Field of Study and Research Program Plan: 2019-2020 MEXT Scholarship - Updated

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MASTER THE MEXT

SCHOLARSHIP
The Field of Study and Research Program Plan is the

most important part of your MEXT Scholarship
Application
2020 EMBASSY
RECOMMENDED MEXT
SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE
The format of the Field of
Get everything you
Study and Research need to know about
Program Plan changed the MEXT scholarship
dramatically in April 2019 application process,
with the Embassy eligibility, and
strategies to improve
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your chances in one
Scholarship Application convenient book: How
process. If you are looking to Apply for the MEXT
for information on the old Need help with your Field Scholarship is now
form (valid through the 2019 available in paperback
of Study and Research
and ebook!
University Recommended Program Plan? How to
MEXT Scholarship Write a Scholarship-
Application process), you Winning Field of Study
can !nd it here. and Research Program
Plan will walk you through RECENT POSTS
WHY THE FIELD OF choosing a !eld,
developing a research How to Fill In the 2020
STUDY AND Embassy
question, and completing
RESEARCH the !nal report to give you Recommendation
PROGRAM PLAN the best chance of MEXT Scholarship
success! Application Form
MATTERS How to Apply for the

2020 University
The Field of Study and Research Program Plan is the Recommended MEXT
single-most important part of your MEXT Scholarship Scholarship
application at the graduate level. Whether you’re applying
Placement
for a research student status, Master’s Degree, or PhD, this
Preference Form –
is the single most important element that you have any
Embassy
control over. So, it’s understandable that most applicants
Recommended MEXT
get more anxious about this form and what it should
Scholarship
include than anything else in the application process.
Application
Embassy
DOWNLOADING THE FORM
Recommended MEXT
First things !rst: If you don’t have the original form yet, the Scholarship 2020:
links below are direct to the !les on MEXT’s website, so you How to Get a Letter of
can download it without having to puzzle through their Provisional
Japanese website: Acceptance
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2020 Embassy
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MEXT Scholarship
PURPOSE OF THE FIELD OF STUDY

AND RESEARCH PROGRAM PLAN
CATEGORIES
In Japan, the Field of Study and Research Program Plan (
kenkyukeikakusho) is part of any graduate school Building a House in
application. It is not unique to the MEXT scholarship. There Japan (1)
is a set format and elements that Japanese universities are Community (6)
looking for. Cooking (6)
As a foreigner, you wouldn’t necessarily be expected to Danger (1)

know all of the elements of the Field of Study and Research Driving in Japan (7)
Program Plan, but if you do hit them (and I’m going to show
Education in Japan
you how, below), you’re going to stand out in a good way.
(32)
This article comes from over eight months of research into
Japanese professors’ websites, university websites, and English (41)
talking with faculty members at the university where I work. Holidays (5)
It is the same model you will !nd in my book, How to Write a Housing in Japan (1)
Scholarship-Winning Field of Study and Research Program
International Family
Plan, although the book obviously goes into more detail
and also helps you develop your research question and (4)
subject. Japan Government
Paperwork (3)
You can !nd my sources at the bottom of the article, but
they’re all in Japanese. Japanese Immigration
(4)
Disclaimer: This is all only my own research and Japanese Scam (2)
conclusions. It has not been formally vetted by any MEXT
Life (24)
o"cials, Embassy sta#, or grad school admissions
committees. I did have an applicant in 2018 tell me that his Life in Japan (5)
local consulate had recommended a previous edition of MEXT (38)
this article to him, though!
MEXT FAQ (7)
O"cial Forms (9)
FIELD OF STUDY AND RESEARCH
Purchases (2)
PROGRAM PLAN: FORMATTING Safety in Japan (1)
NOTES Scholarships in Japan

(38)
As of the
TranSenz Guide (16)
2020
application, Translation (13)
the format Travel in Japan (1)
for the
(10)
Embassy-
(1)
recommended MEXT Scholarship application has changed

dramatically. This article covers that new format. I do not
know yet if the format will also change for the University-
recommended MEXT Scholarship application for 2020, but
you can !nd information about the old format in the
previous version of this article.
Length: You are limited to no more than 2 pages for the

entire form! This is the most signi!cant change from past
versions and means you are going to have to be concise
and focused.
Font Size: The default font size in the Field of Study and
Research Program Plan that you download from the MEXT
website is 10 pt Times New Roman, which is small, but
given your space limitations, I recommend keeping it at that
size. If you have extra space to play with, you can increase it
to TNR 12 pt.
Do not bother changing the font size of the instructions –

up or down.
Titles and Formatting: As you will see below, I recommend

adding a few subtitles within sections to make the text
easier to read. I suggest making each of the titles bold and
setting them apart on a line of their own. Leave one blank
line above each title, if you can manage it. You can also
center then.
While you may be tempted to forgo titles and blank lines

because of the length limitations, I would suggest keeping
them in. White space and organization make your Field of
Study and Research Program Plan easier to read. Nobody
likes a big old wall of text.
Tables, Graphs, and Diagrams: If they add to the document

and are necessary to answer the questions below, you can
include them, but I have almost never seen a case where
they added any value. The one exception to this is adding
your research timeline as a table, with individual steps
listed, which I recommend including as an attachment
(more below).
Attachments: I recommend two attachments: The research

timeline above and a list of references. I’ll get into each
section in more detail below. If your particular academic
!eld demands large diagrams or other references that you
want to include as attachments, that could be possible, but
consider seriously whether they are necessary or not.
COMPLETING THE FIELD OF STUDY

AND RESEARCH PROGRAM PLAN
1. PAST AND PRESENT FIELD OF STUDY

Your past and present !eld of study refers to your academic
majors in any past university degrees, not professional
working experience. You can only refer to a !eld of study
from work experience if you worked as a professional
researcher and are using that experience to meet the
eligibility criteria for your degree program.
Here is what the section should cover.
RESEARCH BACKGROUND
Recommended Heading: None. Since you only have one
sub-section in this question, there is no need to add titles.
Recommended Length: 2-3 sentences
Recommended Content: Describe what you have
researched in the past that led to your interest in the topic
you will pursue in Japan. Since MEXT requires that you
study a topic that you majored in in the past, this is your
opportunity to show the connection.
Make sure that you describe your interest in terms of what

it will contribute to the !eld. This is not a personal
statement. “I am interested in micro!nance because my
family was poor” is not a good explanation. “Based on my
past research into micro!nance in developing countries, I
became interested in a systematic examination of the
impact of micro!nance-supported entrepreneurial ventures
in former agricultural areas of developed countries has
impacted population movements and rural revitalization is
necessary to apply e#ective practices both in Japan and
abroad” is better.
To strengthen the statement above, you could add a

closing statement about why your research could bene!t
Japan and your home country and why Japan is the best
place to pursue it.
Do not add extra lines to this section beyond what is given

in the form. The most important part of your Field of Study
and Research Program Plan is still to come in the next
section, so you want to save your space for that.
2-1. RESEARCH THEME IN JAPAN

In this section, you will cover the title of your intended
research (or at least a narrow description of the !eld), as
well as your research theme sentence.
RESEARCH TITLE
Recommended Heading: None. Simply center the text at
the top of this section and make if bold.
Recommended Length: Title and Subtitle, like it would be
on a completed thesis.
Recommended Content: This is your sales copy. It needs to
grab attention so your reviewers read further.
The main title is your overall theme and the subtitle is how
exactly you plan to study it. For example:
* The Contribution of ‘Outsider’ Expertise to Rural

Revitalization Projects: An Exploration of the Yuzu
Industry in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture
(JAIST)
You are not locked into using this title. Like almost
everything else in your Field of Study and Research
Program Plan, it will probably change once you begin your
research under your advisor. But it’s still important to have a
solid idea at this stage.
RESEARCH THEME
Recommended Heading: None. Leave one blank line under
the title.
Recommended Length: One-two sentences
Recommended Content: This should take a format like “I
intend to research [RESEARCH QUESTION] by examining
[SPECIFIC EXAMPLE] from [APPROACH] perspective in
order to [OUTCOME].” It does not need to be exact, but it
does need to cover those elements.
It is important to include the intended outcome of your

research. Research itself is not the goal – you should have
something you intend to accomplish through it. Returning
to JAIST’s example from the previous section:
* This study will elucidate how specialist knowledge

held by outsiders to rural revitalization projects can
contribute to those projects, by examining the example
of Yuzu farmers in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture’s
contributions to local e!orts by way of surveys and
interviews, in order to advance the e!ectiveness of
rural revitalization projects across Japan.
(JAIST)
Yes, the original Japanese is also a horrible run-on

sentence.
Unlike the title, you should format this section in paragraph

format, left or full justi!cation (not centered) and not bold.
This article is only about how to format your form for

submission and assumes that you have already developed
your research question, example, and methods fully. If you
have not done that yet, I recommend my book, How to Write
a Scholarship-Winning Field of Study and Research Program
Plan, which goes into detail on the process of choosing
your !eld of study, developing and re!ning your questions,
and also discusses formatting in much more detail.
2-2. RESEARCH PLAN

In this section, you will go into more detail on the academic
background of your research and how it !ts into the !eld, as
well as exactly how you plan to pursue it. This is the core of
your plan and should take up the most space – all of the
space that you are given on the !rst page as well as an
entire second sheet of paper, or close to it.
Here are the subsections to include. Unlike previous

questions, I recommend that you do include the titles for
each sub-section. This section is long and having titles on
their own lines, preferably centered, will break it up and

make it easier for your reviewers to read.
RESEARCH GOALS
Recommended Heading: Research Goals
Recommended Length: One to two paragraphs
Recommended Content: This is where you describe the
academic value of your research and is perhaps the most
important section of the entire form.
Your !rst paragraph should cover the research question

you intend to answer and how – an expansion of your
detailed research theme. The second paragraph should
outline the possible academic and practical bene!ts of your
research.
Remember that not everyone is an expert in your !eld, so

try to keep the jargon to a minimum. You want your
research to have value outside of your narrow !eld, so you
have to be able to describe that to non-exerts. At the very
least, I recommend opening each paragraph with a strong
topic sentence that is jargon-free and understandable to
any reader. You can then go into technical detail in the body
of the paragraphs.
When discussing the bene!ts, it would be bene!cial to

mention speci!cally how they apply to Japan, your home
country, and/or bringing the two closer together.
EXISTING RESEARCH
Recommended Heading: Existing Research
Recommended Length: Two-four sentences
Recommended Content: In this section, you want to give a
very brief introduction to the state of your !eld to show how
your research !ts into and contributes to it.
Your !rst sentence should describe the state of the !eld,

particularly the most relevant studies to your own research.
For example, if your !eld is still developing, you would state
where current research stands and how you will add to it. If
your research is targeting a gap in your !eld, then you

would describe the state around that gap.
Your second sentence should explain how your research

will extend knowledge in the !eld (e.g. by using a new
method or approach, examining a di#erent data set,
contribute to resolving a con$ict or gap, etc.)
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Recommended Heading: Research Methodology
Recommended Length: 1-2 paragraphs
Recommended Content: Describe your research
methodology (quantitative, qualitative, hybrid), speci!c
methods, and why you chose them. In the second, optional
paragraph, describe the limitations of your research and
how you will account for them.
At the end of the Existing Research section, you explained

why your research would add to the !eld. In this section,
you will explain how. You should describe why the methods
you chose are the most appropriate to accomplish the
research goals you set and contribute to the !eld.
OPTIONAL: HYPOTHESIS
Recommended Heading: Hypothesis
Recommended Length: 2-3 sentences
Recommended Content: Present the hypothesis that you
intend to test through your research.
This section will not be possible for all applicants, but if it is

applicable, I recommend including it.
A hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research

question that you will test. It is not a certain, !nal answer
and in most cases, should not be correct. Professor Tajima
from Keio University wrote in a blog article that if your
hypothesis turns out to be accurate, then your research
could be considered a 99% failure. (Keio) After all, if you
already know the answer before you have even started your
graduate program, then there really wasn’t any point in your
research.
SPECIFIC RESEARCH PLAN

Recommended Heading: Research Plan
Recommended Length: One full and one partial paragraph
Recommended Content: Description of the research steps
that you intend to pursue, from literature review through
publication and dissemination of your research, with
references to your research timeline that you will include as
attachment.
In the past, I recommended including your full research

timeline in this section, but that was before MEXT limited
the overall form length to two pages. Now, I recommend
moving the timeline to an attachment, but you should still
include a brief description here with references to more
details in the timeline.
The !rst, full paragraph should describe your research

steps in order, as well as the intended timeline for
completion. For example, you could say that in your !rst
semester, you intend to complete your literature review,
experiment design, and experiment approval. Then you
would go on to describe your !eld research plans and
analysis of data. Conclude the paragraph with your goals
for how you will disseminate your research, such as
publication, conference presentations, and sharing through
informal networks, blogging, etc. If you have speci!c
journals or conferences in your !eld that you want to target,
that is great!
There is no need to describe the steps involved in writing

and editing your thesis in detail. That is self-explanatory.
The second, partial paragraph should describe how you

intend to interact with the community during the course of
your studies, such as cultural exchanges with schools and
becoming involved with community groups related to your
research topic or other interests.
THAT’S IT – SORT OF
The sections mentioned above should complete the two-

page form and should stand on their own to present your
entire research.
Obviously, your !rst draft is going to need work. I

recommend revising it yourself then getting it reviewed by
an academic expert in your !eld as well as a language
expert.
I do o#er paid reviewing services where I go through the

formatting and presentation to assess if you have
presented your proposal well, incorporating all of the
elements above. I cannot, however, o#er an academic
review, so I am probably not an expert in your !eld!
For more information on my reviewing services, check out

the coaching link at the top of this page.
ATTACHMENTS
I recommend adding two attachments to your FSRPP: Your
speci!c research timeline mentioned above and your list of
sources. Each should be its own page and they should be in
that order.
Attachments should not be critical to understanding your

research plan. They are a place to put space-consuming
references that can be understood via a quick scan. They
have value in showing your preparedness, but the value is
not commensurate with the space that they consume.
RESEARCH TIMELINE
Recommended Heading: Research Timeline
Recommended Length: Table/timeline long enough to
cover the content below
Recommended Content: Detailed explanations of the steps
you will go through in your research program (2 years for
Masters, 3 for PhD).
The level of detail that you go into here depends on your

!eld of study. For example, if you are doing social sciences
research and your !eld research includes two phases of

questionnaires and interviews, you can explain that rather
quickly.
However, if you are in a STEM !eld and your research

includes a long series of experimental processes or data
analysis steps, then you would want to list each of those.
This is also a good place to mention speci!c coursework

you want to take (and why), especially if you have your goal
narrowed down to a single university or there are similar
courses at each of your target universities.
You should have already described your primary research

activities in the form proper, such as what kind of data you
will collect and how, but here is where you slot it in to the
schedule.
One Keio professor mentioned in his blog that he expects

his advisees to do !eld research twice during their degree.
For example, students would do a survey study !rst then
return later for interviews to go into more detail, or do !eld
studies in two places for comparison purposes.
SELECTED REFERENCES
Recommended Heading: Selected Sources
Recommended Length: No more than 1/2 page or so
Recommended Content: Bibliographical references for all
sources you mentioned in the text of your Field of Study
and Research Program Plan (particularly in the existing
research section) plus key sources you used in your
literature reviews when creating your plan.
List your references in alphabetical order, using the format

most common to your !eld of study.
MY SOURCES
I put this article together based on several Japanese faculty
blogs, university websites, and prep school pages. You can
!nd those sources below:
How to Research and Craft a

Research Plan
This article is based on

Chapter 7 of my book,
How to Write a
Scholarship-Winning
Field of Study and
Research Program Plan.
The book includes more
details on each of the
sections above that would
be too much for a web
article, plus other
chapters on how to
develop your research
idea from scratch, all the
way through a completed
product!
http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/nifongo/keikaku/index.html
KALS Graduate School Application Prep School application

advice article
http://www.kals.jp/graduate-sch/pln/
Keio University Professor’s Blog

http://cce-cmkt-
tpro.sfc.keio.ac.jp/tajima_lab/inframe/sonota/01.htm
JAIST (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and

Technology) Application Advice Page
http://www.jaist.ac.jp/~as-
asami/exam_research_plan/exam_research_plan.html
Study Channel Research Plan Writing Guide

http://www.study-channel.com/2015/07/research-
plan.html
Five Steps to Writing a Lousy Research Plan (University of

Tokyo Professor’s Blog)
http://www.nakahara-lab.net/2013/05/post_2004.html
QUESTIONS?
Before asking any questions in the comments, below, I
recommend reading through the Field of Study and
Research Program Plan FAQ. You can ask your questions in
the comments here, on the FAQ page, or by email and I will
answer them by updating the FAQ and letting you know
when the answers are available.
I’d also recommend signing up for my mailing list, below, to

get noti!ed whenever I have updates to any of the FAQs or
new articles about the MEXT scholarship!
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101 Comments
William 2020 5 12
Hi Transenz,
I just !nished reading your available books on
MEXT and would fully recommend anyone
here to buy them as they give you a thorough
guide to the process. I’ve !nished my research
plan and having a look at the UK MEXT
requirements you need two reference letters.
I have two referees lined up to provide these

letter but is there anything speci!c in terms of
structure or content that I should ask them to
include to make me stand out.
Regards,
Willliam
Reply
TranSenz 2020
Hi William,
5 13
+
Thank you very much for your
feedback! I am thrilled to hear
that you found the books to be
useful in preparing your
application.
For your letters of
recommendation, are there any
speci!cations as to who they
should be from? In the past, I
have seen that when two letters
were requested, one had to be
an academic advisor, Dean, or
someone higher. The second
(usually optional in the examples
I’ve seen, since it doesn’t apply
to everyone) would be from an
employer. Do you have any
guidelines like that?
In general, the letters must
include a statement that the
person highly recommends you
and a description of how they
know you/what context they
have interacted with you. I would
also recommend that you look at
the sample format that MEXT
provides on their website to see
what kinds of questions they ask.
You do not need to use that
format (or follow it’s instructions

about sealing the letter) – it is
optional and based on a format
that used to be mandatory
several years ago.
Finally, in the books and articles
here, I have mentioned having an
application strategy and theme,
which includes some reason why
you are uniquely suited to
succeed in your particular
research and goals. Any
comments in the letter that
support that theme would also
be bene!cial!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Reply
Kaushal Vora 2020 4 13
Hello sir,
Thanks for helping in developing my research
plan. I really appreciate your help.
I am at completing my research plan, I have to
ask you one more question about research
methodology.
In the research methodology, I have
described speci!c research method and after
that, I listed the experiment names, at last, I
have written limitations of the study. After
that, it is alright to write a speci!c journal
name and details or not?
In the end, I have attached the research
timeline of my study. This is the right way to
write all things I listed above.
Please kindly give me a reply.
Thank you
Reply
TranSenz 2020 4 14
Hi Kaushal Vora, +
Your approach from the
methodology section onward
sounds !ne. There is no one
“right way” to write this plan, as
long as it contains all of the
elements. Sometimes, you are
going to have to make variations
on the pattern I’ve suggested
here, and that’s !ne!
I think it is !ne to list a speci!c
journal (I assume you are
describing somewhere where
you hope to publish your
!ndings). If it is a particularly
di"cult journal to get into, you
can qualify your statement by
saying “a journal such as X”
Good Luck!
Reply
I have written a research

study something
di#erent you suggested,
I have added some of
my thought about how I
have to write, but as you
suggested I have
considered all contents
about a research study.
so thank you for helping
me.
Reply

Hello,
Thank you for giving me an answer.
I have one more question about the research
study. For your perspective what if we write a
research proposal and attach it in our
application. If we write a research proposal it
is alright to write all things you suggest in the
research study?
What is a better, write a research proposal or
all data write in the research study form or
both things we have to do?
Reply
TranSenz 2020
Hi Kaushal Vora,
4 13
+
Your Field of Study and Research
Program Plan should be your
research proposal. That is what
the screening committee will
consider when they process your
application. Everything needs to
!t in the form and, at least as of
the last Embassy Recommended
MEXT Scholarship application
process, the total length must be
under two pages.
Good Luck!
Reply
Thank you for your kind

reply.
Reply

Hello sir,
Thank you for guidance. it’s helped me every
way.
I have a question related to research
methodology. In research methodology, you
told that you have to write 1 or 1.5 paragraph,
But instead of that, I have decided to write
research methodology in a $ow chart.
This is right to do this way or we have to write
a paragraph?
After the completion of my research study,
you can help me with telly?
kindly answer my questions
Thank you
Reply
TranSenz 2020
Hi Kaushal Vora,
4 9
+
Thank you for your kind words.
It is hard for me to give a
de!nitive answer without seeing
exactly what you are talking
about, but I will give it my best
guess.
My suggestion is that your
research methodology section
should describe the methods
that you will use and how they
are best suited to provide you
with the data that you need to
answer your research question. I
do not see how a $ow chart
could answer this question.
However, in the research plan, I
suggest that you describe the
process of how you will proceed
with your research, which is the
sequence of steps you will
conduct. I could see how a $ow
chart would work there, instead.

(I have recommended a timeline
table, but a $owchart could also
do the job!).
I’m not sure exactly what you
mean with helping you with telly.
If you mean reviewing your plan,
I do o#er a paid review service
for FSRPPs, and you can !nd
details at the coaching link at the
top of the page.
Good Luck!
Reply

Thank you
I mistook Methodology
to Speci!c Research
plan that’s why the
problem happens.
Reply
Mozart 2020 4 6
Hi, Travis.
I tried to download the format mentioned
above, but the link sends me to the japanese
MEXT page. Is there anything wrong? or am I
the guilty? lol
Thanks in advance!
Reply
TranSenz 2020 4 8
+
Hi Mozart,
Thank you for pointing that out. It
looks like MEXT changed the link
for where the form was. I have
!xed it now in the article. (The
page you were getting was

MEXT’s 404 “Not Found” page).
Good Luck!
Reply
Xiang 2020 3 2
Hi Trans,
Many thanks for the information you provide
on this website, which is really helpful to
anyone thinking about a MEXT scholarship.
I am currently in the process of applying for a
university-recommended scholarship. Among
some of the questions, the university is asking
for a con!rmation that I will not withdraw from
the program when recommended to MEXT. It
seems unusual to request such a con!rmation
since the result is not guaranteed yet. Is this a
normal question that is asked by the
universities in processing MEXT scholarship
applications?
Reply
TranSenz 2020
Hi Xiang,
3 3
+
I have been hearing about that
request more often lately. Just a
few days ago, someone posted
on here complaining that the
university got upset at them after
they signed that agreement and
later wanted to back out.
Each university has a limited
number of nomination slots that
it can use each year. In general, if
they select you for nomination,
you can reasonably expect to
receive the scholarship. The only
thing standing in your way would
be a MEXT budget cut. That

happened last year and quite a
few nominees didn’t earn the
scholarship. But since then,
MEXT has essentially halved the
original number of nomination
places each university has, so I
do not anticipate another cut this
year.
From the university’s
perspective, they cannot replace
a nominee in their list if one
drops out. There are no
alternates. So, if you drop out
after they nominate you, they
lose a prestigious scholarship
place. Now that the universities
have fewer places than ever, that
hurts. So, it seems perfectly
normal that the university wants
to ask you to commit.
Good Luck!
Reply
Ana 2020 3 1
Hi!
I have a question that I have never seen the
answer to anywhere and I really hope you can
answer it.
Can you apply for a master’s degree if you’re
already studying for a master’s degree?
I want to get a master’s in international
relations in Japan. I did my undergraduate in
philosophy and minored in government
(politics, etc.) and I intend to do a masters in
philosophy focusing on political philosophy. I
will also take a lot of courses in the political
science so that my degree will be more
related to what I want to study in Japan. But

it’s not quite the same thing. Political
philosophy is more theoretical but
international relations is more practical. I want
to study both. Would that be possible? I really
appreciate your answer because I searched
the internet all over and couldn’t !nd
anything. Thank you
Reply
TranSenz 2020 3 2
+
Hi Ana,
Yes, you can apply for a second
master’s via the MEXT
Scholarship. However, you might
face a challenge in justifying why
a second master’s is more
valuable than a PhD. I have no
direct evidence to support this,
but anecdotally, I have heard
that MEXt would prefer that you
move on to more advanced
studies. So, be prepared to
answer questions, particularly, in
your interview, about why a
second Master’s is better.
The other think that you would
need to consider is that you
cannot drop to a “lower” level of
study. So, if you have already
earned a Master’d degree by the
time you start your MEXT
Scholarship, you would not be
able to start as a Master’s level
research student. You would
have to start directly with the
degree.
Have you found a university in
Japan that o#ers a philosophy
degree taught in English with
political philosophy as an option?

That’s the most important
question.
For a graduate degree, you must
be registered in a single
graduate school and your ability
to take courses from other
schools will be seriously limited
or not available at all. So, the
best way for you to answer your
own question is to !nd a
program in Japan that teaches
what you want to study (in
English). If you can !nd a
philosophy program taught in
English in Japan that includes
political science and political
philosophy coursework, then it is
possible to study that. (Although,
you might have a better chance
at !nding a Poli Sci program that
includes elements of political
philosophy). If you cannot !nd a
program that teaches what you
want, then it would not be
possible.
Good Luck!
Reply
Ana 2020 3 2
Dear Travis, thank you

so much for your reply.
Even though my
background is in
political philosophy, I
am not intending to
study philosophy in
Japan at all (and even if I
wanted to, I couldn’t
because I checked and

there are no such
programs in English). I
want to move from
political philosophy to
something more
practical such as
political science and
international relations
and this is the reason I
have for wanting to
study a second master’s
degree. Even though my
degree is related to
politics and political
theory, I would still need
to learn the research
methods of political
science to be able to do
a PhD in that !eld.
Would that be ok?
Also, can I just apply as
a non-degree research
student and not commit
myself to either a
master’s or PhD degree
from the beginning and
just !gure this out while
I’m in Japan? Or is that
not possible for
someone who has a
master’s degree?
Thank you so much for
your help
Reply
TranSenz 2020
3 3
+
Hi Ana,
I’m sorry. It
sounds like I
misread your
question.
Thank you for
the
clari!cation.
Yes, if your
background is
in political
philosophy,
then moving
on to a degree
in political
science would
meet the
requirements
of a “related
!eld”. And it
also makes
sense why you
would want
another
master’s in
that case. But
for the sake of
your
application,
you should
justify the
change of
!elds and
lower degree
based on the
outcomes.
During your
application
process, I
suggest that
you be able to
justify what a
Master’s in
political
science in
Japan will do
for your future
goals
(particularly
goals that
involve you
making a
positive
impact on the
world in a
particular
!eld) that a
PhD in
philosophy
would not.
About the
degree level,
since you will
have a
Master’s
degree
already, you
would not be
able to be a
research (non-
degree)
student to the
best of my
understanding.
Your choices
would be
research
student
learning to a
PhD (which
might be
possible,
depending on
how much
research
method etc.
catch-up you
need) or direct
Master’s
degree
student.
Good Luck!
– Travis from
TranSenz
Reply
Vera 2020 2 18
Hello,
I had a few questions:
1. I was wondering what is the di#erence
between the 2 sections you suggested,
PREVIOUS RESEARCH IN THE FIELD (2-3
sentences) and EXISTING RESEARCH (2-4
sentences)? (total 4-7 sentences)
From what I gathered from your post, in both I
should describe research that exists in the
!eld/the current state of the !eld – isn’t it the
same thing?And you mentioned in EXISTING
RESEARCH, I should also explain how my
research would extend knowledge in the !eld.
Thus I wonder if it would be suitable to
combine these sections rather have about 5~6
sentences (3 for describing the state of the
!eld/relevant existing research, and 2~3 for
how my research would extend knowledge in
the !eld)? Or, is there an important reason that
these are separate sections?
2. Since the new format is 2 pages max, does
this include attachments such as a timeline or
sources, or are they not counted in the total
length?
3. How often does the format change like this?
For the 2021 application cycle (applications
sent in 2020), will you be making another post

like this if it changes yet again?
Thank you very much!
Reply
TranSenz 2020
Hi Vera,
2 19
+
1. Thank you very much for
catching that. It looks like when I
updated the article at some
point in the past, I ended up with
the same section twice. “Existing
Research” was meant to be a
replacement for “Previous
Research in the Field”, but I did
not delete the old paragraph.
You only need to cover that
material once!
2. No, attachments are not
counted in the length, so your
timeline, sources, etc. can be in
addition to the two pages.
However, since they are
attachments and references,
only, they cannot be essential to
understanding the rest of the
document. Especially with the
timeline, if you include it as an
attachment, a reviewer must still
be able to understand the
general idea of how you plan to
approach your research without
reading the timeline.
3. I think the last time I saw the
format change was over 5 years
ago. (When the question about
past research was added to the
University Recommended
FSRPP.) If it does change again, I
will write an update as quickly as

possible. However, even if the
format changes, the essence of
the research plan should not
change signi!cantly, so it should
still be mostly a matter of !tting
this same content into new
headings, etc.)
Good Luck!
Reply
Tia 2020 2 16
Just want to say a big Thank you to you for
spending time to share this useful information.
Before your blog I have no idea how to write a
research plan (my last education was
coursework). I will submit my application next
week and wait for the result by June. Again,
thank you so much. Cheers!
Reply
TranSenz 2020
Hi Tia,
2 18
+
feedback and kind comments! I
wish you good luck with your
application. Please let me know
about your results in June.
Good Luck!
Reply
Javier Delgado 2019 12 24

Hello Transenz, thank you so much for your
work helping us!
I failed the MEXT application last year at the
!rst phase last year but I am already working
on next year’s!
I have MA on International Relations and I
would like to go for a PhD. The topic is
Japanese foreign policy towards another
country. I have some doubts though.
This project does not have a link to my home
country Spain…I do not know if that’s a big
problem. Second, how can I justify doing it in
Japan? I mean, it is about Japanese foreign
policy… but perhaps I should stress the
!eldwork needs to be done in Japan.
And !nally, is it possible to move for a short
period of time abroad to conduct the research
(!eldwork)?
Thanks a lot! I hope you can help me
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Javier Delgado,
12 24
+
I’m sorry to hear that your results
last year weren’t ideal, but I
admire you for trying again!
Since your research is about
Japan’s foreign policy, that
should be enough to justify why
your research needs to be done
in Japan, but you should also be
doing your !eldwork in Japan,
too.
The application guidelines
speci!cally say that applicants
who intend to do extended
!eldwork outside Japan are
ineligible, so even mentioning
!eldwork outside of the country
is going raise red $ags – and if
you say “move” outside Japan,
then that is going to sound like
long-term research. Is there any
way that you can focus the
!eldwork on people or
institutions withing Japan?
If you must do research outside
Japan, then emphasize how
short it will be (a week or so?).
The maximum amount of time
that you can be away from Japan
is about a month, and that, of
course, would only be possible
during the breaks between
semesters.
As for how to relate the research
to Spain, my suggestion would
be to see if you can !nd where
Spain has a similar type of
relationship with a di#erent
country as the relationship Japan
has that you are researching, so
that there is some way to apply
to research there. Or if there is
some way that understanding
Japan’s foreign policy in this
situation can bene!t Spain’s
relations with Japan.
Good Luck!
Reply
Rupandey 2019 10 14
Hi Travis, I am applying for the University

Recommended MEXT scholarship and I was
wondering if the 2 page limit applies to that
too. Also, my grad school research (marine
biology) is quite a jump from my undergrad
research (genetics), so I don’t have experience
with all the methods I will be using.
Nevertheless, my potential supervisor has
approved my joining his lab. But you said in
Book 2 Chapter 6 that I must establish prior
experience with the methods. What should I
do?
Reply
TranSenz 2019 10 15
+
Hi Rupandey,
That’s an excellent question.
The o"cial guidelines have not
come out for the university-
recommended MEXT scholarship
for this year yet. Actually, they
usually do not come out until
after universities have !nished
accepting applications. So, at this
point, the best I can give you is
my best guess, based on past
experience.
I suspect that, in the end, MEXT
will require a two-page FSRPP
from all applicants, just like they
did from the Embassy
application route. Changes in
one application process like this
usually continue through to the
others. However, some
universities might use the old
form at the point of the original
application and then ask you to
resubmit it on the new format if
accepted.
Even with the old format,
keeping your FSRPP to 2 pages
was a good idea, so if you write it
that way and include all of the
sections that I mentioned in my
book, it will be easy to insert
those sections into whichever
format that university tells you to
use.
If your target advisor has already
approved you joining his lab,

then you do not need to worry so
much about establishing your
experience with the methods,
but I would certainly recommend
that you start researching what
those methods are in the
meantime and getting as familiar
with them as possible. For now,
keep that section to a minimum
and try to focus on your
experience with the subject !eld
(i.e. the overlap between marine
bio and genetics, as it a#ects
your particular research).
Good Luck!
Reply
Jack 2019 9 12
Hello TranSenz,
Can I ask about the format of the
study/research plan, for UNIVERSITY
recommendation.
While most universities in the past, and
currently too, use the exact form as the MEXT
Embassy form, it’s di#erent for Todai
(engineering): theirs is called a statement of
study plan.
As per their FAQ, can be divided into !ve parts:
motivation, objectives, methods, expected,
schedule. Basically a regular research
proposal.
Though it’s not stated, I presume it is based
o# of this MEXT Embassy form.
Can you advice on !lling this: adhere strictly
to their FAQ’s 5 parts, or merge information as
it would be required on the MEXT form i.e.
past and present !eld of study, theme, plan.
Thank you.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Jack,
9 13
+
I wasn’t aware that Todai used a
di#erent form for their
application. That’s interesting,
since they’ll eventually need to
submit the MEXT form to MEXT
itself during the nomination
process.
My recommendation for !lling
out the MEXT format does
include most of those topics,
even if they are not speci!cally
labeled as such. So, my
recommendation to you would
be to follow Todai’s format, but
also think about where each of
those sections would !t into the
MEXT FSRPP, as well.
Good Luck!
Reply
Jack 2019 9 13
Thanks for the input.

Could you suggest a
place for ‘past and
present !eld of study’?
Do you think this would
go better in ‘Motivation’
(because it comes !rst)
or it would be OK add a
new ‘Background’ (like
in most research
proposals).
By the way, the Todai
form is actually blank,
with only space for

applicant name and
number. The headings
aren’t literally placed in
the form.
Thanks again.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
9 14
+
Hi Jack,
I would
suggest that
you’re thinking
about this
backwards.
The point is
not “where are
you going to
!t the past
and present
!eld of study”
(which is a
vague and
unhelpful
question to
begin with).
The question
is “what parts
of the Today
categories are
you going to
put into the
Past and
Present Field
of Study in the
end?”
My suggestion
in this article is
that your “Past
and Present
Field of Study”
should
essentially be
your
“Background”,
which is just
another way of
saying
“Motivation.”
They’re all
really the
same thing.
Your
motivation/background
should
describe the
past research
experience
that led you to
your interest in
pursuing this
research topic
in graduate
school, so that
neatly
answers all
three!
Good Luck!
– Travis from
TranSenz
Reply
Jack
2019 9
21
thank
you for
your
help
Eamon 2019 8 12
Hi Travis, been reading your blog the last

couple months — sadly, I found it too late for
the original application, but by some miracle
I’ve still managed to pass that!
I wasn’t exactly happy with my research plan
at the time, and I’d really like to go down a
considerably di#erent line of study. In fact,
while I wrote a plan primarily on one topic,
there are about three di#erent !elds that I’m
interested in — energy management,
astrophyics, and sea ice, transferring the
necessary skills from a computational physics
MSc (which specialised in sea ice). I even
wrote about all of this in the research plan,
and they somehow still gave it the go-ahead!
Now this research plan was, frankly, quite
poorly formatted/structured. I’m ashamed to
say that it probably looked a bit thrown-
together. It most certainly does not have a
timeline, and has little detail on speci!cs. It’s
not something I’m that keen to present to
professors as an actual plan!
In summary, then, I have two questions. Firstly,
while I assume I can’t (or shouldn’t) change
the research plan from what I submitted in the
original application, would it be allowed by
MEXT for me to submit a suggestion of an
updated/more relevant research plan to the
university itself while seeking a LOA?
Following on from that, from your experience,
is it allowed by MEXT to be applying/have
letters of acceptance relating to more than
one research plan in more than one !eld?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read
my long question!
– Eamon
Reply
Eamon 2019 8 12
I’m very sorry — I’ve just found the

relevant information in another of
your posts. Many thanks, and you
may disregard these questions!
– Eamon
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Eamon,
8 16
+
I saw in a follow-up post that you
said you had found the answer to
your question elsewhere, but I
can’t recall how I answered a
similar question in the past and
sometimes things change, so I
thought I would answer it
anyway, based on what I would
say if I were hearing the question
for the !rst time today.
You cannot change the o"cial
!eld of study and research
program plan, but it is not MEXT
that you need to worry about, it
is the universities. At this point,
they are the ones making the
decision. So, when you send your
o"cial documents to apply for
the Letter of Provisional
Acceptance, you could include a
supplementary explanation at
that point, tailored to each
university. You can’t replace, but
you can supplement.
Regarding how MEXT would look
at having multiple Letters of
Acceptance in di#erent !elds, as
long as there is a common
theme to them, it should not be a
problem. Ultimately, you will only

be pursuing one research
project, and most likely the one
that you got the Letter of
Provisional Acceptance for at
your !rst-choice university.
Good Luck!
Reply
basma 2019 7 12
Thank you very much for your help!

Is it possible to modify the research proposal
after submitting it to the embassy and passing
the !rst screening (before sending it to the
targeted professor)? not that I change it
completely but to add or delete some
sentences?
Thanks!
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Basma,
7 15
+
You cannot edit the document
itself, but you are not committed
to doing that research exactly.
You can explain to your adivsor in
your communication that you
have been thinking about some
minor tweaks. And, of course,
once you are accepted and start
working with that advisor on your
actual research, it could all
change signi!cantly.
Good Luck!
Reply
akazad 2019 7 10
Thanks for your e#ort! I have a question: the

embassy asked for an original
recommendation letter and 3 copies of it. But
in the guideline it says, we need to send the
LORs in a sealed envelope.
I am just confused. How can we get 3 copies
of it if it is inside a sealed envelope?
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Akazad,
7 13
+
The application instructions no
longer require that the Letter of
Recommendation be sealed. The
sample letter of acceptance
format that MEXT provides
comes from an era when they
did have to be sealed, but that
has changed. Even though that
template instructs the
recommender to seal it, you do
not need to use that template at
all.
If your recommender did seal the
letter, then I recommend you
contact the embassy where you
are applying for their guidance.
They may tell you to submit it as-
is, or they may tell you to open it
and make copies. I have heard
both solutions in the past, so
please check which is better for
your embassy.
Good Luck!
Reply
Altair 2019 6 15
Hey Travis, I got shortlisted for the !rst

screening process. Now, I have to bring all the
documents required for application to the
diplomatic o"ce of my country. In that
connection, I had a query, please.
You said to add the timeline and the sources
as attachments, and it also says the same
thing in the Field of Study and Research plan
document. Does that I mean don’t staple
those two attachment pages together with
the Field of Study and Research plan
document?
So the two pages of the Field of Study and
Research plan document stays separate from
the two attachment pages?
Your help will oblige me much. Thanks and
regards.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Altair,
6 24
+
I do not recommend keeping the
attachments separate, because
then it might not be easily
apparent what they are
supposed to go to.
Instead, my recommendation
would be to title the top of each
page with “Attachment 1:
Timeline” and “Attachment 2:
Selected Sources”.
That way it is clear from the
labels and the content that they
are additional references and not
part of the 2-page plan.
Good Luck!
Reply
Altair 2019 8 9
Thank you for your

advice, Travis. I passed
the !rst screening. Now,
I will have to contact the
universities. Could you
help me with one
information? What is
this “pledge form” that I
need to submit to MEXT
and more importantly
how do I get hold of it?
Do the universities send
one themselves, when
they send the
provisional acceptance
certi!cate or
something?
Reply
TranSenz 2019
8 13
+
Hi Altair,
As far as I
know, the
Pledge Form
is something
that you sign
after you
arrive in Japan
as a
scholarship
student. You
should not
need it until
then.
It basically
describes the
rules that you
have to follow
and also
indicates your
understanding
that violating
them can
result in your
scholarship
being revoked.
Good Luck!
– Travis from
TranSenz
Reply
Tetiana 2019 6 10
Hi, this is an extremely useful article, I was just

about to send my documents to the Embassy
but now I will be looking through them again,
to make sure I touched on every point you
mentioned here.
I have a question that is not so much about
the context but about the !guration of the
documents: in the guidelines they ask you to
write neatly or type. And I don’t know where I
got it from, but I got this idea that they give
preference to hand-written application forms
and research plans (?? Like, I seriously don’t
know where I got this information from, but in
my mind it’s already a true statement). I even
asked my Dean to write me a hand-written
recommendation letter for that reason.
Anyway, I do have a neat handwriting, and I
already completed my application form and
research plan. However, after reading through
your article, and how you give advise about
font size and spacing, I have a stronger urge
to re-type all my documents. Would you
recommend a typed-in research
plan/application form over hand-written? I
know I may be looking too deep into this, but I
could really use your advice on that.

Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Tetiana,
6 19
+
Thank you for your kind words!
I think the preference would be
for typed documents, for the
simple reason that they are a lot
easier to read! You won’t be
penalized for having them
handwritten (as long as
everything is legible), because it
is an allowable option, but I
would recommend typing if it is
possible to make the switch (I
realize that by the time I got to
this comment, it is probably too
late).
Japan has a weird preference for
hand-writing things like resumes,
that drives me crazy, but
fortunately, those old-fashioned
ideas do not extend to university
applications.
Good Luck!
Reply
Liz 2019 6 10
Hi!
I have a question about the time-bound. If I
am going to apply as research student but I
want to continue with master’s degree an
Ph’D, I should achieve my plan within 5 years
or only the time as research student?
Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 19
Hi Liz, +
The typical course of action is to
spend about one semester as a
research student before moving
into your !rst degree. So, if that is
your plan, then I would
recommend that your Field of
Study and Research Program
Plan cover your research student
semester as well as your
Master’s degree (all as part of
one research project). You would
write about your PhD research
plans when you apply to extend
your scholarship later.
Good Luck!
Reply
Aurora 2019 6 8
Hi, I’m applying for the mext scholarship and I

just downloaded the research plan form only
to realize it’s only a page despite you
mentioning a two page form. Is there
something wrong with mine?
Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 17
+
Hi Aurora,
Sorry for the confusing
explanation.
No, there is nothing wrong with
your form. The !rst page
contains all of the questions, but
your answer may continue on to
a second page.
Good Luck!
Reply
NAN 2019 6 7
Thanks for all your help. Could you please

attach/upload a !lled form? I really need it as
fast as possible.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Nan,
6 17
+
I’m afraid I do not have a !lled
example form for the current
version of the form. I have
included links to several
examples based on old forms in
the appendix of my book, but
this version is too new, and
nobody has shared a successful
example yet.
Good Luck!
Reply
RUTH 2019 6 2
Hi Travis I really appreciate this platform to

learn about the MEXT Scholarship. I am an
applicant and I am from Nigeria. I am stocked
on the Field of Study and Research Plan . I
want to major for Masters Degree and into the
Humanities speci!cally Linguistics & Global
Communication, Linguistics and Cultural
Studies or Media and Mass Communication.
The problem I have is what will i use as
Research Title that will be bene!cial and
fusing into my Home country and that of
Japan. I was thinking on “I will contribute to
Global Communication – Creating a World of
connection that will promote e#ective
communication and interaction between
students (Age 8-10) in Japan and their friends

in other Countries. Doest this make a good
Research Title?/if No, please suggest a good
one for me thanks.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Ruth,
6 13
+
What you have suggested is not
a research title, but more of your
personal goal. A research title
needs to describe the academic
question that you will research
and possibly what your target
dataset will be. If you wanted to
study how mass media
contributes to children’s
international outlooks and
decided to focus on speci!c
television shows, an example
would be, “Intercultural
Interaction in Children’s Media:
Representing the Other in
Japanese and Nigerian
Children’s Shows.”
That’s just something I came up
with o# the top of my head, but I
hope that helps make it clear
what a research title should look
like. Your should be based on
your exact research subject for
your thesis.
Good Luck!
Reply
Shar 2019 5 28
Hi Travis!
Thank you for all your guides! They have
helped me enormously.
I have a question regarding the !eld of study
and research plan for the MEXT Research
scholarship (embassy recommendation). I
read somewhere that if you are invited to the
!rst screening and pass you have to write
another !eld of study and research plan, but
this time more detailed (so 6-8 pages) to send
to the universities. I cannot !nd this anywhere
else in the guidelines, but maybe this is
something that is logical? Could you con!rm
for me if I have to write another/extended
!eld of study and research plan (or any other
extra documents for that matter) or if I only
have to submit everything to the university I
have already submitted to the embassy?
Thank you in advance. Kind regards.
Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 9
+
Hi Shar,
I’m not sure where you heard
that rumor about the second
Field of Study and Research
Program Plan, but that is not
accurate according to what I
know of the scholarship. When
you contact universities, you are
required to send them the same
documents that you sent to the
embassy during the primary
screening.
Perhaps the origin of that rumor
is that up until this year, there
was no limit on the length of the
Field of Study and Research
Program Plan, so applicants

often wrote longer plans (though
I never heard of many being as
long as 6-8 pages!) to submit to
both the Embassy and University.
I don’t think it would ever have
been a good idea to write that
long, though.
You should only have to submit
the same length FSRPP that you
sent to the Embassy.
Good Luck!
Reply
Dennis 2019 6 10
Hi Travis,
Am very grateful for
your e#ort invested in
educating people about
MEXT scholarship which
has helped me a lot. My
question: it is stated that
the form should not be
more than two pages.
Does that include the
page where the
questions are and also
the attachments I would
add. I have about 3
pages including the
questions. Thank you.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
6 19
+
Hi Dennis,
The questions
are included,
but
attachments
would not be.
So, you need
to condense
your writing
down to !t
everything
within one
extra page
added to the
form page
with the
questions.
Good Luck!
– Travis from
TranSenz
Reply
nisma 2019 5 28
hi,
i am applying for master’s by mext
scholarship. i have read your article multiple
times but i am still !nding di"culty to
understand what should i write in past and
present !eld of study. like, previous research
you’ve done or your major’s !eld.
another question, research plan guidelines
that you have given, can they be used for
every subject or there will be di#erent
headings.
last question, what is the di#erence between
two headings; previous in the !eld and
existing research. what i understood is that, in
previous research we are going to give
theories related to our research topic and in
existing research heading, we are going to
give literature review. Am I right?
Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 9
Hi Nisma, +
In the past and present !eld of
study, you should describe your
past major and research with a
focus on the most relevant
connection to what you want to
study in Japan.
Indeed, you may need to change
the headings I have suggested or
even the contents of the sections
in di#erent !elds (such as
business or visual arts). This is
just a suggested template, not a
requirement!
I had intended the “Previous
Research in the Field” to be an
overview of the !eld with
“Existing Research” highlighting
the studies most similar to what
you plan to research. You could
conceivably combine the two
sections as well, but I would
recommend including both the
overview and details.
Good Luck!
Reply
Marco 2019 5 26
Hi Transenz!
I’m here asking you again another question,
this time related to the fact that the Research
topic has to match one’s past major. Well I’m
still an undergraduate student (although I’m
applying this year, well I’ve just sent my
application actually) majoring in Chinese
studies (sort of), I study stu# like Chinese,
Chinese history, philosophy, politics, law,
society etc. in my home country. My Research
topic is related to the !eld of Political Science,

and it’s on Chinese democratisation. Do you
think the two !elds are not related? I tried my
best to show the connection on the Research
Plan, since it would take a closer look at
Chinese internal politics and so on. So even
though the major is Political Science (and not
Chinese studies per se) the Research itself is
still related to China.
Do you think it could be a problem/my
application will be rejected because of this?
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Marco,
6 7
+
If your research is on Chinese
democratization, that would
seem to be related very closely
to your previous degree in
Chinese studies, so I see no
potential problem.
It is not the name of the program
that matters but the contents of
the studies.
Good Luck!
Reply
Marco 2019 6 15
Thanks for your reply!

You were right and I
indeed passed the !rst
screening! But now I
have another question:
how important is the
!rst screening in the
overall selection
process? From what I
gathered, the Research
Plan is the single most
important document,
does that mean the !rst
screening (being all
about documents and
not exams/interview) is
also the most
important? I have
trouble understanding
how the whole process
works in terms of the
importance of each
step, and I hoped you
could shed some light
into it.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
6 23
+
Hi Marco,
I am very
happy to hear
that you
passed the
document
screening!
The document
screening is
not a separate
screening,
though, it is all
part of the
“Primary
Screening”,
which also
includes the
tests and
interviews.
Your
performance
on every part
of the Primary
Screening is
cumulative, so
it’s not as if it
resets with
each stage
that you pass.
The exams are
generally
intended to be
a qualifying
cut-o#, rather
than
something
that will
contribute
signi!cantly to
your relative
rank among
applicants, as
far as I know.
So, the last
key factor for
your
application
will be the
interview.
A solid
interview can
help you pass
applicants
who might
have been
ahead of you
after the
document
screening
stage (or keep
your place, if
you’re already
at the top). But
one of the
reasons I say
the FSRPP is
so important is
that it also
helps you
prepare for
the interview
by making
sure that all of
your goals are
aligned and
you have a
clear goal that
you want to
accomplish.
That is
something
that the
interview
panel will also
be looking for!
Good Luck!
– Travis from
TranSenz
Reply
Toyin Onagoruwa 2019 5 23
Hello Travis!
You have no idea how helpful your articles
have been to my MEXT application!
I have a burning question I’ll like to ask you.
Hope you don’t mind?
My undergraduate university has not started
issuing certi!cates to fresh graduates (Class
of ’18), I’m hoping if I could use my statement
of result in place of my certi!cate since it’s
currently unavailable. Will it be acceptable?
Also, I want to ask if the medical form should
be typed or !lled with pen?

Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 6
+
Hi Toyin,
You do not need a formal
diploma, etc. A certi!cate of
graduation can be a letter from
an o"cial at your university
verifying that you have met all
requirements and completed the
degree, including the date of
completion. If your statement of
result meets that description,
then you should be able to use it.
For the medical form, either
typing or pen is !ne, but since
you will be bringing it to the
doctor to be !lled in, unless the
doctor has a typewriter in his
o"ce, I think !lling in by pen is
the only choice.
Good Luck!
Reply
Nour 2019 5 23
Hello! Thank you so much for the informative

article! I have a question, the form I
downloaded (2020) does not include
“Research Title”. Should I add it?
Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 5
+
Hi Nour,
No, I do not recommend writing
“Research Title” – that would be
a waste of a line. Just write your
title itself, center it and make it

bold so that it stands out from
the following paragraphs. That
should be clear enough!
Good Luck!
Reply
Farrukh 2019 5 22
Hello dear Travis thanks for you grate help I

uploaded your guid your sample but I cannot
apply because after 2 april 2020 I’ll be 35 year
old anywhere thanks.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Farrukh,
6 4
+
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you
can !nd another opportunity that
suits your situation.
Good Luck!
Reply
Mercy Rams 2019 5 20
Hi TranSenz
Your blog has been so helpful,am applying for
the emabassy recomedation from Botswana,
Africa. May you kindly breakdown the timeline
to be included in the graduate research plan (
MBA), It’s confusing me a lot
Reply
TranSenz 2019 6 3
+
Hi Mercy Rams,
I have never seen a research
timeline speci!c to an MBA, but
in general, you want to look at

what the !nal output
requirement is for your degree
(thesis, project, etc) and think
about the steps that you need to
get there. Most common steps
include literature review,
experiment or research design,
research/data collection,
analysis, and writing, but this is
going to vary based on your
degree.
For each step, you would want to
think about what you would be
doing and how long you think it
would take to accomplish.
I also recommend looking at the
degree progression information
for your !rst choice university to
see what their expectations are
and building your timeline based
on that.
Good Luck!
Reply
Afandi 2019 5 20
Hi, Travis, I don’t get the research plan

heading, in the research plan section. do i
have to write the summary of my whole
research plan and study plant in that research
plan heading?
thanks for your hardwork.
regards.
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 31
Hi Afandi,
I went into detail in the article
about what I recommend
including under the Research
Plan (in several sub-sections that
I recommend you add). Was
there some part of that
speci!cally that you found
confusing?
Your study plans (i.e. course
plans) are not terribly signi!cant,
so I would recommend that you
focus on your original research.
Good Luck!
Reply
Bennet 2019 5 17
Hi Travis, I have a quick question,
I bet you are probably preparing an article
about this already, but on the Application
form for this 2020 they have added the three
questions about ‘motivation for studying in
Japan’. Considering that, do you think it is still
important to include the aspects about how
the research will be good for both the home
country and Japan. In particular I’m thinking
about the ‘second partial paragraph’ you
describe for the ‘speci!c research plan’.
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Bennet,
5 27
+
Unfortunately, I still do not have
that article !nished.
Yes, I do think that it is still
important to touch on the
bene!ts of your research to
Japan and your home country in

the FSRPP. The reason is that you
don’t want to rely on the
reviewers’ memory. They are
going to be going through
dozens or possibly hundreds of
applications, and they all start to
run together at some point. You
want to keep their memories
fresh at every opportunity!
Good Luck!
Reply
Joseph 2019 5 16
Hi Travis,
I was just wondering who the audience will be
for my research plan. I’m studying medicine
and I was wondering if I should write my
research plan intended for the general public
to understand or professionals?
Thanks
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 27
+
Hi Joseph,
It’s tricky – your audience will
include both non-experts at the
Embassy and your target
professor at the university, so
you have to write it to be
understood by non-experts, but
with enough detail that an
academic in your !eld will
understand the academic merit. I
recommend using a mix of
impact statements that explain
to a general audience what your
research will produce along with
technical explanations of the

exact procedures that you plan
to pursue to reach those ends,
for the bene!t of academic
experts.
Good Luck!
Reply
Sav 2019 5 15
Hello, Travis! Thank you always for your

informative articles, I !nd them extremely
helpful. I wanted to ask you about the
“≪Guide for Creating a Field of Study and
Research Plan Sheet/ ≫ ” at the top of
the page for the research plan form. Since we
are already working with a limited space, is it
okay to delete that guide from the form when
completing it? Or do they prefer the form
exactly as is, with just our answers !lled out?
Thank you again.
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 25
+
Hi Sav,
Unfortunately, no, I do not think it
would be acceptable to delete
part of the form instructions to
give yourself more space – that
could be considered cheating.
You have the same amount of
space to work with as every
other applicant, so you have to
!gure out how to be concise in
your proposal. (You are certainly
not the only person that
struggles with this, though! That
has been the biggest challenge
with many of my coaching and

review clients, as well.)
Good Luck!
Reply
Vic 2019 5 14
Hi Travis !
Thank you a lot for this guide, it’s really useful
to me. I just had a question that I don’t think
you covered. In the information document
given by the Embassy concerning eligibility
and the application process, it says that
candidates for a doctoral level should write
another 2-page research project (in English) in
addition to the “Field of study and research
plan”. What should I write in it ? I guess it
should not be a translation/repetition of what
I wrote in Japanese in the “Field of study and
research plan”, but what do you think ?
Thanks !
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Vic,
5 24
+
There is no mention of a
document like that in MEXT’s
application guidelines, but I
know that in many countries, the
local embassy adds additional
requirements, so it could
possibly be a requirement just
for your country.
Could you link me to the
application guidelines you are
looking at so that I can take a
look and make some
suggestions?
Good Luck!

Reply
Vinicius 2019 5 13
Hello Travis! I have been reading your book on

writing the Field of Study and Research Plan
and I must say I would recommend to anyone
like me who doesn’t have an academic
background.
I have a question. My consulate asks only for
the Research Plan (no Field of Study) in
Portuguese and it should have at most 6
pages and include title, abstract, introduction,
objective, methodology, references. Will I
need to !ll this form later in the process? I was
thinking of doing a Research Plan in your
format since the start, but I am worried that
my competition is going to have a longer
research plan. Have you encountered in the
past cases like this, where the consulate
format is totally di#erent from Mext
guidelines?
Thanks!
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Vinicius,
5 23
+
kind words!
It sounds like your country has a
pre-screening process before
you get to the actual MEXT
forms. I have seen that in several
countries in the past, including
Brazil. In the case of other
applicants from Brazil, I have
recommended them to write
both. Usually, it makes more
sense to write the longer version
!rst, and then condense it down

to also !t the MEXT format that I
talk about in Chapter 7 and in
this article.
I hope that helps!
Good Luck!
Reply
Mari 2019 5 11
Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for this amazing post! it’s
really helping me alot in writing the research
plan.
I was wondering if you could help me with the
“What kinds of things do you think you can
contribute to Japan and your home country
through your experience of studying in
Japan?” question found in the application
research form. Are there certain points that
you think must be tackled while answering
this question?
Again, thanks alot!
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 20
+
Hi Mari,
kind words!
My next article to update is going
to cover the new version of the
application form and those three
open-ended questions.
My recommendation in the
meantime would be to think
about what you want to
accomplish after graduation,
how your research will contribute
to your progress in that goal, and

what other bene!ts that research
could have to others in your !eld.
In general, MEXT is looking to
produce graduates who will
become a bridge between their
home country and Japan and
help promote Japan within their
country. I wrote about this to
some degree in my article about
How to Maximize Your Changes,
and the same philosophy applies
to these questions.
Good Luck!
Reply
Chloe 2019 5 11
Hi,
Sorry to bother you, but I could not !nd any
information on the following point on o"cial
MEXT website.
I will apply soon to the MEXT scholarship and
am particularly interested in a very speci!c
master that does’nt have any other equivalent
in Japan (and abroad).
Is it possible to write only one program in the
placement preference form 2020, or should I
pick-up other similar programs, even if I don’t
think they are exactly what I am looking for?
Would it be a problem to have two blank
spaces after my !rst choice, or is it perfectly
okay?
Thank you for all your work,
Kind regards,
Reply
+
TranSenz 2019 5 20
Hi Chloe,
It is possible to list only one
program, but understand that it
is a risk:
– The embassy is probably going
to ask you why you only have
one program and you are going
to have to persuade them that it
is su"ciently unique that you
could not possibly conduct your
desired research anywhere else.
(Be aware that they may assume
that you simply were too lazy to
research other universities until
you explain.)
– If you are already in touch with
a professor in that program and
have a provisional agreement
from that professor to accept
you if you pass the primary
screening, that’s !ne, but
otherwise you run the risk of not
being able to obtain a Letter of
Acceptance there. In that case,
you could lose the scholarship
(or have to apply somewhere
else after all to be able to get a
Letter of Acceptance) even if you
pass the Primary Screening.
It is not “perfectly okay”, but it
can be possible to leave blank
spaces if you understand and
account for the risks.
Good Luck!
Reply
TESHAGER TADESSE 2019 5 10
which is very intersting scholarship

progrogram
Reply
Kheira 2019 5 10
Thank you so much for this amazing guide!!!!!
I have a concern about the “previous research
in the !eld” section:
Should I talk about another research in the
!eld that has connection with the current
research “existing research”, or can I talk
about my Master’s thesis research which has
tight connection with the current research?
Reply
Kheira 2019 5 10
and,
when describing the previous
research should I talk about the
results of the research or just
describe it methodologically?
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Kheira,
5 18
+
You should describe
what makes it di#erent
from your proposed
research. For example, if
you are researching a
similar topic but with a
di#erent methodology
than what has been
used before, you would
focus on that. In general,
though, you should be
focused on the results
and how your research
will produce results that
do not yet exist to add

to the general level of
knowledge in the !eld.
Good Luck!
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 18
+
Hi Kheira,
The Previous Research in the
Field section should refer to
published research by
established scholars in the !eld
– essentially, you are describing
the state of the academic !eld as
it relates to your research
question.
This section does not refer to
your previous research in the
!eld and I think it is considered
academically undesirable to cite
your own previous work, unless
you are one of the leaders in the
!eld.
Good Luck!
Reply
Jen Ta 2019 5 10
Hi,
Thank you so much for all the articles you
have posted about the MEXT scholarship, it
has really helped! I am just now a bit confused
with the new 2020 research plan format. To
my understanding this now means that an
applicant’s entire research plan should be
covered using this new form and limited to
two pages? There is no need for an extra
research proposal plan? I was under the

impression (from researching online and
reading other’s research proposals) that we
had to !ll out the !eld of study and research
plan form, as well as have a separate research
proposal which would have looked something
along the lines of having an abstract,
introduction, background, conclusion, ect.
I’m sorry, the whole application process has
really confused me even though I have tried
to do as much research on it as I can and even
called my consulate for questions. So thank
you for any clari!cations!
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Jen Ta,
5 17
+
That’s right. Your entire research
plan needs to !t within the two
pages you are given for the
document.
The form changed this year, so
any references you !nd from
past years are going to be based
on a di#erent format. In the past,
there was no space limit and
there were di#erent questions
for the “!eld of study” and
“research plan”, but that does not
apply anymore.
Good Luck!
Reply
wissal cheriet 2019 5 6
thank you so much for keeping us updated

everything is so useful ! god bless you
Reply
Naam 2019 5 6
Hi Travis! Thank you for the article!

I’ve been getting started on my !eld of study
plan and I have one question, it says in the
form that “if possible, write in Japanese” but is
it recommended?
I majored in Japanese so I do have the
capacity to write it in full Japanese, however I
still have more con!dence that I will be able
to express myself better in English. So I
decided to write in Japanese only if it would
be a “bonus point” for me.
So, does an applicant who wrote his
application in Japanese have more chances to
be selected?
Thank you
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 13
+
Hi Naam,
My recommendation is to write
in English if the program you are
applying to is taught in English
and to write in Japanese if it is
taught in Japanese. Ultimately,
you will have to express your
research in the language your
program is taught in, so now is a
good time to start!
Good Luck!
Reply
Aaron 2019 5 6
Thank you for the excellent guide, Travis!
I have some questions about my own
proposal concerning this form.
I think I might have done something wrong
with the categorization of my form.
In , I wrote about the current

problems and gaps in the projected research
and I wrote about why the research is
signi!cant, in detail, in 7 paragraphs. It
includes the objectives of the proposed
research and I used many references in this
part.
And in , I described the plan of the
research, the methodology and the ‘problem
statement’. It took 2 long and 2 short
paragraphs.
The theme is surely longer than the plan but I
did some things with the attachments.
This form is numbered as “3” so I wrote 3 on
top, then I numbered my attachments as 3.1,
3.2, 3.3 and 3.4, four in total.
I am planning to do a survey research to
certain sample groups, so I added sample
questions to the 3.1 and it took two pages.
They are simply “possible” questions to be
asked to the sample group. Then I added my
reserch timetable as 3.2, nothing else. 3.3 is
called “Targeted E#ects”, in which I
hypothesise possible e#ects of the research, it
is a single page too. And 3.4 is references I
cited.
To be honest, I attempted to reduce this page
to 2 pages and I did so by putting extra
information as “attachments”, as there is not a
certain limit to the attachments. I also set the
font size of my own words to 9 or 9,5.
Do you think that this categorization of mine
sounds too wrong? There is too little time left
for the deadline and I got worried.
Thank you a lot for your support to everyone.
Reply
TranSenz 2019 5 12
Hi Aaron,
It’s hard to say without seeing
your actual paper, but it sounds
like you have probably gone into
far more detail than is necessary
and should try to cut out
unnecessary information. As an
example, I don’t think more than
a sentence or two is necessary to
explain your target e#ects. And I
have never seen a plan that
needed more than 2 paragraphs
to explain why the research was
signi!cant.
While what you have done is not
prohibited, my guess is that you
could bene!t from being more
concise. Remember, your
reviewers will be going through
dozens or hundreds of FSRPPs.
The point in limiting the length is
to make it easier for them to read
through each one. You want to
make sure that they can quickly
and easily grasp the value and
preparedness of your research.
Again, please take all of this with
a grain of salt, since I have not
seen your actual FSRPP, but that
would be my feedback in
general.
If you are interested in a full
review, I do o#er that as part of
my coaching services.
Good Luck!
Reply
Pat 2019 5 5
Hi Trans! So nice to see you !nally uploaded
your guide for the 2020 embassy
recommendation. I must say, yes! they
changed it again for this year haha. Is there a
way where I could ask you to review my
important documents before I submit it like
the research plan and application form? Or
course, i understand there is an “expertise
compensation” to this and i think we can
negotiate with that. Let me know what you
think
Reply
TranSenz 2019
Hi Pat,
5 11
+
Yes, I’m working on the new
forms and processes as quickly
as I can. So much changed this
year!
I do o#er a review service and
you can !nd more information at
the “Coaching” link at the top of
the page, including a list of the
services and prices.
At the moment, I have a short
waiting list, so there could be a
slight delay, but if you are
interested, I would be happy to
work with you soon!
Good Luck!
Reply
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MASTER THE MEXT

The Field of Study and Research Program Plan is the

MATTERS How to Apply for the

PURPOSE OF THE FIELD OF STUDY

As a foreigner, you wouldn’t necessarily be expected to Danger (1)

NOTES Scholarships in Japan

recommended MEXT Scholarship application has changed

Length: You are limited to no more than 2 pages for the

Do not bother changing the font size of the instructions –

Titles and Formatting: As you will see below, I recommend

While you may be tempted to forgo titles and blank lines

Tables, Graphs, and Diagrams: If they add to the document

Attachments: I recommend two attachments: The research

COMPLETING THE FIELD OF STUDY

1. PAST AND PRESENT FIELD OF STUDY

Here is what the section should cover.

Make sure that you describe your interest in terms of what

To strengthen the statement above, you could add a

Do not add extra lines to this section beyond what is given

section, so you want to save your space for that.

2-1. RESEARCH THEME IN JAPAN

* The Contribution of ‘Outsider’ Expertise to Rural

It is important to include the intended outcome of your

* This study will elucidate how specialist knowledge

Yes, the original Japanese is also a horrible run-on

Unlike the title, you should format this section in paragraph

This article is only about how to format your form for

2-2. RESEARCH PLAN

Here are the subsections to include. Unlike previous

their own lines, preferably centered, will break it up and

Your !rst paragraph should cover the research question

Remember that not everyone is an expert in your !eld, so

When discussing the bene!ts, it would be bene!cial to

Your !rst sentence should describe the state of the !eld,

your research is targeting a gap in your !eld, then you

Your second sentence should explain how your research

At the end of the Existing Research section, you explained

This section will not be possible for all applicants, but if it is

A hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research

SPECIFIC RESEARCH PLAN

In the past, I recommended including your full research

The !rst, full paragraph should describe your research

There is no need to describe the steps involved in writing

The second, partial paragraph should describe how you

The sections mentioned above should complete the two-

Obviously, your !rst draft is going to need work. I

I do o#er paid reviewing services where I go through the

For more information on my reviewing services, check out

Attachments should not be critical to understanding your

The level of detail that you go into here depends on your

research and your !eld research includes two phases of

However, if you are in a STEM !eld and your research

This is also a good place to mention speci!c coursework

You should have already described your primary research