PhD Scholarships in Japan for International Students
35 awards, 7 of them fully funded. Every listing links to the provider’s official page, with the date we last confirmed it.
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Galvanize tracks 35 phd scholarships in Japan open to international students. 35 are confirmed at their official source. Each award below carries its provider, funding type and eligibility, and links to the provider’s own page rather than a summary of it.
See also: all scholarships in Japan.
| Scholarship | Provider | Funding | Deadline | Status | Last confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido University Frontier Fund Clark Scholarship | Hokkaido University | Stipend | Announced periodically via ELMS; check current-year timing with the International Student Affairs office | confirmed | |
| Hokkaido University Special Grant Program for Self-Supported International Students | Hokkaido University | Full | Contact the relevant graduate school's academic affairs office for the current cycle | confirmed | |
| Honjo International Scholarship Foundation Foreign Student Scholarship | Honjo International Scholarship Foundation (HISF) | Stipend | September 1–October 31 annually; screening results announced January 31; final results by March 31 of the following year | confirmed | |
| JASSO Student Exchange Support Program (Scholarship for Study in Japan under Agreement) | Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) | Stipend | Set by the Japanese host institution; varies by program | confirmed | |
| Keio University Degree Completion Scholarship | Keio University | Tuition | Biannual registration at the start of Spring and Fall semesters | confirmed | |
| Keio University Design the Future Award for International Students | Keio University | Full | Varies by graduate school; aligned with regular admission rounds — check individual Keio graduate school offices | confirmed | |
| Keio University Graduate School Scholarship | Keio University | Stipend | Biannual registration at the start of Spring and Fall semesters | confirmed | |
| Kyoto University SPRING Program (Division of Graduate Studies) | Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), administered by Kyoto University Division of Graduate Studies | Stipend | Annual recruitment cycle; see the Division of Graduate Studies recruitment list page for current dates | confirmed | |
| Kyoto University Scholarship Nomination for Privately-Financed International Students | Kyoto University (nominates to approximately 90 private scholarship foundations) | Stipend | Post-enrollment; application windows vary by graduate school — contact faculty/graduate school office after enrollment at Kyoto University | confirmed | |
| Kyushu University Friendship Scholarship | Kyushu University | Stipend | Two recruitment periods per fiscal year, around February and around May; apply through the prospective host department | confirmed | |
| Kyushu University IGSES Intellectual Exchange and Innovation (IEI) Doctoral Scholarship | Kyushu University — Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences (IGSES) | Stipend | Follows IGSES doctoral admissions cycle — check tj.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/exam/scholarships.php for current schedule | confirmed | |
| MEXT Scholarship (Embassy Recommendation) | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan | Full | February–April annually at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate in India; contact Embassy of Japan in New Delhi for exact dates each cycle | confirmed | |
| Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students | Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) | Stipend | Administered by enrolled institution; contact the school's scholarship office for application windows | confirmed | |
| Nagoya Institute of Technology MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship | MEXT, via Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech) nomination | Full | Application to prospective supervisor typically due by December, following MEXT's November program announcement; results typically announced June–July | confirmed | |
| Nagoya University G30 International Programs Scholarship Support | Nagoya University | Stipend | MEXT Embassy Recommendation: applications open at Japanese embassies/consulates roughly February-April; NU-CSC Scholarship: applications generally open late January to mid-February; other listed programs vary by graduate school | confirmed | |
| Nagoya University Graduate School of International Development (GSID) Scholarship for International Students | Nagoya University — Graduate School of International Development (GSID) | Stipend | Varies by scholarship programme; check gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/en/admission/scholarship at time of application | confirmed | |
| Nagoya University Research Support Projects for Doctoral Students (NU Research Support) | Nagoya University | Stipend | Varies by graduate school; contact the relevant school's Student Affairs Division | confirmed | |
| Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) PhD Program | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University | Full | Multiple rounds; check OIST admissions calendar (typically October and March deadlines) | confirmed | |
| Okuma Memorial Scholarship (Waseda University) | Waseda University | Stipend | Post-enrollment application only; follows Waseda's biannual scholarship registration cycle (~May for spring, ~September–October for fall) | confirmed | |
| Osaka University SPRING Program | Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), administered by Osaka University Institute for Transdisciplinary Graduate Degree Programs (ITGP) | Stipend | Annual cycle; check the official page and linked ITGP resources for current dates | confirmed | |
| Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation Scholarship (Overseas Candidates) | Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation | Stipend | Application window: 1 October 2026, 13:00 JST to 31 October 2026, 13:00 JST, for April and Fall 2027 enrolment | confirmed | |
| Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) Program at APU | Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research (Sylff), hosted at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University | Stipend | September-enrollment cycle only; recent cycle deadline was March 19 for that year's September intake | confirmed | |
| The University of Tokyo Fellowship | University of Tokyo | Stipend | Varies by graduate school; AY2026 application guidelines available on the UTokyo Fellowship page | confirmed | |
| Tohoku University I-GES International Graduate Programme in Global Education Studies — Doctoral Scholarship | Tohoku University | Full | Check sed.tohoku.ac.jp/course/i-ges/scholarships/ for the current I-GES doctoral admission and scholarship schedule | confirmed | |
| Tohoku University LEAP Program (TU-AGS Comprehensive Doctoral Support Package) | Tohoku University Advanced Graduate School, Center for Promoting Graduate Studies | Full | AY2026 launch; check the official program page for the application cycle and eligibility documents | confirmed | |
| Academy for Convergence of Materials and Informatics (TAC-MI) Doctoral Scholarship (Institute of Science Tokyo) | Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo; formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology) | Stipend | Tied to TAC-MI's doctoral screening/qualifying examination cycle | confirmed | |
| Tokyo Tech Tsubame Scholarship for Doctoral Students (Institute of Science Tokyo) | Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo; formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology) | Stipend | Mid-May annually (May 11–22 for supervisor approval by May 27); applied after enrollment | confirmed | |
| University of Osaka Enrollment/Tuition Fee Exemption for International Graduate Students (Need-Based) | University of Osaka (Osaka University) | Tuition | Spring semester: late March–early April; Fall semester: late September–early October; post-enrollment application each semester | confirmed | |
| University of Osaka Tuition Fee Exemption for International Honors Students (Graduate) | University of Osaka (Osaka University) | Tuition | Determined at entrance examination stage; varies by graduate school — check Osaka University annual academic calendar | confirmed | |
| University of Tokyo Global Science Graduate Course (GSGC) Scholarship | University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science | Stipend | 7-22 December 2026 (JST), for the next intake | confirmed | |
| University of Tsukuba Individual-Application Scholarships for International Students | University of Tsukuba (direct-apply private foundations) | Stipend | Varies by individual foundation; see tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admissions/financial-scholarships/individual/ for the current list and deadlines | confirmed | |
| University of Tsukuba JST SPRING Doctoral Student Support Program | Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), administered by University of Tsukuba | Stipend | Multiple calls per year; most recent window (AY2026 Autumn) was 2-8 October 2026, 5pm (strict), now closed; next cycle date not yet stated | confirmed | |
| University of Tsukuba Scholarship — University Recommendation for Privately-Financed International Students | University of Tsukuba (nominates to private scholarship foundations) | Stipend | June-July annually (e.g., 22 June - 10 July 2026, for AY2027-28 scholarships) | confirmed | |
| Waseda University Internal Scholarship System for Privately-Financed International Students | Waseda University | Partial | Spring: approximately May 15; Fall: September–October; register via waseda.jp/inst/scholarship each semester | confirmed | |
| Yamaoka Kenichi Memorial Scholarship (Keio University) | Keio University | Stipend | Follows Keio's biannual internal scholarship registration cycle | confirmed |
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Frequently asked questions
How many phd scholarships in Japan are available to international students?
Galvanize tracks 35 phd scholarships in Japan open to international students, of which 7 are fully funded. Every one links to the provider's own page rather than a summary of it.
Who provides phd scholarships in Japan?
Across the 35 awards we track, the most frequent providers are Keio University, Hokkaido University, Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), Nagoya University, Waseda University.
Are there phd scholarships in Japan for Indian students?
Yes — 35 of the 35 awards listed here are open to Indian nationals, either explicitly or as part of a wider international eligibility rule.
When are the deadlines for phd scholarships in Japan?
Deadlines are spread across the year. Among the awards here that state a month, the most common are October, September, March. Individual deadlines are on each provider's page — check there before applying, because cycles move.
Do phd scholarships in Japan require GRE, GMAT, TOEFL or IELTS scores?
None of the 35 awards here state a test-score requirement of their own. Scholarships in Japan overwhelmingly defer to the university's own admission requirements rather than setting a separate bar, so the score that matters is usually the one for your programme, not the scholarship.
How current is this list?
35 of the 35 awards are confirmed at their official source. Every listing carries the date it was last checked, and the method is published in our Verification Ledger.
How we verify every listing: read the Verification Ledger.
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Reviewed by Dr. Jayanthy Ramakrishnan, Head of Admissions