r/studyinjapan

Anybody applied for their visa very recently after getting their CoE. How much time did it take to get it?

So, I had been researching MEXT for a while and currently I’m studying in the 11th grade and was looking to apply for MEXT
And then I heard that it requires 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-grade marksheets and certificates if I'm applying because, you know, the India board exam results are released very late. I had gotten 79.6% in boards and I'm on a good run in 11th but back in 9th due to personal mental health issues I was only able to score 66.17% while the marks were reduced drastically by the school for the reason that “students do not get overconfident in boards” this puts me in a very helpless situation I was wondering if i’m able to do MEXT if I can a score 90% in 11th or any other criteria? Also can anyone recommend of any other ways to go study in Japan
I'm from INDIA

TLDR: Will I really be stopped if I try to casually attend lectures in a Japanese public uni without being enrolled? What damage would I be causing?

Hi. I'm an Italian history student researching the Azuchi-Momoyama period, I am currently working on a thesis regarding a figure from this time and thanks to a Working Holiday Visa I got the chance to move to Japan, where I plan to also work on my thesis. With that said, I was considering the idea of using some of my free time to attend some university lessons here in Kyoto regarding Japanese history and more precisely the time I study, since I expect them to be more in depth than what I did in Italy (we don't study Japanese history in school so the university course starts from zero). But from what I could look up online even public universities technically don't allow people who hasn't enrolled in to follow their lessons by just walking in and attending them. Is it really that strict? If I show up just for the sake of knowledge and don't bother anyone, are they gonna check me for an ID and kick me out?

I want to understand how it works because in Italy you can absolutely do this with public universities like Sapienza. In fact I went there to follow multiple courses by myself because the university I'm enrolled with didn't had them and I wanted to learn those things. Even if some people and even the professors knew I wasn't enrolled in Sapienza, there was no problem at all and I could follow the whole course, of course without attending any test in the end. You can see a lot of old people doing it too.

So has anyone tried this or do you know people who did? Is it fine, is it heavily frowned upon, is it outright impossible or would otherwise get me in trouble? Of course I have common sense and I wouldn't disrupt any regular university student's day, considering unlike them I wouldn't be paying for it. For instance if I'd see that the class is full I wouldn't take a seat that could go to an enrolled student.
Even if from my understanding it's technically not allowed, and I'm not really supposed to be there, will anyone really care?

日本の文系大学院に出願する場合（表象文化・哲学分野）、TOEFLは何点くらいあるといいでしょうか。旧TOEFLは77点でした。今は、もっと高い点数を取れるように頑張っています。

Hello,
I’m a university student from Europe and I’m planning to do a semester abroad in Japan, which is something I’ve really wanted to do for a long time. 🇯🇵
My university has partnerships with these 9 Japanese universities:
Chuo University — Tokyo
Toyo University — Tokyo
Musashi University — Tokyo
Ryukoku University — Kyoto
Kindai University — Osaka
Kanagawa University — Yokohama
Otemon Gakuin University — Osaka
Osaka Gakuin University — Osaka
Reitaku University — Kashiwa

I’m allowed to submit 5 preferences, so I’m trying to figure out which ones I should put at the top.
At the moment, I’m mainly looking for a good overall exchange experience rather than choosing purely based on academic ranking.

I’d love to:experience Japanese culture and everyday life and, meet both Japanese and international students travel around Japan during my semester take some interesting courses, preferably with a reasonable amount of English have a good social/student life learn some Japanese
ideally live somewhere with plenty to do outside university

I’m currently leaning towards Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, but I’m not sure which university would actually give me the best experience.
If you had to choose 5 from these 9, what would your ranking be?

And if you have personal experience with any of these universities, I’d love to hear about it!

Hi! I’m planning to apply to Waseda University and Kyushu University for the 2027–2028 academic year, probably for Computer Science or another engineering-related program.

I’m coming from the French/European high school system, and I’ve already taken the new TOEFL iBT and scored 90. Academically, I have pretty strong grades overall, and I’m currently around the top 1–3 students in my class.

I’m mainly wondering about the new TOEFL scoring system. Has anyone been accepted to Waseda or Kyushu University with a 90 on the new TOEFL? I’m trying to figure out whether 90 is already a good enough score, or whether I should retake it and aim for 100+ to maximize my chances.

Personally, I don’t think I’ll take the SAT, since, as far as I understand, the Baccalauréat (French high school diploma) already serves as the main academic qualification for students coming from the French system.

If anyone has any experience with Waseda or Kyushu, especially with the new TOEFL, I’d really appreciate hearing about it. Thanks! 😊

I'm interested in the cs undergraduate program ( english taught) offered by kyushu(iup) and aizu(ICT program)university.

Going to apply for 2027 intake

But I'm not quite confident about my profile

12th grade marks :

Phy 74

Maths 71

Chem 89

English 91

Computer science 91

I'm appearing for eju nov session aiming 150+ in maths 2 and 80+ in physics

Also appearing for ielts aiming for 7.0+

I have no extracurriculars though I have some basic coding skills ( it's not helpful at all though unless i build some projects or something related to that 😭😭)

Do I have a chance to get in any one of them ?

Also will appreciate any advice to improve my profile 🙏

Hi everyone,

I'm Sahid 18 years old and from India,West Bengal. I'm currently in Class 11, studying Science (PCM + Computer Science). I recently transferred from a state board to CBSE.

I'm interested in studying Computer Science / AI & ML, and I'm also interested in quantitative finance and computing as a possible future career.

I'd like to study in Japan for my bachelor's degree, but my family's financial situation isn't strong enough for us to comfortably afford studying abroad.

So I'm trying to understand what realistic options I have.

• Are there fully funded or major scholarships available for international students from India?
• What should I be doing during Class 11 and 12 to make myself a competitive applicant?
• Is it realistic to do a bachelor's in Japan with very limited family financial support?
• Are there specific universities, scholarships, or admission routes I should research?

I'd really appreciate advice from Indian students who have studied or are currently studying in Japan, or anyone familiar with the Japanese university admission and scholarship process.

Thanks!

Hello everyone, I just finished my high school this year. I'm qualified to apply both mext undergraduate and kosen(COT) through embassy recommendation. But now I'm more interested in COT program. So, if there is someone who has got MEXT scholarship with COT program or who had experiences of this scholarship, I'd like to ask these following questions.

1. Japanese level - this is my biggest problem because I'm still learning very basic level, N5. I'm afraid of that I'll get into trouble in interview. So, my question is when you applied this scholarship, what was your Japanese level at that time?

2. Documents - Did you submit your certificates ( eg. volunteering, JLPT, etc.) and in your opinion, what are needed to submit to strengthen your application although it isn't said mandatory?

3. Maths and Physics- How did you prepare your written exams, especially for physics? I want to know about your challenges and setbacks while preparing these exams and how you got through.

4. Duration- how long did you prepare to get scholarship?

5. Scholarship extension - As far as I know, kosen students have to study for 4 years to get associated degree. So, if I want to join national universities after getting associated degree, can I extend the scholarship? What are necessary?

6. Life as a kosen student - when you become kosen student for the first time, what are your biggest challenges in studying? What should we prepare in advance?

Extra questions- What are the good things of being a kosen student and what are the weaknesses of being a kosen student?

Can you give any precious advice for all the applicants who are aiming to apply next year?

Thanks in advance

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I’ve done quite a bit of research, but I’m still confused about when and where I should start taking Japanese language classes.

I’m also trying to understand how the JLPT works. How many times is the JLPT held each year, and can I take the NAT-TEST instead of JLPT if I’m planning to study in Japan?

If anyone has experience with language schools, JLPT/NAT-TEST, or the process of going from Bangladesh to Japan for studies, I’d really appreciate some advice. 🙏

I’m planning to study at a Japanese language school before applying to a national university in Tokyo, ideally the **Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology)** or the **University of Tokyo** for Computer Science/IT.
Right now I’m deciding between:
Nagoya YMCA
A language school in Saitama (near Tokyo)
My priorities are:
Strong EJU and JLPT preparation
Good university application support
Affordable living costs
Easy access to Tokyo for open campuses, entrance exams, and interviews
Part-time job opportunities
Would you recommend studying in Nagoya or Saitama? Has anyone attended Nagoya YMCA or a language school in Saitama and then successfully entered a national university in Tokyo?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!

Hello, so my 13 year old is extremely motivated to get money so he can get into an exchange program so he can go to school in Japan.

However, in our location, the amount of jobs a 13-14 year old can get are limited.Also, The fee is quite high so I ask if anyone responds that they give decently paying jobs.

Thanks.

I’m planning to study at a Japanese language school before applying to a national university in Tokyo, ideally the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology) or the University of Tokyo for Computer Science/IT.
Right now I’m deciding between:
Nagoya YMCA
A language school in Saitama (near Tokyo)
My priorities are:
Strong EJU and JLPT preparation
Good university application support
Affordable living costs
Easy access to Tokyo for open campuses, entrance exams, and interviews
Part-time job opportunities
Would you recommend studying in Nagoya or Saitama? Has anyone attended Nagoya YMCA or a language school in Saitama and then successfully entered a national university in Tokyo?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!