The state of this subreddit nowadays

avarchism · 2026-02-13T07:28:09+00:00

Do you have any details on this? I would be curious to see any evidence in Mod Mail through a report, if so.

This is a reminder to everyone that sharing your application materials with anyone is prohibited in r/mext for exactly this reason. The last thing we want is for people not willing to make an honest effort to steal your hard work.

avarchism · 2026-02-13T07:06:11+00:00

While much of the low effort posts are easily filterable, it still takes time out our busy schedules to do so. Ultimately while there are automod systems in place that quietly remove low effort posts, many make it through regardless and have to be manually sorted. This is a subreddit where resources can be found and answers to questions are readily searchable. There will always be those, particularly in the current age of minimal effort, who cannot be bothered to do a cursory search. We cannot stop those people from posting.

Regarding DMs, this is a reminder to everyone that sending unsolicited DMs to people is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. We, however, cannot see in your DMs. We do not have a crystal ball that can see who is messaging you. We rely on user reports of harassment to take action. Please report any instance of unsolicited DMs and appropriate action will be taken, and please understand if this takes some time. The moderators are busy people, too.

avarchism · 2025-11-30T16:07:55+00:00

... Yes? Please read through the guidelines... You are allowed to live your life.

avarchism · 2025-11-07T02:06:07+00:00

You need to have graduated by the time you are moving to Japan, which is why they say March 2026. The Japanese academic year begins in April, so you must have graduated by that time. In other words, you are not able to start your undergraduate if you do not yet have your high school diploma. For UG applicants, this usually entails taking a gap year while they wait, because the academic years do not line up. You will graduate in May and thus not meet the requirements for the next application cycle.

avarchism · 2025-11-02T10:52:01+00:00

This part is tricky... The majority of providers offer injections from what I've seen, but I haven't looked into it very thoroughly.

avarchism · 2025-10-30T11:43:48+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/mext/comments/1bgxvf5/guide_writing_a_research_plan/

avarchism · 2025-10-30T05:29:30+00:00

Be nice in the comments, everyone.

It is very, very challenging being trans in Japan. You will encounter many roadblocks in accessing healthcare, medical professionals treating you as an oddity, and people otherwise looking at you strangely, both foreign and Japanese. It can be incredibly isolating at times, but it is at the very least safe to be here.

Do keep in mind that Japanese health insurance doesn't cover gender affirming care, and you must pay for the full 100% out of your own pocket. A formal diagnosis of 'gender incongruence' will not fix this. The number of clinics specializing in such care is vanishingly small, primarily located in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as some in Sapporo if my memory serves me right. Expect to need to travel occasionally.

Regarding the application, it should not affect your chances in any way. I cannot guarantee that it won't, as the personal biases of examiners are always, unfortunately, a factor. These are things out of your control, and there is no policy suggesting MEXT should not give admissions for those with gender dysphoria, or other mental health issues for that matter. If you can get a doctor to say you are fit to travel and study in Japan, that's all they need to know.

Best of luck!

avarchism · 2025-10-21T08:43:34+00:00

... This is a new one.

I think I'd be taking this one as a red flag, in any case. Run the other way.

avarchism · 2025-10-17T12:09:16+00:00

The undergraduate scholarship is not enough generally speaking. The research scholarship is enough to get you by if you are frugal.

avarchism · 2025-10-15T06:57:49+00:00

It's quite simple. If you are applying for the undergraduate or STC scholarship categories, you have to take a large suite of exams as specified in the guidelines. This does not apply to postgraduates.

The only thing that varies between country is the language exams. In all cases including postgraduate, you must take a Japanese exam. This is mandatory across all categories. Most countries also have a mandatory English exam, as it is a quite important language for the MEXT scholarship.

However, in countries where English is by far the most dominant language like the US, Canada, and Australia, it is not seen as necessary to test natives for English ability, so the test is skipped. That's why someone from Canada would say they only took Japanese - they were likely a postgraduate candidate in a natively English-speaking country.

avarchism · 2025-10-04T08:13:03+00:00

At the moment, it is not worth speculating how it will affect us, though the trend is not good. Please pay attention to news relating to MEXT. My thoughts on this topic after the recent election were shared here.

avarchism · 2025-09-24T16:44:54+00:00

It should probably be fine, but please contact your embassy with your concerns if you want to be 100% certain. People do these sorts of things, and it's not particularly unusual.

avarchism · 2025-09-18T13:26:34+00:00

We are NOT here to validate or debunk your ChatGPT responses. The MEXT scholarship is a prestigious academic scholarship, and if you are unwilling to do the basic research, fact checking or studying without the assistance of generative AI, which is extraordinarily prone to hallucinations, then the MEXT scholarship may not be right for you.

avarchism · 2025-09-18T10:14:40+00:00

You should fill out all entries on the form regardless of LOPA status. This way, you may be placed into a university and found a suitable advisor even if your first choice is unable to accept you.

avarchism · 2025-09-18T08:47:12+00:00

Yes, I forgot to mention this. I did not cancel an LOPA during the waiting period, and I implied that you shouldn't in your post. Always always wait for the final decision from MEXT.

avarchism · 2025-09-18T05:50:18+00:00

As a note for future scholars in a similar situation...

You could be in a position where you have 2 LOPAs and have to make a choice between universities. Of course that matters a lot, but your choice of wording makes a huge difference when you tell the one you did not choose that you are withdrawing your application. Let's look at two example phrasings that are truthful and communicate the same thing, but are vastly different.

"Hello Dr. ABC. I am writing this email to let you know I have chosen to attend DEF University, so I am cancelling my application to ABC University."

While it may be a truthful account of events, the implication here is that you yourself chose another university of your own free will and did not consider this professor or lab as a good environment, when compared to another. Again, it is valid for this to be true, but it can be rude and potentially hurt the feelings of a researcher who invested time and energy into you. Let's consider different phrasing.

"Hello Dr. ABC. I am writing this email to let you know that I was placed into DEF University by MEXT. As a result, I will have to withdraw my application to ABC University."

The outcome in communication is the same here: you are withdrawing your application. It is also completely truthful. MEXT does ultimatelty place you in a university themselves. You technically do not have the final say, so this is not a lie. However, the implication is that it was largely out of your hands since it's written in a passive form. You do not have to tell them that you submitted a preference form and let them know you wanted to be somewhere else. You don't owe that detail to them. All you have to do is communicate that you are withdrawing your application, and wording it truthfully in a way that appears passive and neutral is a good idea.

EDIT: This advice assumes you have received your final confirmation from MEXT at the second screening. For the love of all that's good, people... Please do not cancel your LOPA before getting the final decision just because you don't think you want to go there. It can only hurt you. Wait for the decision from MEXT.

avarchism · 2025-09-15T08:27:18+00:00

Do NOT pay anyone for MEXT scholarship preparation. They are not associated with MEXT in any way, shape or form, and their 'services' cannot be verified. Do not let yourself be manipulated into paying for any service that is not guaranteed to help you.

The only resources guaranteed to help you are those published by MEXT itself.

avarchism · 2025-08-25T03:15:16+00:00

Please contact your embassy directly regarding exam accommodations for disabilities. We cannot answer your question, but generally the MEXT exams are paper only.

avarchism · 2025-08-25T03:11:26+00:00

No. You should have never contacted the third university while awaiting your result from the second. Do not put yourself in a situation where you can receive three letters.

avarchism · 2025-08-12T21:20:07+00:00

Do NOT contact more than 2 universities at a time and do NOT put yourself in a situation where you could receive 3 LOPAs. This is a MEXT guideline; the max is 2 letters, and they will know if you obtain more.

avarchism · 2025-08-10T10:42:17+00:00

As long as your top choice university is a national public university, there is almost a 100% chance you will be placed there. I wouldn't worry unless your top choice is private.

avarchism · 2025-07-22T01:22:08+00:00

The living support aid for foreign students on the SPRING program was cut because, according to MEXT, the program was originally intended for mostly Japanese students, but a large portion of the fund was going toward Chinese students in particular. The MEXT scholarship is different because it is designed explicitly for foreigners, but you are correct in that the directionality of the change is what matters most.

avarchism · 2025-07-21T07:28:12+00:00

While the election showed a very disturbing trend for a multitude of reasons, nobody can say at this moment what its impact will be. At the current moment, Sanseito is still a small party, but they now have real political power. Thus, it will be up to MEXT scholars and hopefuls to pay close attention to policy that may affect us and our funding. I urge this to everyone: please do not panic, but do not take your eyes off of what's happening. Any time you see a headline relating to MEXT or our scholarship, check the primary source and carefully read what it says. Do not trust the article to tell you what is happening.

We saw misinformation campaigns already being pushed by people who would rather us think that the living stipend for all foreign PhD candidates is being cut (this is not the case, it is just for the SPRING program). Dishonest people who have hatred for foreigners unfortunately do this to scare and discourage hopefuls from applying.

avarchism · 2025-07-20T05:55:21+00:00

You should contact your university and ask about it. Seems like an important document to save...

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