What Honjo International Scholarship Foundation – Graduate Scholarship in Japan actually covers.
The Honjo International Scholarship Foundation offers one of the most generous private graduate scholarships available to international students pursuing master's or doctoral degrees in Japan. Founded by the late Tetsuma Honjo with a vision of fostering cross-cultural understanding and academic excellence, the foundation supports talented young researchers from any country in the world — including all nations across Africa — who demonstrate exceptional academic potential and a desire to serve their home communities after completing advanced studies in Japan.
Recipients of the Honjo scholarship receive a monthly stipend that varies by programme length: ¥230,000 per month for one to two-year programmes, ¥210,000 per month for three-year programmes, and ¥180,000 per month for programmes of four years or longer. These amounts are among the highest in the private scholarship sector in Japan, reflecting the foundation's deep commitment to enabling scholars to focus fully on research without financial burden. The scholarship also provides a settling-in allowance upon arrival and covers mandatory national health insurance contributions.
Applications are open to foreign students who are already enrolled in, or have received an offer of admission to, a Japanese graduate school. Applicants do not need to currently reside in Japan — international applications from Africa and other regions are accepted, provided the applicant holds a confirmed admission letter from a recognised Japanese university. The foundation values academic excellence across all disciplines, from natural sciences and engineering to social sciences, humanities, and arts.
The selection process includes a rigorous document review followed by an interview examination held in Japan or via videoconference. Successful candidates are expected to return to their home countries after completing their studies, contributing to local development through the knowledge and networks gained during their time in Japan.
Who can apply.
Open to masters, phd applicants seeking to study in Japan. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
From here to submitted.
Scholar Africa helps you discover, shortlist, and track. The application itself is submitted on the provider's site.
-
Save itAdd this to your shortlist so we can recommend similar scholarships and remind you of the deadline.
-
Prepare your documentsMost providers ask for the same set — transcripts, references, a personal statement, ID. Use the checklist below to track progress across all your applications.
-
Apply on the provider's siteSubmit on the provider's site before November 1, 2026 · 112 days left.
-
Track the outcomeAdd to your tracker so you can update the status as the provider responds (shortlisted, interview, decision).
Document checklist
Checks are local to this device — they're not stored. Always confirm exact requirements on the provider's official application page.
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live and an admin manually reviews every scholarship submitted by providers. Honjo International Scholarship Foundation – Graduate Scholarship in Japan has been reviewed and verified by our team. Five deeper checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, formal audit) are on the roadmap.
Report an issue
Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.