MEXT Scholarship 2016 (Research)

vegeta · 8 Jul 2015

nice help tolly.

My research topic is in electronics engineering, and it really needs an expert to know it and discuss it. Non-specialized people can not do so.

I would really appreciate telling me how did you answer the "Why Japan?" question. I have answers but I am afraid it is not convincing... as you know, this question in particular is answered according to personal preference only, so my preference is different than yours. So how do they judge?

My answer is like:
1- I love Japanese culture and lifestyle.
2- Because Japanese society is built around great moral foundation, and the it's manners are great. along with rich culture and legacy.
3- Japan is a highly technological country. this is useful in my research topic.

and so on.

People told me not to tell them that my goal is to live and work in Japan xD. Is it right? lol

Plus, I was one of very few people that translated anime series as a hobby some 10 years ago. then i worked in a legal and authorized company that offers anime translation to my region. I don't know enough Japanese but translated using English, as all translators there. I was one of the very first translators to join... if not the first!

^ Is that good? does it add up?

I am skeptical about mentioning it because they don't allow working while you are there... except part time work (actually, this is a part time work of around 4 hours a week or so).

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
My answer is like:
1- I love Japanese culture and lifestyle.
2- Because Japanese society is built around great moral foundation, and the it's manners are great. along with rich culture and legacy.
3- Japan is a highly technological country. this is useful in my research topic.

1. very common answer.
2. umm no
3. YES! or u can say the research which is being conducted in your field , in Japan, right now, is interesting and thats why you chose japan!

vegeta said:
Plus, I was one of very few people that translated anime series as a hobby some 10 years ago. then i worked in a legal and authorized company that offers anime translation to my region. I don't know enough Japanese but translated using English, as all translators there. I was one of the very first translators to join... if not the first!

You could mention this. Just mention. Dont focus on it!

vegeta said:
People told me not to tell them that my goal is to live and work in Japan xD. Is it right? lol

LOL yes it is right XD it seems like you are using the scholarship to get into japan, if u say that then your focus in on JAPAN and not your studies.. (If u know what i mean? XD )

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

hojoojoh said:
To those who already wrote the exam: Was it a mixture of fill in the blank/multiple choice, or was it ALL reading comprehension?

The difference between the publicly available 2009/10 exams in quite stark. I wonder how they are this year.

EDIT: @indojindesu , thanks for posting your info about the exam a week ago.

Anyone got anything different?

Glad i could help~~

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
What is the duration of the test? how much did it take for you to complete it? is there any time for revising and stuff?

1. 60 mins test. Japanese is 2 hours i think.
2. depends on your language fluency, some people finished the test in 30 mins! Japanese test was too long. the time wasn't sufficient. (last section was FULL of kanjis. )
3. 50 mins XD i messed up the answers, marked the answers for question 3 in the question 4 XDDD ( i was tensed)
4. no revision time was given to us.

vegeta said:
So the interview came after the test immediately? I expected this. how long did it took? can you please tell us about it and how did it went?

1. interview was immediately after the tests, BUT they calculated the marks first! applicants who passed the tests were interviewed.
2. they interviewed each candidate for around 15 mins minimum.
3. Mine was... horrible XDD i was super scared so idk what i said .. still.. hoping for the best.. fingers crossed.. :angelic:

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

Can anyone help me? I'm thinking about placement preference form? Confused about how to line up the universities? Which is better? Kyoto university or tokyo university? (For science)

jaduka1 · 8 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
nice help tolly.

I am skeptical about mentioning it because they don't allow working while you are there... except part time work (actually, this is a part time work of around 4 hours a week or so).

I asked the question of part time job to the embassy people during my embassy interview. They clearly stated that you are not permited to do any full time or part time job because you will be paid stipend.

vegeta · 8 Jul 2015

indojindesu said:
1. very common answer.
2. umm no
3. YES! or u can say the research which is being conducted in your field , in Japan, right now, is interesting and thats why you chose japan!

Hmm why not mentioning number 2? I think Japanese people have this unique and great feature! I think it is a good reason for me. tell me your reasons please.

LOL yes it is right XD it seems like you are using the scholarship to get into japan, if u say that then your focus in on JAPAN and not your studies.. (If u know what i mean? XD )

hhhh yes I am! but I do want to study and achieve my research. However, ultimately I want to live in Japan and work there using the skills learned by studying. Is that a bad thing? no one ever done it before?

indojindesu said:
1. 60 mins test. Japanese is 2 hours i think.
2. depends on your language fluency, some people finished the test in 30 mins! Japanese test was too long. the time wasn't sufficient. (last section was FULL of kanjis. )
3. 50 mins XD i messed up the answers, marked the answers for question 3 in the question 4 XDDD ( i was tensed)
4. no revision time was given to us.

For the Japanese test, I will hand it over completely bland looool... I plan to learn Japanese language to native degree though.

I just hope success mark for English is just 50%. Although I am good in English.

indojindesu said:
1. interview was immediately after the tests, BUT they calculated the marks first! applicants who passed the tests were interviewed.
2. they interviewed each candidate for around 15 mins minimum.
3. Mine was... horrible XDD i was super scared so idk what i said .. still.. hoping for the best.. fingers crossed.. :angelic:

Well, I just called the embassy right before I pressed "reply". They told me that Monday 13th of June will be exams only, interview is after that and they didn't decided its day yet. The told me that successful candidates in the exams are going to be interviewed. And that scared me! Is English that much hard?! some people can fail!? < given that they are applying to go to Japan and they are highly educated and stuff.... I am research student so only English and Japanese tests I will take.

Well, to let the scary feelings off your shoulder, I suggest telling us about what happened with you during the interview. xD

I mean, what questions did they ask? one by one..

thanks!

jaduka1 · 8 Jul 2015

indojindesu said:
Can anyone help me? I'm thinking about placement preference form? Confused about how to line up the universities? Which is better? Kyoto university or tokyo university? (For science)

Tokyo university is better ranked but to live Kyoto is better.

vegeta · 8 Jul 2015

jaduka1 said:
I asked the question of part time job to the embassy people during my embassy interview. They clearly stated that you are not permited to do any full time or part time job because you will be paid stipend.

they wrote in the guidelines that part time work is allowed, about 8 hours a week or so.

indojindesu said:
Can anyone help me? I'm thinking about placement preference form? Confused about how to line up the universities? Which is better? Kyoto university or tokyo university? (For science)

well, you must have 3 choices. At least one of them must be a national university, also preferably, pick ones that are not in Tokyo due to the huge numbers of applicants.

pick the universities according to your preference and research topic, but be sure to check above advises.

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
Hmm why not mentioning number 2? I think Japanese people have this unique and great feature! I think it is a good reason for me. tell me your reasons please.

hhhh yes I am! but I do want to study and achieve my research. However, ultimately I want to live in Japan and work there using the skills learned by studying. Is that a bad thing? no one ever done it before?

For the Japanese test, I will hand it over completely bland looool... I plan to learn Japanese language to native degree though.

I just hope success mark for English is just 50%. Although I am good in English.

Well, I just called the embassy right before I pressed "reply". They told me that Monday 13th of June will be exams only, interview is after that and they didn't decided its day yet. The told me that successful candidates in the exams are going to be interviewed. And that scared me! Is English that much hard?! some people can fail!? < given that they are applying to go to Japan and they are highly educated and stuff.... I am research student so only English and Japanese tests I will take.

Well, to let the scary feelings off your shoulder, I suggest telling us about what happened with you during the interview. xD

I mean, what questions did they ask? one by one..

thanks!

I dont really remember much of the Interview (like i said, i was scared) but i remember them asking me why are u applying for this subject and all.
The reason i said no to the culture thing is because it sounds cheesy. (In my opinion) culture and all is good, but why do u want to study engineering in japan will be their question. So that answer wont ananswer the question asked. And yes, ppl who get Scholarships like this eventually can choose/might choose to stay in japan but you foucs right now should be your studies, it should not seem like you are using this Scholarship as a free ticket to get to japan. XD
Best luck for your exam!

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

jaduka1 said:
Tokyo university is better ranked but to live Kyoto is better.

Thanks xD thats exactly whats confusing me lol

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
they wrote in the guidelines that part time work is allowed, about 8 hours a week or so.

well, you must have 3 choices. At least one of them must be a national university, also preferably, pick ones that are not in Tokyo due to the huge numbers of applicants.

pick the universities according to your preference and research topic, but be sure to check above advises.

All my choices are national universities i'm just confused about the order. Also research is good both in tokyo and kyoto so .. more confusion..... T.T

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

Also about the part time jobs, you need permission from your supervisor and the university(i think) pls check before u do that!

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

Exam/interview results declared anywhere?

AmerikaJin5 · 8 Jul 2015

indojindesu said:
Can anyone help me? I'm thinking about placement preference form? Confused about how to line up the universities? Which is better? Kyoto university or tokyo university? (For science)

Tokyo University (東京大学) is considered better than Kyoto University (京都大学) but the most important thing is to list your preferred professor/advisor/lab in the first spot (regardless of the university). Of course, both of those universities are considered the top in Japan. You should still have at least one national university that is less popular/competitive, in case admission is limited to the "formerly-Imperial" national universities (see @TranSenz 's blog).
Almost as important as the academics, consider which city in Japan you would like to live most, and the associated living costs, since it will affect your experience and enjoyment
頑張ってね！

indojindesu · 8 Jul 2015

AmerikaJin5 said:
Tokyo University (東京大学) is considered better than Kyoto University (京都大学) but the most important thing is to list your preferred professor/advisor/lab in the first spot (regardless of the university). Of course, both of those universities are considered the top in Japan. You should still have at least one national university that is less popular/competitive, in case admission is limited to the "formerly-Imperial" national universities (see @TranSenz 's blog).
Almost as important as the academics, consider which city in Japan you would like to live most, and the associated living costs, since it will affect your experience and enjoyment
頑張ってね！

ありがとう~♪ I am just thinking ahead of time xD (loads of free time, sick of waiting for notification from the embassy) i havent finalized anything, thanks a lot for your advice!! I will keep those points in mind

jaduka1 · 9 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
Hmm why not mentioning number 2? I think Japanese people have this unique and great feature! I think it is a good reason for me. tell me your reasons please.

hhhh yes I am! but I do want to study and achieve my research. However, ultimately I want to live in Japan and work there using the skills learned by studying. Is that a bad thing? no one ever done it before?

For the Japanese test, I will hand it over completely bland looool... I plan to learn Japanese language to native degree though.

I just hope success mark for English is just 50%. Although I am good in English.

Well, I just called the embassy right before I pressed "reply". They told me that Monday 13th of June will be exams only, interview is after that and they didn't decided its day yet. The told me that successful candidates in the exams are going to be interviewed. And that scared me! Is English that much hard?! some people can fail!? < given that they are applying to go to Japan and they are highly educated and stuff.... I am research student so only English and Japanese tests I will take.

Well, to let the scary feelings off your shoulder, I suggest telling us about what happened with you during the interview. xD

I mean, what questions did they ask? one by one..

thanks!

I was asked following questions:
1. Why you want to do research studies ( I am service person)
2. Have you identified any research professor, university? ( i was ready with placement form)
3. Are you ready for 6 months japanese lang. Course?
4. Who will accompany you to Japan?
5. Are you veg/ non veg?
6. Do you have any questions?
Thats it. It was good 15 Mins interaction.

vegeta · 9 Jul 2015

jaduka1 said:
I was asked following questions:
1. Why you want to do research studies ( I am service person)
2. Have you identified any research professor, university? ( i was ready with placement form)
3. Are you ready for 6 months japanese lang. Course?
4. Who will accompany you to Japan?
5. Are you veg/ non veg?
6. Do you have any questions?
Thats it. It was good 15 Mins interaction.

well, that is really easy unlike many other posts that I read about this interview.

The questions are really easy and straightforward... You don't need any preparation for them.

I expected more specialized questions that talks about the research itself... some people said this.

jaduka1 · 9 Jul 2015

Yes. It was like interaction rather interview. But here we had two interviews. First by technical expert people nominated by government. They asked only questions regarding your field of study. And followed by Embassy Interview.

TranSenz · 9 Jul 2015

kishimi8 said:
Read through your guide, I must say I saw a lot of mistakes I made, now I'm feeling sad as I've submitted my application already.. thanks the guide was informative.

@kishimi8 That wasn't my intent! I guess several of my points were too late for a lot of folks on here.
At any rate, I meant that as a collection of "best practices" from my experience. I'm not saying you have to do it that way to succeed. I wish you the best of luck!

foxfault · 9 Jul 2015

Just got out of my interview and exams! There were only three of us at the consulate. :dead:

Exams: English was a breeze. It came first and it wasn't optional for me (even though I'm American). Japanese was difficult but I speak very limited Japanese. We were allowed to turn in a blank exam and one applicant did that. I did one section only before handing it in.

Then I had three hours to blow before my interview. Longest wait ever.

The interview was, unfortunately, not as casual as so many people were lucky to have! I was essentially grilled for 30-40 minutes on my proposal, on why Japan, what benefits I see with my research in the future. And if I didn't answer to the extent they wanted, they'd continue to press the topic. And the three (Japanese) men on the panel were stone-faced -- I'm used to getting at least a laugh or two during interviews, hah! They seemed reluctant to believe I could pull off the "messages" I aim to convey in the art I propose to make. They were also very concerned that I can't speak Japanese, despite the fact the program I want to enroll in is part of the English-speaking Global 30 programs at Keio. I'm really, really grateful for this forum! It prepare me for the really hard-hitting questions, haha!

Overall though, I think it went as well as it could. Now to wait. Patiently.

eiraku · 9 Jul 2015

vegeta said:
well, that is really easy unlike many other posts that I read about this interview.

The questions are really easy and straightforward... You don't need any preparation for them.

I expected more specialized questions that talks about the research itself... some people said this.

Like most of us have said a few pages before, unfortunately, what interview questions you will be asked is VERY location dependent (and sometimes, vary a lot even amongst candidates at the SAME location). Some Embassies are really critical of the research proposal - while others focus more on the candidates themselves and their abilities to adapt to Japan.

So yeah, it depends. Best thing IMHO is to prepare a bit for both.

TranSenz · 9 Jul 2015

I've seen a lot of interesting posts here about the interview section and it sounds like that's what a lot of people are most concerned about.

Every interviewer is going to be different, but for the "why Japan?" question, here's my two yen, based on the justification I've seen universities use when they apply to MEXT for more scholarships. I'm not saying you have to respond this way, it's just an option:

Government scholarships are often justified as a way for Japan to bring in future leaders from around the world, educate them in Japan and build positive relations with that person so that when they return to their home country, they will be a "bridge" between the two countries. As MEXT scholarship graduates rise through the leadership ranks in companies and governments in their home country, Japan hopes that they will remember their positive experience and help build stronger relations with Japan.
As several other commentators have said, they're not looking for people to work in Japan after graduation (we foreigners in Japan are not yet widely considered valuable or important assets to the Japanese economy).
Instead, talking about how you want to use Japan as a case study and apply the knowledge and connections acquired in Japan to contribute to development in your home country and build stronger relations between the two countries later could be beneficial in an Embassy interview.

For what it's worth.

TranSenz · 9 Jul 2015

foxfault said:
And the three (Japanese) men on the panel were stone-faced -- I'm used to getting at least a laugh or two during interviews, hah!

This has been the case in every interview and presentation I've made in Japan, in English or Japanese. I wouldn't worry about the lack of laughs. I think stony silence must be considered the polite way to listen.
I've gotten some surprisingly positive results from interviews that I thought I'd tanked. Hang in there!

vegeta · 9 Jul 2015

TranSenz said:
I've seen a lot of interesting posts here about the interview section and it sounds like that's what a lot of people are most concerned about.

Every interviewer is going to be different, but for the "why Japan?" question, here's my two yen, based on the justification I've seen universities use when they apply to MEXT for more scholarships. I'm not saying you have to respond this way, it's just an option:

Government scholarships are often justified as a way for Japan to bring in future leaders from around the world, educate them in Japan and build positive relations with that person so that when they return to their home country, they will be a "bridge" between the two countries. As MEXT scholarship graduates rise through the leadership ranks in companies and governments in their home country, Japan hopes that they will remember their positive experience and help build stronger relations with Japan.
As several other commentators have said, they're not looking for people to work in Japan after graduation (we foreigners in Japan are not yet widely considered valuable or important assets to the Japanese economy).
Instead, talking about how you want to use Japan as a case study and apply the knowledge and connections acquired in Japan to contribute to development in your home country and build stronger relations between the two countries later could be beneficial in an Embassy interview.

For what it's worth.

Well, that is already known I guess. Japan doesn't really like foreigners and they only offer this chance for study purposes.

However, if I can get a job before my scholarship ends, and manage to get the employer to sponsor a visa for me and all that stuff.. Am I required to return to my country? i.e, return and be the bridge? will MEXT contact me and do whatever legal means to prevent me from that? Please explain.

I gave my answers to "Why Japan?" above, but I really think it so subjective that shouldn't be judged at all! my reasons are great enough for me but they can be totally ridiculous for someone else. There is no way I can accept other people's mere opinions to judge mine.

Thus, I think we should pick some general good answers. for me, I want to do a research regarding electronics engineering and embedded design which includes high technological advancement. However it is not my only reason as I can do this in America for example. So I added the cultural and moral aspect.

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