Japanese Studies - PhD Funding Opportunities 2026 Entry
Internal and external awards to support research in Japanese Studies.
Funding description
The range of funding support includes the Daiwa Scholarship and funding directly from our School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. Please be aware that Daiwa is an external award.
Daiwa Scholarships in Japanese Studies 2026
Daiwa Scholarships (PhD Japanese Studies)
Daiwa fund UK graduates on postgraduate Japan-related courses in either Japan or the UK.
Since 2015, scholarships have been awarded to 34 individuals, focusing on Japan in variety of areas such as archaeology, art, history, Japanese literature.
Key features of this scholarship
- Full tuition fees award (full-time only).
- A maintenance grant of £1,400 per month for periods spent in the UK and ¥280,000 per month for periods spent in Japan to cover accommodation and living costs while on the programme.
- The Foundation will contribute £1,000 towards the cost of one economy class return air fare between the UK and Japan in the case of Scholars who will be flying out to Japan to begin their course of study.
- The Foundation will contribute £1,000 towards the cost of one economy class return air fare per annum between the UK and Japan in the case of relevant travel being undertaken.
- Open to Home (UK) students studying on PhD Japanese Studies.
Candidates for the Daiwa Scholarships in Japanese Studies must be:
- Home (UK) students.
- Holders of (or currently completing) a degree in Japanese Studies, defined as a course focusing primarily on the study of Japan, and containing a substantial Japanese language component. Applicants who hold (or are completing) combined honours courses where Japanese accounts for at least 50% of the course are also eligible to apply.
- Holding an offer for PhD Japanese Studies, or enrolled on the programme.
The academic requirements for PhD Japanese Studies are:
- Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
- Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent).
You should submit a programme application to PhD Japanese Studies before applying for a Daiwa Scholarship in Japanese Studies.
You must then begin your funding application directly with the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. You will need to create an account, complete the application form and upload copies of your Bachelor's and Master's degree certificates and transcripts; evidence of Japanese language proficiency; and a photograph (headshot). You will also need to arrange for 2 academic referees to provide references to scholarships@dajf.org.uk.
- Strong Japanese language ability will be a key selection criterion.
- Of those applicants seeking funding for courses at UK universities, preference will generally be given to students who will undertake part of their studies in Japan. You do not need to be affiliated to a Japanese university, and there is no restriction on the length of the stay in Japan, but this has to comprise a valid part of the Scholar's course in some sense.
- Scholarships will not be awarded to former recipients of Daiwa Scholarships, or to the same individual more than once.
Full award details can be found on the Daiwa website: https://dajf.org.uk/scholarships/japanese-studies
The deadline for applications is Thursday, 29 January 2026.
For more information about this scholarship, please contact Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation scholarships@dajf.org.uk
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures PhD Studentship in Japanese Studies 2026 Entry
School Studentship (PhD Japanese Studies)
This studentship is awarded for PhD research in the study of religion in Japan from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. Preference will be given to proposal addressing the following topics:
- Religion and emotion
- Religious minorities
Key features of this studentship:
- Full tuition fees award (3.5 years) full-time only.
- Annual UKRI maintenance stipend - (this was £20,780 p/a 2025/26).
- This studentship is available to all nationalities studying on PhD Japanese Studies.
The studentship is awarded for PhD research in the study of religion in Japan. Preference will be given to proposal addressing the following topics:
- Religion and emotion
- Religious minorities
Fluency (oral and written) in Japanese is required.
You must meet the academic requirements of PhD Japanese Studies:
- Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
- Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent).
This funding is available to all nationalities.
Application Process
You must submit your online application for a place on your chosen Postgraduate Research programme by 12 January 2026. This is to ensure you hold an offer of a place by the time the school committee make their selection.
Section 9 of the application asks for your funding intentions. In this section, you should detail fully all the competitions in which you would like to be considered. There is no limit to the number of competitions you may enter, but all must be detailed in your online application form to ensure you are included. Please add a funding source, and populate the fields as below:
- Type of Funding: Uni of Manchester Scheme
- Awarding Body (free text): Studentship in Japanese Studies
- Status of Funding: Intend to Apply
Application form: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/admissions/how-to-apply/
Please note that there is no separate funding application form for the Studentship in Japanese Studies. All decisions are based on the online programme application and supporting documents.
Your full online application must include:
- A 1,500 word PhD research proposal
- A copy of your Bachelor's and Master's academic transcript and certificate. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
- An up-to-date academic CV summarising your academic record, employment history, publications and highlighting experience demonstrating your research potential.
- The names of two academic referees, including one from your most recent institution. Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following the submission of your application form.
- A certificate or evidence demonstrating your English language ability and proficiency.
Successful candidates will be chosen on the basis of:
- Academic merit and preparedness for research
- Quality and feasibility of research proposal
- Consideration of ethical responsibility
This award will cover:
- Full tuition fees.
- Annual maintenance stipend at the UKRI rate.
Please note this award does not cover:
- Any costs incurred through a visa application (including the immigration health surcharge).
- Any costs incurred through travel or relocation.
Offers of funding are not deferrable. If you cannot start your programme by the date mentioned in your studentship offer letter, the award will be withdrawn. You are permitted to re-apply in future.
The deadline for applications is 12 January 2026.
Please note that this is a strict deadline and late or incomplete applications will not be included in the competition.
If you have any questions about this studentship, please contact hums.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk
Equality, diversity and inclusion
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We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and career paths. We encourage interest from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation or transgender status.
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