Grad School in Japan

The Instant Ramen website has an outstanding post on how to apply for the MEXT Scholarship for graduate school in Japan. Hao shares some great tips to help you pursue an advanced degree in the Land of the Rising Sun. For you Tweeters, follow HaoDesu and feel free to pass on additional information on scholarships in Japan!

For those who don’t know, outside of Japan, this scholarship is known as the 文部科学省 (Monbukagakushou) MEXT: Scholarship, and is available in many countries for undergraduate students. In my case, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering. Requirements are being under 35 years (check), speaking good English and/or Japanese (check), said undergraduate degree (check), and a few more (not available for some careers, but the normal stuff is okay). Click here for more.

What’s up with Japan’s education gap?

Did you know?: “High school is not compulsory in Japan, and even public high schools require tuition fees. In Tokyo, students have to pay a little more than ¥10,000 a month to attend public high schools.” 

Phillip Brasor in a Japan Times piece reports that “media silence on first lady’s school visit shows Japan’s education gap.” He says, “In essence, there is no such thing as a “scholarship” in Japan.” Surprising? Well check out the rest of his article here! 

Additionally, you can read Ms. Aya Abe’s report (in English), “Empirical Analysis of Relative Deprivation and Poverty in Japan” published by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, March, 2006 via this link. and a report on “Indicators of Social Quality in Japan” here.