The Tokyo Metropolitan Asian Human Resources Fund (アジア人材資金構想) is a Tokyo Metropolitan Government initiative supporting outstanding Asian master's students at partnered Tokyo-area universities. The fund provides full tuition coverage plus a ¥150,000 monthly living-cost stipend for the standard master's duration of 24 months — making it one of the most generous awards for Asian master's candidates planning to study in Tokyo. The fund frames itself around developing future Asian leaders in business, public policy, and research who will contribute to Tokyo's role as the regional hub. For the 2027 cycle the fund continues its existing structure with university-led selection in autumn 2026.
What the fund covers
The fund covers two components: full tuition at the host university (typically ¥535,800–¥1,400,000 per year depending on whether the host is national, public, or private) and a flat ¥150,000 monthly stipend for living costs. Total support per recipient over the 24-month award is roughly ¥3,600,000 in stipend plus tuition. The fund does not include airfare, dependent allowance, or research grant. Recipients are expected to dedicate themselves to full-time study.
How to apply
Application is not direct to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Instead, applicants apply to the partnered Tokyo university through its standard graduate admission process. The university then nominates outstanding candidates to the fund as part of its admission selection. Partnered Tokyo universities include University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi, Tokyo Institute of Technology (now Institute of Science Tokyo), Tokyo Metropolitan University, Waseda, Keio, and several others. Applicants should signal interest in the fund clearly in their application materials and may be asked to provide a separate fund-specific essay during admission review. Selection is announced together with the admission decision.
Discipline focus and country eligibility
The fund prioritizes applicants from designated Asian countries (China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, and selected others). Discipline focus tilts toward business, public administration, urban planning, environmental science, healthcare, technology policy, and applied engineering. The fund's framing as "Asian human resources for Tokyo's future" means applicants whose career plans articulate a Tokyo-relevant or Asian-regional contribution are most competitive. Pure humanities and pure-theory research is less likely to convert. For broader Tokyo-area study planning, see our cheapest universities in Japan guide and browse all scholarships for additional Asian-applicant options.