Youth Works Hub lists 5 Japan scholarships for 2027, four of them at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS) and one from the Akebono Scholarship, Japan Office. The calls are open to different groups: international doctoral applicants, African students, applicants applying from overseas, citizens of Asian Development Bank member countries and nationals of the 14 countries in the Akebono 18th Central and East Europe Program.
According to Youth Works Hub's review of the GSFS pages, two of the five calls are applied for at the same time as the GSFS entrance examination application, and for the JASSO, JADS and ADB-JSP calls the University of Tokyo recommends or nominates candidates to the funder. If you are still working out what a fellowship is or comparing scholarships vs Erasmus+ grants, this batch shows how differently each call is structured.
Each call has its own angle:
🇯🇵 Japan: The Todai Fellowship pays international GSFS doctoral students JPY 200,000 per month for three years.
🇯🇵 Japan: JADS gives African students two-year scholarship awards for GSFS environmental studies master's programmes.
🇯🇵 Japan: The Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (JASSO) Reservation Program is for applicants applying from overseas to a GSFS master's or doctoral course.
🇯🇵 Japan: The ADB-JSP lets citizens of ADB member countries pursue a Master's degree at GSFS in nine departments and one graduate program.
🇯🇵 Japan: The Akebono Scholarship funds young people aged 15 to 30 from 14 countries who want to study in Japan to solve a real problem at home.
The funding differs by call. The Todai Fellowship pays JPY 200,000 per month for three years, and the Akebono full scholarship pays up to JPY 200,000 per month for 2 years, with a supported scholarship of JPY 20,000 per month. JADS provides two-year scholarship awards, the ADB-JSP is funded by the Government of Japan, administered by the Asian Development Bank and covers the scholar only, and the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship is supported by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO).
📅 Deadlines: 17 Nov (3) · 10 Dec (1) · 17 Dec (1) 🌍 Countries: 🇯🇵 Japan (5)
In This Batch
- 📅 17 Nov · 🇯🇵 Japan · Doctoral Fellowship
- 📅 17 Nov · 🇯🇵 Japan · Master's Scholarship
- 📅 17 Nov · 🇯🇵 Japan · Master's and Doctoral Scholarship
- 📅 10 Dec · 🇯🇵 Japan · Master's Scholarship
- 📅 17 Dec · 🇯🇵 Japan · Scholarship
What's in this batch:
1 Doctoral Fellowship · 2 Master's Scholarships · 1 Master's and Doctoral Scholarship · 1 Scholarship · 1 Country
🎓 Scholarships
1. 🇯🇵 Scholarship in Japan 🎓 The University of Tokyo GSFS Todai Fellowship for International Doctoral Students 🔬 (JPY 200,000/month)
📅 Deadline: 17 November 2026
📍 Japan · 👥 International students entering a GSFS doctoral course · ⏳ Three years
The University of Tokyo Fellowship (Todai Fellowship) gives international students entering a doctoral course at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS) a stipend of JPY 200,000 per month for three years. You apply for it at the same time as your GSFS entrance examination application, and the current Schedule B period closes on 17 November 2026 at 23:00 Japan Standard Time.
GSFS screens the applications and its nominees undergo a final screening by the Division of Global Campus Initiatives; according to GSFS, applicants have a high probability of being awarded the fellowship once they are nominated. Applicants must hold a valid "College Student" visa as of enrollment and must not be applying for, or planning to apply for, fellowships or scholarships provided by private organisations.
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🌍 All opportunities in Japan →
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2. 🇯🇵 Scholarships in Japan 🌍 African Development Bank Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) for Environmental Studies Master's at the University of Tokyo 🌱
📅 Deadline: 17 November 2026
📍 Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan · 👥 African students, master's level · ⏳ Two-year scholarship awards
The African Development Bank - Japan Africa Dream Scholarship Program (JADS) gives African students two-year scholarship awards for master's study at designated institutions, and the University of Tokyo's GSFS is one of them. Currently only the six departments of the Division of Environmental Studies and the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science are appointed by the African Development Bank, and all GPSS classes are conducted in English.
You first contact a GSFS faculty member who can supervise your planned research and pass the entrance examination; GSFS then recommends successful candidates who meet the JADS qualifications to JADS. The Schedule B application period closes on 17 November 2026 at 23:00 Japan Standard Time, and for some departments it may be necessary to travel to Japan to take the examination.
3. 🇯🇵 Scholarships in Japan 🎓 Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (JASSO) Reservation Program for International Master's and Doctoral Applicants at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences 📚
📅 Deadline: 17 November 2026
📍 Japan · 👥 Applicants applying from overseas to a GSFS master's or doctoral course
The Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship, supported by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), is offered by the University of Tokyo GSFS through a Reservation Program for the October 2027 intake to applicants applying from overseas to a master's or doctoral course. You submit the scholarship documents at the same time as your entrance examination application, and the Schedule B period closes on 17 November 2026 at 23:00 Japan Standard Time.
Recipients must hold a status of eligibility "college student" (ryuugaku) by the time they enroll, and those who are required to come to Japan to take the entrance examinations are not eligible. The result is notified to all successful candidates of the entrance examination, which should be after enrollment, and they are then officially nominated to JASSO by the University of Tokyo.
4. 🇯🇵 Scholarship in Japan 🎓 The University of Tokyo GSFS Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) for Master's Students 🌏
📅 Deadline: 10 December 2026
📍 Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan · 👥 Citizens of ADB member countries, Master's applicants, up to 35 · 💶 Schedule B entrance examination fee (Department of Integrated Biosciences route)
The Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP), funded by the Government of Japan and administered by the Asian Development Bank, lets citizens of ADB member countries pursue a Master's degree at the University of Tokyo GSFS, with enrollment in the Autumn Semester of 2027. GSFS accepts ADB-JSP scholars in nine departments and one graduate program, and applications go through the University, which carries out a preliminary screening and nominates scholarship candidates.
GSFS is not allowed to recommend candidates over 35, doctoral applicants cannot use this route, and the scholarship covers the scholar only. Most departments use the 10 December 2026 deadline; the Department of Integrated Biosciences uses Entrance Examination Schedule B in November, whose entrance examination fee is not waived, although those who enroll as ADB-JSP scholars may apply to the ADB-JSP for reimbursement of an equivalent amount.
5. 🇯🇵 Scholarship in Japan 🧭 Akebono Scholarship 18th Central and East Europe Program to Study in Japan and Solve a Real Problem at Home 🎓 (Up to JPY 200,000/month)
📅 Deadline: 17 December 2026
📍 Japan · 👥 Nationals of 14 eligible countries, 15 to 30 as of 1 May 2027 · ⏳ 2 years
The Akebono Scholarship 18th Central and East Europe Program funds young people aged 15 to 30 from 14 eligible countries who want to study in Japan in order to solve a real problem in their home country. It offers a full scholarship of up to JPY 200,000 per month (a maximum of 2 recipients, not combinable with other scholarships) or a supported scholarship of JPY 20,000 per month (a maximum of 10 recipients, combinable), both for 2 years and both requiring a detailed expense report.
According to the foundation, it is not a scholarship to come to Japan: many applications are rejected for reasons such as wanting to learn Japanese or loving Japanese culture, and you need sufficient Japanese language ability to live comfortably in Japan before arriving. Selection runs in three stages (document screening in English, a video and an online interview), and the application deadline is 8:00 AM Japan Standard Time on 17 December 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Japan scholarship in this batch involves an entrance examination fee?
The ADB-JSP route through the Department of Integrated Biosciences at the University of Tokyo GSFS involves a fee: the Schedule B entrance examination fee is not waived, so applicants must pay it themselves and sit the examination. Those who enroll as ADB-JSP scholars may apply to the ADB-JSP for reimbursement of an amount equivalent to the fee they paid, and among the expenses of taking Schedule B, only the entrance examination fee is eligible for reimbursement after enrollment. GSFS also asks ADB-JSP applicants to make sufficient financial preparations before deciding to take the entrance examination, because the Certificate of Eligibility application requires documents showing sufficient financial resources. It helps to know the hidden costs that funded programmes can carry before you commit.
Who can apply for these Japan scholarships in 2027?
Each of the five Japan scholarships has a different audience, from applicants in 195 eligible countries to nationals of 14 specific countries. The Todai Fellowship is for international students applying to a GSFS doctoral course, and the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship is for applicants applying from overseas to a GSFS master's or doctoral course; both list 195 eligible countries. JADS is for African students, with 54 eligible countries, and the ADB-JSP is for citizens of ADB member countries, with 40 eligible countries listed, and is limited to Master's applicants, with GSFS not allowed to recommend candidates over 35. The Akebono Scholarship is open to nationals of 14 countries aged 15 to 30 as of 1 May 2027. For calls that judge your written plan, such as the Akebono document screening, a guide to writing a scholarship motivation letter can help you structure your answers.
Which Japan scholarship deadline comes first?
Three Japan scholarships close first, on 17 November 2026: the Todai Fellowship, JADS and the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship, all in the GSFS Schedule B application period ending at 23:00 Japan Standard Time. The ADB-JSP at GSFS follows on 10 December 2026 for departments other than the Department of Integrated Biosciences and for the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science, while the Department of Integrated Biosciences uses Entrance Examination Schedule B, whose application period is in November. The Akebono Scholarship closes last, at 8:00 AM Japan Standard Time on 17 December 2026, so check what that means in your own time zone before submitting. You can also read how we verify opportunities to see how each listing is checked.
Four of these calls run through the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences and cover doctoral and Master's study, while the Akebono Scholarship asks applicants to show what problem they are committed to solving at home and why Japan is the right place to learn. Studying in another country is a big step, so it is worth reading about culture shock and homesickness before you go.
Youth Works Hub keeps listing scholarships and fellowships for students and young people, and if you are deciding between paths, our guide to fellowship vs internship explains the difference. Choose the call that fits your level and background, prepare your documents early and apply through each listing.
