EJU 2026 - The Exam for Japanese Universities Explained

Bottom Line Up Front

The EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission, 日本留学試験) is a standardized exam run by JASSO (the Japan Student Services Organization), required by most public Japanese universities for candidates applying to a Japanese-track BSc or MSc - that is, degree programs taught entirely in Japanese.

Three sentences that will save you weeks of reading:

1. The EJU is required ONLY for the Japanese-track. If you apply to PEAK (University of Tokyo, English-medium liberal arts), GSC (Kyoto University, English-medium science), or G30 (Tohoku, Osaka, Nagoya English-track), the EJU is not required. There, what counts is the SAT/ACT, the IB, A-levels or a national school-leaving exam plus TOEFL/IELTS.
2. EJU = Japanese at an N1/N2 level + subjects. Realistically you need two years of intensive Japanese study before you even sit the EJU. For most international students that means a gap year at minimum.
3. The EJU runs twice a year - in June and November. To take it you either fly to Japan (the exam is not offered anywhere in Europe, the Americas, Africa or Oceania) or to one of the 14 countries with a local center (Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia, Singapore, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Russia).

This guide takes you from the “Japanese-track or English-track” decision through registration, scoring and a prep strategy, all the way to a realistic comparison of the routes open to an international student. Every figure comes from official sources: JASSO, MEXT and the Japanese national universities themselves (.ac.jp).

What is the EJU, and who has to take it?

The EJU (日本留学試験, Nihon Ryūgaku Shiken) was introduced by JASSO in 2002, replacing two older exams: the General Examination for Foreign Students (the academic level) and a JLPT-based language test. The aim was to unify the admissions process for international students applying to Japanese universities.

The EJU measures two things at once:

• Japanese-language ability at an academic level (the Japanese as a Foreign Language section, JFL)
• Subject knowledge at a level comparable to Japan’s own school-leaving curriculum (Japan and the World, Math, Science)

Who has to sit the EJU? Practically every international candidate applying to an undergraduate Japanese-track program at a Japanese national university (国立大学, kokuritsu daigaku) or public university (公立大学, kōritsu daigaku). Most private universities also accept (and often require) the EJU - including Waseda, Keio, Sophia and ICU for their Japanese-medium programs.

Who the EJU does NOT apply to:

• PEAK candidates at the University of Tokyo (Programs in English at Komaba) - see studying at the University of Tokyo (Todai)
• GSC candidates at Kyoto University (Graduate School of Science / Undergraduate International) - see studying at Kyoto University (Kyodai)
• Candidates for the G30 / FrontierBA programs at Osaka, Tohoku, Nagoya and Kyushu - see studying at Osaka University and studying at Tohoku University
• Candidates for the International Bachelor at Tokyo Tech (Institute of Science Tokyo) - see studying at Tokyo Tech
• Most MEXT Scholarship Embassy Recommendation candidates (they have their own pre-selection exams; the EJU is sometimes optional or replaced by the “MEXT exam”)

In other words: the EJU is the exam for people who have deliberately chosen to study in Japanese, in Japan. If you want to study in English, this exam is not your problem - though it is worth understanding what it is, because many rankings and forums confuse the two routes.

Where does this Japanese-track vs English-track split come from?

Under its “300,000 international students by 2027” policy (MEXT, 2014, updated 2023), the Japanese government deliberately maintains two parallel systems:

• Japanese-track (the main one, ~85% of places for international students) - full integration into the Japanese academic system, with the EJU mandatory
• English-track (PEAK, GSC, G30, ~15% of places) - fully English-taught programs, designed for students who do not speak Japanese but want to study in Japan

For an international student the choice is far from obvious, and we return to it in section 6.

What sections make up the EJU, and how long does each take?

The EJU has four subject sections plus an optional English Listening component. The candidate chooses which sections to sit - each university spells out in its admissions notice which ones it requires.

Section 1: Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) - 125 minutes

The most important section. Practically every university that requires the EJU requires JFL. It has four sub-sections:

125 minutes in total, scored 0-400 points (Reading + Listening + Listening-Reading) plus a separate 0-50 points for Writing. The theoretical maximum is therefore 450, but universities usually look at the “core 400” plus Writing separately.

The level realistically corresponds to JLPT N2 (lower bound) up to N1 (upper bound). You cannot pass JFL with a decent score at an N3 level - the vocabulary and reading pace are simply too academic.

Section 2: Japan and the World (総合科目) - 80 minutes

The equivalent of Japanese “social studies” - history, geography, economics, politics and international relations, with an emphasis on the history and geography of Japan and the wider world. Usually required for the humanities, law, economics and the social sciences.

80 minutes, scored 0-200, around 38-40 multiple-choice questions, all in Japanese. The material roughly matches Japan’s own school-leaving social-studies curriculum - meaning it expects knowledge of, among other things, the Edo and Meiji periods, the structure of the Japanese economy, the UN, the G7 and the EU. Familiarity with 19th- and 20th-century European history will help, but you still have to learn the Japanese perspective.

Section 3: Mathematics (数学) - 80 minutes

Two levels to choose from:

• Course 1 - for the humanities, economics and some natural sciences. Algebra, functions, statistics, geometry. Comparable to a standard-level secondary-school maths course plus some of the higher-level material.
• Course 2 - for the sciences, engineering and medicine. Course 1 plus calculus, sequences, complex numbers, differential equations and 3D vectors. The level is higher than a typical advanced school-leaving maths course - closer in some questions to national maths-olympiad standard.

80 minutes, scored 0-200. The content can be sat in Japanese OR in English (the only section with that option). A strong maths student with a solid advanced school-leaving result (above 70%) has a realistic shot at 150+ on Course 2 if they sit it in English.

Section 4: Science (理科) - 80 minutes

You pick two of three: Physics (物理), Chemistry (化学), Biology (生物). You sit those two in a single 80-minute session.

Scored 0-200 combined (each subject 0-100). As with maths, the content is available in Japanese or English. The level is comparable to advanced school-leaving physics/chemistry/biology - here an internationally well-prepared student is in no worse a position than a Japanese one.

Optional section: English Listening - for selected universities only

Some universities (Hitotsubashi, parts of Waseda) require a TOEFL/IELTS score - not the EJU English component. EJU English is not part of the main exam in the same way as the other sections and is often replaced by TOEFL/IELTS in the requirements. Always check the specific university.

Total time and the shape of the exam day

In practice a single EJU day runs 6-7 hours with breaks. JFL in the morning, subjects in the afternoon. The exam is paper-based, everything in 2B pencil (the Japanese standard - bring your own or buy them at a 7-Eleven), with optically scanned answer sheets.

How do you register for the EJU from abroad?

This is where the problems begin. The EJU is not offered in Europe, the Americas, Africa or Oceania. For most international candidates the nearest test center is in:

• Moscow / St. Petersburg (Russia) - logistically off the table for most Western candidates since 2022
• Seoul / Busan (South Korea) - the most popular option for Europeans; a flight from most of Europe is around 10 hours and a Korean visa is usually not required for stays under 90 days
• Taipei (Taiwan) - an alternative to Korea
• Japan itself - Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Naha (Okinawa) and a dozen or so provincial cities

Realistically, for a candidate based outside Asia this means a flight to Tokyo or Seoul, accommodation, and a cost of USD 1,100-1,600 just to get to the exam (a long-haul flight to Tokyo in November is roughly USD 800-1,300, a hostel/hotel for 3 nights USD 200-400, food and transport ~USD 130).

Step by step: registering through JASSO

1. Go to the official JASSO portal: jasso.go.jp/en/eju. The “Application” section opens ~3 months before the exam. For the June session that’s usually March; for the November session, usually August.
2. Create an examinee account (Examinee Registration). It requires a passport scan, your home address, an email and a phone number.
3. Choose your exam location - Japan vs Overseas. The list of overseas centers is published on JASSO each year.
4. Choose your sections - JFL is essentially mandatory; subjects according to your target universities’ requirements. Take the maximum you have been told to - each section’s score is reported separately, so a surplus does no harm, but every section is charged separately.
5. Pay the exam fee:
   • Japan: JPY 14,000 for 1 section, JPY 21,000 for 2+ sections (roughly USD 95-145)
   • Overseas (Korea, Taiwan etc.): similar, JPY 14,000 / 21,000, paid locally
6. Download your Examination Voucher ~3 weeks before the exam.
7. On exam day - passport + voucher + 2 HB/2B pencils + an eraser. No digital watch, no phone (obviously).

The 2026 calendar

Always confirm exact dates at jasso.go.jp/en/eju/examinee/schedule - they are published officially a year in advance.

Key logistical nuances

• Scores are valid for two years - you can sit the EJU in November 2026 and apply for the 2027/2028 admissions cycle.
• You can sit it multiple times - universities look at your best result from the past two years (most do - check the specific university’s policy).
• Results are available in Japanese only - through the Online Result Inquiry system, login = examinee number + date of birth.
• You do not send your score to universities yourself - Japanese universities pull results directly from JASSO once you supply your EJU number in your application.

How does EJU scoring work?

This point is often misunderstood by candidates from outside Asia. The EJU has no “passing score” - there is no result that guarantees admission, and none that automatically eliminates you. Each university, each faculty, sometimes each program, sets its own thresholds.

The score scale (official, JASSO)

So for a candidate to University of Tokyo Japanese-track engineering a realistic target is:

• JFL: 350+ / 400 (~88%)
• JFL Writing: 40+ / 50
• Math Course 2: 180+ / 200
• Science (Physics + Chemistry): 170+ / 200

That is a very high bar. By comparison, for less selective public universities (e.g. Hokkaido University, or Kyushu University outside its top departments) a JFL of ~280-300 and subjects of ~140-160 are enough.

Average-score statistics (JASSO 2023, the most recent publicly available)

From the JASSO report for the November 2023 session:

• Average JFL Reading+Listening+L-R: 236 / 400 (~59%)
• Average Math Course 1: 108 / 200
• Average Math Course 2: 115 / 200
• Average Physics: 48 / 100
• Average Chemistry: 52 / 100

In other words, the average EJU candidate is a long way from the thresholds of the top universities. The top Japanese universities take candidates from the upper 5-10% of the EJU distribution. It is the same phenomenon you see with any rigorous school-leaving exam - the average is low, but the top candidates are genuinely top.

How does a university combine the EJU with the rest of the application?

Most Japanese universities use an EJU + Document Screening + Interview / Subject Exam model:

1. Stage 1: EJU - your EJU score is the basis of the cut-off. Miss the minimum and you go no further.
2. Stage 2: Document Screening - school grades (transcript), a motivation letter, a CV, sometimes references. They look at your school-leaving qualification here too, though they do not convert it 1:1 into a Japanese GPA.
3. Stage 3: Subject Exam and/or an on-campus Interview - this requires traveling to Japan. The interview is in Japanese, sometimes with an additional written exam in the main subject of your intended major.

In other words: the EJU is the entry gate, not the whole entrance exam. By way of comparison, it is more like the SAT for a US university than like a school-leaving exam for a domestic university. The EJU score alone is not enough.

How do you realistically prepare for the EJU?

Time for specifics. A student in the last years of secondary school who wants to sit the EJU is looking at a scenario that demands a 2-3 year plan. Here is a realistic timeline.

Phase 1: Japanese from zero to N3 (year 1)

Without Japanese at even an N3 level there is no point starting EJU JFL prep. This is the absolute prerequisite.

• Materials: Genki I and II (the standard textbook), Tobira (intermediate), Anki apps (the Core 2k/6k/10k decks).
• Realistic pace: 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 12 months → N3 level by year’s end.
• Checkpoint: pass JLPT N3 in December (the JLPT is held twice a year at test centers worldwide).

Phase 2: N3 → N2 (year 2, months 13-20)

• Materials: Shin Kanzen Master N2 (all five volumes: vocab, kanji, grammar, reading, listening), Sou Matome as a supplement, So-matome for kanji.
• Pace: 3-4 hours a day, intensive reading of academic texts (NHK News Easy, then regular NHK News, then the Asahi Shimbun).
• Checkpoint: JLPT N2 in December of year 2.

Phase 3: Targeted EJU prep (months 20-30)

Only now does EJU-specific preparation begin. Before: general Japanese. Now: the exact exam format.

• JASSO Past Papers - JASSO publishes official papers from previous sessions (every session, every section). They are free at jasso.go.jp/en/eju/examinee/pastexam. This is by far the most important resource.
• Bonjinsha EJU prep books - a Japanese publisher whose “EJU Practice Workbook” series covers every section. Buy them on Amazon.co.jp or Kinokuniya online.
• Full mock exams - at least 3 full, timed mocks before the real EJU.
• A Japanese tutor - if you can afford it, a recommended option: italki / Preply tutors who specialize in EJU prep (~USD 20-40/hour). 1-2 lessons a week for 6 months = USD 1,000-1,900 of investment.

Phase 4: Subjects in Japanese (in parallel, months 18-30)

A step many candidates skip. Math and Science in Japanese is a different vocabulary. Even if you know physics inside out in your own language, the Japanese terms - “angle of incidence” (入射角 nyū-shakaku), “unit vector” (単位ベクトル tan’i-bekutoru), “definite integral” (定積分 teiseki-bun) - have to be learned separately.

• Tip: if you sit Math/Science in English (an option on the EJU), you skip this step. An international student with strong English physics/maths terminology - olympiad-level, say - should sit Math/Science in English, and reserve Japanese for JFL and Japan and the World only.

Phase 5: The final 6 weeks

• 5-6 full EJU mocks
• An error analysis per section
• Daily contact with Japanese (NHK Radio News, podcasts)
• Writing reinforcement (a timed 30-minute essay, daily, for the final 4 weeks)

A realistic budget (USD)

Plus, of course, 2-3 years of your time, which you will not spend on other preparation (school-leaving exams, the SAT, the IB and so on).

EJU vs PEAK (University of Tokyo) vs GSC (Kyoto University) - which route should you choose?

For an international candidate this is the fundamental decision, and it shapes the whole 2-3 year plan. Let’s compare the three routes.

Route A: EJU + Japanese-track (Todai, Kyodai, Osaka, Tohoku, etc.)

Pros:

• Full access to every field, including medicine, Japanese law and niche engineering
• Full cultural and linguistic integration - after four years you speak Japanese fluently
• A larger pool of available places (the Japanese-track is ~85% of places for international students)
• More local respect - a Japanese employer treats a Japanese-track graduate as “fully integrated”

Cons:

• 2-3 years of language preparation before you even apply
• The EJU itself = a trip to Japan or Korea
• All classes, textbooks and projects in Japanese - a full reset of your mental operating system
• A difficulty utterly unlike any Western school-leaving system

Route B: PEAK, University of Tokyo (English-medium liberal arts)

Pros:

• You apply without any Japanese (language courses are part of the program, from beginner to intermediate)
• Requirements: SAT/ACT or IB or a national school-leaving exam, TOEFL 100+/IELTS 7.0+, an essay, references, an interview
• A liberal-arts curriculum (Environmental Sciences, International Relations, Japan in East Asia) - a broad foundation
• The same University of Tokyo degree - ranking and prestige identical to the Japanese-track
• More accessible for a strong applicant with a good SAT/IB

Cons:

• ~30 places a year for the entire world. Ultra-competitive (~3% acceptance rate for international applicants).
• Liberal arts only - no medicine, law, engineering, pure physics and so on
• Less networking with Japanese students (PEAK is an international “bubble” on the Komaba campus)
• After graduation you either go to a Japanese graduate school (where you then need Japanese) or head back West

Details → studying at the University of Tokyo (Todai).

Route C: GSC, Kyoto University (English-medium)

Pros:

• English-medium science (mainly biology, chemistry, agriculture)
• No EJU requirement - SAT/ACT/IB + TOEFL
• Kyoto as a location - lower cost of living than Tokyo (rent ~70% of Tokyo’s)

Cons:

• A very narrow field offering - mostly science. No humanities, no engineering on the English-track.
• A small cohort - intimate, but also fewer options when choosing courses

Details → studying at Kyoto University (Kyodai).

A decision table for the international candidate

The practical conclusion: for 80% of international candidates the English-track (PEAK/GSC/G30) is the rational choice. The EJU + Japanese-track only makes sense if:

1. You already know Japanese at an N3+ level (you have studied it for years, or you have lived in Japan)
2. You want a specific field that is not available on the English-track (medicine in Osaka, Japanese law at Todai, niche engineering at Tokyo Tech / Institute of Science Tokyo)
3. You intend to stay in Japan long-term (not just four years of study - but a career, real integration)

Does the MEXT Scholarship require the EJU?

The MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship is Japan’s flagship scholarship program, funded by the Japanese government. International students apply through the Japanese embassy in their home country.

It is a separate, parallel track - independent of the standard university admissions process. It covers tuition in full plus a monthly stipend of ~JPY 117,000-145,000 (~USD 780-970/month) plus a flight. It is ultra-competitive: many embassies award only a handful of scholarships a year across all categories combined.

The three main MEXT tracks and the role of the EJU

In other words: MEXT Embassy Recommendation does NOT require the EJU. It has its own admissions system.

BUT: after a year of Japanese-language preparation in Japan (part of the MEXT Undergraduate program), in many cases you must sit the EJU to get into a specific university in year 2 of the scholarship. That is the moment where MEXT and the EJU start to overlap.

MEXT University Recommendation - the second track

The second MEXT track is University Recommendation - a university recommends you directly to MEXT, bypassing the embassy. Here the requirements are per university:

• University of Tokyo, Kyoto University - often require the EJU for the Japanese-track, but not for PEAK/GSC (where the SAT/IB counts)
• Tohoku, Osaka, Nagoya - may require the EJU for some programs

Always check the precise requirements in the university’s current call for applications.

Practical advice for the international candidate

If you are aiming for MEXT, apply through Embassy Recommendation first (the deadline is usually May-June for admission a year later). It is the cheaper route - the exam is at the embassy in your own country, with no need to sit the EJU. If you make it, you get a year of language study in Japan with everything paid for, and after that year you decide whether to sit the EJU or apply to an English-track program.

For the MEXT Embassy application, search for the education / Japanese-government-scholarship section on the website of the Japanese embassy in your country.

A real scenario: 2-3 years of EJU prep vs the PEAK English-track

Let’s lay out the two routes for a realistic secondary-school student aiming for 2026 - call her Mia, in the second-to-last year of high school, with ambitions to study at a Japanese university.

Scenario A: EJU Japanese-track (University of Tokyo, engineering)

Year 1 (the last two years of school, in parallel with her school-leaving exams):

• Mia starts Japanese at a local Japanese-language school (an intensive course, 6h/week) - ~USD 650/year
• 2h of independent study daily + Anki
• End of school: school-leaving exams in her native language, advanced maths, advanced physics and advanced English
• The following months: her gap year begins before the exam period ends, and Mia ramps up her Japanese. JLPT N3 in December - she passes.

Year 2 (gap year 1, Japanese full time):

• 6h/day of Japanese, 6 days/week
• An italki tutor twice a week (~USD 25/hour)
• JLPT N2 in December of year 2 - she passes with 130/180

Year 3 (gap year 2, EJU prep + EJU):

• January-May: targeted EJU prep, JASSO past papers
• June: first EJU attempt in Tokyo. Result: JFL 305, Math Course 2 175, Physics+Chemistry 155.
• July-October: corrections, a second mock cycle
• November: second EJU attempt. Result: JFL 340, Math 185, Phys+Chem 170.
• December: applies to University of Tokyo engineering, Japanese-track.
• January-February: document screening + interview in Tokyo.
• March: result. Mia gets in.

Total time: 2 years 9 months from her school-leaving exams. Total prep cost: ~USD 6,500 (courses, textbooks, 2 EJU attempts + flights, italki, JLPT). Plus two years outside the standard university system in her home country - Mia has no backup if she does not get in.

Studies: 4 years of Japanese-track engineering at Todai. Tuition JPY 535,800/year (~USD 3,600/year), cost of living in Tokyo ~JPY 130,000/month (~USD 870/month). Four years of study in total: ~USD 58,000.

Scenario B: PEAK University of Tokyo, English-track

Year 1 (second-to-last year of school):

• Mia prepares for the SAT (Khan Academy + Princeton Review books, ~USD 400 total)
• Final year of school: school-leaving exams plus the SAT in March/May and the TOEFL in June
• SAT result: 1480. TOEFL: 105. School-leaving results: maths 88%, physics 82%, English 92%.

Year 2:

• September-December: PEAK application (deadline ~December). A “Why Japan, why PEAK” essay, references from her teachers.
• January-March: an online interview (PEAK runs online interviews for international applicants).
• April: result. Assume Mia gets in (~3% acceptance - not a given, but realistic for a profile with a 1480 SAT).

Total time: 1 year from her school-leaving exams. Total prep cost: ~USD 900 (SAT prep + SAT/TOEFL fees + the application).

Studies: 4 years of PEAK liberal arts at Todai. Tuition identical at ~USD 3,600/year. Cost of living in Tokyo the same ~USD 870/month. Four years total: ~USD 58,000.

The comparison

The practical verdict

For most international candidates: PEAK / GSC / G30. The EJU route only makes sense if:

• you have a genuine passion for Japanese (not marketing - a real two years of enjoying the study)
• you want a specific field (engineering, medicine, law) not available on the English-track
• you have a financial buffer for a 2-year gap year + a family ready to support you if you do not get in

Otherwise, an English-track program + good school-leaving results + SAT/TOEFL is the more rational investment of time.

If you are wondering how to convert your school-leaving results into something Japanese universities will understand, use our GPA calculator. A national school-leaving qualification does not map 1:1 onto Japan’s “hensachi” system, but presenting your results as a 4.0 GPA is required by most PEAK/GSC applications.

FAQ

Can I take the EJU in my own country?

Probably not. The EJU is not offered anywhere in Europe, the Americas, Africa or Oceania (apart from Russia, which is off the table for most Western candidates since 2022). For most international candidates the nearest sensible centers are in Korea (Seoul, Busan), Taiwan (Taipei) or Japan itself. Realistic cost of getting to the exam: ~USD 1,100-1,400 one way.

Can I apply to a Japanese university WITHOUT the EJU?

Yes - if you apply to the English-track: PEAK at the University of Tokyo, GSC at Kyoto University, the G30 programs at Tohoku/Osaka/Nagoya/Kyushu, the International Bachelor at Tokyo Tech (Institute of Science Tokyo), and most MEXT Embassy Recommendation routes. These ask for SAT/ACT/IB + TOEFL/IELTS, not the EJU. Details in section 6 above.

What is the difference between the EJU and the JLPT?

The JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) is a purely language test, run by the Japan Foundation, with five levels (N5 easiest, N1 hardest). It tests Japanese only. The EJU is a university-admissions exam run by JASSO - it tests academic Japanese plus subjects (mathematics, science, social studies). The EJU is required to apply to Japanese-track degrees in Japan; the JLPT is sometimes additionally required by certain universities (usually N2 or N1 on top of the EJU). Two different exams for two different purposes.

How many times can I sit the EJU?

No limit. You can sit it twice a year (June, November) for as long as you like. Scores are valid for two years, so candidates realistically sit it 2-3 times during one application cycle and submit their best result. Each attempt is a separate fee (JPY 14,000 / 21,000, ~USD 95-145).

Can I take Math and Science in English?

Yes - Math and Science are the only EJU sections available in an English version. You choose at registration. The JFL section and Japan and the World are Japanese-only. For an international candidate this is an important optimization - if your English maths/science terminology is stronger than your Japanese (the norm for most internationally prepared students), sit those sections in English.

Do I need JLPT N1 for the EJU?

No - the JLPT and the EJU are different exams, and neither is formally required for the other. In practice: the JFL level needed for a competitive 320+/400 corresponds roughly to somewhere between N2 and N1. Most candidates with good EJU results are around N1. Some universities (e.g. Hitotsubashi, Sophia for certain programs) require JLPT N1 as an additional condition. Check the specific university’s requirements.

Do Japanese universities recognize my high-school diploma?

Yes, but only as a “graduation requirement” - proof that you completed secondary school (12 years of education). A standard national school-leaving qualification (the Polish matura, British A-levels, the IB, a US high-school diploma, and so on) is recognized by MEXT and Japanese universities as equivalent to the Japanese kōtōgakkō sotsugyō shōmeisho (a certificate of high-school completion). It does NOT mean your diploma replaces the EJU. The diploma is part of your application documents (“transcript”), but on the Japanese-track you still have to sit the EJU. On the English-track your diploma + SAT/IB is the basis of academic assessment.

What if I don’t get into any Japanese university after the EJU?

A realistic scenario worth thinking through before you start two years of prep. Options:

1. Apply to less selective public universities (Hokkaido, Kyushu outside the top departments, Hiroshima, Tohoku outside engineering) - your EJU score of 280-300 may be enough
2. Apply to private universities - Waseda, Keio, Sophia and Ritsumeikan accept lower EJU scores, but tuition is 3-4x higher (~JPY 1,200,000-1,500,000 / year, ~USD 8,000-10,000)
3. Backup: universities at home - if you sat your school-leaving exams before the gap year, you can apply to universities in your home country (standard admissions)
4. Backup: G30 / English-track elsewhere - if your English is at TOEFL 100+, you can apply to a G30 program within about 6 months

This is why the decision “EJU + a 2-year gap year” must be made with eyes open. It is not “I’ll give it a shot and fall back on my local university.” If you spend two years of a gap year on Japanese, you have to build backups into the plan.

Sources and methodology

The data in this article comes exclusively from official, verifiable sources:

JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization, the official EJU administrator):

• jasso.go.jp/en/eju/index.html - the EJU home page, exam structure, locations
• jasso.go.jp/en/eju/examinee/schedule - the session schedule
• jasso.go.jp/en/eju/examinee/pastexam - past papers (official exam sheets)
• jasso.go.jp/en/eju/examinee/score - the scoring system, average scores
• JASSO Annual Report 2023-2024 - average-score statistics from the November 2023 session

MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology):

• mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/highered/title02/detail02/sdetail02/1373895.htm - the 300,000 international students policy
• mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/highered/title02/detail02/sdetail02/1373897.htm - the Global 30 (G30) framework

StudyJapan (MEXT’s official portal for international candidates):

• studyjapan.go.jp/en/index.html - general guidance, MEXT Scholarship overview

Japanese universities (official sites, .ac.jp domains):

• u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/prospective-students/peak.html - PEAK, University of Tokyo
• kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/admissions - Kyoto University admissions, GSC details
• osaka-u.ac.jp/en/admissions - Osaka University G30 / FrontierBA
• tohoku.ac.jp/en/admissions/ - Tohoku University FGL (Future Global Leadership) program
• isc.titech.ac.jp/en/admissions/index.html - Tokyo Tech (Institute of Science Tokyo) International Bachelor

Japanese embassies abroad:

• The “Education / Japanese-government scholarships” section of your local Japanese embassy’s site - MEXT Scholarship Embassy Recommendation

Currency rates:

• JPY/USD ~0.0067 USD/JPY (~150 JPY/USD), as of April 2026. All conversions in this article use this rate. For current calculations we recommend using the live rate on the day you read the article.

What we deliberately did NOT use:

• Forums such as Reddit, Quora and GaijinPot
• Private blogs
• Marketing materials from recruitment agencies (which can be driven by commission rather than accuracy)
• Statistics from 2019-2020 (pre-COVID, outdated for post-2022 admissions)

Limitations of this article:

1. The scoring data is from the November 2023 session (the most recent publicly available at the time of publication). JASSO publishes its statistics with a 6-12 month lag.
2. Flight prices to Tokyo are estimates (the range over the last 12 months; they may change).
3. Specific per-university / per-field score thresholds are not published publicly by every university. Our “competitive score” estimates are based on alumni-forum data and university reports where available - treat them as indicative, not binding.

If you are planning an application for the 2026/2027 or 2027/2028 academic year, always verify the current schedule and requirements directly on the JASSO site and that of the specific university in the month you make your decision. EJU policy changes rarely, but per-university, per-field requirements are updated every year.

Further reading:

• Studying at the University of Tokyo (Todai) - a 2026 guide
• Studying at Kyoto University (Kyodai) - a 2026 guide
• Studying at Osaka University - a 2026 guide
• Studying at Tohoku University (Sendai) - a 2026 guide
• Studying at Tokyo Tech (Institute of Science Tokyo) - a 2026 guide
• GPA calculator - convert your school-leaving results to a 4.0 GPA