Tobitate! (トビタテ！留学JAPAN — "Take Off! Study Abroad Japan") is the Japanese Ministry of Education's flagship programme to reverse Japan's declining outbound student numbers and foster globally-minded Japanese graduates. Since its launch in 2013, Tobitate! has supported over 10,000 Japanese students in bold, individual-designed study abroad experiences across more than 130 countries.
Unlike most scholarships, Tobitate! does not select on grades or IELTS/TOEFL scores. It selects on the boldness, originality, and clarity of your individual study plan. This makes it uniquely accessible — and uniquely demanding in terms of application creativity.
What Tobitate! Covers
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Monthly living allowance | Varies by country — standardised by cost-of-living zone; typically ¥80,000–¥200,000/month |
| Return airfare | Economy class airfare to destination country |
| Overseas travel insurance | Mandatory; covered by Tobitate! |
| Preparation and post-programme support | Pre-departure orientation; alumni network |
| Course fees | Partial support; not necessarily full tuition — universities' financial aid or separate scholarships often needed for high-tuition programmes |
Important: Tobitate! is primarily a living expense and travel support scholarship — it is not a full-tuition award like Chevening or Fulbright. For expensive degree programmes (UK, USA private universities), Tobitate! may need to be combined with other funding sources or university scholarships.
For language schools, professional development programmes, internships, and programmes at lower-cost institutions (many German, Australian, Canadian public universities), Tobitate! often covers the majority of costs.
The Two Streams
1. Industry Human Resource Development Course (産業人材コース)
Target: Students who partner with a corporate co-sponsor as part of their plan. Companies (Japanese or international, large corporations or small businesses) co-sponsor the student's study abroad plan.
How corporate co-sponsorship works:
- The student identifies a company willing to support their plan — ideally in the field they plan to study
- The company does not necessarily pay money; they provide a letter of support, a commitment to host the student's pre-departure preparation or post-return activity, or a guarantee of internship/employment after the programme
- The student submits the application with the company support letter
Who it is for: Students planning careers in business, industry, engineering, technology, or professional services who can identify a corporate partner connected to their field.
2. Diverse Background Course (多様性人材コース)
Target: Students with backgrounds that make study abroad challenging through conventional pathways:
- Students from vocational schools (専門学校) or technical colleges (高等専門学校 — kōsen)
- Students with disabilities
- Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
- Students from remote or rural areas of Japan
- Students with non-conventional academic paths
Who it is for: Students who have a compelling reason why standard study abroad mechanisms don't work for them but who have a strong, bold plan.
Key Eligibility Criteria
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese citizen |
| Enrollment | Currently enrolled at a Japanese university or vocational school (or recent graduate in some cases) |
| University endorsement | Application is through your Japanese university — your university must endorse the application |
| Study plan quality | The primary selection criterion — see below |
| Language | No minimum IELTS or TOEFL score required for Tobitate! itself |
| Age | No strict age limit; most applicants are undergraduate or graduate students aged 18–26 |
The Study Plan — The Heart of Tobitate!
Everything in Tobitate! selection comes down to your study plan. Tobitate! applicants must submit a detailed plan describing:
- Where you will go and what you will do — country, institution, specific activities, duration
- Why this specific place and experience — what makes your chosen location uniquely suited to your plan
- What you will bring back to Japan — specifically how this experience will enable you to contribute to Japan after returning
- Why you specifically — what in your background, experiences, or circumstances makes you the right person for this plan
What Tobitate! Selects For
Originality and boldness: A plan to attend a US university business school is not bold enough on its own. A plan to study regenerative farming practices at a Dutch agricultural cooperative for 8 months, document traditional food preservation techniques through ethnographic research, and return to revitalize a depopulating rural area in Akita through a new agricultural enterprise — this is Tobitate!-level bold.
Specificity: Generic goals ("I want to improve my English" or "I want to experience different cultures") are consistently rejected. The more specific and personal the plan — naming specific organisations, faculty, communities, projects, or problems — the stronger.
Return to Japan narrative: Tobitate! expects you to return and contribute to Japan. The clearest Tobitate! applications describe a specific gap in Japan that the overseas experience will fill, and how the applicant will fill it.
Personal motivation: Why does this person need to do this specific thing? Tobitate! interviewers probe for authentic motivation — not "this looks good on my resume" but "this is the thing I need to do to become who I am becoming."
IELTS and TOEFL — Where They Come In
Tobitate! application itself: No minimum IELTS or TOEFL required.
Your study programme's admission: Whatever institution, programme, or organisation you plan to attend will have its own English (or language) requirements. If your plan involves:
- A UK university: IELTS UKVI Academic 6.5+ needed
- A US university: TOEFL iBT 79–100+ needed
- An Australian university: IELTS 6.5–7.0 needed
- A language school in Australia or Canada: IELTS may not be required
- A company internship in a German-speaking country: German language needed
You must be able to demonstrate (or credibly plan to demonstrate) that you can meet your programme's language requirements.
The Application Process
- Design your study plan — the foundation of everything
- Identify your institution or organisation — get confirmation that they will accept you or a conditional letter of intent
- Find a corporate co-sponsor (Industry stream only) — reach out to companies aligned with your plan
- Apply through your Japanese university — Tobitate! does not accept direct applications; your university must endorse and forward
- University-level selection — your university reviews and selects applicants to nominate
- National selection — MEXT/Tobitate! reviews nominated applications; written review then interview
- Orientation — successful scholars attend a pre-departure preparation programme
- Depart — execute your study plan
- Return and contribute — alumni are expected to contribute to Tobitate! community; many speak at schools, mentor future applicants, or participate in alumni network events
Famous/Notable Tobitate! Alumni
Tobitate! alumni have included students who:
- Built social enterprises serving elderly communities after studying eldercare innovation in the Netherlands
- Studied sustainable urban design in Singapore and returned to work on Smart City projects with Japanese local governments
- Interned with tech startups in Silicon Valley and San Francisco and returned to found Japanese startups
- Studied performing arts in New York and returned to start community theatre programmes in depopulating rural towns
The diversity of plans is intentional — Tobitate! explicitly wants scholars who don't fit into conventional slots.
Tobitate! vs Other Scholarships — Comparison
| Feature | Tobitate! | Fulbright Japan | Chevening Japan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destination | Any | USA only | UK only |
| Level | Any | Master's / research | One-year Master's |
| IELTS/TOEFL | Not required for application | TOEFL 80+ | IELTS UKVI 6.5 |
| Work experience | Not required | Preferred | Required (2+ years) |
| Selection focus | Bold, original plan | Leadership + academics | Leadership |
| Tuition coverage | Partial — living + airfare | Full | Full |
| Plan flexibility | Maximum — you design the experience | Fixed programme structure | Fixed UK master's |
| Duration | Flexible | Fixed | Fixed (1 year) |
Tobitate! and Fulbright together: Some Japanese students apply to Tobitate! first (as undergraduates) for a US exchange or research experience, then apply for Fulbright as graduates for a full master's. The Tobitate! experience strengthens the Fulbright application.
Post-Tobitate! — Job Hunting in Japan
One of Tobitate!'s explicit goals is to change Japanese corporate culture's attitude toward study abroad. Tobitate! partner companies have committed to valuing returned Tobitate! scholars in their hiring. The programme's corporate network includes Toyota, Panasonic, Dentsu, Sumitomo, and many others.
Tobitate! alumni can use the programme's corporate alumni network and the Tobitate! brand recognition in Japanese job hunting — addressing one of the main concerns that deters Japanese students from studying abroad in the first place.
Prepare for IELTS with Gabble — If your Tobitate! plan involves a UK, Australian, or Canadian university, you'll need IELTS for the admission application. Or prepare for TOEFL for US institutions. AI-powered Speaking and Writing practice with instant scores helps you reach your programme's language requirement while you finalise your Tobitate! application.