Japanese Government Young Leaders Program (YLP) 2026

The Young Leaders’ Program (YLP) aims to contribute to cultivate future national leaders in Asian and other countries, to contribute to establish friendly relationship among various countries and to improve policy planning activities by forming a network among national leaders through deepening their understanding of Japan. The YLP is one of the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Programs.

• Table of Content
• About Japanese Government MEXT
• Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship
• Requirements for Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship

• Allowance: 242,000 yen per month. Due to the situation of the Japanese Government’s budget, the amount of payment may be subject to change each fiscal year. The scholarship will not be paid to a grantee who is long absent from GRIPS.
• Traveling Costs:
  1. Transportation to Japan: In principle, MEXT stipulates the travel schedule and route, and provides an economy-class airline ticket from the international airport nearest to the grantee’s home address (in principle, the country of nationality) to Narita or Haneda International Airport. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to domestic travel from his/her home address to the nearest international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within Japan (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage, or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc. The grantee shall also bear, at his/her own expense, travel and lodging costs incurred in a third country in case there are no direct flights from the grantee’s country of nationality to Narita or Haneda International Airport. In such cases, MEXT will provide an economy-class airline ticket from the grantee’s country of nationality to the said third country, and from the third country to an international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the host university. The present address in the country of the grantee’s nationality stated in the application form is in principle regarded as the recipient’s “home address”. If, however, the address stated in the application form will be changed at the time of leaving from his/her country, the changed address (limited to within the country of nationality) will be regarded as the “home address”. For cases of travel to Japan from a country other than the grantee’s country of residence due to the grantee’s personal circumstances, MEXT will not provide an airline ticket. If a grantee will arrive in Japan before or after the specified period stated in “2. (7) Arrival in Japan”, travel expenses will not be paid.
  2. Transportation from Japan: In principle, based on the application by the grantee, MEXT will provide an airline ticket to grantees who shall graduate from GRIPS and return to the home country by the end of the final month of the period of scholarship (See “3. Period of Scholarship”) designated by MEXT. MEXT, in principle, shall provide an economy-class airline ticket from Narita or Haneda International Airport to the international airport (in principle, in the country of nationality) nearest to the returning grantee’s residence. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs related to travel from the grantee’s residence in Japan to Narita or Haneda international airport, airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within the country of nationality (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage, or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc.
• Education Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition are waivered.
• Accommodations:
  • In principle, grantees reside at residence halls provided by GRIPS, which plans to arrange accommodations at TIEC (Tokyo International Exchange Center Residence Hall).
  • Please note that, due to TIEC policy, an accommodation is limited to the grantee and
    • spouse, or
    • spouse and child/children.

Requirements for Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship Qualification

1. Nationality: Applicant must be nationals of countries participating in the YLP. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by their arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status).
2. Age: Applicants must be, in principle, under 40 years of age as of October 1, 2026 (i.e. born on or after October 2, 1986).
3. Academic background: Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized/accredited university or college, and have achieved excellent academic performance.
4. Work experience: At least 3 years of full-time work experience in total as of October 1, 2026, in public administration (preferably 5 years or more).
5. English ability: One of the following test scores is required:
   • TOEFL iBT
   • IELTS Academic
   • Other equivalent test.
   • Admission priority will be given to applicants who have a TOEFL iBT score of 79 or higher, or an IELTS Academic score of 6.0 or higher, or other equivalent test scores.
6. Health: Applicants must be judged to be physically able to pursue study in Japan by an examining physician, who must issue a prescribed certificate of health for the applicant.
7. Arrival in Japan: In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan during the period specified by GRIPS, usually within two weeks before or after the first day of the course conducted by GRIPS. If the applicant cannot arrive in Japan during the specified period for personal reasons, travel expenses to Japan will not be paid.
8. Visa requirement: Applicants shall, in principle, newly obtain a “Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission located in the applicant’s country of nationality and enter Japan with the status of residence as “Student.” If the applicant resides in Japan in an exceptional case before acceptance, the applicant must change or renew his/her status of residence to “Student” by the end of the month prior to the installment of the first scholarship payment. Even if the applicant originally held a status of residence such as "Permanent Resident" or "Long-term Resident", he/she should be aware that the original status might not be necessarily regranted after the expiration of the status as a MEXT Scholarship student.
9. Return to home country and resumption of work after the scholarship period: In accordance with the objectives of the YLP, after the scholarship period, applicants are expected to make efforts to build friendly relationships among various countries, including Japan, by creating human and intellectual networks among leaders in countries across the world. To this end, applicants should, in principle, return to their home countries by the end of the final month of the scholarship period and resume their work at the recommending authority or the organization designated by the recommending authorities among others.

Non-Eligibility: Applicants who fall under any or all of the following categories are not eligible. If identified as doing so after acceptance of the scholarship grantees, the applicants will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:

1. Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of their arrival in Japan or during the period of the payment of the scholarship;
2. Those who cannot arrive in Japan by the last date of the period designated by GRIPS;
3. Those who are already enrolled in a Japanese university or other institution with a residence status of “Student” or who are going to be enrolled, or plan to enroll, in a Japanese university or other institution as a privately-financed international student from the time of application to the MEXT scholarship program in the applicant’s country until the commencement of the period for payment of the MEXT scholarship. However, this stipulation does not apply to privately-financed international students who, even though they are enrolled, or are planning to enroll, in a Japanese university, verifiably complete their studies before the start of the scholarship payment period, return to their home country at the time of the scholarship application, and newly acquire the “Student” residence status and come to Japan;
4. Those who are currently also applying to another program under the Japanese Government Scholarship system. This includes the programs for which scholarship payments will begin in FY2025, although their final selection results have not been decided yet, and the programs for which scholarship payments will begin in FY2026;
5. Those who are planning to receive other scholarships or fellowships from the Japanese government, a Japanese government-related organization or others after the start of the scholarship payment period;
6. Holders of dual nationality at the time of application who cannot verify that they will give up Japanese nationality by the time of the arrival in Japan (the acquisition of student status);
7. Those who change their residence status to that of other than “Student” after their arrival in Japan;
8. Those who plan, from the time of application for the MEXT scholarship program, to engage in long-term research (such as fieldwork or internship) outside Japan or plan to take a long-term leave of absence from the host university;
9. Those who will lose their status as a public administrator or government official subsequent to the time of application or before completion of the program.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Young Leaders Program (YLP) Postgraduate Scholarship

1. Based on the recommendation of authorities, GRIPS will select initial candidates from among applicants by means of a review of the submitted documents and an interview. The evaluation of the submitted documents will determine whether the applicant will proceed to an interview. An interview will be conducted by either of the following: face-to-face in the applicant’s home country, by telephone, or through the internet.
2. Those who have been selected initially by GRIPS will be put forward to the YLP committee established by MEXT for the final selection.
3. The final result will be notified to applicants through the Japanese Embassy/the recommending authorities.

Documents Required for Application

Applicants may only apply to GRIPS once in an academic year. Note: application for more than one GRIPS program is not permitted.

1. Application form for the School of Local Governance Course (1 original; use the designated form)
2. Recommendation letter from the recommending authority (1 original)
3. Two (2) letters of recommendation (1 original for each letter; use the designated form)
4. Official transcripts of academic record and graduation/degree certificates (1 original for each document)
5. Official graduation/degree certificates
6. Official evidence of English ability (1 original)
7. Copy of your passport (1 photocopy)
8. Essay explaining applicant's aspirations and future plans following program completion (1 original)
9. Answers to the essay questions (1 original)
10. Certificate of health (1 original, use the designated form)

Notes for application documents

• Please note that if you provide any false or misleading statement or incomplete or inaccurate information in your application, your application may be rejected from screening, you may be denied admission to GRIPS, or, if you have been admitted, you may be dismissed from GRIPS.
• A complete set of your required application documents must reach your recommending authority by the designated deadline. Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
• All materials submitted by an applicant become the property of GRIPS and will not be returned. Please make sure to keep one copy of your application for your records.
• All documents must be in English. If the document is prepared in other languages, an English translation by an accredited translator should be provided.
• Application documents to be prepared solely by the applicant, should be typed by computer wherever possible (A4 size paper and single-sided printing are preferable). If circumstances require, documents legibly handwritten with a ballpoint pen are acceptable.
• If your name as written in your application is different from that on the document(s) you submit, and if there is some reason (e.g. marriage) for the difference, please submit official documentation of that reason (e.g. marriage certificate).
• Photocopies will not be accepted.
• Digital copies sent by e-mail will not be accepted.
• Number the documents from 1 to 10 (the items numbered in the list) in the upper right corner of each document.

Check also:
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 2027
Global Korea Scholarship 2027

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, kindly visit Young Leaders Program webpage.