I wanted to go to Japan to study Fine Arts or Illustration through MEXT scholarship. Upon reading some posts about MEXT, N2 to N1 is the recommended level to apply for the scholarship and I think that my level is just at N5. Does anyone here recommend me to stop school (Currently a G12 student) to learn Japanese and reach N2-N1 level and wait for the 2026-2027 application because the 2024-2025 is over now. And is studying Math and Science still gonna be the admission test for me or it will just be passing of art portfolios/art tests?
by Horror_Ride_8839
4 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**MEXT scholarship in FinArts/Illustration**
I wanted to go to Japan to study Fine Arts or Illustration through MEXT scholarship. Upon reading some posts about MEXT, N2 to N1 is the recommended level to apply for the scholarship and I think that my level is just at N5. Does anyone here recommend me to stop school (Currently a G12 student) to learn Japanese and reach N2-N1 level and wait for the 2026-2027 application because the 2024-2025 is over now. And is studying Math and Science still gonna be the admission test for me or it will just be passing of art portfolios/art tests?
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Gonna give you a reality check. Dreams are great. But in reality, illustration jobs are rare and far between. Most of my friends with illustration degrees end up going into the tattoo trade because you can’t make money from it.
Correct me if I’m wrong but if you’re G12 right now, I’m assuming you’ll be applying for the Undergraduate scholarship? I don’t see why you would need to stop studying to study Japanese. A high school diploma is required to apply anyway.
2024 applications are closed but you can consider applying for 2025 cycle (applications will open around April 2024), and try to improve your Japanese until then. Also make sure that the program you want to take can be covered by the scholarship (for undergraduate, there are specific majors you can take).
Also regarding the admission test: for Undergraduate, the exam consists of Japanese language, English language, Science (Physics, Chem, Bio) and Math. No way around this, unfortunately. Only Research category applicants don’t have the Math and/or Science exams.
About mext scholarship.Even tho N2 N1 is recommended is not required. This only affects depending on the competition in your country. Known a lot of students that gained scholarship as N5 and normally n4. English is the most important for non-english speaking countries
Also happen to know a girl that studied a masters in illustration but dont know about her current situation sadly. It is possible tho, but as they said you need to take into account those observations about your career.
Eitherway if its your dream and you dont care as much about your potentially income just try your best, you got this.