Tohoku University Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most scholarships connected to studying at Tohoku University (including MEXT, JASSO-type support, and Tohoku’s own fee waivers) are designed for students enrolling as degree or special research students in Japan, not for fully online degree study.

Both. Tohoku University has degree options taught in Japanese and also many degree courses taught in English (including programs taught entirely in English), so the language depends on the specific faculty/graduate school and program you choose.

In recipient stories, English-taught study was common in certain graduate tracks: Shubham Verma said, The courses are rigorous, taught in English (AIQDS). Kushagra Shekhawat also shared, Yes, my master’s program was conducted in English, so there was no need to know Japanese.

That said, some areas are strongly Japanese-medium, especially professional undergraduate tracks. For example, Tohoku’s undergraduate School of Medicine notes that all classes are conducted in Japanese and that there are no English-language courses in that undergraduate program.

It depends on the scholarship. Many university/internal or privately funded scholarships focus more on enrollment status and academic merit than age, but major government scholarships can have strict age windows.

For example, MEXT guidelines commonly include age requirements (and they can differ by category). So, if your plan relies on MEXT, check the current year’s guideline for your exact scholarship type; if your plan relies on internal/other scholarships, you’ll need to confirm each foundation’s eligibility rules individually.

Generally, scholarships are available across a wide range of subjects at Tohoku University (STEM and humanities), but some scholarships are field-specific. Broad options you’ll see often include MEXT pathways, JASSO-style scholarships, and tuition/entrance-fee waivers—these can apply across many faculties as long as you meet the program and scholarship criteria.

STEM / Engineering: Recipient examples include Shubham Verma (High-Performance Computing), Shripriya (Information Sciences), and Kushagra Shekhawat (System Information Science). Business: Scholarships and fee waivers can also apply to economics/management tracks depending on the program and funding source. Humanities: Many scholarships are not restricted to STEM, but requirements vary by scholarship.

Medicine: International students can pursue medical-related study, but eligibility depends on the level and language. Undergraduate Medicine is Japanese-taught, so admission and day-to-day study require strong Japanese. At the graduate level, Tohoku’s medical school lists some courses offered in English for students studying from abroad, which can open doors for international applicants in medical sciences/public health areas.

It varies by scholarship. Many Tohoku-linked opportunities are open to “international students” broadly, but government scholarships (like MEXT) typically require you to hold the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with Japan (and other conditions). Some private foundations may restrict eligibility to specific countries/regions or to students already in Japan.

In the recipient stories, nationalities included India (Shubham Verma, Shripriya, Kushagra Shekhawat) and Nigeria (Sarah Akinkunmi), showing that major scholarships linked to Tohoku can and do go to a wide range of countries when requirements are met.

It depends on your program’s language of instruction and the admission route. English-taught programs often ask for TOEFL/IELTS (or similar), while Japanese-taught programs may expect Japanese ability (and in some cases Japan-specific exam pathways). Always check your program’s latest admissions page for accepted tests and minimum scores.

That said, waivers are sometimes possible. Shubham Verma said, I did not need to take IELTS or TOEFL because he submitted proof of long-term English-medium education. Shripriya similarly explained that for Japan, a certificate from your university stating that the education has been conducted in English should suffice as well (though she still recommended taking TOEFL and reported a TOEFL score of 109/120).

There isn’t one single “Tohoku-wide” minimum grade because admissions standards vary by faculty/graduate school and by program (and scholarships can add their own thresholds). For scholarships, academic cutoffs are common, and then the selection becomes competitive beyond the cutoff.

From the recipient side, Shripriya noted, MEXT requires the GPAs to be above 65-70%. In practice, many MEXT/JASSO-style opportunities also emphasize your research fit and documents (proposal, supervisor match) in addition to grades.

A strong academic record helps, but for major scholarships (especially research-focused routes), your research direction, proposal quality, and fit with a lab/supervisor can matter just as much. Relevant coursework, projects, publications, internships, and clear motivation all strengthen your profile.

Examples from recipients: Shubham Verma emphasized research alignment and wrote, The research plan is the heart of your MEXT application. Kushagra Shekhawat described developing a research proposal with guidance from a professor before applying. Sarah Akinkunmi also highlighted that the scholarship looks into your past studies or work background, and her background was in mechanical engineering before robotics/AI. Shripriya noted, “I had 96.2% in high school and a GPA above 8.0 in university at the time of the application.”

Documents vary by program (undergraduate vs graduate, Japanese-taught vs English-taught) and by scholarship route (MEXT vs private vs tuition waiver). For graduate scholarship routes, it’s common to need academic records plus a research-focused set of materials.

Shubham Verma listed the documents he prepared for the university-recommended MEXT route, including: A detailed research plan, plus academic and identity materials.

• Research plan / research proposal (especially for MEXT and research-track graduate admissions)
• Statement of purpose / motivation letter
• Academic transcripts (and degree certificates, if already graduated)
• Letters of recommendation
• Proof of language ability (TOEFL/IELTS/JLPT or an English-medium instruction certificate where accepted)
• Passport/ID pages (often requested for international applicants)
• For some scholarship routes, additional items like health certificates and specific forms may be required

Yes. Tohoku University generally requires an application fee to take the entrance exam (with amounts differing by level). As a reference point, the university lists application fees such as 17,000 yen for undergraduate and 30,000 yen for graduate admissions (standard university-wide fees, with some special categories listed separately).