Study abroad scholarships for Japanese students: Tobitate, JASSO, Fulbright Japan and more
Scholarships for Japanese students to study abroad: Tobitate!, the JASSO overseas study programmes, Fulbright Japan, the Yanai, Nakajima, Funai and Ito foundations, and JSPS fellowships, from official pages.
For Japanese students, studying abroad has always meant clearing two hurdles at once: the language and the cost. Full degrees overseas, in particular, can look out of reach.
Yet Japan has generous study abroad funding, from government programmes to private foundations that cover tuition and living costs in full. We checked each programme below on its official page on October 31, 2026. Most of these pages are in Japanese; we have summarised them in English.
At a glance
| Programme | For | What it pays (as stated) | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobitate! 19th cohort | University students, 28 days to 1 year | JPY 120,000 or 160,000 a month, plus JPY 300,000 toward tuition | 25 February 2027 |
| Yanai Tadashi Foundation | Undergraduate degrees in the US, UK, Canada | Up to USD 115,000 a year in the US | 7 January 2027 |
| JASSO graduate degree track | Full master’s or PhD abroad | JPY 177,000 to 388,000 a month (2026) | Usually closes early October |
| JASSO bachelor’s degree track | Full bachelor’s abroad | JPY 139,000 to 352,000 a month (2026) | Next round not yet published |
| JASSO exchange support | Exchange through your university | JPY 80,000 to 120,000 a month | Set by your university |
| Nakajima Foundation | Master’s or PhD abroad | JPY 400,000 a month plus tuition up to JPY 3,000,000 a year | Details in early June 2027 |
| Funai Overseas Scholarship | PhD abroad, mainly IT and STEM | USD 36,000 a year plus up to USD 14,000 for tuition | Next round not yet published |
| Ito Foundation | Master’s abroad | In the foundation’s annual details | Next round not yet published |
| Fulbright Japan | Graduate study in the US | Set out in annual guidelines | Competition announced each February |
| JSPS Overseas Research Fellowships | Early-career researchers | About JPY 5.2 to 8 million a year | Next schedule not yet published |
Short-term study: Tobitate!
Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative is run by MEXT with private-sector support. The 19th cohort funds 28 days to one year of study, internships, research or volunteering abroad, starting between 1 August 2027 and 31 March 2028. It pays JPY 120,000 or 160,000 a month depending on the destination (JPY 60,000 if household income is above the standard), plus JPY 300,000 toward tuition, with about 250 places.
You apply through your university to JASSO. Applications are planned to open in early December 2026 and close at 17:00 on 25 February 2027. New first-year students apply from 1 to 22 April 2027.
Full degrees abroad: JASSO
JASSO runs three study abroad tracks:
- Graduate degree track: full master’s (up to two years) or doctoral (up to three years) degrees. 175 people were selected in FY2026. Guidelines usually appear around September, with applications closing in early October.
- Bachelor’s degree track: a full bachelor’s degree abroad, generally for four years, with applications through prefectural recommendation.
- Exchange support: for 8 days to a year at partner universities. You cannot apply directly; your university selects candidates.
Private foundations
Yanai Tadashi Foundation. About 20 students a year for undergraduate study at selected universities in the US, UK and Canada. It covers up to USD 115,000 a year in the US, GBP 70,000 in the UK or CAD 120,000 in Canada, including tuition, housing and living support. The 11th round accepts applications from 3 December 2026 to 7 January 2027 at 16:00 JST.
Nakajima Foundation. About 10 students a year entering master’s or doctoral programmes abroad, with JPY 400,000 a month plus tuition of up to JPY 3,000,000 a year for the first two years.
Funai Foundation for Information Technology. About 15 PhD students a year at overseas research universities, mainly in information science and wider STEM fields, with USD 36,000 a year for living costs and up to USD 14,000 a year for tuition and insurance.
Ito Foundation. About 10 students a year entering master’s programmes overseas, selected after document screening and interviews.
Study and teach in the US: Fulbright Japan
The Japan-US Educational Commission runs:
- Graduate Study Program for degree study in the US;
- Doctoral Dissertation Research Program for 6 to 10 months of research;
- Foreign Language Teaching Assistant program to teach Japanese at a US college for nine months, with tuition for two courses a semester, a stipend, housing and airfare.
For the 2027 grant year, registration ran from 1 March to 1 May 2026. The Commission announces each competition in February.
For researchers
JSPS Overseas Research Fellowships fund two years of research abroad for early-career researchers, with round-trip airfare and about JPY 5.2 million to 8 million a year, depending on the host city.
Tips
- Start in your first or second year. Tobitate and the JASSO exchange track run through your university, so speak to its international office early.
- Plan a year ahead for full degrees. The JASSO graduate track closes in early October for study starting the following April onwards, and the foundations close between June and January.
- Prepare your English test early. Most overseas universities and these programmes ask for scores. See IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo.
Next steps
Check the money you must show for a student visa in proof of funds by country, and see how your Japanese degree is assessed in is my degree recognised abroad?