship application form
- Field of Study and Research Plan
- Study plan
- Academic transcripts
- Graduation certificate or expected graduation certificate
- Degree certificate, if applicable
- Recommendation letter
- Proof of language ability
- Abstract of graduation thesis
- Copy of passport
- Admission application documents for the chosen UTokyo graduate school
- Other documents required by the graduate school
The recommendation letter may need to be written by a dean or a person with an equivalent title and addressed to the president of the University of Tokyo. Requirements can vary by graduate school, so applicants should always check the official instructions.
Website
To know more about the University of Tokyo Scholarship, please visit the official website: