Hi from a MEXT alum (2021–2023) — finally signed up

[harsh]

Hi everyone,

Harsh here. Long-time lurker, finally signing up.

A bit of context: I received MEXT (Monbukagakusho) scholarship for my Master's 2021–2023 session, so I've been through the full application timeline — embassy interview, placement allocation, the research-plan back-and-forth with professors, JLPT prep, arrival, all of it. Stayed on after the scholarship ended; currently working as an AI Engineer at a Japanese company in the AI/ML space.

I keep ending up back on JREF whenever a friend or junior is applying for the next MEXT cycle — the studying-in-Japan and textbooks-tests threads have a better signal-to-noise ratio than most other places. Figured I should actually contribute instead of lurking.

On the side I've been building a free JLPT prep site (gyanmirai.com) since finishing my degree. Started as a way to keep my Japanese sharp post-graduation and grew into a fuller platform — N1–N5 kanji/grammar/vocabulary lists, practice tests, mock tests for N1–N4, plus a few drill quizzes. I also keep country-specific MEXT application notes there because the embassy quirks vary so much by country and most guides online flatten that. Happy to answer MEXT questions if anyone's prepping for the next cycle, or working-in-Japan questions for current MEXT scholars wondering what comes after the degree. Looking forward to the studying-in-Japan and JLPT threads especially.

Yoroshiku!
— Harsh

 

[Lothor]

Thanks for joining us! Your experience will be very valuable, particularly with the increasingly strict Japanese language requirements for many people entering Japan.

 

[mdchachi]

If your company is hiring summer interns (college students) let me know. My son is still trying to find a job this summer.

 

[dracuella]

Welcome aboard! Working with AI/ML full-time sounds incredibly exciting - was your Master's thesis about that, too? If I were a student now, I'd probably focus on AI - both out of interest and because of how widely it's being adopted.

 

[PranaliChaudhari]

Hi everyone,

Harsh here. Long-time lurker, finally signing up.

A bit of context: I received MEXT (Monbukagakusho) scholarship for my Master's 2021–2023 session, so I've been through the full application timeline — embassy interview, placement allocation, the research-plan back-and-forth with professors, JLPT prep, arrival, all of it. Stayed on after the scholarship ended; currently working as an AI Engineer at a Japanese company in the AI/ML space.

I keep ending up back on JREF whenever a friend or junior is applying for the next MEXT cycle — the studying-in-Japan and textbooks-tests threads have a better signal-to-noise ratio than most other places. Figured I should actually contribute instead of lurking.

On the side I've been building a free JLPT prep site (gyanmirai.com) since finishing my degree. Started as a way to keep my Japanese sharp post-graduation and grew into a fuller platform — N1–N5 kanji/grammar/vocabulary lists, practice tests, mock tests for N1–N4, plus a few drill quizzes. I also keep country-specific MEXT application notes there because the embassy quirks vary so much by country and most guides online flatten that. Happy to answer MEXT questions if anyone's prepping for the next cycle, or working-in-Japan questions for current MEXT scholars wondering what comes after the degree. Looking forward to the studying-in-Japan and JLPT threads especially.

Yoroshiku!
— Harsh

Hey Harsh, welcome!

That's an awesome journey — going through the full MEXT process and then moving into an AI role here is seriously impressive. I'm sure your experience will help a lot of people who are navigating the same path.

I actually just checked out gyanmirai after reading your post, and it looks really useful. The layout is clean and the content seems pretty well organized, especially for JLPT prep. I'll definitely be using it going forward.

Looking forward to seeing you around the MEXT and JLPT threads!

Yoroshiku

 

[harsh]

Thanks for joining us! Your experience will be very valuable, particularly with the increasingly strict Japanese language requirements for many people entering Japan.

Thanks! Yeah, I've noticed that shift too — especially compared to when I first applied. The expectations around Japanese ability seem a lot higher now, both for university placement and jobs afterward.

Happy to share whatever I can from my experience, especially around JLPT prep and how much Japanese actually matters day-to-day. Looking forward to learning from everyone here as well.

Harsh
Founder- Gyanmirai(Japanese Learning Platform) www.gyanmirai.com

 

[harsh]

If your company is hiring summer interns (college students) let me know. My son is still trying to find a job this summer.

Thanks for reaching out! I'll keep that in mind — if we end up opening summer intern positions, I'll be sure to let you know.

Harsh
Founder – Gyanmirai (Japanese Learning Platform)
www.gyanmirai.com

 

[harsh]

Welcome aboard! Working with AI/ML full-time sounds incredibly exciting - was your Master's thesis about that, too? If I were a student now, I'd probably focus on AI - both out of interest and because of how widely it's being adopted.

Thanks! Yeah, my Master's thesis was actually in the AI/ML space as well, so it's been a pretty natural transition into my current role. Definitely agree — it's a really exciting field to be in right now with how quickly things are evolving.

Harsh
Founder – Gyanmirai (Japanese Learning Platform)
www.gyanmirai.com

 

[harsh]

Hey Harsh, welcome!

That's an awesome journey — going through the full MEXT process and then moving into an AI role here is seriously impressive. I'm sure your experience will help a lot of people who are navigating the same path.

I actually just checked out gyanmirai after reading your post, and it looks really useful. The layout is clean and the content seems pretty well organized, especially for JLPT prep. I'll definitely be using it going forward.

Looking forward to seeing you around the MEXT and JLPT threads!

Yoroshiku

Hey, thanks a lot — really appreciate the kind words!

Glad you found Gyanmirai useful as well. It started pretty small, but I've been gradually building it out based on what I felt was missing when I was preparing for JLPT myself. Still a work in progress, so feedback is always welcome.

It's been growing quite nicely too — currently at 10,000+ active users, and the user base has been increasing by around 100% month over month, which has been really encouraging.

Looking forward to being active here and contributing to the MEXT and JLPT threads. Yoroshiku!

Harsh
Founder – Gyanmirai (Japanese Learning Platform)
www.gyanmirai.com