ServicesTestimonialsFAQArticlesContactFree Consultation

JLPT and exams

MEXT Scholarship Interview and Japanese Test: How to Prepare

By the Hanabuddies team · · 3 min read

If you’re applying for a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship through an embassy, you’ll usually face written tests and an interview after the document screening. The interview is often the deciding stage. It checks whether your study plan is clear and realistic and whether you’re ready for life in Japan, and depending on the embassy and scholarship type it may be partly or fully in Japanese. The best preparation is to know your study plan inside out, practise answering out loud, and if you have some Japanese, be ready to introduce yourself and talk about your plans in it. Here’s what to expect and how to prepare.

How the embassy selection usually works

The process differs by country and by scholarship type (research, undergraduate, teacher training, specialised training college and others), so read your embassy’s guidelines carefully. A typical embassy selection looks like this:

  1. Application documents, including your field of study and study or research plan.
  2. Written tests, which for many categories include Japanese and, for some, English or academic subjects.
  3. An interview with embassy staff and sometimes academics or former scholars.

For some categories, the Japanese test is used mainly to understand your level and plan your language training rather than as a pass mark, so applicants with little Japanese are not always ruled out. Check what your embassy says about this.

Questions you’re likely to be asked

  • Why do you want to study in Japan rather than elsewhere?
  • Explain your study or research plan. Why this topic? Why is it important?
  • Why did you choose these universities or professors?
  • How will your studies benefit your home country, or relations with Japan?
  • What will you do after you finish?
  • How have you studied Japanese, and how will you continue?
  • How will you cope with living in a different culture?

Answering in Japanese

Even if most of the interview is in English, being asked to introduce yourself or answer a few questions in Japanese is common. Prepare a short self-introduction, a two- or three-sentence summary of your research or study goal and a simple answer to “Why Japan?”. Use polite です・ます Japanese, and use 私 (watashi) for “I”. Speaking slowly and clearly is better than reciting something too complex. If you don’t understand a question, it’s fine to say もう一度お願いできますか (“Could you say that again, please?”).

Common mistakes

  • A vague study plan. Panels want specific questions, methods and reasons for choosing Japan.
  • Memorised answers. Practise ideas, not scripts, so you can handle follow-up questions.
  • Not knowing your own application. Reread everything you submitted before the interview.
  • Ignoring the Japanese part. Even a few well-prepared sentences show commitment.

Preparation plan

  1. Summarise your study plan in one minute, in English and, if you can, in Japanese.
  2. Write answers to the likely questions as bullet points, not full scripts.
  3. Do at least two or three mock interviews, including follow-up questions you can’t predict.
  4. Review basic Japanese grammar and vocabulary for the written test, if your category has one. Our JLPT N5 study plan covers the basics.

For the wider picture of applying to study in Japan, see our guide to studying abroad in Japan.

How Hanabuddies can help

Our native Japanese tutors run online mock interviews for scholarship applicants in Japanese and English, help you express your study plan clearly and prepare a polished Japanese self-introduction. We can also help you review Japanese for the written test. Tell us your scholarship category and interview date, and we’ll plan your sessions.