What is the Japanese Research Fellowship?

With the goals of further strengthening the fundamentals of international research into Japan and deepening understanding of Japan, the Japanese Research Fellowship invites leading international researchers of the Japanese language, Japanese language education, Japanese literature and Japanese culture to Japan to conduct residential research.

Eligible research

• Japanese language
• Japanese language education
• Japanese literature
• Japanese culture

Applicants

Researchers working in the fields of Japanese language,Japanese language education, Japanese literature or Japanese culture who reside outside Japan and meet all of the criteria below.

• Affiliated with a higher education or research institution (including postdoctoral scholars, adjunct professors and part-time lecturers), or have equivalent research and educational background.
• Researchers with a doctoral degree (including degree to be granted on or before December 31, 2020) OR an equivalent level of research or education background.
• Sufficient Japanese language proficiency to be able to conduct research in Japanese.
• Non-Japanese national residing outside of Japan or Japanese national who has resided outside Japan for 10 years or more and been active in the academic community ,etc. of the country of their residence.
• Able to stay continuously in Japan for the duration of the Fellowship period and participate in research reporting sessions arranged by the Foundation.

Applications are not sought from those whose purpose is to write a doctoral thesis.
As research reporting and communications with the Fellowship secretariat on various procedures will be conducted in Japanese only, a suitable level of Japanese language ability is required.
Those who have previously received support for residential research in Japan may also apply.

Fellowship content

• Invited fellows will have their airfares, living and research expenses, housing and other expenses necessary for conducting research in Japan covered.
• Long-term (12-month) and short-term (6-month) fellowships are available.

Receiving organizations

Invited fellows will conduct their research with the cooperation of one of the following receiving organizations:

• International Research Center for Japanese Studies
• The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute,Urawa
• Kyoto University
• National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics
• Ochanomizu University
• Ritsumeikan University
• Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Waseda University

Visit the official fellowship page to see more details and apply