FAQs

The Trustees currently select up to a maximum of eight Daiwa Scholars each year.

As of  September 2022, 190  Scholars have successfully completed the programme.

Under the terms and conditions of the Daiwa Scholarship, only British citizens are eligible.

The Foundation has extensive contacts across Japan and has successfully arranged a wide range of work placements for Daiwa Scholars. Past Scholars have undertaken work placements at government offices, universities, industrial research centres, law firms, artist workshops, theatres, architecture practices, film schools and a variety of other organisations. Each year the Tokyo Office welcomes a new cohort with new and different career aims, so we also encourage the Scholars to be proactive and to think about potential work placement hosts.

Before leaving for Japan, each new Scholar completes a form in which they expand on their objectives for the work placement. This document provides the basis for discussion between the Scholar and the Foundation on possible hosts and locations for a successful placement.

It is a good idea to have a few alternative organisations in mind. Some Scholars will undertake work placements with two or three organisations.

Once a work placement plan has been agreed, staff in the Tokyo Office work with the Scholar in identifying an appropriate host. The Foundation makes representations to the host and finalises arrangements. The process takes several months to complete to ensure that the placement is suitable for the Scholar.

Scholars cannot undertake paid work as they are in Japan on a student visa and then a cultural activities visa. The Foundation provides Daiwa Scholars with a maintenance grant for the duration of the Scholarship which is to cover accommodation and living costs for a single person, and to enable them to concentrate on language study and fulfil their work placement.

Japanese is a challenging language so candidates must be able to demonstrate a strong ability in foreign languages. Daiwa Scholars study at the Center for Japanese Language at Waseda University.  The centre provides an intensive learning environment.

Studying Japanese is at the heart of the programme. To gain full benefit of the work placement and the homestay it is essential that Scholars attain a good standard in their language studies.

It is essential that Daiwa Scholars are able to interact with people from all backgrounds. Almost all Scholars are able to pursue their hobbies and interests through local clubs, which are ideal for meeting people. Scholars also have the opportunity to experience life outside of Tokyo through the homestay.

Scholars can meet Japanese people through the Japanese-British Society in Tokyo and meet-up groups.

The Foundation’s Tokyo Office helps Scholars find accommodation, arrange a homestay and organise the work placements and is the first point of contact for everyday issues. The Daiwa Foundation Japan in London provides overall co-ordination of the programme and also keeps in regular contact with Scholars.

Daiwa Scholars spend the summer before departure for Japan, on a Japanese language course in the UK.

They depart for Tokyo in autumn and spend approximately 19 months in Japan.

The language study takes place in Tokyo and Daiwa Scholars spend most of their time in the capital city during their work placement. However, the homestay can be anywhere in Japan.

On arrival in Japan, Daiwa Scholars stay at a hotel in central Tokyo. After their orientation, the Foundation’s Tokyo Office assists Scholars locate their own rented apartment. The grant from the Foundation will be enough to cover rent and living expenses in central Tokyo.

While in Japan, Daiwa Scholars receive a monthly maintenance grant of Yen 260,000 which is to cover accommodation and living costs for a single person. While on the programme, Scholars may not undertake remunerated work.

Yes. The Foundation welcomes applications from final-year students and graduates of universities from throughout the UK.  For the 2021 Scholarships, candidates from 71 universities and higher education colleges from across the UK applied for the programme. Since the programme began in 1991, graduates from over 45 different institutes have become Daiwa Scholars, including those from: Bath; Birmingham; Bradford; Brighton; Bristol; Cambridge; Cardiff; Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London; Dundee; Durham; East Anglia; Edinburgh; Exeter; Glasgow; Glasgow School of Art; Goldsmiths, University of London; Heriot Watt; Imperial College London; Kent; King’s College London; Lancaster; Leeds; Leicester; Liverpool; Liverpool John Moores; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London; The London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London; Manchester, Nottingham; Open University; Oxford; The Prince’s Foundation; Queen Mary, University of London; Queen’s Belfast; SOAS, University of London; Sheffield; St Andrews; Staffordshire; Surrey; Sussex; UCL, University of London; University for the Creative Arts; University of the Arts, London; Warwick and York.

All subjects are eligible for consideration except Japanese language. To date, Daiwa Scholars are graduates in over  different subjects including: Aeronautical Engineering, Archaeology, Architecture, Art and Design, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, English, Fashion, Garden Design, Geography, Glass Design, History, History of Art, International Relations and Politics, Jewellery Design, Journalism, Languages and Area Studies, Law, Management, Mathematics, Medicine, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Theatre and Performance Studies and Zoology.

Most Daiwa Scholars have little or no knowledge of Japanese before they start the programme. If your ability is beyond Japan Foundation Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level N3, you cannot be considered for the Daiwa Scholarships but may find our grants programme of interest.

The emphasis of the Daiwa Scholarships is to find individuals who have the potential to become leaders in their chosen career. The Foundation will consider any application that demonstrates excellence in a given field and clear career objectives for the future.

Some Scholars remain in Japan after completing the programme but most return to the UK. They are pursuing a variety of careers and further details can be obtained from the Daiwa Scholars Alumni Association.

Representatives of the Foundation will be attending careers fairs and making presentations at universities across the UK. For more information, see University Visits.

Guides and accounts about living and working Japan are widely available. You can click on our links here:

Related Links – About – Daiwa Foundation (dajf.org.uk)

If you are a student or a recent graduate, then your references should come from your academic tutors. If you graduated some years ago or have relevant professional experience, then it is advisable to obtain a reference from your supervisor or line manager, and two academic references. Your referees should not include relatives or purely personal friends. The references are a vital part of the application and should come from people who know you and your work in an official capacity.

Make sure that the referees you choose know you well.

If you would like advice on the suitability of a referee, please feel free to contact the Scholarships team.

Reference letters can be emailed as PDF attachments to scholarships@dajf.org.uk

They are confidential, so the applicant should not be copied into the email.

The references should give us an idea of your overall personality and temperament, academic prowess, potential, career plans, motivation, interpersonal skills, exposure to foreign languages and cultures, adaptability, and teamwork for example – in short, any features which would make you an excellent candidate for the Daiwa Scholarship programme should be highlighted.

Please make sure that your referees are briefed about the Scholarship, get to see the application form and discuss your appropriateness for it.

Yes.

All interviews for the Daiwa Scholarships are held at Daiwa Foundation Japan House in London. While the Foundation is unable to reimburse travel expenses for candidates to attend the first two interview stages, it will reimburse reasonable travel expenses to attend the final interview. The Foundation regrets that it is unable to reimburse any accommodation costs, should these be incurred.

Candidates invited to the second-stage interview are required to take the MLAT. This test is administered via a CD, is comprised of five parts (number learning, phonetic script, spelling clues, words in sentences and paired associates) and takes no longer than 60-70 minutes to complete. All answers are multiple-choice. The MLAT is not a test that can be prepared for in any way; it simply measures an individual’s aptitude for learning a foreign language. As some candidates have never learnt a foreign language before, it will give us some idea of their ability in this area. A low result on the test doesn’t necessarily mean that the application won’t be taken forward as various factors are taken into consideration when evaluating candidates. Candidates should be aware, however, that language learning, ie, learning Japanese is an integral part of the Scholarship and should be taken seriously.

The Foundation will consider eligible applications from previous unsuccessful candidates. Such candidates should be aware that they must demonstrate the tangible steps they have made in their career since their previous application.

No. The offer to become a Daiwa Scholar must be taken up in the year in which it is given.

If you have a disability,  please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made in relation to the application process or adjustments in order to facilitate interview attendance. If adjustments are necessary in order to take up the Scholarship, these can be discussed at a later stage.