The Japanese Government Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho or MEXT) sponsors the Monbukagakusho Scholarship to enable foreign students from 110 countries to study Japanese language and culture at the undergraduate level, to train in methods of teaching Japanese as a foreign language, and to research a broad range of topics at the graduate level in Japanese universities.

1. The Japanese studies scholarship for undergraduates is available to U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years of age and less than 29 years of age as of September 1, 2003, who are focusing on Japanese language and culture at their current college or university, and are interested in spending generally their third year of collegiate schooling in Japan. Applicants must have a good command of the Japanese language and be willing to study in Japan from September/October, 2004 to August/September 2005 in the university selected by Monbukagakusho.
   
   
2. The research student scholarship for graduate students is available to U.S. citizens who are less than 35 years of age as of April 1, 2004 and have completed their Bachelor's degree by the time of their proposed departure. Applicants should have a working knowledge of the Japanese language and their study area must be the same field at their undergraduate work. Applicants can choose from 3 categories: a) enroll as a non-degree student in a graduate course for 2 years from April 2004 to March 2006 or 1 year and 6 months from October 2004 to March 2006, b) enroll in a master's course, subject to enrolling as a non-degree student first, for 2 years from April 2004 to March 2006 or 1 year and 6 months from October 2004 to March 2006 including a half year of Japanese language training, or c) enrolling in a doctoral course, subject to enrolling as a non-degree student first, for 2 years from April 2004 to March 2006 or 1 year and 6 months from October 2004 to March 2006 including a half year of Japanese language training.
   
   
3. The senshu gakko scholarship is available to U.S. citizens who are at least 17 years of age and less than 21 years of age as of April 1, 2004, have completed 12 years of schooling, and wish to study at a professional training school in the fields of engineering, telecommunication, infant education, hotel management, fashion and dressmaking, photography, architecture, electronics, nutrition, secretarial studies, tourism or design in Japan. Applicants must be willing to study the Japanese language. The term is from April 2004 to March 2007 at the university selected by Monbukagakusho. Applicants must be able to leave for and arrive in Japanese between April 1 and 7, 2004.
   
   
4. The in-service training for teachers scholarship is available to U.S. citizens who have at least 5 years of teaching experience, teach in primary or secondary schools, and are less than thirty-five years of age as of October 1, 2003. Applicants must learn the Japanese language and be willing to study Japan from October, 2003 to March 2005 at a university selected by the Monbukagakusho. Recipients of this prestigious scholarship receive round-trip airfare, exemption from school fees, and a monthly stipend.

Please contact the Consulate General nearest you for their deadline schedule and further information.

Information about the various kinds of Monbukagakusho Scholarships is also available from the Association for International Education in Japan.