Japanese Government Scholarships (MEXT) is a scholarship system provided by the Japanese government's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. There are several ways to apply for Japanese Government Scholarships (MEXT), such as “Embassy Recommendation” and “University Recommendation”, and the application qualifications and application periods differ for each.

Monthly Scholarship:
Research student
Research student 143,000 yen (* 146,000 yen from November to March)
Master's course student 144,000 yen (* 147,000 yen from November to March)
PhD student 145,000 yen (* 148,000 yen from November to March)
Undergraduate student 117,000 yen (* 120,000 yen from November to March)
* Since Hokkaido is a cold region, 3,000 yen will be added during winter (November to March).

 

1) Embassy Recommendation

This is a method of recruitment by Japanese embassies (or consulates general) overseas.
Application deadlines vary by country, so please contact the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/link/zaigai/index.html

After passing the first screening at the diplomatic establishment abroad, please search for your prospective supervisor from the list below, and promptly contact the administrative office of the graduate school you wish to enroll in and request the issuance of a Letter of Acceptance. Hokkaido University Researchers’ Directory 
https://researchers.general.hokudai.ac.jp/search/index.html;jsessionid=A50DE7D247BA495AB6B2459E743A5422?lang=en
HUSCAP (Hokkaido University collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers)
https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/index.jsp
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2) University Recommendation

This is a method of nominating students from overseas as Japanese Government Scholarship Student from the university.
Applicants must have an academic record score coefficient of 2.3 or higher in their final educational background or the course they are enrolled in, and are expected to maintain this throughout the scholarship period, and must also meet language proficiency requirements.

募集区分
①一般枠
　新規渡日する大学院レベルの学生が対象。渡日は原則10月です。採用人数は限られていますので応募しても採用されないことがあります。
②SATREPS枠およびe-ASIA枠
　SATREPSまたはe-ASIAに採択された課題に参加している機関に所属しており、新規渡日する大学院レベルの学生が対象。渡日は原則10月です。
③特別枠
　「国費外国人留学生の優先配置を行う特別プログラム」に採択されているプログラムに新規渡日する学生が対象となります。
本学で募集しているプログラムは以下のとおりですので、詳細は各プログラム担当へ問い合わせてください。
「持続可能な国際社会に貢献するグローバル工学リーダー育成プログラム」
https://www.eng.hokudai.ac.jp/e3/
「One Healthの概念を深化するHuman-Animal Bond教育研究プログラム」
https://www.vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp/en/about/pgp/
「ポストSDGs時代に活躍できる環境保全リーダー育成プログラム」
https://www.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/?lang=en
「インテグレイテッド・サイエンス・プログラム」
https://www.oia.hokudai.ac.jp/isp/
「現代日本学プログラム課程」
https://www.oia.hokudai.ac.jp/mjsp/
「包括的先進農学フロンティア育成のための国際教育プログラム」
https://www.agr.hokudai.ac.jp/spgp/
「～北海道と世界の懸け橋～ 生命科学イノベーター養成プログラム」
http://altair.sci.hokudai.ac.jp/grad/igpoverview/
「データ駆動型と仮説駆動型の複眼的視野を持つグローバル人材育成プログラム」
https://www2.sci.hokudai.ac.jp/gs/en

3) Domestic Selection (no recruitment in recent years)

Nominating privately-financed international students enrolled in a university in Japan as Japanese Government Scholarship Student by their home university is called domestic selection. Privately financed international students who are enrolled in a regular course at a Japanese graduate school or who plan to continue on to higher education, or especially excellent students who are planning to advance to the fourth year (sixth year for medicine, etc.) as regular undergraduate students. Applicants are accepted as Japanese Government Scholarship Student from April.