The 2025-2026 application is now closed. The 2026-2027 competition will open in Spring 2025.

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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Japan

6 Open Study/Research Award for Graduating Seniors

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
Grant Period
September Start
Grant Length
10 Months
Award Type
Open Study/Research
Award Profile

This grant introduces recent American graduates to various regions of Japan to pursue language study and independent research at Japanese universities. The main purpose of the research project is to serve as a vehicle for immersion and engagement with the local community. Successful applicants will be chosen who demonstrate maturity, flexibility, and independence.

Grant Length
10 Months
Grant Period
September Start

Grantees must arrive in Japan in September 2025 to participate in the orientation program. 

Orientation
In-Country Orientation

Fulbright group orientation upon arrival in Japan.

Candidate Profile

Applications will only be considered from graduating seniors who will receive bachelor’s degrees between December 2024 and August 2025. Future career and academic objectives are important considerations and should be addressed in the Personal Statement of the application.

 

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

The third largest economy on Earth and Asia’s most prosperous democracy, Japan is home to world-leading universities and research institutions that have produced countless scholars of global distinction, along with cutting-edge innovations that have improved the lives of all.

Since 1952, generations of American Fulbrighters have immersed themselves to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and society that make Japan one of the most fascinating civilizations in history, as well as the most indispensable partner nation for the United States today.

Visiting students enjoy unsurpassed freedom to interact with the people and the land, to experience the beauty of four distinct seasons, and to appreciate the daily contrasts between ancient tradition and cosmopolitan modernity.    

Eligibility
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
3 Months
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible

Applicants who will reside in Japan more than 90 days between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 are not eligible to apply for the 2025-2026 award. There is no exception for undergraduate study abroad regarding the restrictions on residency in Japan.

Degree Level of Applicant
  • Bachelor's
Special Application Instructions

Applications in all disciplines will be considered.

  • Applicants must have interests in Japanese culture and society in the broad sense, not limited within their proposed fields of study. 
  • Applicants demonstrating study or research plans/goals that are strongly related to furthering mutual understanding and cooperative pursuits between Japan and the United States will generally be preferred over those who lack such intent.
Foreign Language Proficiency
Required - Intermediate

At least two years of college-level study, or equivalent, is required prior to commencing the grant. Higher level proficiency may be necessary depending on the requirements of the proposed project.

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation
Independent Study/Research:
No affiliation letter required at deadline

In most cases, the Fulbright Commission arranges affiliations with academic institutions throughout Japan, taking the candidate's background and previous experience in Japan into consideration.

However, candidates in the hard sciences and creative arts must arrange affiliations with Japanese academic institutions, and include invitation letters from those institutions with their Fulbright applications. Candidates in other fields whose research projects require specific placements, i.e., a certain academic advisor or institution, must also provide invitation letters. Other than those two instances, preliminary contact with institutions is strongly discouraged.

Grantees do not enroll as degree students at Japanese universities. They structure their own programs, combining language study, selected course study according to their Japanese proficiency, and individual research under the guidance of an assigned professor. Fellows with prior experience in Japan will be strongly discouraged from returning to the locales of their prior studies or residence.

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition covered in grant benefits

An allowance to cover the mandatory affiliation fees for one university will be provided.

Award Benefits
  • A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
  • International travel benefits
  • Accident & sickness health benefits
  • 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
  • 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

150,000 monthly stipend amount in
￥ [Japanese Yen]

Housing allowance will be provided separately as follows:

  • single: ¥50,000
  • with 1 dependent:  ¥64,000
  • with 2 dependents or more:  ¥80,000
One-Time Allowances

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

300,000 (+$500) in
￥ [Japanese Yen]
  • Language training allowance
  • Research/Materials allowance
  • Settling in allowance
  • Settling-in Allowance: ¥50,000 *
  • Baggage Allowance (round-trip): ¥100,000 and $500
  • Research/Book Allowance: ¥150,000

* The amount of Settling-in Allowance is equivalent to one month's housing allowance. The rate varies according to the grantee's "dependents" status while on grant.

Additional Grant Benefits
  • Mid-year seminar

Grantees are required to participate in a mid-year conference in March 2026.

Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

Average of Monthly Expenditure per Household (One-person Households)
Including housing/foods/other goods and services.

  • Hokkaido&Tohoku: ¥151,748
  • Kanto: ¥178,888
  • Hokuriku&Tokai: ¥167,890
  • Kinki: ¥167,202
  • Chugoku&Shikoku: ¥149,639
  • Kyushu&Okinawa: ¥158,877

Reference: Statistics Bureau of Japan/2023 Yearly Average Survey Results

* NOTE: These are regional averages. Certain metropolitan areas within the regions will likely have higher costs of living than these average figures.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is available

The term "accompanying family dependent" includes the following:  (a) spouse who is not on paid sabbatical from a position in the U.S., who is not on a separate grant scholarship or fellowship tenable in Japan, or who will not be working full-time or earning more than ¥150,000 per month (before tax) in or out of Japan; (b) unmarried children, under 21. 

A monthly Family Allowance will be provided for the period spent in Japan with the grantee. The allowance will not be paid for periods less than 30 consecutive days. 

  • with 1 dependent: ¥32,800
  • with 2 dependents: ¥42,400
  • with 3 or more dependents: ¥52,000
Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EAP@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
https://www.fulbright.jp/eng/index.html
Japanese Language Proposal

Applicants MUST submit a one-page Statement of Grant Purpose in Japanese in addition to the two-page English version. Both documents should be uploaded in the correlating fields in the Fulbright online application. The translated document should be uploaded as a PDF document.

Personal Statement

A one-page Personal Statement in English is required. Please follow the instructions on the "Application Component" page.