Guide to University Admissions in Japan 2026: a full step-by-step roadmap

1. Why Japan in 2026Japan is competing aggressively for international students: the government has committed to 400 000 international students by 2033 and is steadily expanding English-taught programmes and automatic scholarships. For you that means three things: free education through the MEXT scholarship, universities like the University of Tokyo (#28 QS 2026) and Kyoto University (#46), and a direct path to work after graduation through the Specified Skilled Worker visa (SSW).2. Two roads: EJU or English-taught programmeThis is the most important decision at the start. You choose between two completely different admission systems:Path A: in Japanese via EJUThe EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission) is the standardised exam for foreigners, run in June and November in 17 countries (Ukraine is sadly not one — the closest centres after Moscow was cancelled are Seoul, Istanbul and Tokyo itself). It has 4 subjects: Japanese language + 3 majors (maths, physics, chemistry, biology, Japanese or World History). Without EJU, applying to a national university in Japanese is impossible.Path B: English-taught programme (G30, GIGA, PEAK, etc.)Since 2008 universities have rolled out English-language programmes:U of Tokyo PEAK (Programs in English at Komaba): Liberal Arts and Environmental Sciences. Application deadline: 30 December 2025.Waseda SILS (School of International Liberal Studies): one of the most accessible paths, ~600 students per year.Sophia FLA (Faculty of Liberal Arts): two intakes (April and September).Kyoto University iUP: STEM fully in English with a mandatory intensive Japanese course in year 1.Tohoku FGL (Future Global Leadership): Engineering, Bioscience, Marine Biology — English-taught, September intake.English-taught programmes do not require EJU — only SAT 1300+ or IB 36+ and TOEFL/IELTS. This is the most realistic route for Ukrainians.3. Language tests: JLPT, TOEFL/IELTS, EJUDifferent paths, different requirements:English-taught programmes: TOEFL iBT 90+ (Todai PEAK 100+), IELTS 7.0+, or native speaker. No Japanese needed for admission.Japanese programmes: JLPT N1 (highest level) for humanities and JLPT N2 for STEM. The exam is held in July and December in Poland, Germany and Italy — register 3 months ahead.EJU: same cities. Todai requires 340+/400 in Japanese and 720+/800 in majors. Waseda from 280/400 in Japanese.4. Documents and academic requirementsHigh-school diploma with Hague apostille and notarised translation (English for English-taught, Japanese for Japanese-taught).Transcript of the last 3 years of high school. Japanese universities are very strict about the "12 years of education" rule — confirm your diploma represents 12 years (it does for Ukraine).TOEFL/IELTS and/or JLPT/EJU certificates.SAT (1300+ for Todai PEAK) or IB Diploma (36+).Personal Statement / Statement of Purpose 1 000–1 500 words. To