Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship

Supports students at risk

This scholarship is one of the few programs in Japan that provides scholarships (tuition and other fees and subsidies for living expenses) for young refugees to pursue higher education at universities and graduate schools. It provides a pathway to the future for many young people from Syria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other countries who have been forced to flee to Japan due to recent conflicts and persecution, or who find it difficult to return home.

Overview

Pathways Japan

Tokyo, Kantō region, Japan

Full-time

Japanese

Detailed Information

Admission

If you have any questions, contact us here. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwRvcx-mwWXbcYiGoGNg6CmKG-VMzfZ54azdMFhWKgHXPrMw/viewform)

Qualifications

A person who meets all of the following criteria A person with a refugee background living in Japan who falls into one of the following categories: * Persons who have been recognized as refugees or granted international protection by a foreign government or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) outside of Japan. * Those accepted into Japan through the Complementary Pathways Program. * Those who are unable to return to their home country due to conflict or political upheaval. Completion of 12 years of formal education in a foreign country or Japan, or expected to complete such education by March of the year of admission, or those who are recognized by the scholarship selection committee as having equivalent or better qualifications. Those who have difficulty in attending higher education in Japan due to economic or other reasons. (*1) Applicants must have the basic Japanese language and other language skills necessary for employment after graduation from higher education. * Undergraduate applicants whose academic language medium is in Japanese: EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) or JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) required subject * Undergraduate applicants whose academic language medium is in English: Tests proving the required English proficiency and JLPT N5-4 level or higher, or equivalent. * Graduate applicants: Exam score to prove the required English proficiency and JLPT N5-4 level or higher, or equivalent. Those who have been accepted to a university or graduate school in Japan, whether before or after being selected as a scholarship recipient for this scholarship. (*1)Those who are eligible for government support such as New Student Support Program for Higher Education（修学支援新制度）etc. are not eligible for this scholarship.

Procedure

Current 2026 recruitment details: application window 27 October 2025 - 5 January 2026, information sessions in October/November 2025, in-person or online interviews in Tokyo.

Academic Transfer

Accepts transfer credit.