University of Tsukuba Scholarships 2027 for International Students
Scholarships for 2027 study at the University of Tsukuba are already accepting applications in autumn 2026, but the right route depends on your degree, nationality, residence and Japanese ability. Honjo offers up to ¥230,000 per month, Semmoto offers ¥120,000 per month to selected nationalities, and Pathways Japan provides tuition and living support for eligible students with refugee backgrounds.
Where should you start? With the scholarship you actually qualify for. This updated guide revisits all 12 foundations/scholarships in the earlier roundup, separates announced opportunities from unverified calls, and explains the paperwork that can catch applicants out.
Which 2027 scholarships have announced dates?
Six foundations from the original list have identifiable 2027 application schedules, although their status and applicant restrictions differ. All times shown below are Japan Standard Time.
| Scholarship | Funding | 2027 application timing | Your first eligibility check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honjo International Scholarship Foundation | ¥230,000/month for 1–2 years; ¥210,000 for 3 years; ¥180,000 for 4–5 years | Open: 1 September–31 October 2026 | Master’s or PhD; Japanese conversation required |
| Frances & Sachio Semmoto Foundation | ¥120,000/month for 1.5 or 2 years | Open: 5 October–7 December 2026; online essay closes at 4 p.m. | Specified nationalities, master’s entry cohort and residence in Japan |
| ITO Foundation for International Education Exchange | ¥200,000/month | Open: 1–30 October 2026 | Eligible new master’s students already residing in Japan |
| Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship, Pathways Japan | Tuition/fees up to ¥1.7 million/year plus conditional living support | Open: 28 September–14 December 2026, 11:59 p.m. | Refugee background and residence in Japan |
| INOAC, 41st period, Type A | ¥50,000/month for 1–2 years | Foundation deadline: 9 October 2026, 1 p.m.; Tsukuba paperwork request deadline already passed | Enrolled degree student; university recommendation document required |
| TAKAKU International Scholarship Foundation | ¥70,000/month | Upcoming: 1–30 November 2026 | Doctoral route; confirm conflicting nationality information before applying |
1# Honjo: a strong option for master’s and doctoral applicants across nationalities and subjects. Applicants must have started, or start, their master’s by age 30 or doctorate by age 35. The guide requires Japanese conversation and a Japanese interview. Prepare the prescribed Japanese research plan, a supervisor’s recommendation and a two-minute research video. An additional English research plan is permitted; the video may be in Japanese or English. If admission evidence is pending, the guide allows you to record its expected availability and send it later.
2# Semmoto: check your passport and entry date first. The spring 2027 call covers nationals of Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and the United States. Tsukuba is among the designated universities. Applicants must reside in Japan with Student status, have entered their master’s in October 2026 or plan to enter in April 2027, and have been born on or after 1 April 1998. The current guide allows Japanese or English interviews matching the application language, so the old blanket JLPT N2 statement should be removed.
3# ITO: suitable applicants are entering a master’s in April 2027 or entered in autumn 2026. Subjects are unrestricted, but Japanese ability is required and applicants living overseas at submission are excluded. Age 29 or below is preferred rather than an absolute ceiling; older applicants must explain their timing, with a different threshold for graduates of six-year degrees. Other scholarship support and continuing employment can make you ineligible.
4# Toshizo Watanabe: this is specifically for eligible students with refugee backgrounds living in Japan. Maximum monthly living support is ¥70,000 in undergraduate years 1–2, ¥60,000 in year 3, and ¥50,000 in year 4 and graduate study. Actual support depends on finances and other funding. English-medium undergraduate and graduate applicants need relevant English evidence plus JLPT N4 or equivalent evidence; Japanese-medium undergraduate applicants must meet the university’s Japanese requirements.
5# INOAC: direct submission still needs university paperwork. Tsukuba required requests for its part of the recommendation document by 25 September 2026 at 5 p.m. If that was not arranged, ask the Division of Student Exchange whether submission remains possible. Research students are excluded, and recipients cannot receive other scholarships, including loans, during the award period.
6# TAKAKU: verify the foreign-student category before investing time. University of Tokyo information lists a 2027 foreign-student call with Japanese ability around JLPT N1 level. Tsukuba’s separate 2027 notice instead states Japanese nationality. The announced deadline and stipend are clear, but these eligibility statements conflict. Obtain the foundation’s current foreign-student guide or clarification from Tsukuba.
What happened to the other six foundations?
The remaining entries cannot all be presented as open 2027 scholarships. Here is how to handle them in your funding search:
- 7# Nitori: A fresh 2027 application schedule was not verified. Its latest published 2026 call ran from 20 January to 20 April and offered ¥60,000–¥80,000 monthly to eligible undergraduate and master’s students. Japanese communication around JLPT N3 was the benchmark. Monitor the next guide rather than relying on the old “first half” November deadline.
- 8# RAITO-KOGYO: A 2027 Vietnamese-student call was not verified. The previous guide supported Vietnamese students progressing to science or engineering master’s study. Keep it on your watchlist; do not reuse the 2024 closing date.
- 9# Teijin Kumura: Tsukuba’s latest notice is explicitly for 2028, with a 24 September 2026 deadline. It should not be advertised as an open 2027 award.
- 10# Uehara Memorial Foundation: A matching 2027 international-student call and Tsukuba submission deadline were not verified. Ask your supervisor and student-support office about the relevant life-sciences scheme before preparing an application.
- 11# Rotary Yoneyama: The overseas-candidate route is open from 1 October to 31 October 2026 at 1 p.m. for April or autumn 2027 entry. It requires JLPT N3 or above and a university admission application before the scholarship submission. It pays ¥100,000 monthly for undergraduates and ¥140,000 for master’s/doctoral students. This is a different route from the old Tsukuba internal screening entry.
- 12# Atsumi: The 2027 initial application window closed on 20 September 2026. The award offers ¥250,000 monthly for one year to eligible doctoral completion-year applicants studying and living in the designated Kanto or Kinki regions. Applications and interviews are in Japanese. The 15–27 October additional-document window is only for successful first-stage candidates.
How should you prepare and submit your application?
Choose the foundation first, then follow its current submission rules and Tsukuba’s supporting-document requirements. “Individual application” describes the submission route; it does not mean every award is recommendation-free.
- Check your route. Start with Tsukuba’s individual-application notices. For campus nomination, consult the separate university-recommendation guidance.
- Read the guide for your exact award. Use the official pages for Honjo, Semmoto, ITO, or Pathways Japan’s 2027 call. Applicants outside Japan should separately examine Rotary’s overseas-candidate route.
- Prepare evidence early. Obtain transcripts, enrollment or admission evidence, the required recommendation, language documents and financial evidence. Add a residence-card copy or refugee-background evidence where specified. Use each foundation’s templates.
- Complete every submission component. Honjo uses an online application. Semmoto requires both postal documents received by the deadline and a web essay; completing only one is insufficient. ITO’s current page directs applicants to its 2027 application form. Submit INOAC through its current Type A portal.
- Check funding compatibility before accepting. Honjo lists specific permitted exceptions, while Pathways Japan permits combinations subject to its assessment. Tsukuba has its own nomination eligibility rules. Ask how an award affects your other funding applications.
Which deadlines should go in your calendar?
Apply during the announced 2026 windows for 2027 funding; do not wait until your studies begin. Tsukuba’s main university-recommendation application period for AY2027–28 was 22 June–10 July 2026 and required existing enrollment. New applicants should plan through the foundation routes for which they qualify.
The last date to apply for INOAC Type A is 9 October 2026 at 1 p.m., subject to having the required university paperwork. ITO closes on 30 October 2026, Honjo on 31 October 2026, and Rotary’s overseas-candidate route on 31 October 2026 at 1 p.m. TAKAKU’s announced deadline is 30 November 2026, with nationality eligibility requiring clarification.
Semmoto’s documents must arrive by 7 December 2026 and its web essay must be submitted by 4 p.m. that day. The Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship closes on 14 December 2026 at 11:59 p.m. University admission and entrance-examination deadlines remain separate. Dates and status were checked on 8 October 2026.