Scholarships for Japan
Experience an Amazing Culture
If you are exploring your scholarship options for studying in Japan, you’re in luck: there are literally dozens, maybe even hundreds. Scholarships are available through all types of resources, government, collegiate, and private.
Japan continues to intrigue and mystify the Western world thanks to its contrasts in culture, religion, language and even landscape. It rivals the United States as a world power and certainly continues to be a bugaboo when it comes to technological savvy and educational aptitude.
Students engaged in studies in Japan are involved in all types of studies, from language and culture to business and industry, technology, religion and the arts.
Government Scholarships
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships offer huge numbers of opportunities for undergraduate and underprivileged students who would like to study in Japan or another overseas location. In fact, there has never been a scholarship program quite like this or one with quite the same marketability. Over 700 Gilman Scholars are awarded up to $7,000 each year. Even though that sounds like a lot, the scholarships are ultra-competitive. Applicants must be Pell Grant recipients to be considered, as well as possess solid academic records.
The David L. Boren Scholarships from the National Security Education Program are also extremely visible and competitive. Applicants may be undergraduate or graduate students and interested in advanced language and culture studies or a discipline such as business, law, the sciences or agriculture. Preference is given to those with stellar academic records and who are interested in a career in national security. Scholarships are awarded for a year of study abroad in a challenging program. Recipients must be willing to pay back their scholarships with a term of service with the federal government. Awards are up to $25,000.
Private Funding
The Association of Teachers of Japanese Bridging Project is one of the most competitive scholarships among undergraduate students wishing to study for a semester or year in Japan. Don’t let the name mislead you: there is no requirement to be a teaching student or a Japanese language student. All students are encouraged to apply. Applications are reviewed for conciseness, academic record, required essay and faculty recommendation. Awards are $2,500 and $4,000 for those traveling for a semester and year, respectively.
Scholarships for graduate level students or above, including professionals, are available from Consulate General in Japan of New York. Eligible applicants may be awarded monetary assistance to study a field of their choice at a Japanese university. The government suggests fields of study particularly those that are specialties of the Japanese. Scholarships cover travel and tuition and depending on the current conversion rate, about $1,500 each month stipend. Programs may last one or two years.
The Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) is an elite program sponsored by over a dozen U.S. colleges and universities, many of them among the Ivy League set. The KCJS program provides academically talented students with a once in a lifetime opportunity to engage in customized studies in Japan in collaboration with Japanese peers. Eligible applicants must be majoring in Japanese or cultural studies. The KCJS and Japan Foundation Scholarships are meted out each year to those participants whose studies may be at risk without the additional funding. Awards are up to $3,500 for year of study, less for a semester.
About $1,500 per award is given to hundreds of students around the globe annually thanks to the generosity of the Mitsubishi Trust Yamamuro Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Because a notable Japanese bank funds this award, the intent is to help provide assistance to those students whose career goals are in the field of international finance, banking or business.
The Freeman Awards for Study in Asia is one of the most competitive. Applicants must be undergraduates and interested in studying in Japan or another Asian country. The awards are provided to offer Western students more opportunity to experience the cultures of Asia. Many undergraduate students have no auxiliary funding for such costly programs and might otherwise miss out. Applicants are accepted for summer, semester and yearlong study programs. Up to $7,000 is available for a year of study.
The Henry Luce Foundation funds the Luce Scholars, an elite program recognized by over 65 notable U.S. colleges and universities. Candidates for the Luce Scholars program must be recommended by faculty at participating colleges and must be studying in a graduate program. Those accepted into the program may not be pursuing Asian Studies, but are culled from those who have almost no knowledge of Japan or Asia at all. The purpose of the Luce program is to prove that students in all manner of disciplines may be afforded valuable experiences in Japan or another Asian country. Program length is a year.
The Asian Cultural Council is instrumental in supporting artists of all kinds in fellowship positions throughout Asia. The Japan-United States Arts Program provides generous funding both ways: for Japanese artists who want to work for period of time in the U.S. and American artists pursuing a stint of time in Japan. Funding varies.
