Hello, I have some questions that might have been answered somewhere else, but hopefully this is an appropriate place for them and won't be too annoying.
I'm thinking of applying for a research student scholarship next April. I want to use my master's thesis (probably modified slightly) for the research plan. Problem is I read that the research topic is supposed to be somewhat novel, while my topic focuses on the cultural differences between Japan and the West that both make it a difficult market for businesses to enter, but also a lucrative one as well (for reasons I won't go in detail here). Will this be considered uninteresting/already done/bad topic choice to the MEXT people, as far as you can tell?
Second, I feel I'm quite done with school work and writing papers after two degrees. My question is to people that are already/have been research students - what exactly is required of you once you are there? I've been told that there are some research students that do absolutely nothing for two years, but I've also read that they are supposed to go to their professor's lab and do research there. So what is it really like? Are you supposed to show regular progress with your paper, are there deadlines for submission, will someone there actually read the thing, or is it mostly for people that want to go into Master's/PhDs, meaning that you are not expected it to finish in those two years (and no one will pester you if you don't want to go into a degree)? Do you have to be in the university every day (or on some sort of regular basis)? Is this entirely dependent on the university/professor you get?
Third, I have a friend that's going to be in Fukuoka, so I'm looking for university/professor recommendations (business department, or economy) in that city that will basically leave me alone to do my own business.
My plan for the two years scholarship is more of an easing in time, since I can potentially find work with my Bachelors degree after the two years if I choose to, so I'm not really interested in university work (though I'm more than happy to study Japanese, which I hear you can do for 6 months, how hard is that btw?). After the scholarship period is over, is it easy to change your visa from a student one, to a working visa? Is it possible at all, is it too hard and possibly improbable? Or is it not that hard? Also, is it hard finding work as on the student visa?
I apologize again if my questions are annoying or inappropriate.
Thanks in advance.