The Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship for Overseas Candidates supports international students who live outside Japan and will join a master's or doctoral programme at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Japan.
For April 2027 entry, applications to APU close on October 7, 2026. The deadline for September 2027 entry, September 15, 2026, has passed.
What the scholarship pays
140,000 yen a month for two years, for master's and doctoral students
Economy airfare and other travel costs, reimbursed up to 250,000 yen after arrival
Who can apply
Applicants must not hold Japanese nationality, including dual nationals, must enter Japan on a student visa, must live outside Japan until the programme starts, and must have spent no more than 31 days in Japan in total, with narrow exceptions.
They need Japanese at JLPT N4 level or above and must be born after April 2, 1982. The nationality and visa conditions can be met by the time you arrive.
How to apply
You apply separately to APU and to the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation. In your APU online application, say you want to be considered for this scholarship, and submit it by the deadline.
APU issues a letter of acceptance to selected candidates after admission results; you then send it to the foundation. Tell the foundation when you apply that your acceptance letter will come after its deadline.
APU notes that the conditions can change, so check the foundation's own application guidelines before applying.
